A/N: I know everyone else and their brother has done something for this episode, but I needed to get something out there too. This hit me the other day when I finished my algebra quiz early and had nothing to do for a half an hour. It's not really my style, as I've never done an angst fic before. I hope it's not that bad.
Disclaimer: Of course, they're not mine. Oh how I wish they were.
Lonliness. It wasn't a new feeling for Dr. Temperance Brennan. She's felt alone when her family had abandoned her at the age of fifteen. She'd felt alone at every foster home she'd been sent to. She'd felt alone when she thought her partner was dead. She was a woman who'd experienced the feeling of loneliness many times before. And here it was to visit her again.
For four days she had been drowning in loneliness, feeling like she'd never get out. Sure there was Angela and everyone else from back at the lab who came to visit her and try to cheer her up, but it wasn't like what spending time with him would be like. They had all advised her to go home and get some much needed rest. If she was being honest with herself, she would admit that she was extremely tired. She had hardly slept these past few days, not wanting to be asleep should he wake up. Naturally, though, she had refused to leave. She couldn't and wouldn't until she knew if he was going to be okay.
So here, in this stark white hospital room, she had remained for four days, moving the chair back and forth from his bed side to against the wall. Currently she was against the wall, typing on her lap top. "The thought of loosing so much control over personal happiness is unbearable. That's the burden. Like wings, they have weight. We feel that weight on our backs, but they are a burden that lifts us, burdens that allow us to fly." Skimming through what she had written, the woman sighed, her pointer finger coming to hit the delete button, the words disappearing from the page as if they'd never been there at all.
That's when she heard it. It was a soft noise, almost a sigh coming from across the room. Looking up quickly, she noticed Booth was stirring. Finally. He was going to be okay. Rushing to his side, she heard him utter a few words. "Such a weird dream."
"Booth?" she whispered questioningly. "Booth," she said again, this time louder and accompanied by a sort of half choked laugh. "You're awake," she stated, more to herself than him, laughing happily to herself.
"So real," he uttered, trying to make sense of what he had just been seeing.
"Your operation was a success, but you reacted poorly to the anesthesia," she began, explaining what had happened to him, the sound of tears in her voice. "You've been in a coma for four days." A pause. "What took you so long to wake up?" she asked, sniffling, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. It wasn't his fault he hadn't woken up when expected.
"It felt so real," he said again.
"It wasn't real," she confirmed. What on earth he could be talking about, she had no idea, but she knew that whatever it was, it couldn't have been real. She never could have braced herself for what he was about to say.
Looking up at her, a look of confusion took over his face. "Who are you?" he asked.
Though she knew it wasn't logical, in that one second, her heart seemed to stop, ripping itself in two. What was happening? Booth was supposed to be fine. He was awake. He was supposed to be alright. But he didn't know who she was. He didn't remember anything. The four or five years she had known him were nothing to him. All the years they had spent together, growing in their relationship. He knew none of it.
A surprised sigh escaped her lips as she felt her knees buckle beneath her. She had to grab onto the side rail of his bed to keep from falling to the floor. The look on her face as she stared down at her partner, best friend, and the man who had come to win her heart, was one of pure heart break and sadness. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she broke. Booth didn't remember her. She'd never felt more alone in her life.
So, what'd you think? Was it terribly awful? Please hit that little review button and let me know if I should stick to writing non-angsty fics.
