Booth tried to understand what the surgeon was telling him, he really did...but he couldn't. Every time the man opened his mouth to throw out some medical terminology, he felt dizzy...sterile white walls closed in on him making him want to claw at his throat, gasping for breath.

What did he know of thoracotomies and half a dozen other words that the doctor spewed from his mouth with ease? If it weren't for his ability to read Cam's facial features, he would be completely lost.

The explanation was exhausting as much as it was heartbreaking to hear. Booth was starting to pick up on a few words here and there through an endless echoing tunnel...extensive tissue damage, lacerations to the lung and heart organs, severe blood loss.

"Just tell me if she's going to be alright." Booth demanded cutting the doctor off from his long winded diatribe. That's all he wanted to know. C'mon give me something good to cling to, Booth thought silently as his body tensed for impact. He felt Cam squeeze his arm in silent support but he shook her off.

The doctor; John Warren, who was the top of his field, heaved a sigh and shook is head. "The truth, Agent Booth, is we did everything we could up to this point. Dr. Brennan has proven in the OR, that she is a fighter so let's hope she keeps on fighting. As I mentioned, there was severe damage done to not only her lungs but there was some damage to her heart from the way the bullet fractured. The good news is she is stabilized. We have placed her in a medically induced coma to allow her body to heal but the risk for infection is very high and right now she is not breathing on her own."

Booth took a hard swallow trying to digest the information and couldn't. "So you're telling me that she still could die."

"We're doing everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen."

It was a crap answer meant to instill hope and Booth was tempted to tell that to the doctor. "It doesn't change the facts though."

"No, no I'm afraid it doesn't."

"I need to see her." It wasn't a question. It was a demand. Nothing and no one was going to stop him from seeing Bones for himself.

"Of course." Dr. Warren nodded. "She has been moved to ICU. I know that there are many people that wish to see her but I want to remind you only two persons are allowed in at one time. We have other patients to think about as well."

Booth nodded in understanding before he walked off down the hall, not caring if anyone followed him. His feet automatically carried him to his destination, his mind barely processing where he was going. It wasn't until he was a few feet from the door to her room that he slowed his pace, suddenly not as anxious to enter the room. He was afraid if what he would see.

All around him, he could hear the sounds of machines…of quiet sobs…gasps of pain. The smell of antiseptic and impending death permeated his nostrils causing his stomach to roll. This was ICU. There was no intimation of privacy here, just glass encased cubicles left open...always open should the need for immediate assistance be required. He tasted the bile on his tongue and forced it back down. Bracing his shoulders, he willed himself to take the few steps left.

Booth gripped the glass doorway to her room tightly as his knees threatened to give out on him. She looked like she was caught in a web of wires, IV's and tubing. He remembered the doctor mentioning something about intubation though it barely registered at the time. To actually see the tube taped to her mouth…hear the gentle whoosh of the machine followed by a slight rise and fall in Bone's chest served as a bitter reminder that she was teetering on the very brink of life and death.

He edged closer to the bed noting how the auburn fan of her eyelashes contrasted starkly to the near translucent pallor of her pale skin. Her abdomen was only slightly distended now that their child was born.

"Oh, Bones." He managed to verbalize brokenly through the thick lump in his throat.

Booth pulled a chair as close to her as possible; his knees pressing against the bed frame. Sitting down, he grasped her small, cold hand careful not to disturb the network of wires and bent over to rest his cheek on the smoothness of her cool skin. A solitary tear escaped his eyes and trailed down his cheek to fall onto her finger.

"I want to be angry at you…I really do." He whispered against her hand. "But I also want to wrap my arms around you and never let you go. I love you so much Bones…so damn much." He kissed her hand, gripping tighter, feeling his tears fall more freely now. "Please, remember your promise. you can't leave me…you can't ever leave me."

His only answer was the steady beeping on the heart monitors and the air escaping from the tubing down her throat. They were sounds that should have invoked comfort that she was alive. They didn't. Instead they instilled a deep-seated terror that the odds were going to finally beat them. They had conquered them time and time again, although neither of them had come out completely unscathed; a brain tumor, a stab wound, a gunshot wound and the subsequent faked death, being buried alive or stuck in an explosive freighter hold by the gravedigger, a year apart, a boyfriend that wanted to sail her away with him, a girlfriend that should never have been. Entrenched in Booth's mind, he knew what all gamblers inherently knew; the house always wins and he felt like the house was finally collecting.

