Chapter 7

There were many things in this life, Doctor Brennen had never wanted to experience.

Thus was definitely one of them.

Her throat hurt, she couldn't control her own breathing, something was in her throat traveling down to her lungs and forcing air down it.

Brennen was not a big fan.

She calmed down, and let the tube breath for her. It was quite relaxing, if not for a few moments.

It was then she remembered who was doing it. Brennen lifted up her hand and grabbed Booth's knee, squeezing franticly. In a moment, the tube was out, and Brennen gulped down the much needed control of air intake she had wanted. Booth held her close to his chest, "Your ok…oh God…"

She smiled, "Y-yeah. G-good job B-booth."

He clung to her, making sure it was really true, that her pulse was still moving, that even after ten hours she was awake and very much alive and…and that Angela wouldn't have to kill him.

"Congratulations, you two have passed the test. Isn't this exiting? We can now proceed with preparation for the real test."

Booth's head snapped up, "What, now? What the hell do you think we are, superhuman?"

"Preparations will now begin."

Two bottles of water slid into the room, as Brennen inspected them he grumbled, "Or act like you didn't hear us at all, that's fine too."

Brennen handed him the liquid, and he greedily chugged it down. It felt cool and sweet on his horse throat, and he finished it before he could stop himself. As he turned to Bones, the sweet smelling gas began hissing thru the vents. Coughing, the two crawled back against the walls. Booth pulled Bones as close to his chest as he could, as his eyes began to close.

When they woke, they were surrounded.

Seven men surrounded the doctor and her FBI agent. Booth, still foggy from the drugs, could only hold tight as the men tried to drag Brennen from his grasp. Soon they succeeded, but by then he was fully awake. It took four men to hold him back, while the other three held Brennen. Reverently, the men looked to the wall as it slid open.

In walked a man and a women dressed in black. They held guns in their hands, protecting the man in the center. His voice was hauntingly familiar, "Greetings my lab rats...I'm sure you recognize me?"

"Havens." Booth gritted out. The psychopath turned to him angrily, pulling out a remote. He pressed a button, and the floor lit up underneath Booth. The men holding him jumped back as the electricity coursed thru his body, smirking afterwards as the FBI agent jolted with aftershock.

Doctor Havens smiled sickeningly, "I did not give you permission to call me by my full name, agent. Next time you should be more careful. Now I have explanations, I have a degree in Sociology, which leads me to wonder about human reactions. I've studied you two in depth before bringing you in, and I'll admit, you have quite the file."

Brennen snorted, "Nice to know you studied up on us."

"These tests," Havens continued, "Are all tests to prove and solidify what I've been helping you with. Your dynamic duo-likeness. I've made you two better than before, ready to rely completely on each other at a seconds notion."

Booth was steaming, "You think your...helping us?" He spit out the word like it was poison.

Haven simply smiled, "I did help you. You've been perfect test subjects, and I couldn't thank you more...but now, it is time for the final test. The real reason you're here. Men?"

At his command, the people holding Booth and Brennen were dragged to opposite walls, each fighting as best as they could. Then, Havens pulled out a needle and began to walk toward Bones.

"This is what I've been waiting for since you came here, to watch your hearts bond, to fight for each other, support each other, to hold each other...to the bitter end. And now, I want to watch, as these hearts are ripped to shreds."

The two looked at each other, frightened and scared for one another. Brennen shied away from the needle he was pressing near her skin. Finally, Booth couldn't stop himself, "Don't touch her, get away from her right now you son of a bitch!"

Haven's face darkened, he swung around angrily and stalked dangerously toward Booth, "What did you say to me?"

This was good, Booth had his attention away from Brennen, "You heard me, tying us down like dogs, making your slaves do all the work...let me have five minutes with you alone and your degree will mean-"

In a rage of fury, Havens grabbed the gun out of a man's hand, and shot it into the wall above Brennen's head. Then, he pressed the red-hot barrel against Booth's neck. The FBI agent yelled in pain, trying to get away from the searing, white hot pain, but it only made Haven's dig it harder into his neck. Brennen screamed, trying to get to Booth, "No, no stop it, let him go!"

Soon, Haven pulled te barrel back, smiling as burnt skin came off with it. Booth fell to the ground as he was let go, covering his burned neck, tears stinging in his eyes. Haven's eyes lit up, "This is a great idea, is it not? I can watch their bonds break and mend faster than anything by physical pain... which gives me an idea."

Faster than either had time to react, Haven's lowered the gun to Booth's shoulder, shoving the barrel into it. He hissed in his captives ear, "This will teach you to respect me!"

And he pulled the trigger.

Brennen could see in her mind the skin, ligaments and tendons in the arm being ripped to shreds in his shoulder. She could see it either hit the bone and go thru, imbed itself into the bone or go out the arm completely. She didn't fight as Haven's imbedded the liquid into her skin, she could only watch him. His teeth gritted in a heroic effort not to scream, head laid back against the wall, his other hand clutching the area the bullet had penetrated. He pushed down on it, unsuccessfully trying to stop the bleeding.

Then the fire began spreading thru her veins

It started manageably, then began to hurt more and more, until it felt unbearable...but she wouldn't cry out, he was hurting more...

No, no he definitely wasn't.

She recognized what it was as soon as it made her start to convulse. A high concentration of Rattlesnake poisoning...a very high concentration...but she couldn't fit words out to explain it to Booth, who was calling for her, screaming her name. Brennen didn't feel as they let her go, as she fell to the ground. She didn't feel as he used his only good arm to pull her to him, for the others had left them alone.

She heard him, pleading with her to hold on, pleading with Haven's to bring an antidote...pleading with God.

That she heard loudest of all. His cries of, "Please God don't let her die, not her, never her, I can't do it without her...please God let it be me instead, don't take her, she's the only reason I have left to be here..."

Something crashed, something banged...and shouts rang across the cell. Shots echoed around the room, guns discharging. She felt his weight covering her...why was he always protecting her?

It was his voice, the last thing she heard. "Their here, Bones they didn't forget us...they found us...hold on Bones, my Bones hold on...I'm fine, it's her, he injected something into her system..."

Then it was quiet

Lonely, absent silence.

I may not have ever done a death fic before...but be warned...I'm full of surprises

Review. No kidding, right now, if you want her to live, REVIEW your butts off.