AN: A little twist here.
AN2: Check out my Zach-centricish fic, "Far Away from Home".
Chapter Ten: Ground Zero
The roads would have been black if it hadn't been for the gray dust from the building debris. Offices across the street, the tops of the trees, and unlucky vehicles crushed by falling concrete, the world was nothing more than a filthy coat of dust. Sirens resonated, their cries mixed with humans' and the unmistakable roar of fire and collapsing foundation. Dazed people reduced to nothing more than empty shells waited numbly for news of loved ones while paramedics continued brining out the dead and wounded.
Brennan thought if Hell existed, this was it.
She sensed J.C. stop and take in the damage around him. The young grad student had joined Brennan at FBI headquarters, while the others waited back at the Jeffersonian for word on how bad the building had exploded.
And to confirm Booth hadn't been in the building.
"God, is that Cullen?" J.C. pointed out.
Brennan followed J.C.'s stare and spotted the deputy director sitting on the back of an ambulance, bandages covering the entire left side of his face. She and J.C. made their way through the mass of reporters and onlookers to Cullen.
"Cullen?" Brennan asked as she got to his eye level.
The far off look of shock disappeared momentarily from his eyes and he queried, "Dr. Brennan? What are you doing here?"
"Do you know where Booth is?" Brennan asked quickly.
Cullen shook his head and then winced. "I don't know…I'm sorry…Jesus, I can't think straight."
Brennan took in the carnage around her as J.C. tried getting some more information out of Cullen. Boome did all this…Booth has to be okay, he couldn't have been in the building.
"Dr. Brennan, I think we should stay and help. The medics are swamped," J.C. said after awhile. Brennan agreed and answered, "Of course. And if we stay we'll find out where Booth is."
"Chances are he's helping the medics, too. Agents who weren't hurt in the blast are going through rubble for survivors…Dr. Brennan can I ask you a question?" J.C. cleared his throat nervously.
"Sure."
"Why are you so concerned for Booth? I thought you two were fighting."
Brennan sighed and said without thinking, "Because we're partners. We fight. We forgive. It's what friends do. I just…"
She paused and J.C. waited patiently, his hazel eyes worried. Brennan looked down at him and finished, "I just hope he hasn't stopped feeling that way either."
Brennan's cell suddenly rang and both J.C. and she froze. Please let it be Booth…
She answered it quickly, her heart pounding. "Booth?"
There was a pause and Cam answered, "Sorry, Dr. Brennan. I just wanted to know if you reached him yet…"
Brennan shook her head to J.C., compelling him to kick a piece of rubble in frustration. He walked away, rubbing his face. While Brennan was talking to Cam, J.C. picked up a conversation between two slightly injured agents.
"…he tried to warn people when he first realized there was a bomb in the building…"
"…yeah, but Booth only had a few seconds. I don't know if he got out himself…"
"No…there was no way he would have had enough time."
J.C.'s eyes grew dark as he came back over to Brennan. Hanging up with Cam, she said, "I told her we didn't find out anything new and that we were staying here…hey, are you alright?"
He nodded, "Yeah. I'm good. We should start helping the victims."
Brennan took off her jacket and started heading toward the wreckage, sticking her cell in her back pocket. Without realizing it, the phone dropped and landed on the ground behind her. J.C. quickly scooped it up and hid it in his own coat. Brennan turned then and asked, "What's wrong now?"
J.C. flashed a tight smile and said, "Nothing."
She shrugged her shoulders and headed towards a limping man.
J.C. shook his head. Idiot.
Booth slowly opened his eyes. He coughed as he tried taking a deep breath. He tasted blood and dust in his mouth, and felt a few broken teeth. He tried moving his foot to make sure he wasn't paralyzed in the fall to the basement. His efforts were rewarded with a shot of pain.
Kay, not crippled…
He became aware of the fact that his left arm was twisted under his back.
That's gotta be broken.
Groaning, he tried lifting himself off, but part of the ceiling was pinning him down. With his free hand, he felt the pockets of his suit for his cell. Seeing he still had battery life and a weak signal, he could have cried with happiness.
Speed-dialing Brennan's number, he fought off a wave of dizziness. He coughed up more blood and felt himself beginning to slip back into unconsciousness. Damn it, stay awake.
He heard someone answer, "Yes?"
Booth was able to croak out, "Bones?"
There was a long pause before Booth heard the distinct click of a hang-up. "Bones?" Booth muttered weakly as he fell back into darkness.
J.C. flipped Brennan's cell shut, pleased.
Booth was still in the building.