Booth didn't know how long he sat in that position, comforting himself with the slow but steady feel of her pulse under his gently caressing fingertips. He wasn't aware of the pleas and words of love that spilled from his mouth; sometimes reverently, other times bitterly. He was only aware of the silence that greeted him in return. He told her of Lauren; their beautiful little girl…the little girl that would and did need her mommy, well and whole again in the hopes it would elicit a more speedy recovery. He joked with her about what he imagined she would say about all this…about him speaking to her when she clearly could not respond. She would tell him he was being illogical in that forthright scientific manner of hers. But he knew…had faith that she could hear every word.

"She used to speak to you too…when you were in a coma a few years ago." Angela said from the doorway. She had been watching them tearfully for a few minutes now and her heart broke for them both.

Booth looked up swiftly wiping the tears from his cheeks, realizing this was the second time his usually spot on sniper instincts failed him today. The first was when Carson had gotten the drop on him and now with Angela standing in the doorway, leaning on the frame for support as she watched him at his most vulnerable.

"What do you mean?" He asked her gruffly, clearing his throat.

"Everyday you were in that damn coma, she sat with you...reading to you from this story she was writing for you. She would even take her meals in your room...however few and far in between they were. No one could tear her from your side without risk of bodily harm." She said with a small laugh as she walked further in the room. Leaning over Brennan, she smoothed her friend's bangs with a light touch. "Just so you know, she wouldn't think you were being illogical."

"Thank you Ange." He whispered.

"You would almost think she was sleeping." Angela's voice broke. "She's going to be fine, G-man. Just wait and see."

"Why Angela?" He asked because he needed to know...needed insight from one of her closest friends. "Why would she take a risk like that?"

Angela straightened thinking carefully on the answer. "Booth, let me ask you something." She started, absently chewing on her fingernail. "What would you have done...if the situation was reversed?"

Booth scowled and looked away. "It's not the same thing."

"Yes. Yes, it is Sweetie. It's exactly the same thing." Angela seemed to lose herself in her own thoughts then. "I can't help thinking that if I could have just...if I could've just repaired the damage to the flash drive faster...this whole thing would never have happened."

"You don't know that."

"I know." She offered him a sad smile. "Just like you didn't know that Carson was anymore than a person of interest." At his disbelieving look, she continued. "I know you Booth. I know you're blaming yourself for this. Don't, okay? The sole guilt rest squarely on that bastard's shoulders."

Engulfed with his own guilt, Booth neither corrected her nor did he agree with her. Regardless who should bear the burden, it didn't change the facts and the facts were Bones was lying here in a hospital bed, barely alive and his beautiful newborn baby girl may never get a chance to meet her mother.

"Could you do me a favor?" He asked her trying to focus on something...anything else.

"Anything. You know that."

"Yeah, yeah I do." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat back down. "Can you sit here with Bones? I have to call Max and Russ. My cell phone is still in my room."

Angela walked over to him and squeezed his hand tightly. "Of course, Booth. You don't even have to ask."

"Thanks. You're the best."

"I know." She offered him a small smile before he pushed himself up again and walked out the door.

Sighing, Angela sat down on the chair that Booth recently vacated and looked at her friend.

"That man loves you so much sweetie. And your daughter? Well, just so you know, she's going to be a little heartbreaker." She let out a chuckle that sounded more like a sob. "I know you would tell me that it is physically impossible for someone to break a heart but trust me on this one, sweetie, you and Booth are going to have your hands full with the boys lining up at your door. It'll be okay though, I have grand plans for her and little Michael already. Now don't argue with me." She told the unresponsive Brennan. "I have a gift for knowing these things. After all, I knew about you and Booth after all way before you did."


When Booth got back to his room, his cell phone was buzzing like a chainsaw. Scrubbing his face with his hand, he plunked himself on the lumpy mattress and retrieved the phone from the table next to the bed.

After staring blindly at it for a few seconds, he hit the accept call button."Booth." He answered tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose not even bothering to check the caller ID on the phone.

"Okay Cherie, you better start talking and start talking fast. Tell me what in the blazes is going on. Why am I in the empty lab of the biggest workaholics I know in the middle of a work day, while we're are trying to catch a murderer no less, and Mr. Bray, the only one here that can possibly give me any information is looking at me like he's rather donate a kidney than talk to me?"

