'' Who are you?''
A blow in her stomac would have been less painful and she let out a gasp.
Who was she. Tears threaten to fall but, like she'd done for the past 4 days, she closed her eyes to stop them.
Who was she. He knew her, he could feel it. And the way she had reacted to his question confirmed that.
'' Who- who am I?'', she stammered, her voice weak and shaky.
He noticed she was pale and her eyes red and watering. Apparently because of him.
She could see the confusion in his eyes and it hurt her even more.
For 4 days she had stayed by his side, leaving no more than 2 or 3 hours a day. She had spent most of her time watching him, hoping that her intense stare would - and she knew how irrational it was - wake him up. And now, he was indeed awake, and she was really greatful for that. But he didn't remember her.
He could see the pain in her blue eyes, and somehow it made his stomac clench. He knew her, he was now a hundred percent sure. No way he would react that way if she was a complete stranger.
He opened his mouth to say something but she spoke first, her head bowed.
'' I'm going to call a nurse to...to tell her you're awoken. I'll -''
She was about to say ''be back'' but she stopped. First because her voice broke at this precise moment, second because she didn't know if she would, if he wanted her to. After all she was a complete stranger to him now.
She left the room hastily and, after closing the door behind her, bumped into her best friend.
'' Hey sweetie, how's he doin'?'', Angela asked softly.
She empathized with her friend. After everything that had happened during the last year, she – they- did not deserve that. She knew how much Temperance cared about her partner. Hell, ''cared'' was an euphemism, and everyone knew that. But when she had seen her face when she'd told the squint squad about Booth's condition, she had almost cried. She admired her strength, her devotion to the man, her faith in him.
She aknowledged that the young anthropologist was slightly shaking and seemed on edge.
'' Bren? Are you okay?'', and then, she understood. '' Oh my- is he? Oh my God!''
Her eyes started welling and Brennan realised her mistake.
'' What? No! He's fine Ange...he's... he woke up actually.''
'' Really?! God! That's great!'', the artist exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. '' I am so relieved!''
She felt Temperance stiffen in her arms. '' Are you alright sweetie? You look kind of upset.''
That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
For the first time since Booth's operation Temperance broke down and burst into tears, holding on her friend's shoulder.
''He doesn't remember me Angela! He doesn't know who I am!''
Never in her life had Angela Montenegro heard so much pain and despair in her best friend's voice. Never. Except when Booth had ''died''.
She held her tight while she wept, holding back her own tears. At some point her crying turned into sobs and then they subsided.
They stayed like this, Angela rubbing circles on her back in an soothing way.
Finally Temperance pulled away, feeling a bit ashamed for her breaking down, even if it was only her best friend who had witnessed it.
'' I should go get a nurse.'', she quickly said, sniffing a bit.
Angela nodded, gently squeezed her hand before she left.
********
Her quick departure startled Booth and he suddenly felt drained and more confused than ever.
He heard her speak to another woman. The woman said something, then excalaimed, then she spoke again and the woman exclaimed again, but this time it was more joyful.
And then he heard her again and froze.
She was crying. Hard. It was a heartbreaking sound, filled with pain and sorrow.
And it was him who had, he didn't know how yet, caused this pain and sorrow in question.
He suddenly felt the need to get up and talk to her. To say that he knew her – in some way- and hug her.
Then it hit him. Guy hug.
Her, crying in his arms. A barn. Her, repeating something over and over again. Him, stroking her hair.
Her, again in his arms, still crying. A puddle of blood on the floor. Her, saying that she has to stop doing that, the guy hug thing. Him, answering that whenever he'll get scared, he'll ask for one.
He still couldn't remember her name though. He tried, hard, but without success.
His trail of thoughts was interrupted by the door opening on a tall blond man wearing a white blouse, followed by a buxom nurse, a tanned young woman and her.
He tried to catch her eye but she seemed to avoid his. He could see her eyes, puffy from crying and felt the need to hug her even stronger.
********
She had refused to enter, but Angela had encouraged her to do so, backed up by the doctor. So she had given up and followed the small group.
When she saw him, still laying in his bed, watching her intently, she was torn between the need to run away to cry on her bed and to run to embrace him. She did none of them, held back the tears that were -again- forming and turned her head toward the doctor as he started to speak.
'' Welcome back Mr Booth! How are you feeling?''
Booth glanced at him before turning his eyes back to her. '' I feel weird. A bit dizy.''
The surgeon chuckled and Temperance repressed the desire to punch him in the nose. Nothing was funny here.
'' It is completely normal Mr Booth. It's due to the medecine we gave you after the surgery, to stabilize you. You do remember the operation, don't you?''
Brennan snorted at the doctor stupid question. How could he remember the operation if he had amnesia, if he didn't even remember her.
''As Dr Brennan told you, you were into coma for 4 days after the surgery. But it went well and we were able to remove all the cancerous cells of your brain.''
She glanced at him, to see his reaction, only to find him still staring at her.
Something strucked her though. It wasn't the confused look he had before. It was different but she couldn't quite identify it.
*******
Dr Brennan. It was her name. He now knew her name. He suddenly remembered what she was saying over and over that time in the barn.
I'm Dr Temperance Brennan.
Temperance.
It hit him and everything came into a rush. The guy hugs, the thai food, the dinner, the squints, Parker, Jared, his job, the lab...
His partner.
Temperance.
Bones.
His Bones.
*******
'' Dr Brennan informed me that you did not recognize her. You may suffer a postoperative amnesia, due to the anesthesia, but I'd like to run some tests, in case it's something more serious'', seeing that his patient was paying no attention to him, he spoke louder,'' Mr Booth, do you understand what I'm saying?''
Booth just nodded.
All eyes focused on the two partners, who were focused on each other.
Oblivious to the people surrounding them.
Like they always did, thought Angela.
The doctor, loosing his patience, was about to say something but Booth cut him.
'' I said that I didn't know who she was. Not that I did not know her,'' he turned toward Brennan, '' And I remember you. I remember you now, Temperance, Bones .''
A sob escaped her lips and a few tears fell on her cheeks but she didn't bother to wipe them away. She felt relieved and overwhelmed and joyful.
He smiled at her. That smile she'd always been fond of.
She returned his smile. And his heart melt at how beautiful she was with her shimmery eyes.
Even Angela, the surgeon and the nurse couldn't help but smile too.
The nurse had seen the young woman with the blue eyes standing by the patient's side for days.
She had seen her grief, her pain, her hope.
She had seen her, gently stroking the man's hands and cheeks.
She had seen her, kissing his fingers, his nose, his forehead.
And she had heard her, begging him to wake up, not to leave her alone.
And now what she saw was the same young woman, with glistening eyes, clasping her partner as if her life depended on him.
And all she heard was her soft crying and his soft whispers into her ear.