The Memory in the Amnesia
Chapter One
Susan H
Headlights illuminated a woman staggering along the double yellow lines. She wiped blood from her face and smeared it on her skirt. Officer Peyton flicked on his flashers, and the woman collapsed. He called for an ambulance.
***
Booth grabbed his phone after the first ring.
"Booth "
"Seeley Booth? This is City Hospital"
"Parker? Is Parker okay?" Booth jumped out of bed and focused on the clock; 4:12am.
"Mr. Booth, Temperance Brennan is here in the emergency room. Your name is listed as an emergency contact."
Booth jammed on yesterday's jeans and yanked open his dresser drawer.
"Bones? What's wrong with Bones?" Booth grabbed a fresh shirt from the drawer.
"No sir, she doesn't seem to have any broken bones, but the doctor requests that you come in." the voice answered.
"I'll be there in 20 minutes." Booth grabbed socks without looking, and shoved his feet into a pair with yellow and red checks. He was still shoving his feet into his shoes as he marched out the door.
Fifteen minutes later Booth stood in the emergency room waiting for the doctor. He retied his shoes, and paced the hallway.
"Mr. Booth?" A man in a white coat approached Booth with his hand extended."
"Yes, I'm Agent Booth. Are you the doctor? What happened? Can I see Bones? I mean Temperance Brennan?"
"Ah, Agent Booth, I'm sorry. Yes, I am Dr. Wang." He grasped Booth's hand quickly and released. "What is your relation to Temperance Brennan?"
"She's my partner. I'm a special agent with the FBI, and she is a forensic anthropologist. We investigate homicides. What happened?"
"The police found her collapsed in the street, bloody and confused. She suffered a bang on her forehead, but so far, tests haven't shown any serious damage. Judging from the defensive marks on her hands, we believe she was attacked."
"I don't understand. Can't she just tell you what happened? Is she conscious?"
"She's conscious. We have more tests to conduct, but we haven't found any serious physical injury. Agent Booth, I believe she suffers from amnesia caused by emotional trauma. She doesn't recognize her own name, but your name and number were in her wallet. What do you know of her medical history? Has she ever lost her memory, or experienced bouts of confusion?"
"Bones? No! She's extremely healthy. If she's banged up, the other guy is in worse shape. She's trained in 3 types of martial arts, she's trekked through Tibet…Wait. Um, about 3 years ago, in New Orleans, she did lose an entire day "
The doctor scribbled in a medical chart. "What happened in New Orleans?" he asked.
"She was identifying bodies after the hurricane, and she witnessed a doctor skinned alive and nailed to a wall. We all just thought the memory loss was some kind of voodoo mojo…She found this gris-gris bag on her bed. A voodoo believer told us it was a spell to make her forget. " The doctor's expression cut Booth off.
"Well, I mean, we didn't really believe it was voodoo." Booth said.
"Was there a tox screen?" Wang asked
"It was negative." Booth answered.
Dr. Wang wrote in the chart and nodded. "Okay, so she forgot a full day after a traumatic experience. Did she ever regain the memory?"
"No."
"Did she ever find out the reason for the black out? Did she go to a neurologist or a psychiatrist?"
"Um, no. She just brushed it off. We all did."
The puzzled look on the doctor's face spread to Booth's face. "I don't know why she didn't follow up with it."
The doctor's pen scratched faster in the chart.
"Okay. We have scheduled tests for later this morning. I strongly recommend she follow up with this until it is properly diagnosed. You are prepared now that she may not recognize you?" the doctor asked.
Brennan lay with her eyes closed. Booth winced at the bruise on her forehead, but smiled at the bruises on her knuckles.
"Temperance?" Dr. Wang said.
Brennan opened her eyes.
"Temperance, this is Special Agent Booth with the FBI. You are his partner."
"I'm an FBI agent?" She asked.
Booth smiled, "No, Bones. You're a forensic anthropologist, but you work with me on homicide cases."
"Bones?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, Temperance. I call you Bones because you spend so much time looking at skeletons and finding clues in bones."
"Hmm Bones. I like it! So I study bones? Human bones?"
"Yes, usually human bones. You love it."
"That doesn't sound like me at all."
"Temperance, do you recognize Seeley Booth? Do you think you know him?" The doctor asked.
Brennan stared at Booths face in typical Bone's fashion.
"No, I don't remember him, but I feel like I know him. It's hard to explain. I think I know things about you Seeley, but I don't know why or how."
"Tell me something you know about me."
