The continuation.
Booth didn't know where he was when he opened his eyes coherently for the first time. His thoughts instantly went to his throbbing head and then to his arm. It was all bandaged up and in a sling. As he stirred a little more he saw Cam and Rebecca watching him; the both looked exhausted but they were smiling.
"How are you doing, big guy?" Cam walked over to him and held his hand. She had been waiting by his side nonstop all night and was thankful to see that he was now somewhat lucid.
"What are you doing?" Booth was confused but was now starting to take in his surroundings. "Rebecca?"
"There was an accident, Seeley… but you're going to be okay," Rebecca approached him trying to put on a brave face. The last couple hours were extremely distressing for her; she had been so scared that her son might suddenly be fatherless.
"Where's Parker?" The first thought that went to Booth's mind was if Parker had been involved.
"He's in the waiting room. Don't worry. He wasn't there… I'll go tell him you're awake," Rebecca left knowing Cam would be better at explaining what happened than she could.
"You guys were driving to dinner and a car ran a red light. It wasn't your fault, Seeley," This was one of the hardest moments in Cam's life.
"Temperance…" Recollection of the night was slowly fading back into Booth's memory. She had looked so beautiful; that was the image that stuck out most. He closed his eyes to remember. They were driving and he was nervous—he remembered the impact and how it had felt. Everything after that was hazy. One thing that came back… he remembered being pressed up against the side of the car; his arm was covered in blood and glass but he couldn't remember feeling any pain. Bones was draped over the center console; her body was limp as she hanged in her seat belt. Booth began to panic, "Where is she?"
"She just got out of surgery. It went well…" Cam knew she was going to have to explain the extent of Brennan's injuries but didn't want to alarm Booth as it was important that he remained relaxed. "She broke a couple ribs… there's a minor flesh wound to her leg… they just finished sewing that up. She hit her head pretty hard but we just got word that there's no internal bleeding, they don't think there should be any permanent damage," Cam could see terror racing into his eyes. "She's going to be okay, Booth."
Booth could tell that she wasn't sure and tears began to form. "Can I see her" he asked weakly.
"Not yet. The doctor's on their way, though. They can tell you more. Hodgins and Angela have been sitting with her all night, so she's not alone."
Booth turned his head from her and a single tear ran down his face, "This is all my fault."
"No, Booth. I told you; there the car ran the red light. There was nothing you could have done. Don't blame yourself."
"No, she wanted to go to a lecture and I pushed her to go to dinner. If I had just…" he couldn't finish the sentence; he was sobbing now.
"I'm going to go get the doctor now Booth. But if you're going to see her you need to toughen up. You've got to be strong for her, Seeley," Cam didn't want him losing hope. She gave his hand one last squeeze before setting off to find her boyfriend. He worked at this hospital and maybe he could pull some strings for her.
Booth lied back down on the bed. He contemplated sneaking out and finding her room, but he wasn't sure if he was ready yet or even where to find her. He kept replaying the events of that night over and over again in his head. Maybe if he hadn't of hurried them into the car. Maybe if he had taken the access roads instead of the freeway. Maybe if he had told her how he left sooner—or waited for her.
What if she's not okay? The thought entered his mind and suddenly the pain in his arm and back didn't seem so bad. If he lost her, it would be over for him. He'd given her his whole heart and there was no coming back from that.
He looked over to the side table on his bed. The engagement box which carried her ring sat there; he reached over and grabbed it. Still perfect and untouched, but Temperance wasn't. His job was to keep her safe and he had failed. He clasped his hands together and brought his head down to meet them.
"Please, Lord, let her be okay. I know she's not your biggest fan but… I'm a good catholic, and she means everything to me. I need her. I really really need her…" Booth couldn't ever remember crying this hard.
Booth stretched his feet out off the bed. The doctor was taking to long. He needed to find her.
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