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HOLY CRAP! Been a while, yeah? Let me start off by apologizing for the wait. There are no excuses except to say that writer's block is a bitch. I have written and re-written this chapter a few times, and even though I'm still not entirely happy with it, I'm posting it anyway.
So, without further ado, here we go. Enjoy!
"Uh...call me if anything changes. And I mean right away, too." Booth said.
Cam nodded, trying not to roll her eyes. "I know, Seeley. Believe me, I know." she said, smiling at him. "We've been over this before, remember? Almost every time you leave this room."
Booth nodded absently, feeling a bit foolish. "Right. Right." he said. "I'm sorry, Cam, it's just..."
"You're worried." she finished. "I get it, Booth. I really do. Now, get going."
"Right." he said again. "I shouldn't be long, though." he said, looking at Bones one more time before he turned and left.
"I tell you, Brennan," Cam said, leaning to the side and brushing some of Brennan's hair back, "you better wake up soon. Seeley's driving himself insane waiting for you, you know? We all are." she said, sighing. Truth be told, Cam was a lot more attached to Brennan than she let on. In the years that she'd been at the Jeffersonian, the little group had become her family, and her family wouldn't be whole again until Brennan woke up.
Putting the SUV into park, Booth smiled seeing Rebecca's front door fly open to reveal Parker, grinning and waving like mad. Laughing as he got out, he jogged up the driveway to the door.
"DAD!" Parker greeted happily, hugging him as soon as he was in reach.
"Hey, buddy." Booth smiled, ruffling his son's hair as he hugged him. "Why are you waiting up here instead of on the sidewalk?" he asked.
Parker shrugged, shutting the door behind his dad as he followed him in. "Mom's outside on the phone with Nana, and she told me to stay in here." he explained.
"Ah, I see." Booth nodded. Rubbing his hands together, he asked, "You ready to go?"
"Uh...almost. I just gotta grab something I wanna give Bones." Parker said, rushing off up the stairs.
"Seeley?"
Turning around, Booth waved at his ex. "Hey, Bec."
"Where's Parker?" she asked, looking around for her absent son.
"Upstairs." he said, nodding his head behind him. "He said he had something for Bones, so..." he said, trailing off.
"How is she?" Rebecca asked, frowning.
Booth scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed. "She's...better. Most of her facial lacerations are almost healed, and she's off the breathing machine. She's still unconscious, though, but she's getting better." he said. "Or, that's what the doctor's say, anyway. For me, she'll be better when she's awake."
Rebecca nodded, giving him a sad smile. She knew her ex was in love with his partner, and to have her in such a condition must be hell for him. "I'm sorry, Seeley." she said.
"Thanks, Bec." he said, turning as he heard his son thundering back down the stairs, his backpack slung over one shoulder. "You ready now, pal?"
Parker nodded. "Uh-huh." he said, walking over to hug his mom. "Bye, Mom."
"Bye, sweetie." Rebecca said, kissing his head. "You behave at the hospital, young man."
"I will." he said, rolling his eyes as he pulled away. "C'mon, Dad!" he exclaimed, heading for the door.
"I'll have him back around seven, Bec." Booth said over his shoulder, following his son.
Rebecca nodded, giving a small wave. "That's fine. Tell everyone hello for me, won't you?"
"Sure." he said, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.
"Now, remember to use your indoor voice, Parks." Booth said, parking the SUV in the hospital parking lot.
Parker sighed and rolled his eyes. "I know, Dad." he said. "There's also no running in the halls, opening doors, pressing buttons on machines, and no playing in the elevator."
"Right." Booth nodded, killing the ignition. "I guess we've gone over this a time or two, huh?"
"Yep." Parker nodded, unlatching his seatbelt. "Now, can we go? I wanna see Bones." he said.
"Let's go." Booth said, opening his door. "Slow down, pal. Your mom would never let me hear the end of it if you got hit by a car with me."
Parker stopped where he was, shouldering his backpack as he waited for Booth. As his dad wrapped an arm around his shoulder, he walked a bit closer. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just...I know you said that Bones is gonna be okay, but I wanna see for myself that she's...you know." he shrugged.
"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know." Booth said, knowing exactly what his son was feeling. It was the same thing he felt during the drive down to North Carolina that first day. He had been told that Bones was going to be alright, and was still alive, but he couldn't believe it until he saw it for himself with his own two eyes.
