I couldn't take it any more. No matter what I did it didn't work. The violence just kept going on and on. I went in to find the house totally silent. It was six o clock in the evening, they should all be home. Except that bloody son of mine who would be in a bar.
"Hello. Anyone here?" I called out, to no response. I walked through the tiny apartment, which looked like a bomb hit it. I got to the bathroom door to find a trail of empty pill bottles, throwing the door open I found Seeley on the floor in a ball.
"SEELEY!" I screamed, and tried to lift him up. There was a small pool of vomit where his head had been. I slapped his face lightly trying to wake him up, but he didn't stir. Putting his head down carefully I ran out to the living room and grabbed the phone, only to find it dead. "Shit!" throwing open the door I ran to the neighbours and banged on the door. A young woman with a child on her hip opened the door.
"Can I help y…"
"I need to use your phone now please I need an ambulance…" I said barely making sense.
"Of course it's just there." she pointed to a table. I grabbed the phone and called for an ambulance. I didn't even thank the woman I just ran back to Seeley. I rolled him onto his side and kept calling him, trying to get a response. It seemed hours past before the medics arrived.
"We're in here!" I called out when I heard them come in. the next few minutes past in a blur as they bundled my grandson up and wheeled him down the hall. I ran after them and got into the ambulance with them. They were working on him around me but all I did was clutched his hand, crying over the mess my failure of a son had caused.
"Sir I need you to fill in some forms for me." A nurse said grabbing my arm.
"I need to stay with my grandson."
"Sir he's in good hands, you cant go in there I'm afraid."
"Miss my grandson swallowed a houseful of pills. I need to be with him."
"Sir the doctor will be out in a minute and he'll tell you what's happening. Please take a seat and we'll talk through this form." Her fake smile nearly killed me. "Now what's his full name?"
"Seeley Joseph Booth. He's fifteen. Date of birth 14th of October nineteen-seventy-two His blood types B. I'll let his next of kin know, it's his mother. You have his files on record. He's not on any medication, not that it'd matter with the amount his after taking." I said looking back over at the door they'd taken him through. The nurse gave me a look. She had no idea how many times I'd been through this.
"And who exactly are you?"
"Hank Booth I'm his grandfather." And with that she left me alone, in the waiting room. How was I going to let his mother know when their phone was dead. She'd probably turn up her sooner or later. Seeley normally did. I spent an hour just sitting in that waiting room before a doctor approached me.
"Booth?"
"Yes how is he?"
"He's ok, we pumped his stomach so he'll be a bit sore but you got to him in time." I breathed a sigh of relief. "But as you can guess I have lots of questions. You're grandsons file is… extensive. And this obvious attempt at an over dose, is immensely worrying."
"I know. But can I see him now. I'll answer all your questions later." He nodded and led me to Seeley.
I had fallen asleep on the side of his bed when the door flew open.
"Seeley!" my daughter-in-law said coming into the room. She lent down by the bed and clutched his hand.
"How did you know we were here." I asked.
"Lisa next door. What happened?" I looked around the room.
"Where's Jared?" I stood up.
"At home. You know I don't like bringing him to the hospital."
"Yes because he never has to be in here. And you don't want him seeing what his brother goes through for him!" I said raising my voice.
"What happened my son." She said, her jaw tightening.
"He decided to take every pill he could find in the house."
"Oh god." She sighed and shook her head.
"He tried to kill himself! Doesn't that say enough" I said, now fuming.
"Pops…" Seeley groaned. We both looked down.
"Seeley thank God you're awake." I said.
"Mom where… where's Jared." He coughed. "Why is my mouth so dry."
"Jared's at home." She said.
"You left him at home! Dad will be home soon you know he'll get in trouble." He coughed again. "Why is my mouth so dry…" he repeated.
"They pumped you're stomach shrimp. Do you remember what you did?"
"Mom go get Jared. He shouldn't be left alone." She turned and left with tears on her eyes. I knew I shouldn't get so angry with her. she was to weak to really do anything.
"Seeley do you remember what you did." I asked again. He turned and looked me in the eye, his brown eyes so like mine, were so dead, so sad.
"I can't take it anymore Pops. No matter what I do it doesn't work, Jared keeps acting out, mom wont leave and dad keeps drinking. I just don't know what to do anymore."
"You should have come to me."
"This isn't you're problem Pops. It's mine."
"Seeley you're fifteen, it most certainly isn't yours."
"I have to protect them." He whispered.
"No you have to get better." I said shaking my head.
"After that I left him sleep and went back to their apartment. I found Jared on the floor with a cut across his cheek and my daughter-in-law crying in the kitchen. My son was passed out in his bedroom after having a blow out about Seeley not being there. I woke him up and finally told him all the things I'd been holding back for years. I told him to get out to leave. That no one wanted him anymore. That he was useless. All that kinda thing. Then I headed back to the hospital. And I haven't heard from my son since."
He hung his head. "I've always regretted that it took him nearly dying for me to actually do something about it." Hank coughed and I handed him a drink of water. I'd been surprised when he'd rung me and asked me to come see him. Booth had been wondering where I had been going but I'd promised not to tell. I'd been sitting with him for an hour as he told me the stories of Booths past. He felt I should know, but Booth would never tell me.
"Why are you telling me all this Hank?" I asked.
"Because you love my grandson. You need to know exactly the kind of man he is. He can't even remember that day in the hospital. He just knows what he did and that I found him. Temperance my shrimp is one of the best. You need to stop wasting time dancing around each other. He deserves to find happiness, to stop feeling the need to project everyone around him except himself. And I think you do to." I smiled at him and he clutched my hand. "You can never tell him I told you this." I nodded. Just then my phone rang.
"Dr Brennan." I answered.
"Bones where are you?" Booth asked. "I thought you wanted to grab lunch."
"I do I'll meet you in my office in ten minutes."
"Ok I have food." I tucked it away in my bag.
"I have to go Hank I'm meeting Booth." I smiled at him.
I watched her leave to meet my grandson and hoped that by telling her my most painful memory I'd helped them both.