Sorry for the wait but I am finally on summer break and can now update more frequently. Sorry that this chapter is shorter than the others, but I thought it offered some nice contrast to the heavily medical filled ones.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.
Brennan could tell something was bugging Angela. She had recently developed deep circles under her eyes, and always looked startled, turning at the quietest noise or rustle of papers. She appeared hunched over, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders, and her dazzling smile was nowhere to be found. Brennan realized that she was genuinely concerned for her friend, but didn't know if asking what was wrong was crossing some sort of invisible boundary. As she sorted papers at her desk, Angela came barging in. Worry and fear were strewn across her face, and as she sank down on her couch she whispered, "Bren, I need your help." She glanced up at her best friend, her chocolate eyes pleading.
"Sure Ange, what's wrong?" Brennan replied, moving from her desk to the chair opposite the sofa.
"It's Michael…" Her hands were clenched in her lap, her voice hard. "Remember when we brought Michael and Maddie over, a couple weeks ago. Well we had an appointment about… about him. He has some bone disease, and I don't know what to do," she confessed, tears once more stinging her eyes. "I mean he was fine and then there was so much blood, and the test results and the medical speak, and I have no idea what to do next or how to protect him, and telling people, I just…" Angela leaned back, the soft cushions supporting her. "I am so lost right now," she confessed, "I feel like I should be able to protect him, to tell him everything will be alright, to reassure him, and Hodgins, and Maddie. But I can't, because I don't know for sure what's going to happen…" She stopped suddenly, and Brennan finally had a chance to ask,
"Ange, what is it?"
"A.. Aplastic anemia. Severe." Brennan's face took on a look of horror for a brief second, but quickly became emotionless. Not quickly enough because Angela caught her fear, and all of her strength drained. "You don't think we'll beat it… do you?"
Brennan was about to begin to talk about all the procedures and what would happen if worst came to worst. However, she took one look at her friends horror stricken face and simply said, "Michael is a tough little boy." That was all Angela needed to hear. Relief surged through her and she hugged Brennan, whispering in her ear, "Thank you." For once, instead of the cold calculating scientist, Temperance Brennan had shown her friend how deeply she cared.
Feeling that some of the stifling weight was finally lifted off her shoulders, Ange looked at Bren and asked, "So, how do I tell everyone? How do I tell Michael?" She bit her lip, images of him crying, angry, sad, sick flying through her mind. "Together," was Brennan's simple reply.
Please review so I know people like it and want me to continue...
