A Boy From Philly

Part XIV

Anne had curled up on the couch in Mike's room. She snored softly, her head resting on the arm of the couch. Tanya and Jared were talking in low tones, trying to keep from waking everyone. Brennan was thumbing through a medical journal loaned to her by Dr. Sweeney.

Booth opened the door and held up a pack of playing cards. "Thank goodness for overpriced hospital gift shops, huh?" He sat down next to Brennan. "Crazy Eights?"

She eyed him. "Crazy what?"

Jared grinned and slid forward on his seat. "Oh, you're asking for it, Seeley."

"What is he asking for?" Brennan was lost.

"He's asking for a nasty red welt on his hand. That's what he's asking for, Tempe."

"I don't know what you two are talking about."

Tanya grinned. "Crazy Eights, honey. You know... the game?"

She did not know. And it was obvious.

"Fine, you're on my team, babe. We're gonna lay a smack-down on these guys like you've never seen." Tanya pulled up a chair next to her and patted it.

"How do I play?"

Booth and Jared pulled up the little coffee table into the middle of their group. "What you need, Bones, is quick reflexes."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Woah, I'm not playing if Tempe's playing," Jared cut in. "She's gonna kick my ass. I won't be able to use my hand for a week."

"Baby," Booth muttered, grinning.

"I'm... still not completely clear on the rules."

"I'll deal the cards. Everyone lays down a card. If you see an eight, you slap the pile. Whoever's on the bottom gets the stack. If you run out of cards, you're out of the game." Booth began to shuffle the cards.

"There doesn't seem to be any logical integrity to the game."

Booth smiled at her. "Some things don't require logic, Bones."

The look they shared made Jared squirm. "Let's just play, guys."

"Alright, who goes first?"

"Ladies first," Booth said.

"Show off," Jared muttered, smiling.

Tanya laid down a Queen for the ladies. The cards were laid down around the circle with no particular action until Jared tossed an eight into the pile. Brennan smacked his hand before the card even hit the pile.

"Yow!" He pulled his hand back quickly. It was bright red and hurt like hell. "Holy hell, Tempe!"

"Dang, Bones. Nice reflexes."

Brennan straightened her posture, completely proud of herself and took the pile of cards, adding them to Tanya's and her collection.

The cards were thrown down in the circle. Tanya threw down an eight on the next round. Once again, Brennan slapped her hand down and earned the ladies twelve more cards.

On the next round, it was a repeat of the first one. Brennan smacked her hand out, slapping Jared's before he had a chance to retrieve it. "Dammit! Ouch!"

Brennan grinned.

On the final round, Booth was the one who threw down the fatal Crazy Eight card. Both of their hands hit the eight at the same time.

They froze, neither knowing who the true winner was.

"It's mine, Booth."

"No, Bones. See how my thumb is a little bit below yours. That proves that mine was the first to touch the eight."

"My right proximal phalange is just slightly beneath yours, so it was obviously my win."

"I don't think so, Bones."

"We should play a round. Just you and me. Whoever gets that, wins all."

"You sure sound confident in yourself, Bones."

"I am quite confident, yes. I know that I'm going to beat you."

"Careful, Bones, I might like that."

Jared cleared his throat. "Let's just call it a tie, huh?"

Brennan: "I don't like ties."

Booth: "She doesn't like ties."

Jared groaned.

"You know, Bones, you ever hear of a Peace Treaty?"

"The rate of failure of Peace Treaties is disturbingly high." Brennan crossed her arms.

Booth grinned. "You're bull-headed."

She scrunched her forehead and touched her face.

"It means you're stubborn."

She smiled. "Rematch."

At that moment, Anne sat up abruptly.

Booth glanced over at her momentarily, then he looked back to Brennan, then back at Anne once again. "Mom, are you OK?"

She looked pale and her cheeks were tinged with red. "I'm not... I'm not feeling very good," she said in a low tone.

Jared and Booth stood up from their seats and went to their mother. "What's wrong?"

"I..." She breathed in and out slowly. "I'm having chest pain."

Tanya hit the call button on Mike's bed.

"Does your left arm hurt?' Jared asked.

"Women often experience unusual symptoms when they have heart attacks," Brennan said. "That's one reason why heart disease is the number one killer of women. You should just sit back, Anne. Don't stand up."

A nurse walked into the room. "Is everything OK in here?"

"My Mom's having chest pain," Booth explained.

The nurse immediately stuck her head into the hallway. "Can I get a wheelchair in here?!"

Another nurse came in and within a few seconds, Anne was being wheeled down the hall and into another room.

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