Author's Note: This is the first fic that I have ever written, let alone posted anywhere. All reviews and constructive criticisms are appreciated. I decided to get something out there before tonight's episode. This is set after Wannabe in the Weeds and contains someSPOILERS.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, situations, or anything related to the show. I certainly am not making any money off of this.
Angela glanced up and watched as her best friend paced back and forth across the waiting room. For once words failed her. Angela knew that there was nothing she could say that Temperance needed to hear; the only people who possessed that power were behind the doors in the surgical room. She went back to her own nervous habit, biting her thumb nail.
In the chair to her left Zack continued to shift uncomfortable glances from one woman to the other, finally letting his dark eyes come to a rest on the wide doors leading to the hospital's main hallway. Hodgins, Sweets, and Cam had disappeared through those doors ten long minutes ago with a promise of returning with food. Nobody had stopped them, despite the fact that each knew not a single one of them was even remotely hungry. Everyone was desperate for something to keep them occupied.
Finally Ang could no longer bear her friend's tormented amble.
"Sweetie?"
Brennan started at the sound of a voice, but didn't turn to face the speaker.
"You're going to wear out their floor at this rate." Angela continued with all the humour she could muster.
"Actually…" Zack spoke for the first time since their arrival, delighted to have something valuable to input. "the composite used in these tiles is extremely durable, it is quite unlikely that…" Angela shot him a glare and a look of comprehension flashed across his features. "Oh." He nodded and simply let his gaze fall to his hands folded in his lap.
Angela stood up and put her arm around the other woman's shoulder, guiding her to a vacant chair.
"At least try to relax" She said, handing her a magazine.
To her credit, Temperance at least opened the publication. She knew that even if the articles within it had been to her tastes there was no chance she could possibly concentrate on them, let alone enjoy one. Angela seated herself once more, opening her own magazine. It was three months out of date and she'd read it before, but at least it was something. For every two lines the women followed on the pages in front of them they shot a fleeting look at the other door in the room. The door remained resolutely shut, defying the nervous occupants of the room. Brennan felt her chest tighten with each look. No nurses or doctors emerged bearing news of the operation or Booth's condition.
After tracing her eyes across the same paragraph six times without actually taking in any of the words Temperance flicked the magazine shut and deposited it unceremoniously on the table beside her. The sudden movement caught both Angela and Zack's attention.
"I'm a doctor." Brennan stated, seemingly out of nowhere. Angela let out a small breath, despite the strained tone in her friend's voice she was finally talking again and that was definitely a marked improvement.
"Why won't they even-"
"Bren, honey." Angela interrupted her, hearing the distress rise into her friend's words. "You know you're not that kind of doctor."
The artist let out a resigned sigh as Temperance got to her feet and resumed the familiar path of her pacing.
Brennan's stomach continued to tighten and she could feel herself trembling. In her head she reminded herself that these were a result of the massive amount of adrenaline pulsing through her body since she had heard the shot go off. The logic of it did nothing to alleviate her tension. She felt her pace quicken and made a conscious effort to slow herself. Her mind raced back to years earlier; she was with Russ in their parents' house just after they had gone missing. That, she mused, was the last time she had felt this helpless. Her eyes began to well up and she struggled to regain her composure. There was nothing she could do right now to change the situation, the reality of it sliced through her body like a hot blade. She loved him, and all she could do was remain strong for him. She had been young the last time she lost someone so important to her. She wasn't a child anymore…child: the word sent up a mental flag.
"Rebecca-" Brennan's eyes went wide. "Nobody ever spoke with her."
Temperance had tried contacting her on the way to the hospital. As Parker's mother she was the only thing close to his family that she knew, but the line had been busy.
"Jack called her…she didn't want to have to wake Parker up to bring him here just to wait. She's letting him sleep and waiting for the update when we get it."
Brennan's eyes darkened, frustrated. She needed something to do, she wasn't one to sit idle at the best of times…and this certainly was not the best of anything.
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The others had long since returned with sustenance and barely touched containers of prepared food littered the low table in the centre of the room. Sweets had taken his leave with Cam assuring him they'd keep him informed of the situation, and Temperance was fiddling with a plastic bag containing the various personal effects Booth had had with him when they admitted him. She hadn't opened it; for once she had found she couldn't bring herself to do something that seemed so intrusive. She was just holding it for him. She kept telling herself she'd get the chance to give it back.
Finally a doctor emerged from the door. Immediately all five Jeffersonian employees were on their feet. Temperance felt her stomach bottom out, she clenched her jaw against the importance of the doctors next few words.
"For Seeley Booth?" He hazarded.
Nods. No one was able to find their voice.
"I'm happy to-" Everyone in the room let out a collective breath. Seeing the tension lift from their posture the doctor smiled and continued. "inform you the procedure went well by all accounts. He seems to be doing quite well, given the circumstances, and eventually should make a full recovery."
Angela clapped her hands together as a high-pitched note reverberated in her throat and Hodgins wrapped her in a celebratory hug. Behind them Cam reached out to steady herself against the back of a chair as her legs threatened to give out and Zack let an uncharacteristically large smile spread across his face. Only Brennan forced forward, unable to take a moment to relish the news. She launched into a near interrogation of the doctor, first demanding medical charts and X-rays, then, at his insistence on regulations of information release she scaled back to timeline inquiries. Cam, having been on the receiving side of these inquisitions often enough, finally stepped forward with a small smile to save the medic from her the barrage of questions and recommendations being made.
"How about we start with: 'When can she see him?'?"
"We." Temperance interjected with strong emphasis on the word. "It's not just me who needs to see him, we're all here for the same reason."
Temperance didn't notice the knowing smiles creeping onto the faces around her. Each of them trusted the doctor's words, and would have let him rest, but they all knew she wouldn't be satisfied until she'd seen him for herself. As always she needed the physical evidence to convince her and this time to reassure her.
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