Trying to distract his son during the final leg of their journey to Bones' room, he smiled down at him. "Hey, I forgot to congratulate you on your soccer team's win last weekend." he said, guiding Parker into the hospital as the automatic doors parted, allowing them entry.
"Ha! Thanks, Dad." Parker smiled, his face lighting up. "It was a good game. But, Coach said it's his last. He's moving away next month." he said as the elevator doors opened with a quiet 'ding', and he and his dad stepped on. "Can I push the button?" he asked, smiling up at Booth.
"Sure, Parks. Three." Booth answered, chuckling when Parker immediately reached out and pressed the button. "So...what is it you wanted to give Bones, buddy?" he asked as the elevator started it's ascent.
Parker reached into his backpack and pulled out a plushy stuffed skeleton. "I know it doesn't look like an actual skeleton, but I won it by getting the highest score on a test in science class, and I wanted Bones to have it."
"That's nice, pal. I think she'll like that." Booth said, squeezing his son's shoulder. "But...if you won it, why give it away? Don't you want to keep it?"
Parker shook his head, his blond curls bouncing as he did. "Nah. Besides, Bones is the one who got me interested in science, and it's cause of her that I like it so much." he said, looking down at the toy. "Plus, Bones told me once that she lost all of her stuffed toys when her family left, so I just thought..." he trailed off, shrugging.
"That's great, Parker. Really." Booth said, smiling. He was always proud of Parker, but even more so now. As the elevator doors opened to the third floor, he took a moment and pulled Parker aside before they walked toward Bones' room. "Listen, Parker, before we go in to see Bones, I want to make sure you want to do this."
"Dad..." Parker sighed, rolling his eyes.
"No, listen, buddy. Bones...Bones doesn't look like herself. I mean, she's got a lot of cuts on her face, and...well, she just doesn't look like she usually does." Booth said, looking his son in the eye. "I just wanted to make sure you're up for this."
"I am." Parker said with a firm nod. "I know she's not gonna look like Bones, but I still wanna see her." he said. "I need to see her, Dad." he added in a softer voice, his eyes tearing up.
Booth nodded, clearing his throat as he began guiding his son down the hall. "Alright, then. Let's go."
Cam looked up as the door to Brennan's room slowly opened, and smiled seeing the curly blonde locks of Parker as he entered.
"Hey, Parker." she said.
"Hi, Dr. Saroyan." Parker said, waving at her. Turning to his left, he couldn't help but stare at the unconscious form on the bed.
"I think I'm going to go to the cafeteria for a bit." Cam said, grabbing her purse as she stood. She knew that Parker and Booth needed some time alone with Brennan, and probably without her there. "I'll be back later." she said, smiling gently at Booth as she walked past him.
Booth waited until he heard the door click softly closed behind Cam before turning to his son. "If it helps, pal, she looks a lot better than she did." he said, not getting a response.
Parker just stared at Bones as he stepped closer to the bed, not taking his eyes off her. She had a lot of little cuts all over her face and arms, but they looked to be healing. There was a faint purple blotch on her upper arm, just below the sleeve of the hospital gown, which also looked to be healing. He reached out and gently grabbed rubbed her fingers, not wanting to interfere with the IV in the top of her hand.
"Hi, Bones." he said softly. He waited, hoping she'd open her eyes and give him that bright smile she always did when she saw him, but she didn't. The only noise in the room was the beeping of the machines she was hooked up to. "I brought you something." he said, holding up the plushy. "Mrs. Warner, my science teacher, tallied up the test results, and I got the top score on the most tests this year, so I won this. Isn't that neat? Out of all her classes, I'm the best." he said with a smile. "But, I wanted you to have him since you're the one who got me interested in science to begin with. It's my favorite class, ya know."
Booth watched from across the room as his son spoke quietly to his partner and best friend. He couldn't hear what Parker was saying to Bones, but gave a little smile as Parker tucked the plush toy down beside Bones' left arm.
"I remembered that you told me you didn't have a stuffed toy since you were young, and I hope you like him." Parker added, running his fingers lightly over her knuckles. "I miss you, Bones, and I hope you wake up soon." he said sadly.
Review please.
Hopefully the next one won't be so far off.
Til next time!
XOXO - Onyx Obsidian