"I feel protected. I am comfortable, like, I've always known you." She closed her eyes a moment, "Oh, and you like pie".
"Yes, I do like pie" Booth smiled. "Do you like pie?"
"I don't know. I don't think it matters either way. I should try some and see."
"Temperance, we can release you this afternoon, if you feel comfortable with Agent Booth making the arrangements. I am sure he will call your family, and close friends. Agent Booth, can you take care of that?" The doctor asked.
"Of course. Her best friend, Angela is vacationing in Jamaica, but I can call her brother and father. I'll make sure she's cared for. Bones, what's wrong?" Brennan was pale and shaking.
"No, don't call my family. Please don't call my family." Tears ran down her face.
"Bones, hey, no, I won't. It's okay." He sat beside her and she hugged him. He held her until she quit shaking.
"Everything will be okay. You are in total control of this situation," He murmured to her. She let go, and he held her chin affectionately in his thumb and forefinger.
"Are you okay now?"
"I'm drowsy."
Booth saw that a nurse had just injected something into her IV and suspected that was the cause of her drowsiness.
"Okay, you rest. I will put my phone number here on your bed stand, and you call anytime. I'll be back to take you home. Do you have your keys?"
Brennan was already sleeping. Booth saw a police officer talking to the doctor. He approached the two men and extended his hand.
"I'm Agent Booth with the FBI. Are you the officer who found Dr. Brennan?"
They shook hands,
"Yes, I'm Sergeant Peyton. I was just asking the doctor if she remembered anything. He told me Dr. Brennan is your partner. We found her car."
"Where?"
"At a mailbox. I'll give you a copy of my report. We believe it's the place she was originally attacked. She's your partner. I know you'll want all the info. The car was still running, all the doors were open, and the radio was on."
"How about physical evidence?" Booth asked.
"The car was towed and is being treated as a crime scene. We scraped a lot of tissue from under her nails when she first came in. We're looking for a DNA match. Dr. Brennan also brought in a lot of blood that wasn't hers, and I found a tooth near the mailbox."
"Dr. Brennan works with a team at the Jeffersonian, can they get samples too?" Booth asked.
"I'm sure we can work something out." The sergeant answered.
"I really appreciate this. I'm not used to so much cooperation"
"Hey, she's your partner. If it was my partner, I wouldn't worry about jurisdiction."
He handed Booth a folder. "Here is a copy of what I have so far."
***
At 7:00 that morning, Booth looked up from the folder and called Cam.
"Dr. Saroyon" Cam answered.
"Cam, it's Booth. Bones is in the hospital. She was attacked at 2 this morning."
"Booth, how is she?"
"Physically, she is bruised. Judging from her injuries, I'd say the attacker is pretty banged up."
Cam laughed, and Booth imagined her long blink that accompanied this laugh.
"She has amnesia Cam. They are running more tests, and she has some upcoming appointments, but they don't think it's physical. The doctors think it's trauma induced."
"How is the investigation going?"
"The local police are cooperating with me. The sergeant is keeping me updated and has agreed to send some tissue samples to you for DNA testing. I've been searching the FBI database, and I think I found something."
"So, this wasn't the first time this guy has attacked?"
"It looks serial. I'm waiting for the agent on the case to get in. I'll fill you in when I know more."
"I will get hold of Angela. Brennan will need her. Are you going to call her family?"
"Yeah well, that's the thing. She freaked out when I mentioned them, but doesn't know why. I think I'll just hold up on calling them."
"Okay. When is she being released?"
"Sometime this afternoon, which reminds me, they need to keep her clothes for the investigation. She's going to need something to wear, and you know, girlie things. "
"I'll pack her a bag Seeley"
"Thanks Camille. I've got to go. Bones is calling on the other line."
He clicked his flash button.
"Booth"
"Seeley?" Brennan said.
"Hi Bones, how are you feeling?"
"I'm still a bit drowsy. I don't have any clothes to wear today."
"I got it covered Bones. Cam, your boss, is going to pack a bag for you"
"I have keys in my purse. I think I have about 100. Why do I need so many keys?"
"That, Bones, is the million dollar question."
"I don't know which one is to my place, but you can take them. Where do I live?"
"You live in a condo not far from here. I'll stop by and get your keys. I just need to finish up a few things here first."
"Good. I'd like to see a familiar face." Brennan hung up.
Booth leaned back in his chair and pressed his knuckle to his lips. He picked up a ball and started squeezing it. "This guy is gonna pay" he said out loud.
He picked up his phone and dialed.
