8.
The next few days were as uneventful as a looming cancer diagnosis could be. I moved to a private room. Booth slept in the hospital bed with me every night. Angela and Jack visited every day, and I was glad to see Booth give up some of the reserve he'd always had around everyone on the team but me. Cam came twice, discussing research with me and Dr. Watkins until Booth's eyes glazed over from all the medical jargon.
Booth had Cullen bring him some files that were strictly paperwork; neither of us could watch TV all day, despite Booth's protests that I was the one incapable of vegging out. While he worked on his files, I wrote up some thoughts I had for a new book. It was very companionably, actually, and I enjoyed how we were able to keep each other company without having to talk to one another all the time. When my dad came to visit, I sent Booth home, but not without an argument first.
"Damnit, Bones, I am not leaving!"
"Booth, it's your evening with Parker! I'm fine! Dad will stay until you come back, right, Dad?"
"Fine. But I'm only going because I know Max is the only person besides me who has the sense to shoot first, ask questions later."
"That's right, son." My dad grinned as Booth leaned in to kiss me goodbye.
After Booth left, we played a few games of snap. Dad told me some stories about the reading and science classes he was teaching at the prison, adding "The good thing about being Max Keenan is that all my students are too afraid of me to not do their homework." He brought me up to speed on Russ, Amy, and the girls, since he lived closer than I did, and we watched a little TV. I dozed a bit, and when I woke he was watching me with a serious expression.
"Honey, I, this will sound strange, but…"
"Potential brain cancer is the best thing to ever happen to me." He barked out a laugh.
"Okay, I was going to put it another way, but…"
"Dad, I'm happy, everything else aside. If this is what it took? It's worth it."
He patted my hand. "Just like your mother."
