Thanks for the reviews guys!! Sorry this took so long, with Christmas, work and studying it's been a little crazy. I am currently nursing a bad cough so I was a little groggy when I wrote this. So please forgive me. This chapter is named after Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol.
Chapter 4- Open Your Eyes
Angela's words echo in Booths mind, while he's left pacing Brennan's room.
"Ok Seeley, You can do this, it's not that bad." He sighed deeply. "Oh who am I kidding, this is more terrifying than being tortured for information. At least with that I know what to expect." He looked to his partner, 'she looks so beautiful.' he thought to himself. 'How could anyone want to hurt her?' He thought sitting back down on the chair next to her. Deciding he needed to get some rest, he places his head on her bed, and immediately drifts off to sleep.
Slowly her eyes open, she awakes confused; her instincts kick in as she fights against her ventilator tube. Her movement awakes Booth with a start.
"Bones?" he yells, half asleep half awake. He turns to see her struggling, her eyes filled with confusion. He quickly stands and presses the call button and then reaches his hand out to stroke her cheek in order to calm her. She turns her head slightly to look at him, she winces a little at the pain, but her eyes are now suddenly soft and calm. Booth smiles broadly.
"Hey." he says, his smile has now become a wide grin as his eyes moisten and he fights back tears with laughter. Looking so happy to have his Bones back in the land of the living. He didn't even realize that he was still stroking her cheek. The doctor along with two nurses enter the room.
"Well, Dr. Brennan it's good to have you back." The doctor declares. "I'm Dr. Ruston, the attending on your case. You suffered major trauma to the back of your head, and we had to perform a craniotomy."
Brennan looks uncomfortable; she looks to Booth and pleads with her eyes. He immediately knows what she wants.
"She wants the tube out, I know her, she'll pull it out herself if you don't." Booth states simply.
"Ok, well your oxygen level is up, but if we take out the tube you will still have to have a nasal oxygen tube."
Brennan nods slightly, as much as she can without it being too painful. 'At least a nasal tube is more comfortable, less noticeable and she would be able to talk.' She thought.
"Very well then."
Moments later the tube is being removed and Brennan is coughing quite violently. Booths face contorts at her pain.
"It's ok coughing is normal, your throat will be a bit sore and talking will be more difficult for a bit. I'll send your neurosurgeon in a while to explain everything better." The doctor smiles as he leaves the room, the nurses following.
Booth turns his attention from the doorway to his partner.
"How you feeling Bones?"
She attempts to clear her throat to talk, her voice is hoarse.
"Like I just had brain surgery." She says sarcastically.
Booth smiles, his Bones was definitely back. He looks down and his face changes to one of seriousness. He looks back to Brennan.
"You saved my life Bones, You could have been killed, why did you do that?!"
"Are you kidding me? Kenton, New Orleans, Ortez, yeah I know about that. Epps, The Gravedigger, Will Hastings, Pete Geller, Gormogon. Have I proved my point?" she asked raising her eyebrows.
"Henry Gerber, Vegas, Hugh Kennedy, Melvin Gallagher, Clark Lightner, Grant Hutchins, do I need to go on."
She smiles at him and he smiles back.
"I'm alive Booth, and you are too, everything is ok."
"No it's not Bones, I almost lost you." His voice is serious, and Brennan looks taken aback by his openness. The two stare intently at each other for a moment, until a knock at the door interrupts them.
"Hello I'm Dr Lei, Your neurosurgeon."
Booth stands and shakes the doctor's hand before turning to Brennan.
"I promised Angela I would call, when you woke up. I'll be back soon." With that Booth walks out the door leaving Brennan with the surgeon. As soon as he is out of her room and out of sight, he leans against the wall, and sighs deeply, running his hands over his face. 'Angela!' his brain screams, and he walks down the hall to the pay phone, not wanting to have to go outside to use his cell. He deposits the money, punches in the numbers and waits patiently for an answer.
"Angela, it's Booth, Brennan's awake." Booth moves the phone away from him as Angela's squeal pierces his ear. "Angela look, about these three days, well I was thinking, Bones is dealing with a lot right now, and so I think it would be too much to handle on top of everything else. So I was wondering if I could have an extension. Maybe a week?"
"Booth!" Angela shouted. "You promised!"
"I promise that I will tell her, I just need more time for her to open to the Idea." Booth could tell Angela was not happy about it, but she gave him the extension to a week.
"On one condition Booth." Angela says, sounding serious. "You have to stay with her after she is discharged and make sure she is ok, at her apartment, for at least a week. Deal?"
"Deal! Thanks Angela." They hang up simultaneously, Oh she had them wrapped round her little finger, like puppets in her own personal theater, it may seem unfair to a casual outsider, but it was for their own good. She had learned from her own experience that life was too short. And here were two people who loved one another fiercely; they just didn't know it yet. 'Well let's see them try to hide from each other, now.' Angela thought as she hung up the phone.
So, Booth has more time, but no escape route. Reviews are like fuel for writers.