Booth pressed his palm to his eye hoping to scrub out the image of his Bones lying there pale and lifeless with machines breathing for her. The horrifying vision; a permanently inked tattoo burned into his retinas. He felt himself gasping, trying to keep the harsh sobs at bay. Pull it together, Booth, he commanded himself.

"Agent Booth!" Caroline barked in his ear pulling him back to earth. "Unless someone is dead, dying or in the hospital..."

"Someone is." He managed to push out of his mouth, nearly choking on the words.

Caroline pulled the phone away from her ear and gave it a confused looked. That was certainly not the answer she expected. Tapping on the hearing end she put the phone back to her ear. "Something must be wrong with our connection. I thought I heard you say..."

"I did."

"Do you want to run that by me again?"

Booth's breath came out in a whoosh as his chest restricted painfully. "It's Bones." His voice refused to cooperate and explain further.

"She's in labor isn't she?" Caroline said with a sigh of relief not even thinking that if the squint doctor really was in labor the last place Booth would be is on the phone with her. "Well she may feel like she's dying and may even sound like it but…"

"Caroline, wait you have it…"

"… trust me Booth when I say millions of women get through it just fine. Not that I have any personal experience…thank the Lord. I'm happy to hear you have an excuse but the rest of the squints better get back to the lab pronto."

"She was shot Caroline!" Booth said through gritted teeth. "I'm at GWU waiting to see if she'll make it through the night."

There was just a fleeting moment of silence as Caroline processed the information before she snapped. "Well why didn't you say that in the damn first place, cher?. I'm on my way."

Booth let out a deep breath and stared at the now silent phone. He scrolled down his list of contacts until he reached Max Keenan's name. Booth never wanted to have the notorious criminals contact information in his contact list in case one of his colleagues should notice but Max had input the information himself for 'just in case' purposes. Unfortunately, now was one of those times.

After the fourth ring, he knew he would be greeted by a voice mail message rather than the man himself. He didn't know which was worse. How did you tell someone in a message that their daughter might...no! He wasn't going there.

"Max...it's Booth. Call me when you get this message. It's important." He ended the call. Closing his eyes, he pressed the phone against his forehead half expecting it to vibrate against his skin with a return call.

He blew at a breath and looked up Russ' name. Hitting the call button, he waited. When Russ picked up, Booth could hear the sounds of little girls giggling in the background.

"Hello." Russ answered jovially.

"Russ, it's Booth."

"Oh, hey Booth. Hold on a sec...girls settle down, I'll play Operation with you in a little bit...Sorry about that. Game night." Russ explained. "So what's up? My sister pop yet?" He laughed.

Booth was suddenly struck dumb...couldn't bring himself to utter the words again.

"Booth?" Russ' questioning voice was a lot less full of humor now. An inner instinct bred from years of evading the law kicked into high gear telling him that something was wrong. "Booth? What is it?"

"Tempe" Booth found himself using the nickname Russ called her by. "There's been..." God, he couldn't even say it. He squeezed his eyes shut, felt the moisture gathering again in the corners of his lids.

"There's been a what, Booth?" Russ spoke very slowly.

"Temperance...she's in the hospital. She was shot."

"Shot!" He shouted, not even noticing his step-daughters jump in reaction, nor the subsequent whimpers that followed. "What the hell? How is she? Where is she?"

"We're at GWU. I won't lie Russ. It's bad." Booth managed to choke out.

"The baby?"

"The baby...she...Lauren, she's okay. The doctors managed an emergency c-section."

Russ exhaled a deep breath. "Does Max know?"

"I left a message on his voice mail. I didn't go into detail. I just told him to call me."

"Okay, okay. I'll try him too. Every fifteen minutes if I have too."

Good, Booth thought. He would rather not be the one to tell this to Max Keenan if he could help it. "Thank you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. And Booth?"

"Yeah." He felt so tired all of a sudden.

"My sister is not going anywhere. You'll see."

Booth hung up and stared at the bed wanting nothing more than to crawl under the sheets and fall into oblivion. He was surprised none of the nurses on the floor had tried to make him do just that. He was a current guest of the hospital after all. He wouldn't be fully discharged until the next afternoon and that was just fine with him. ICU wouldn't allow overnight visitors and there was no way he was leaving this hospital. So if he would have to sleep a couple of floors below her, he would.