Booth held his wife close, blocking out the pain as his bruised body protested. He smiled as she slipped her shoes off and brought her legs up onto the bed. She rolled over onto her side and he pulled her as close to him as he could. Silence blanketed them and he wondered if she realized how close he'd come to not making it home today.
Closing his eyes he could still picture his gun pointed at his head, the adrenaline pumping though his veins as he searched desperately for an escape. Any mistake back there could easily have ended in his death, and no matter how many times he'd been through it before it was still unsettling. The thing he'd learned over the years was to be grateful that he was lying in a hospital bed and not on some slab at the county morgue.
All in all, he'd come out okay this time. The bruises would probably heal the fastest, then his "scratch" as long as it didn't get infected. His shoulder would take a few weeks to heal, but it wouldn't be too bad since nothing was torn or dislocated, just stretched a little. His ribs, on the other hand, were the nasty part. The docs had told him the first time he'd woken up here that he'd fractured two ribs and that a third was snapped clean through. Long experience told him it'd be six to eight weeks at least before they healed, and longer before he'd feel completely healthy.
Beside him, Bones stirred.
"I should go get Cullen," she told him, getting up and putting her shoes back on, "He seemed very agitated about your condition, and he was kind enough to drive me here."
Booth nodded, "Go ahead. Far as I know, I'm not going anywhere."
That brought a smile to the corners of her lips and she promised to return momentarily. Once his door closed, he moved toward the center of the bed again. Nice as it had been to hold her close, his body was telling him that he needed as much room as possible to spread out.
The door opened again and a nurse came in, carrying a large bag of ice for his ribs. Under her direction, he moved to the edge of the bed and allowed her to unwind the large ace bandage they'd put around his ribs. The nurse gently removed the old bag of ice-which had turned to water- and replaced it. He winced as she rebound the new ice snugly to his chest, but knew that there wasn't an alternative.
The nurse then checked his vitals and his meds and helped him get resettled on the bed.
"Need anything else, Dear?" she asked.
"Some more pudding?" he asked, hopefully.
The nurse laughed, but nodded, "I'll bring some more when your cot gets here."
He gave her a confused look.
"Apparently you're pretty special around here, Mr. Booth," she smiled kindly, "Your boss got permission for your wife to stay with you tonight. Cot should be down in another half hour. Meanwhile, are you up for your visitors?"
He nodded and she waved goodbye, calling to someone down the hall as she left.
Seconds later, Cullen came through the door, followed closely by Bones. Cullen's stay was brief, just enough to make sure that Booth was being taken care of and to assure him that Graft was being moved to a secure facility later that night. The director then excused himself, promising to return the next day when Booth was ready to be discharged.
As the door closed behind Cullen, Bones sagged into her chair and Booth could see the fatigue etched into her face. It really wasn't that late- maybe eight or something like that- but, he reminded himself, she'd been up since seven and had most likely been busy all day with the kids, and he could only imagine the kind of emotional roller coaster she had been on since Cullen broke the news to her.
"A cot will be here soon," he told her.
"Huh?" she gave him a vacant look.
"The nurse told me that Cullen pulled so strings so that you can stay here tonight," he explained, "She said they'd be bringing a cot down for you shortly."
"Sounds good," she murmured softly.
"Busy day?" he asked as she leaned forward and put her head down on his bed.
Her head bobbed up and down, but all she said was, "Housework."
"Ah," her fatigue made even more sense now, and he stroked her hair softly, "Want me to call and bug 'em for the cot?"
She shook her head, so he let her be, enjoying the feel of her silky hair through his fingers. It wasn't long before her breathing evened out and he could tell she was asleep. Ten minutes later, the cot was wheeled in and quietly set up by Booth's nurse and one of the orderlies. Bones was still sound asleep and he smiled graciously at the two women for completing the task without rousing her one bit. The nurse took his vitals again and whispered that she would be back in a few hours to ice him up again. She also left him several pudding cups and two spoons.
