AN: Thank you to all of my readers. I'd love to hear from more of you!
The Moments in the Memories
Chapter 2
Camille Saroyan strode through the automatic doors and headed straight for the elevator. Thanks to some well-placed connections at the hospital, she was aware of her route, and restricted doors were buzzed opened with just a flash of her Jeffersonian ID. The tap-tap of her heels echoed against the tiled floor, alerting Dr. Brennan's companion of her arrival.
Seeley Booth turned toward the door; his arms were folded across his middle. Cam involuntarily tightened her grip on the modest vase of flowers she had purchased. She brought the bouquet more fully in front of her, a sort of shield against the stark misery that permeated his entire being.
"Seeley," she greeted softly.
He didn't respond.
She proffered the flowers. "I thought they might brighten things up a bit." She used her head to indicate the dimly lit room.
His eyes flicked down to the flowers before returning to her face. Without a word, he turned back toward his unconscious wife.
Cam crossed to the window ledge where she set the vase down with a gentle clink. The sun's light was fading rapidly and heavy gray clouds were beginning to spit an icy rain. Taking deep breaths in an effort to fortify herself, she stood at the window for several moments before turning to try again.
"You look terrible, Seeley." Her chiding insult still failed to elicit a response, so she walked up behind him and placed a soft hand on his slumped shoulder. "Why don't you go home and get some rest."
He jerked away. "I'm not leaving." He finally spoke, his voice dark with steely determination.
"You've been practically living at this hospital for the last two months. You've let no one but Max visit. Do you know the strings I had to pull to get in here?" She struggled to rein in her frustration. "Go home, Seeley! Take a bath. Sleep in your own bed."
"I'm. Not. Leaving."
Cam moved to stand next to him. She looked down at the small frame barely discernible under the white blankets. Dr. Brennan had never been a large woman and the weeks in a coma had taken their toll.
Silence descended once more as the professional woman called on her skills as an administrator to calmly assess the situation and consider the most effective way to achieve her goal. She decided to issue a challenge. "Do you think your wife would want you to be acting like this?"
It took a few moments for Booth to respond. "My place is with Bones. She'd want me here."
His words were low, but Cam detected just the slightest wobble of doubt in them. She once again placed her hand on Booth's shoulder, but this time she forced him to turn and look at her. "Are you sure about that? When was the last time you even saw your kids? When was the last time you tucked Parker in and sang Ali to sleep? A nanny is no substitute for a parent, Booth!" She paused and looked straight into his eyes. "Ali's had her mother ripped away from her. You're making her go through this without her father too. Is that really acceptable to you?"
Cam let her question sink in and then gestured toward Brennan. "You know it wouldn't be acceptable to her. You know the woman you love wouldn't want you to be a husband at the expense of being a father. She'd beat the crap out of you for abandoning your kids for her."
Tears pooled in his eyes as Seeley Booth recognized the truth in his friend's words. He knew she was right. It was just that- "What if something happens and I'm not here? What if she wakes up alone and frightened?"
"She won't be alone, I promise you." She took his hands in hers, squeezed, and let them drop. "Your wife is loved by a great many people, Seeley. We're all going to take shifts. I'm the boss so I'm first."
Booth scrubbed a rough hand across his eyes and finally nodded in reluctant acceptance. He leaned down to his wife to place a tender kiss on the side of her head. Her hair was growing back from the shaving the emergency staff had performed, and it was just long enough to fall into her eyes. He smoothed it back. "I'll be back soon, Bones. I love you so much."
He straightened and Cam ushered him toward the door. "Go kiss that baby of yours, Seeley."
And then she was alone with the shell of the woman she called colleague and friend. A nurse entered the room silently and, after a nod toward the elegantly dressed visitor, went straight to the bed and worked the patient on to her left side. Cam knew the staff were doing their best, moving the unconscious woman's limbs regularly and turning her frequently to avoid bedsores. But despite their efforts, Dr. Brennan's body was pale and emaciated. How different it was from just a few short months ago, when a strong and robust body had birthed a precious new life…
"I have a baby girl!" Booth burst through the waiting room doors and everyone surged forward to offer their congratulations. Cam reached up to kiss him on the cheek and found herself being whirled in an exuberant circle.
"Put me down, Seeley!" she ordered with a grin. He complied with a hearty laugh.
"6 lbs, 7 ounces. 19 inches long." Booth radiated excitement and joy. "10 fingers, 10 toes and as gorgeous as her mama!"
With the consent of the new parents, close friends and family were allowed to visit immediately, one person at a time. Cam waited patiently, and when it was her turn, Booth offered an irresistible grin along with his arm to escort her down the hall of the maternity ward. With a soft knock, he led her into a small room dominated by the bed that cradled mother and infant.
Light from the spring sun streamed through the windows. Cam could see a small bird feeding the newly hatched babies that were nestled in the branches of a maple. A small sink, fixtures shining brilliantly, stood in the corner of the room. Booth moved to it, washing his hands before stepping aside to encourage her to do the same. Cam dutifully soaped up and rinsed down before approaching the bedside.
"How are you feeling?" she gently asked the new mother.
Brennan looked exhausted but was beaming with an inner glow. "I'm quite tired, as labor and childbirth were a strenuous process. But I find I'm happier than I've ever been."
Brennan looked at Booth with love shining from her eyes and Booth gazed in adoration back at her. Cam, feeling like an intruder, smiled at the floor to allow the couple a private moment.
"Would you like to hold her, Camille?"
Cam looked at Brennan to check that it was okay and Brennan nodded her assent. Booth reached over to ease the small bundle away from his wife and settled the baby into Cam's arms.
"She's so tiny. Tiny and perfect." Cam's maternal instincts were asserting themselves and she began to rock the precious baby back and forth.
"Isn't she?" Booth agreed. "We've decided to name her Ali."
"Short for Allison?" Cam questioned.
"Nope. Just Ali."
"It was one of the few names upon which we agreed." Brennan explained.
The baby began to whimper and Booth quickly reclaimed her. "I think somebody's a little hungry." He gently bounced the baby back to her mother. Brennan competently took little Ali and began to unsnap the front of her gown.
"I'll see myself out. Congratulations again," Cam gracefully excused herself. The new parents were so absorbed by the suckling infant that they barely noticed her exit. She paused outside the hospital room door and sighed in vicarious happiness. That was one lucky kid; they were going to be amazing parents.
A sharp rap on the door brought Cam back into the present.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but it's time for the patient's sponge bath." The nurse moved to the side of the bed. "There's a nice little room just down the hall where you can wait. It's got vending machines with soda and snacks. Or if you like, the cafeteria is still serving."
Cam thanked the older woman and inquired how long she'd be. If Seeley returned to find an empty room, he'd not only never speak to her again, but would never again willingly leave his wife's bedside.
"Oh, about twenty minutes I imagine. Temperance here is going to have her hair washed and a nice clean gown to rest in." The kindly nurse obviously felt some affection for her patient. "Please close the door behind you."
Cam nodded and exited the room. As she followed the posted signs to the cafeteria, her mind and heart ached for her friends. They were two halves of one extraordinary whole. What was going to happen if Temperance Brennan never woke up? How would Seeley ever go on without her?