The lights of the ambulances were mesmerizing, the sirens sounded much louder than they ever had in the past. Temperance's eyes focused on the flashing of the lights for a moment, and then walked purposefully toward the ambulance they were lifting her husband into.
"Ma'am?" A young EMT said, stepping in front of her, she stopped and tried to walk around him.
"My husband is… I need to go with my husband." She said. He stepped in her way and held his arm out to her.
"There isn't going to be enough room, ma'am. Not for both you and the children." He said. Her eyes were watching as they continued to work on Booth, trying desperately to keep him alive.
The air seemed thicker suddenly, her breathing labored. "No." She whimpered, taking a step forward. "No, I need… I need to be with him."
"Ma'am, there just isn't any room. We can take the children, if you want to go with him, but there isn't enough room for…"
"Shut up!" She shouted. Her voice echoed and she could feel the children in her arms jump at the pure venom in her voice. He took a step back, but continued to block her view. He looked back to one of the other EMTs for assistance. It was clear she wasn't in her right mind, and with Booth's life in the balance, it was certain that she wouldn't be returning to it any time soon. "Just take me to my husband." She growled.
"We need to get him to…" He started to argue, but Temperance was already pushing past him toward the ambulance.
The children were clinging to her, and her arms were growing tired, aching from their weight. She simply couldn't bring herself to put them down, or didn't notice the increasing weakness from holding them so tightly for so long. Her eyes flashed to the building again, a black bag carried on a gurney from the crime scene. The bag that contained the body of her child's kidnapper was moving as if in slow motion across her field of vision. For a moment, there was no air in her lungs.
"Doctor Brennan." A voice startled her, and she stumbled as she turned, the sounds and sights blending as exhaustion suddenly swept over her. "Whoa…" The voice said, as two strong arms grabbed hold of her, steadied her, and she found her face buried in the chest of one of the SWAT members. Her knees buckled for a moment, and then she recovered. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, though only as a courtesy. "I need someone over here!" He called. "She's in distress!"
"No!" She exclaimed suddenly, feeling the arms of an EMT try to pull the children from her, she gripped them both tightly again, and tried to pull away. "Stop! Don't take my baby!" She screamed.
Grace's sobs became louder, and she gripped her mother tighter, but the people surrounding her could see that she wasn't going to be standing much longer, and carefully extracted both children from Brennan's arms. Grace kicked and screamed, Seeley simply clung to anyone who would take him, and Brennan lunged for the man holding her daughter. The SWAT officer who had grabbed her initially attempted to hold her back. Temperance let out a tortured scream toward the EMTs as they walked toward a waiting ambulance.
"Let me have my baby! I need my baby!" She screamed.
Amid the chaos of her exhausted fit, the ambulance that held Booth had been closed, and the siren screamed its warning. Her head snapped in the direction of the vehicle, the red lights slamming into her retinas as the wailing siren seemed to scream her name. "No!" She screamed, so loudly that her throat exploded in pain.
She then stopped her struggle with the officer in regard to getting Grace, and took off in a full run after the ambulance. The gravel from beneath the tires spit out in her direction, pelting her as she ran. Officers chased her, watching as she dropped to her knees on the ground, and if she had any voice left, a horrifying wail would have been released. The SWAT officer from moments earlier was the first to catch up, slamming into the gravel beside her, his arm wrapped around her instantly. The hat on his head flew off, his black hair wet with perspiration, as he gathered her in his arms. Instead of pushing away, she felt herself giving in and pulling the body closer, if only because she was in need of some kind of support, some kind of human contact at that very moment. It was obvious that she was no longer thinking with a clear mind at all.
"It's alright." The man spoke in a deep voice. "It's okay… Deuce will be alright." He said softly.
Temperance gripped his flak jacket tightly for a moment, the words he had spoken were not lost on her. She then pushed away for a moment, and looked up at his face. His green eyes were blazing, emotion wrought within them, though she could feel the solid strength in his arms. She could still hear the siren blaring in her ears. She could still feel the gravel in her face and feel it in her mouth. She could see the ashen skin of her husband as he suffered on the gurney, and hear the last words he uttered. "I can't let him die." She whispered.
"And neither can those people in the back of that ambulance." He said sternly.
"Mommy!" Grace's voice pierced through the chaos, and Temperance's attention moved to the tiny form running at her. "Mommy! Mommy!" She screamed, looking for all the world that she was being chased. The blood soaked clothes that hung from her body were still wet and sticky, and the blankets the EMTs had given her was thrown from her shoulders as she ran barefooted toward her mother. "Mommy!" She exclaimed, tackling into her mother, the officer sat back and let the little girl land in her mother's arms.
Temperance held her tightly, feeling her arms envelop the child, it was the first moment of realization of what had happened. "My baby." She whispered, gripping her child tightly for a moment, she pulled from her hug and looked her directly in the eyes. "Oh God, I love you so much, baby." She whispered, pulling her in for a tighter hug, Temperance rocked back and forth. "I love you so much, I love you." She repeated over and over again, squeezing the tiny girl so tightly.
"I love you, mama." She sobbed. "I love you… I love you." She answered. "Please don't leave me! Please!" Grace's entire body was trembling, and her breathing was erratic as she clung to her mother. Temperance could see the officer was holding his arm out to her, and was pulling himself from the ground. She took it without question, pulling herself to her feet. His arm was around her in a moment, supporting her, holding her up, and together they walked toward the waiting ambulance.
It must have been sheer luck that she made it to the ambulance, and maybe it was just the knowledge that they would be heading in the same direction as Booth, but she clamored into the back of the vehicle with the help of the SWAT officer, and found that she couldn't quite let go of his arm as she balanced herself. He took the step up with her, and waited for a moment for her to catch her bearings.
Her hand remained clasped on his arm, and she tried to stand on her own, but couldn't find the strength. She felt him pulling her to her feet carefully, and gently took a step back with him, where he knelt before her as she sat on the small bench beside the empty gurney. "Doctor Brennan, are you okay? Is this okay?" he asked, trying to get her to look at him. She focused on his eyes.
Her eyes asked a question, and he smiled politely. He was a younger man, younger than Booth, closer to Ace's age, but he had a look in his eyes like he had seen it all. Suddenly, he turned from her, and she almost found herself reaching for him. He turned for the door of the ambulance, and lifted Seeley into the ambulance. The boy held onto him tightly, and the officer said something to the EMT as he took a step back, and the door closed behind them.
Temperance watched as he took a step back, holding onto Seeley tightly as he went, he sat on the bench beside Temperance, and just as suddenly, the ambulance started moving. He glanced to Temperance and saw her wobbling slightly, her eyes unfocused as the ambulance moved. He put his arm around her just as the siren began to wail, and they were quickly on their way to the hospital.