AN: Here is the next chapter. Yay? Sorry that I wasn't able to update sooner. I just got back from a trip to Cleveland, and I am very tired, but I thought. Since I am reading all of the updated stories, I might as well finish this chapter and add it for the entertainment of others. And so this chapter was born
LOL!
Ok, so you read and review.
And I'll go walk the dog
Booth closed his locker and migrated down the hall, looking for Bones. He saw her at her locker, her books pulled closely to her chest; every action she made was stiff and looked extremely painful to her.
"Bones," Booth called.
She turned her head quickly and slammed her locker, disappearing into the crowd.
"What the hell?" he asked himself, running through the crowd to try and find her.
Temperance ducked into the girl's bathroom and waited until she saw Booth run by until she emerged from the bathroom and headed towards the gym.
Booth sighed and finally gave up and went into the gym. "Hey Coach need my help today?" he asked.
"Seeley," Coach Masters said slapping him on the shoulder "Of course I need your help. What do you think we should make the sophomores do today?"
"I said stretch, wall sprints, then play basketball," Booth said.
"Basketball it is," Coach said going into the storage closet to pull out the basket balls.
Temperance slowly pulled her hair back, her ribs constricting her movements. She pulled her shirt down and adjusted her mesh shorts before walking out into the gym.
Temperance stared dead on at Booth, their eyes meeting momentarily. "Not again," Temperance groaned, sitting on the spot Coach Masters had told her to sit.
Booth was about to walk over and talk to her when the rest of the students flooded into the gym and Coach Masters blew his whistle.
"Alright guys," he said clapping his hands together "Let's start with our stretches!"
Everyone stood and Booth assisted Coach Masters in demonstrating the stretches, every movement making Temperance wince in pain.
Once the stretches and wall sprints were done, Temperance couldn't breathe, tears threatening to spill over her eye lids.
"Today we get the play basketball, so Christian and Tanya, you are the team captains, choose your team mates," Masters ordered.
The class was split and the balls were thrown out. Temperance ran down towards the opposite side of the court and caught the ball as it was thrown to her. She shot the ball into the net, but screamed in pain as she collapsed to the ground.
Booth jumped and bolted across the court, kneeling next to her and grabbing her shoulder "Bones! Bones! Temperance what's wrong?" he asked.
Tears fell freely now, as she curled into the fetal position and began hyperventilating.
Booth caught a glimpse at her neck, purple and blue bruises rimming her light skin. "Oh no," he whispered "Temperance you have to listen to me," he said "Try to turn and lie on your back."
Temperance winced and gasped in pain as she slowly rolled onto her back. He placed his hand on her stomach "Breath lightly, not deeply, lightly."
Temperance nodded and slowed her breathing, not taking deep breaths but taking smaller, fuller breaths.
"You know what's wrong with her?" Coach Masters asked "I called the nurse."
"Yeah," Booth said "I'll take her to the nurse's office," he said, bringing his arms under her back and knees, and pulling her into his chest.
She winced and wrapped her arms sorely around his neck, whimpering when she moved in his arms.
"Is she going to be ok?" one girl with long black hair asked.
Booth nodded "Yeah Angela, she should be fine."
Angela nodded, her bangs falling into her face. She walked forward and opened the doors to the gym, helping Booth maneuver her out of the room with minimum pain. He nodded his thanks and headed down the hall way.
"I know what happened," he hissed into her ear, but she was able to distinguish that his anger was not towards her "And when I formally ask you about it, you better not lie to me."
She groaned, her whole body throbbing in pain as he carried her into the nurse's office. He laid her down on the taller of the cots, stepping to her side as the nurse emerged from her secluded office.
"What happened Seeley?" the nurse asked.
"I was helping out Masters for his gym classes and Temperance here came out and collapsed after all of our running exercises. She started crying and hyperventilating, so I guessed broken ribs," Booth said, taking her hand into his reassuringly.
She looked down to their entwined hands, and then glanced up to him, her eyes closing as the nurse pushed on her sides.
She yelped and squirmed in pain, arching her back involuntarily. He pressed his palm to her stomach and pressed her down "Don't do that," he said quietly.
"Yeah, I think you're right Seel," the nurse said "She needs to go to the emergency room. Do you want me to call your parents?" she asked.
"NO!" Temperance screamed her eyes wide in terror.
"I'll talk to the principle, and see if I can get permission to take her to the emergency room. She is having problems with her parents right now," Booth said, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
"Alright, want me to call him in here?" the nurse asked.
"Yes please," Booth said, staying silent until the nurse disappeared. He turned suddenly "Who did this to you?" he asked his eyes glazed over in anger.
"I-I" Temperance began, but then kept quiet.
"Temperance," he growled leaning over her and speaking quickly in a low voice "I know someone did this to you. I'm not stupid, and I experience it myself. Now tell me who did this to you and why?"
"Dan," she said quietly "My foster father."
"Why?" Booth stressed again.
"Because he didn't know where I was," she replied.
Booth groaned and stood up; punching the brick wall in frustration "I'm going to kill him."
"No!" Temperance hissed "You can't. Just leave it be."
"Why should I?" He asked, hovering over her again "This man thinks he has the audacity to lay a hand on you, let alone lay that hand on you forcefully. Well if you won't let me straighten that fucker out, then you have to listen to me. If he ever hits you again, you call me, and I'm coming to get you. I'll take care of you if that son of a bitch won't!"
Her heart fluttered at the sincerity of his voice, unable to speak, and only nodding in reply.
Principle Taylor walked in at that moment, Nurse Richardson on his heels.
"Hey Seeley," Taylor said, clamping his large dark hand on Booth's shoulder.
"Hey Lou," Booth said, playfully punching him in the stomach.
"So what's the problem here?" Principle Taylor asked.
"Bones has a few broken ribs that need to be attended to," Booth said "And she is having troubles with her parents and I wanted to know if it would be OK, if I took her to the emergency room."
Principle Taylor leaned back, his stomach bulging over his belt slightly, his dark grey hair falling around the bottom of his eyes. "I don't know."
"Come on Lou," Booth said "You don't know how bad it is. She is going to try and work it out, but they won't come and get her. I have to take her to get help."
Principle Taylor sighed "Ok," he said, clamping his hand on Booth's shoulder again "I trust you boy. I'll talk to her teachers and collect her work for the classes she will miss for the rest of the day."
"Thank you," Booth said, wrapping his arms around Temperance's back to help her up. He brushed his knuckle under her chin and tilted her face up, "Alright, you go change, I'll get your stuff and I'll take you to the ER. Once we get there and have you checked out, and we'll see where we go from there."
"Ok," she said quietly, giving him a weak smile, before straightening and stumbling towards the gym.
"Is she yours?" Principle Taylor asked.
Booth shook his head "No," he said simple, before turning out of the nurse's office and walking towards her locker.
