Chapter Twelve

Brennan pushed her way through the emergency room entrance of George Washington University Hospital in a blind panic. The cryptic and hurried call she'd received from Booth telling her that Sweets had been rushed to the hospital seemed like it had happened days ago, when in reality it had only been less than forty-five minutes.

When she was finally directed to the priority waiting room, the first person she sought out was Booth. Wrapping her arms around his waist and taking in his dark, worried eyes, she could only whisper her question.

"What happened, Booth?"

Booth sniffed quietly, soft enough that only Brennan would have heard it. "He…uh, his assistant said that he collapsed right in front of her, not ten seconds after walking in the door. He was…" He made a strangled sound and closed his eyes briefly. "Convulsing. Violently. She barely kept him from hurting himself, it was so vicious. Janie called 911 and they were there quick, but…"

"What?" Brennan grasped the back of his shirt and held it in white-knuckled fear. "Were they…too late?"

Shaking his head determinedly, Booth pulled back from her slightly. "No. No, Bones….he, they-they said his heart stopped on the way to the hospital but they got it beating again. He's stable. For now. But they don't know what happened, exactly. They said it's some kind of chemical reaction. He has burns on his hand."

"Chemicals? How did he get…?" Looking into Booth's eyes, she asked the question silently and he answered with an almost-panicked stare of his own. Neither was ready to vocalize their suspicions, so Brennan settled on a soft kiss of comfort instead. She looked around the room, finally, at the other occupants. Angela, Cam and Sweets' wife Bailey were huddled in the corner of the room watching the interplay between the partners. Brennan moved across the room to the women, pulling Bailey into a fierce embrace.

"He'll be fine, Bailey. He's very strong." Brennan looked the younger woman in the eye and willed her to believe.

"I know that, I know….I just wish they would let us know something." Frustrated, Bailey swiped at her face, removing the tears she hadn't been able to stop since Booth had called her earlier with the news.

Brennan nodded in sympathy and looked around. "Where is Hodgins?"

Angela stood. "He took Sweets clothes and belongings back to the lab to see if he could pull anything off of them." She blinked back tears. "He was going crazy, wanting to help…"

Brennan shook her head. "I understand." Addressing Cam directly and Booth peripherally, she asked "Are we able to handle this investigation, if it becomes…a legal matter?"

Despite Brennan's attempt at subtlety, Bailey understood the implications of her question. With a shuddering gasp, she involuntarily clutched at her chest. "Do you think someone tried to kill Lance? Why? He's a psychologist, he's never hurt anyone…I don't understand!"

"Hey, hey…" Booth reached for Bailey and pulled her into a comforting embrace. "We don't know anything right now, alright?" He pulled her back slightly and forced her to look him in the eye. "When we know something, you'll know, okay? Right now, let's just focus some good thoughts on Sweets." He gave her a measured stare, letting her know that he meant every word he said. "Okay?"

Bailey nodded and moved back to her chair, sitting dejectedly. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"Family of Lance Sweets?"

Everyone moved together as the doctor addressed them. Brennan nodded and gestured towards Bailey. "Yes, this is his wife."

"Alright." The older man moved to take Bailey's hand. "I am Dr. Greg Andrasini. I've been asked to consult on your husband's case." He took in the assembled group. "Are these friends of yours, or…"

"They are Lance's family." Bailey stated firmly.

With a small acknowledging nod, Dr. Andrasini continued. "Good. Then let me update you. We have your husband's vitals stable for the time being. As you know, he experienced cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way here, but the EMT's were able to restart his heart. That, in addition to the convulsions, an abnormally high level of some sort of opiate we can't identify and certain other markers, led us to believe that Dr. Sweets has been exposed to some sort of complex toxin."

The gasp from the group was immediate, and Bailey couldn't control the tears that ran down her face unbidden. "Is there…I mean, can you give him some sort of antidote?"

Dr. Andrasini sighed. "We are trying everything we can think of. I understand that one of your colleagues from the Jeffersonian is testing his clothing and belongings?" At Booth's nod, he continued. "Hopefully, he can find traces of whatever Dr. Sweets was possibly poisoned with, and we can go from there." He laid a comforting hand on Bailey's shoulder. "Right now, he is stable, so if you'd like to go in and see him, that would be fine. Two at a time, please."

Bailey thanked the doctor and looked to Booth, tears still clinging to her eyelashes and color high on her cheeks. "Would you come back with me? Please?" Her hands shook as she twisted them in front of her. "I can't…I don't want to go back there alone."

Booth looked to a nodding Brennan, pressed a quick kiss to her temple, and moved to join Bailey. "Sure, anything you need. Let's go."

Everyone else stood and watched as Booth led Bailey through the waiting room doors and into the intensive care wing, arm around her slumped shoulders.