"The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there."
Yasutani Roshi
She was finally stable enough to have visitors. Jinx, Brandi and Raph had had their time with her.
And finally it was his turn.
As he rounded the corner into her room, he couldn't help but smile.
Leave it to Mary to still make him feel like he was looking at the most beautiful woman in the world, even while she was barely clinging to life, with plastic tubes obstructing her face.
He sat at her bedside, gently caressing her hand, telling her about anything and everything he could think of. Small inferences about the location of the man who shot her, Francesca, how her mother, sister and Raph were doing; all rolled off his tongue as though she was sitting across from him at a local eatery, stewing about the latest witness to become a pain in her ass.
The response he received was the, by now, comforting, constant beeping of the machines which signified that all life had not left the body of Mary Shannon.
Somewhere in the middle of his small talk, a brigade of tears marched defiantly down his face, pooling in the cocoon formed by his hands around Mary's, which had come to rest at his chin.
"I really do love you, Mare." He whispered.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
So, I know I should update Vengeance… BUUUUUUUUUUUT I saw a re-run of 'In Plain Sight' on Universal today and felt the need to finish this ficlet that I had started… I think the night of the finale.
Thanks for reading and please review! And (shameless plug time) if you like Bones and/or NCIS check out my ongoing crossover 'Vengeance'.
Have a safe and happy holiday season!
