SPOILERS: The Wannabe in the Weeds. Do NOT read if you haven't seen it!
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I so wish...
Waiting
Brennan sat in an overstuffed chair in the ICU waiting room. Everything was a cool blue-- psychologists would say it was a soothing color. Soothing to help deal with the stress of waiting; of not knowing.
She shifted in her seat and glanced over at Angela, who was sleeping on a sofa. Hodgins had left the two of them to rest at the hospital while he went to bring them fresh clothes. The other squints were also gone, resting for their turn at waiting.
With shaking hands Brennan reached into her purse for the plastic bag the hospital staff gave her. She broke the bag's seal and carefully placed each item on the coffee table before her.
A pair of dice. A one hundred dollar poker chip. A worn brass Zippo lighter. His cell phone. His heavy watch. His badge. His wallet.
She marvelled for a moment at how simply someone's life could be condensed down to a few mementos, and how those few things spoke volumes about their owner, who he was and all he'd been through. She picked up another item-- a souvenir pen with the image of a woman. When she turned the pen over in her hands the woman's clothes disappeared. The corner of her mouth turned in a sad smile; for someone who was reluctant to discuss sex, this was very interesting.
She flipped open his wallet to compare its contents to the hospital's list. Three credit cards, fifty-eight dollars in cash, several business cards.
A picture of Parker.
She paused for a moment, wondering if anyone had called Rebecca. She needed to know. Would it be appropriate to tell a small boy his hero might not come home? She cringed inwardly at the thought.
She reached in the bag for one last item. She grasped the leather belt in her hands, running her fingers over the shiny red enamel finish of the buckle. She smiled again as she read the word "cocky." This definitely personified him-- bold, assertive. She noticed its heft. Strong.
"Dr. Brennan?" A voice called her out of her reverie. She looked up at the surgeon who entered the room.
"Yes?"
"My name Dr. Carter. Agent Booth is out of surgery. There was significant damage to the muscle and bone in his shoulder, as well as a punctured lung. We placed a drain for the fluid in his lung. He'll need more surgery to repair the bone damage, but for now he is stable. We're going to keep him sedated for now, but we do expect him to make a full recovery. You can come down and see him now, if you'd like."
Brennan closed her eyes, feeling a great weight lift from her shoulders. She smiled. "Thank you."
Dr. Carter left the waiting room and Brennan gathered Booth's things back into the bag. She thought about waking Angela, but decided she needed to see Booth by herself first.
She stepped quietly into his room, registering the smell of antiseptic and blood. He was pale and swollen from the IV fluids. She wasn't used to seeing her friend, her partner, the one who gave her strength being so helpless.
She lowered herself into the bedside chair and gently took his hand, careful not to disturb the IV and monitors connected there.
She whispered softly. "It's okay, Booth. I'm right here."
This is my first Bones fic, so please R&R. :-)