"Agent Foster, this is Agent Booth. I think I have some information on a case you've been working. A possible serial killer. I have a live victim for you. Call me when you get in."
His phone beeped so he clicked his flash button.
"Hi Bones" he said
"Hi Seeley. I, um, how are you?"
"I'm doing good. Sounds like you are waking up. How's your head?"
"It aches. My hands are bruised, but they don't hurt Weird huh?"
"Yeah, weird. I'm glad! You got those bruises by fighting."
"Yeah, they said. Well, okay, I just wondered how you were. I know you've been up because of me."
"Bones, I'll be there in less than half an hour. I'll keep you company."
Brennan let out a sigh, "Thank you Seeley. I just, I guess I need someone here."
"I know Bones. I'm there for you." Brennan hung up.
When Booth walked into her room, Brennan was watching TV with her head tilted and brow drawn. Booth walked over, and impulsively kissed the bruise on her forehead.
"You look confused," he said as he sat in a chair.
Brennan didn't look at him but pointed at the screen instead.
"I am confused. I don't think I understand this show. The man with the pointy hair seems to be a vampire, but he helps people and kills vampires. It's very confusing."
Booth looked at the TV.
"Well, I think that's the premise of the show. He is a vampire that used to be evil, and then he got his soul returned to him, and he feels guilty for all the wicked things he did. He's working for redemption now."
"Oh, like you."
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't know. It just came out. It's something I know, or believe, but I don't know why," Brennan said. "Oh, look, here comes the white haired guy. I like him. He doesn't seem to feel bad about anything, and his accent is so sexy. Who would think hair like that could look so good," Brennan smiled.
"Yeah, well, the hair and the accent are fakes," Booth answered, "That actor was born and reared in California with brown curly hair."
Brennan laughed.
"What's so funny?" Booth asked.
"Well, you. You sounded almost jealous of a white haired vampire." Brennan giggled again.
Booth smiled, "Give me the remote control lady. I'm not comfortable with you in the driver's seat."
Brennan held the remote away from him.
"But I'm an excellent driver." She said and started flicking through the channels. Booth held her hand and leaned his head back and rested his eyes. A hand on his face woke him.
"Looking a little scruffy there Booth", Cam said.
Booth looked at Brennan: she was sleeping. "Yeah," he whispered, "I need a shower and a shave."
Brennan stirred and opened her eyes. "Booth?" she said
"Hey Bones, how are you feeling?"
"My head aches a little. Who are you?" she asked Cam."
"Camille Saroyan, I'm your, boss, at the Jeffersonian."
"Cam will pack your going-home bag, Bones." Booth reminded her.
"Oh right, my keys are in the bottom drawer in my purse."
Cam pulled the purse out and handed it to Brennan. Brennan dug her keys out and handed them to Cam.
"I don't know which one is to my home."
Cam smiled at the keys and said, "Well, I have a 1 in 50 chance of getting it right the first time."
Booth forfeited his seat to Cam. "I know you don't remember, Dr. Brennan, but we all care very much for you. Your best friend, Angela, is in Jamaica, and she is working now to get a plane home. Dr. Jack Hodgins, part of the team you head, sends his good wishes. He didn't want to come with me and overwhelm you, but as soon as you feel ready, he'll visit. We won't call your family, until you approve."
"Thank you."
Cam squeezed her hand and got up to leave.
"Booth, you can pick the bag up at the lab."
"Thanks Cam."
"Bye Dr. Brennan.
Booth sat next to the bed again.
"She didn't spark any memory in me. Do we get along?"
"Well, overall, I think you do, but you both worked hard at it."
"Excuse me," a hospital worker said as she rolled a wheel chair in, "Dr. Brennan, you are scheduled for some tests this morning." She locked the wheels on the chair.
Booth stood and squeezed Brennan's hand. She pulled him down and threw her arms around his neck. Booth squeezed gently.
"It's going to be okay Bones. We'll get this all figured out."
"I know." She said but didn't let go. Booth wanted to hold her as long as she needed it, but finally had to move first to break the embrace. He pulled away and held both her hands. "You go get your tests, and get better. I'm going home to clean up. I'll be back. Okay?"
She stared in his eyes, which proved to be an embrace that Booth couldn't break. Finally she said, "Okay" and pecked him on the lips. Booth stepped back.
"Well hey, uh," He smiled at her. "I'm heading home now" he said as his thumb pointed behind him. Booth cleared his throat, he brushed his hand over the top of his head and turned and walked out.