To an outsider the way she poured over the remains appeared fluid and meticulous but Booth could tell she wasn't totally on her game. The spark she usually had to her movement was gone, replaced with a sluggishness he could only attribute to her illness. From where he sat at the edge of the room watching her she seemed to almost sag against the table she was working on and he had to physically stop himself from going over and placing a supportive hand in the small of her back. His hand seemed to fit perfectly there, almost as if he was meant to be there with her always, lending her his supportive presence.

"Got an ID yet Bones?" he called as she noted something in her notebook.

"I am positive this is the Senator's wife," she said to him, "I'm trying to pinpoint cause of death."

"Didn't you say suicide yesterday?" Booth asked, "And also we weren't required to determine cause of death. I said no squinty stuff remember."

"This isn't squinty stuff," she protested, "There are some anomalies in the lacerations in her arms that I can see now that the flesh has been removed. I can't seem to picture what sort of weapon would create these marks," she frowned rubbing a frustrated hand over her eyes.

"Looks like an oyster knife to me," he said peering over her shoulder. Straightening up he pulled her into what he called a 'guy hug' as he could sense she was frustrated she hadn't been able to identify the weapon.

"How could you know that?" she asked clearly irritated.

"My Grandfather used to take me and my brother fishing all the time," he shrugged, "When Jarred and I got bored we used to go through his tackle box and carve things into the jetty with his knives. That looks like the grooves the oyster knife makes."

"I am very impressed," she nodded.

Booth noted that she didn't pull away from him and he smiled inwardly as she seemed to almost lean into him further. Just as his hand seemed to fit perfectly into the small of her back, her body moulded perfectly to his side as if they were two puzzle pieces that fit flawlessly into one another. For a second Brennan let her head fall heavily against his shoulder and from the brief contact he could tell her fever had returned with a vengeance. Before he had a chance to comment she had pulled away and was back to examining her bones.

"So body ID'd, we can go now right?" he asked, concerned.

"I just need to catalogue the remains and then we can leave," she said to him.

"Bones you can let one of the Florida squints do that," he said, "You're not well," he finished softly speaking directly into her ear as he knew she wouldn't want the Sheriff to know she was sick.

"I'm fine Booth," she said for what felt like the hundredth time that day, "And I have yet to take on a job which I haven't completed myself and I do not intend to let a little Orthomyxoviridae stand in my way."

Booth wasn't sure what she had just said but he was fairly certain that she had just admitted she was sick in squint speak. He was tempted to argue again but the longer he argued with her the longer it would be before they could leave. He raised his hands in submission and gestured for her to continue settling back into the chair he had vacated earlier.

He noticed that she liked to speak aloud when she examined her Bones, like she needed to hear it out loud to make any sense of what she was saying. It still made absolutely no sense to Booth but he liked to listen anyway. It made a little uneasy when she worked in silence, even though he usually didn't know what she was talking about he at least liked to think he was a part of the process. It was like he was getting an insight into what was going on inside her head as she thought out loud.

"So what's that one?" he asked pointing to the bones, if only to break the silence.

"Xyphoid," she replied clearing her throat, "Don't interrupt me."

"Sorry," he chuckled.

She worked in silence, cataloguing the remains while he watched on from his char. His need to step in finally reached a head when he saw her visibly sway on her feet. Booth was up out of his char and at her side in an instant, his hand resting comfortably where it belonged.

"It's time to go Bones," he said softly into her ear.

"No Booth, I just have to, I've got to," she shook her head.

"I know, it's okay, let's go," he said steering her away from the lab bench, "Sheriff North I think you'll find the Senator will have his answer if you go over Dr. Brennan' s notes."

"You take care of her now," the Sheriff said knowingly, "My wife Doreen is exactly the same, stubborn as a mule and never one to let the flu stand in her way."

"I'm not sick," Brennan croaked over her shoulder as Booth guided her towards the door.

"Women," the Sheriff chuckled shaking his head.

The forensic anthropologist had fallen asleep almost immediately after Booth had helped her into the passenger seat of their rental car. The FBI agent had tried waking her when they arrived at the nearest pharmacy but she hadn't stirred when he shook her shoulder so he decided to leave her and head inside on his won.

Buying cold and flu medication turned out to be a lot more complicated than it seemed. Had he just have been buying for himself Booth would've just grabbed the nearest box and have been happy with it but because it was for Brennan he took the time to read the back of each box carefully. He didn't really understand what any of the ingredients meant but he was determined to get her the best money could buy.

"Sir, do you need a hand?" a blonde haired pharmacy assistant asked as she approached him.

"Yes, my Bones uh, my partner she's sick and I'm just trying to figure out which one of these would be best for her," he said indicating the long row of cold and flu medication.

"Well what are her symptoms?" the assistant asked him.

"She has a pretty bad fever, and she was coughing some and her throat sounds kind of scratchy. Plus she was kind of rubbing her head before here," he indicated his temples.

"Sounds like a nasty flu," the blonde haired woman said sympathetically, "This cough suppressant here should help, and it will make her a bit drowsy though but will help with her cough and her sore throat. As for her other symptoms Theraflu should work. It contains a decongestant and paracetamol that should help with her fever and headaches."

"Okay, okay that sounds good," Booth said taking the bottle of cough suppressant from her.

"Would she prefer the Theraflu in liquid or tablet form?" she asked.

"Tablet," he nodded, "Getting her to drink a whole cup of that stuff would be way too much hassle," he shook his head only imaging how difficult it would be trying to get Brennan to willingly drink an entire mug of Theraflu.

"Is there anything else I can help you with today?" she asked handing him the box.

"Uh yeah, do you have any stuffed bears?" he asked feeling his cheeks and tips of his ears redden.

"For your partner?" she asked smiling.

"We work together," he told her knowing his cheeks were still flaming with embarrassment, "But it's nice to have something to hug when you're sick and I-I'm not sure if she'd want me to be the one doing the hugging."

His brain was telling him to stop talking but the message wasn't reaching his mouth.

"She's lucky to have such a caring partner," the assistant smiled knowingly leading him over to the counter and showing him their selection of bears.

"She's not the lucky one," he said pointing to the one he wanted, "That's all me."