"Booth?" one of the females called to him, when he didn't respond.
He looked over to the small group. "Angela?" He asked to the smiling woman standing in front of the others. A smile erupted onto her face. She ran to him and gave him a hug.
"Sweety! You remembered." She exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
He saw the other woman's head lift at Angela's declaration. He felt a little ashamed of himself at that point. "I'm sorry." He said. "I had just looked over all the stuff on that board."
Her smile faded. "Oh. No, it's my fault. I had just hoped is all."
"Can you tell me what happened?" He asked.
"Well we don't have a lot of time. We have some plans, but we can help with the cliff notes version." She said.
Angela and Hodgins pulled up chairs. Brennan stayed put in front of the door without speaking. The married couple went through the basic details of how Booth ended up in the hospital. They watched as the information slowly sunk in, but saw no real recognition to any of it.
He looked to the woman at the door; he could hear her trying to hide soft sniffles. "Is everything ok, Temperance?" He asked genuinely concerned.
His words sent the woman fleeing from the room as fast as her crutches allowed.
She had never hated hearing her given name more than at that moment. He almost never called her by that name. He only used it emotional times. Bones, she was always Bones. She had hated it in the beginning, but she had grown used to her nick name, she even found it endearing.
A few days ago this man had been revealing all his deepest feelings to her, now he didn't even know who she was. She had argued for years for him not to call her Bones, and now that was all she wanted to hear.
At least now she wouldn't have to deny her feelings for him, she didn't have to deny her confession. He didn't know her. He didn't love her. He knew nothing other than a name attached to a photograph.
A few moments later Angela and Hodgins exited the room. They had tried to explain that Brennan was still emotional over their experiences of the accident. She hadn't shared everything with them, but Angela's sixth sense gave her an idea of what it was all about.
She rushed to Brennan and took her into her arms. The soft cries turned into sobs. The couple wanted to get their friend to talk, but they knew now wasn't the time.
"Why don't you spend a couple days with us, Sweety?" Angela asked trying to console her friend.
"Yeah, Angela can use some company. She has been taking time off with the pregnancy." Hodgins added.
"No, no I really need to get home." Brennan answered gaining back her composure. "My editor wants me to write a piece to explain, the situation of why my death was faked."
The couple was disappointed, they had wanted to be able to help their friend.
"A bunch of us our meeting at the diner. You have to come." Angela said. "I am not taking no as an answer."
Brennan nodded. It might be good to have some normalcy back in her life.
As they pulled up to the diner, Brennan felt her chest tighten. This was one of their places.
They walked inside and she saw Jared sitting in their usual spot. She didn't want to see him. She had almost ended both of the brothers' lives. They were both living out the consequences of her unawareness.
Angela grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the table. Jared looked up and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Within five minutes everyone arrived and they ordered their meals.
"I know this is tough on everyone and I hate to ask, but you all are the ones closest to Seeley. He is going to be released in a week or so and I really need to get back home. The doctors have recommended a hospital in Richmond that has inpatient services for people who have experienced brain injuries. They are in the top 20 choices for rehabilitation with a high success rate." Jared explained.
"Wait… you want to just send him away?" Angela asked completely aghast.
"I don't want to. I know the Seeley I know would hate that, but I don't know what I can do. They specialize in that kind of thing. I have to get home; I can't afford to lose my job. Padme and I just don't have the room for another person right now. I don't think I would be able to take care of him like he needs." Jared said letting his head fall into his hands. "That's why I wanted to talk to all of you. He is my brother, but we all know we aren't that close. You guys are his family, not me."
"The doctors said that being around things that he knows, can help him. He won't know anything there." Angela argued.
"They ask that everyone make videos for him and that he have pictures, and we write down are own memories for him." Jared added.
"Oh so if he accidently reads a biography on Lee Harvey Oswald he might go around picking off presidents when he gets out." Hodgins added sardonically.
"I don't want to do this damn it! You guys are the smart ones. Tell me what the hell to do. I called some home medical programs, but they said they aren't equipped to deal with his type of problems. They are all for changing diapers, giving baths, but not one wants to babysit a man that won't remember them the next day. The hospital will teach him how to adapt. They will teach him how to organize information to help him make it day to day. Eventually with all the medications they have him on they hope he won't need it, that things will start to stick."
The group looked around at each other. He was right they were a group of highly intelligent people and had access to some of the world's most brilliant.
Angela and Hodgins exchanged a look. They spoke to each other with their eyes. Hodgins gave a firm nod and Angela turned to Jared.
"We will take care of him." She said in her most definitive tone.
Brennan, who had been sitting staring at the table in front of her, turned and looked at her friend.
"Yeah, we can do this." Sweets added. "All we need to do is contact these doctors and research what we need to do. I can help him psychologically and teach him patterns of behavior."
"I can help with some of his more medical needs." Cam announced.
"I will have the baby soon so I can watch him most days and Hodgins can help in the evenings. If none of us are available we can hire someone to sit with him. I will work on some computer programs to exercise that brain of his." Angela added.
"Hey I am only at the lab part time; I can stay with him when I am not there." Wendell volunteered.
"I can review cases with him time to time." Caroline stated. "Get him in the grind of crime again."
Jared stared at the group in amazement. They truly were perfect for him. It made him feel unworthy of being Seeley's brother.
Brennan had sat in silence. She didn't know what she could do. She didn't know if she had it in her to do anything.
"I'll take care of his apartment and financial arrangements." she finally said. "He has to stay at his apartment. That is his home. He needs his own home." She mumbled.
Angela smiled at her friend. This would help her too. This would help them all.
"So it is settled. We will keep you up to date on everything, but he will stay with us." Angela declared.