Disclaimer - Bones and all its lovely characters belong to someone else
A/N - Hello, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.
The ambulance rushed through the late evening traffic, sirens blaring. In the back, a paramedic hooked up an IV and administered a painkiller to his patient. After a few minutes the medication began to take hold and the harsh lines that pain had etched into the FBI agent's face lessened slightly and his eyes started to look unfocused. Up front the driver radioed the hospital to alert them to their incoming burns victim, and the twenty or so other causalities who were on their way.
Bones could hear the radio conversation, but her attention was focused on Booth. She had insisted that she accompany her partner in the ambulance, informing the startled crew that her instructions came directly from an FBI Deputy Director. Neither the paramedic nor his driver wanted to waste time arguing, but it hadn't gone unnoticed that, orders notwithstanding, she had not loosened her grip on the agent's hand from the moment they had laid him down on the narrow bed in the ambulance.
Booth felt his eyes growing heavier as the drugs washed through his system, smothering the pain. His thoughts became fragmentary and indistinct as his mind slowed down and head seemed to fill with cotton wool.
He noticed the ambulance was swaying like a boat from side to side to side as it rushed along. He liked boats.
He liked the steady flash of blue red, blue red that flickered across his legs. His eyes watched the lights in fascination before his gaze slowly travelled up to where his hand lay cupped in a smaller delicate hand.
Bones. He thought. He was unaware of the tiny sigh that escaped as he tried to squeeze the hand back. Better than a boat was his last conscious thought, as weariness and morphine sucked him under leaving a hint of smile on his lips.
The paramedic noticed his patient drift off as he pressed the stethoscope to his chest. The heart beat was steady, albeit less strong than he would have wished and he noticed that the agent's skin was prickling with gooseflesh. He pulled the blankets up keep the injured man warm and to ward off shock.
He half-turned at a sudden intake of breath behind him and saw that his passenger was struggling to keep her composure.
"He's going to be fine Ma'am." He nodded reassuringly as she looked at him sharply. There were no tears on her face, but the lashes framing the blue-green eyes were glistening. "He's basically a strong, fit guy. He's gonna be off his feet for a while, but no long-term damage." He paused, "Limited scarring too."
She swallowed rapidly, her emotions naked on her face for a split second before her stoical mask descended and she thanked him quietly.
The hospital was busy. The chaos of the emergency room a stark contrast to the quiet of the ambulance. Temperance followed the trolley wheeling her partner, when the paramedic placed a restraining hand on her arm.
"Ma'am, you need to fill out some forms." He gestured towards the desk and then turned to confer with the doctor who had emerged from the wards behind.
Temperance stood watching helplessly as Booth was wheeled away through the swing doors at the end of the room, the doctor barking out a volley of orders. After a moment, she headed towards the desk.
The receptionist was distressingly bright and professional. She pulled up the records the ambulance had phoned in, "Special Agent Seeley Booth is the patient?" She queried.
"Yes, that's correct." Temperance replied after a moment.
The receptionist smiled, "Excellent. I just need a few details." She handed over an electronic pad with a series of questions.
Temperance was faintly surprised that she could answer almost all the questions. Booth's recent hospitalisation due to a bomb in her fridge meant she knew the name of his doctor and that he was violently allergic to a common antibiotic. The only question that gave her pause was the one querying her relationship with the patient. Several highly inappropriate answers flew through her head. She jabbed the electronic pad with the stylus as she spelt out 'partner' and ignored the voices in her head urging her to write 'I wish', dismissing it as a natural reaction to all the stress.
She handed the pad back and the receptionist quickly reviewed the answers before inclining her head in satisfaction. "You can go on through and wait, Dr Brennan." She said, pointing towards the swing doors.
"Please turn any mobile phones off though." She added as Temperance was already halfway towards the doors.
She paused for a moment and pulled out her phone, then dialled a number. She waited and then a tired, but tense voice came on the line, "Sweetie, how did it go? We've been waiting at the lab for news."
Temperance's grip on the phone turned white-knuckled and she took a deep breath to steady herself, "Oh Angela..."