An: This is just a random one shot that I wrote after I had a dream that Brennan got hurt and I watched Booth slip a Saint Christopher medallion over her neck. And this is weird for me because I am atheistic, but hey it's not about me. So yeah I randomly pulled this out of my ass, so enjoy.
Booth sat with his head in his hands, silently scolding himself. 'You idiot! You were supposed to keep her safe! And now you are sitting in a fucking hospital waiting room while she is getting fucking evaluated! If you actually focused on her, you could be making sure she was safe while she slept instead of having to find her cut up and bleeding on her kitchen floor!'
"Agent Booth?" A male voice asked.
Booth looked up, and the doctor winced. His eyes were blood shot, dark black rings circled below his eyes. He looked tired, and beat-up, and most of all worried. "Is she ok? Can I see her now?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes you can see her, she withstood a mild concussion, sprained her left wrist, and she has a few cuts and bruises along her arms and back," the doctor said.
"What was the cause for all the blood loss?" Booth asked standing slowly.
"She has a cut just below the base of her skull which was the cause of her excessive blood loss," The doctor answered.
"She is conscious isn't she?" Booth asked quietly.
"She is asleep. She woke up when we were patching her up and asked for you, but fell back asleep. Brain evaluations show that she is conscious, and is just 'sleeping'," The doctor said, air quoting 'sleeping'.
"Ok good," Booth said to himself "So I can see her now?"
"Yes go right on in," The doctor said.
Booth nodded "Thank you," he whispered and walked down the hall. Fluorescents lights blinded his eyes as he pushed passed orderlies, nurses, and doctors. He walked down the hall with his hand in his pockets, barely taking his eyes from his feet.
'I let this happen to her once. And now I let it happen again,' he said to himself as he pushed into her room.
He looked up for the first time and tears came to his eyes. Her hair was limp around her face, her eyes were closed but the skin around her eyes a deep purple, like his. She had bruises and scratches and cuts all along her arms, just like the doctor has described. An IV was sticking out of her right arm, a clear liquid dripping into her arm, while her left wrist was wrapped in a green and white splint. A monitor beeped slowly, tracking her heart beat. 'The beat is too slow…' he thought to himself 'It shouldn't be that slow…'
Booth walked to her left side and pulled one of the green chairs to her bed. He held her sprained wrist as he sat down. He laid his head on her stomach and closed his eyes. He felt her stomach rise and fall to her breathing and whispered "I'm sorry Bones. I'm so, so sorry."
Booth slipped into sleep with his head on her stomach and his hand resting lightly over her wrist. Nurses argued with each other whether to wake him and tell him to leave or to just let him stay with her. The finally decided to just let him stay and left them to sleep.
Brennan woke in the middle of the night and coughed. Something heavy was on her stomach, slightly constricting her breathing. She went to move her left wrist and yelped in pain. She looked down and saw a man sleeping, his head resting on her stomach, his hand resting on her throbbing wrist. And it took only seconds for Brennan to distinguish that that man was Booth.
She smiled and placed her right hand on his head, running her fingers through his short brown hair.
Booth stirred and opened his eyes slightly. The room was dark, except for one light that was lit down the hall. His head was raising and falling faster than when he fell asleep and something was running through his hair.
He lifted his head and looked into his Bones' slate-grey eyes. "Bones," he whispered "You're awake."
"So are you," Brennan replied "Which you shouldn't be. It's obvious you haven't slept for a while."
"That doesn't matter," Booth said, his heart warming at the fact that she worried about him, while it was she in the hospital bed.
"It does matter," Brennan replied, running the fingers of her good hand under his eyes lightly.
His eyes fluttered shut, and he involuntarily yawned.
"See you are tired," Brennan said, giving him a weak smile "Get some sleep."
"But you finally woke up," Booth countered "I let you get hurt before. And I let it happen to you again. Now I'm not taking my eyes off you. I can't afford for you to get hurt again. It could have been worse Temperance, it could have always been worst. And I don't want there to be a next time, because next time I will find you dead."
Brennan let out a strangled chuckle "Booth relax," she whispered, taking his hand in her good one. She brought his hand to her chest, and pressed it into her skin.
Booth felt her strong and prominent heartbeat on the palm of his hand.
"I'm alive Booth," she whispered, pressing his hand harder into her chest "I'm alive."
"But next time you might not be," Booth said sadly, a single tear escaping from the corner of his eye.
"Oh Booth," Brennan whispered. She moved forward and wrapped her arms stiffly around his neck. Booth wrapped his arms around her back and forced the urge to crush her to him and never let go.
"I can take care of myself," she whispered into his ear.
Booth chuckled, his laugh vibrating from his chest to hers. Same old Bones.
She pulled back, but kept her arms locked behind his neck "No need to worry about me," she said quietly.
"I always worry about you Bones," Booth admitted "I can't tell you how many nights I pray that you will be ok. That you will wake up that morning."
"Booth…" Brennan began but Booth interrupted her.
"I know you don't believe that there is a God. But I do, and I thank him every single day, for keeping you safe," Booth said sincerely.
"Why do you pray that God keeps me safe? From past experiences, you are the one who keeps me safe," Brennan said quietly.
"Yeah, if I did then why would we be here now?" He asked, motioning around them.
Brennan opened her mouth to speak but Booth spoke again "I'm not strong enough to protect you all the time. I try my best but I fail miserably. So I pray, to any sort of high force to take care of you. Because I would never be able to forgive myself if I lost you."
"Booth," Brennan began "You don't know how much you protect me, even over little things. You always want the best for me, and you always make sure I get the best. The reason I am alive right now, is because of you Booth."
"I had help," he replied.
"No you didn't," Brennan said shaking her head.
Booth sighed and looked down.
"Booth," Brennan said "You really should get some sleep."
Booth chuckled "Now look who's protective."
"I have to return the favor somehow," Brennan said with a bright smile.
Brennan withdrew her arms and used her right hand to push herself up and move to the far left side.
"What are you doing?" Booth asked.
"Get in," Brennan said; hitting the space she left for him with her right hand.
"Bones…"
"Come on Booth, you are never going to sleep comfortably in that chair," Brennan said with a smile.
Booth smiled sheepishly and kicked off his shoes. He crawled into bed with her and laid on his side, facing her.
Brennan countered the action, lying on her good arm; she rested her forehead against his and threw the blankets over him.
Booth pulled a chain from under his collar and slipped it over his head. He held it up so she could see it, and Brennan noted the picture of a man with a child on his back, walking across water. The scene was blue, the outlining silver, engraved with 'Saint Christopher Protect Us'.
"Grant me O Lord a steady hand and watchful eye. That no one shall be hurt as I pass by. Thou gavest life, I pray no act of mine may take away or mar that gift of Thine. Shelter those, dear Lord, who bear me company, from the evils of fire and all calamity. Teach me to use my car for others' need; nor miss through love of undue speed the beauty of the world; that thus I may with joy and courtesy go on my way. St. Christopher, holy patron of travelers, protect me and lead me safely to my destiny."
He pressed the cold charm to her skin and took her hands in his "Please Bones," he whispered "Stay safe," he said kissing her knuckles lightly.