Sometime the silence is the loudest sound of all
Hannah jumped into her car the minute she got the voicemail from Agent Sanford. Booth had been shot at a crime scene and was on his way to the hospital. She cursed herself for forgetting to turn her phone back on after her lunch meeting hours ago. She scanned the road for cops and she pushed her car past speeds she was comfortable driving at. Booth had managed not to get shot in Afghanistan, but manages to get shot within 3 months of being back in D.C. She hurried to the front desk and asked the nurse for Seeley Booth's room. The nurse didn't even bother looking up from her computer when she said, 'Family only."
"Look, Nurse," Hannah said trying to find a name badge. She finally found it after a couple awkward seconds and continued, "Nurse Peyton, I am Seeley Booth's girlfriend. Please, he is FBI and he was shot. I need to see him."
The nurse sighed and started typing into her computer. Hannah closed her eyes and took a calming breath. She really didn't need to cause a scene. Before she could address the nurse again she heard, "He is in room 225." Hannah shot the nurse a smile and breather a quick thank you and headed for the stairs.
Hannah rushed into room 225 only to find it empty. She backed out of the room to check the room number one more time. "He is probably is his girlfriend's room." She heard from behind her.
"Excuse me," she said to the janitor who was mopping the floor.
'Your looking for Mr. Booth are you not."
"Yes, I am his girlfriend," Hannah replied angrily.
""Oh, sorry miss. I just assumed. He was so worried about the girl in 278 that I just assumed. The nurses keep dragging him back to his room and he keeps sneaking off. He even traded an intern a pudding cup so that the intern wouldn't say anything to anyone. Poor nurses just gave up. But like I said before, if he is not in his room I bet he is visiting her."
Hannah crossed her arms impatiently as she listened to the janitor chatter on. She bit back a sigh of relief when he wrapped it up and she told him, "Thank you so much for all your help." She quickly turned in the direction of what had to be Dr. Brennan's room.
She was almost to the door of room 278 when she heard two voices she recognized. She slowed her pace down until she could clearly hear who was talking. She stopped and even though she knew she shouldn't she listen anyway.
"Booth, you need to go back to your room."
"Bones, it's a mere flesh wound" she heard Booth reply in a bad British accent.
"Booth, you are obviously having trouble handling the pain killers they have given you."
"Geez Bones Mighty Python. Really? You have never seen that."
"I don't have a TV."
"Yea, I know. Bones, I'm really sorry."
"How many times do I have to tell you it's not your fault."?
"I am supposed to protect you."
"And you did. Booth, you tried to take a bullet for me. You did kind of take a bullet for me."
"Yea, I wasn't expecting it to go straight through my arm."
"I am fine Booth. The bullet was not that far from the surface of the skin. I just lost a lot of blood as did you."
"I should have been faster Bones."
"Booth, you were amazing. Just like you were the first time you took a bullet for me. I really must ask you to refrain from this pattern. I am fine and I don't need you to protect me."
Hannah gasped when she heard Brennan mention Booth taking a bullet for Dr. Brennan previously. She decided it was time to make her presence known. She stepped into the room not missing Booth dropping Dr. Brennan's hand as she came into view. "Seeley are you all right. I just got the voicemail from Agent Sanford."
"Yes, Hannah I am great."
"Booth! A bullet went through your arm and you passed out from blood loss, because the suspect stole your SUV."
"So did you Bones!"
Hannah just stared as she saw the firelight in both their eyes. She was brought back to reality when she heard Dr. Brennan addressing her. "Now that your hear maybe you can get Booth to leave me alone. As Booth mentioned, I did pass out from blood loss and would like to rest."
Hannah nodded and told Booth, "Come on. You heard your partner let's get you back to your room."
Hannah was lost in her own thoughts as Booth said goodbye and she pushed him back to his room. She wondered how she had missed those longing looks the partners shared. She wanted to know how she missed how much the partners enjoyed bickering with each other. How had she missed all the signs?
She was shaken out of her thoughts when Booth asked her to pass him the remote. She looked at him sitting on his hospital bed with his arm all wrapped up. She knew she had to say something. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?
"That something went on between you and your partner."
"What? Bones? Nothing has ever happened between us. We are just partners."
"You took a bullet for her."
"I tried to take a bullet for her."
"No, you took a bullet for her before this one."
"Yes, I did. She is my partner. I couldn't just let her get hit."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It never came up. How would I bring that up? Hey honey, just so you know I took a bullet and almost died for my partner way before I met you."
"You seemed awful cozy holding her hand at the hospital."
"She just had minor surgery to remove a bullet form her shoulder. She is my friend. So yea, I wanted to comfort her. Wait a minute, were you spying on us?"
"Oh now she is your friend I thought she was just your partner."
"Hannah, what is your problem? I told you when she met how important Bones is to me. She is my best friend. And you never answered my question."
"I heard you when I approached the door. I didn't want to interrupt you two. You seemed to really need to talk. I didn't think you were that close to her."
"I told you she was my best friend. That would seem to me like I told you how close we are."
"No one is that close with their best friend. Especially, a best friend of the opposite gender without some feelings being involved."
"Hannah, I love you. Where is this coming from."
Hannah couldn't' stop herself. She just had to know. "Do you love her romantically?"
Booth didn't answer. Hannah took a deep breath and headed for the door.
"Hey, Hannah you didn't let me answer."
Hannah turned to Booth and said, "Your silence was the answer I needed." With that, Hannah left Booth behind.