The door clicked shut as the two women left and Bones roused.
"Did I miss something?" she asked.
"Just the ladies dropping off your cot," he smiled, "They left pudding too if you want some."
"I am somewhat hungry," she yawned, stretching, "Was I asleep long?"
"Nope," he shook his head, "But feel free to climb under the covers and sleep if you'd like."
"Perhaps in a bit," she said, taking one of the pudding cups his offered, "Though it was not my intention to come to the hospital and fall asleep."
She opened both of their puddings and helped him get situated so that he could eat with his left hand. It was awkward, and she had to help him a few times, but the pudding tasted so good he didn't mind too much. Still, it took him five minutes to get through one pudding cup, and by that time, his ribs were telling him it was time to take it easy. He looked longingly over at the other cups, but they would have to wait for another time.
"Would you like me to feed some more to you?" her voice was so soft he almost didn't hear her.
"Really?" he was touched by her thoughtfulness and didn't want to turn her down if she wanted to help.
"Yes," she nodded her head, "I've become quite adept at spooning food into Sadie's mouth and your gross motor skills are far more advanced then hers, so I doubt you will close your mouth at inopportune times. That is, if it does not offend you?"
"I could never be offended by pudding," he told her, her big words telling him that she was recovering from all of the emotional strain quickly, "Or you."
Smiling, she picked out a vanilla pudding for him, opened it, and began spooning it into his mouth. This time, he was able to enjoy his pudding without being in pain. Bones really was good at feeding him and under a different set of circumstances it would've been downright sexy. As it was, though, he felt very blessed to have somebody care for him so tenderly.
"Bones," he said when she'd finished, "I think I have some pudding on my lips, could you help get it off?"
She looked at him closely, "I don't see anything-" she broke off as he launched his charm smile on her and rolled her eyes, "Was that a sexual invitation?"
"Well," he cleared his throat, enjoying a chance to tease her, "I'm not sure if my ribs are up to that but if you really want…"
"Alpha male," she snorted.
"Completely."
"Incorrigible."
"Always. Now come over here and kiss me, Temperance."
She scowled at the order, but he could see she was having as much fun bantering back and forth as he was. It was their thing, and it helped restore a tiny slice of normality despite the setting. As if she were in slow motion, he watched her sit down on the edge of the bed, tuck her feet up under her, lean in toward him, and part her lips. He couldn't wait any longer, and moved his head up to meet her lips halfway. Where his lips were dried and cracked, hers were soft and supple and parted almost instantly for him.
Once he was inside of her mouth he reveled at the familiarity of it. With his eyes closed he could almost imagine that they were back at home and that the nightmarish day had been just that- a bad dream. It was a passionate kiss, but not one fueled by lust. His good arm snaked around her waist, while her free hand cupped his face ever so gently.
Eventually, they parted, foreheads still touching because neither one of them wanted to break the contact yet.
"Seeley," he felt her words touch his mouth with small puffs of air, "I'm so glad you weren't- I mean that you aren't-"
"Shh," he cut her off with a brief kiss so that she wouldn't have to voice the thought, "Me too."
They nodded in tandem and shared a look, still holding onto one another. Finally, she let go, allowing him to ease his head back onto his pillow.
"We should sleep," she said simply, unfurling her legs from beneath her and standing up slowly.
At his nod, she took the small overnight bag that she had brought with her and moved to the bathroom to change. She reappeared in one of his old FBI t-shirts and a pair of cutoff shorts.
"Love the PJs," he commented.
"I was rushed," she shrugged.
"You look better in it than I ever did," he winked, "And those shorts are hot."
She smiled demurely and kissed him one last time before heading over to her cot.
"Ready for lights out, Bones?" he asked once she was settled.
"Yes," she yawned.
He hit the button on his remote control, and instantly all of the lights went out, save the pesky ones on his monitor.
"Goodnight," he called to her in the dark.
"Goodnight," she answered, "I love you."
"Love you too, Bones," he smiled.