Booth would forever be grateful for the concierge who was on duty that night because he knew that without him his night would've been a whole lot harder. The man at the desk had noticed him immediately as he stepped from the elevator with Brennan a dead weight in his arms and had rushed to his side.
"Sir, is she alright? Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked looking down at the forensic anthropologist's flushed cheeks worriedly.
"Her fever is really high so I need to get to a hospital," Booth said suddenly feeling the weight of the situation coming down on his shoulders. His Bones was sick and he couldn't make her better. His hold on her wobbled and as if sensing his oncoming panic the concierge stepped forward with his arms half stretched out like he would catch her should Booth fail to keep her held in his own arms. He was thankful that he managed to get his momentary panic under control in time so that he could readjust his arms under her back and hold her even tighter against his body.
"Do you know where the closest is?" the concierge asked.
"No," Booth shook his head feeling the panic creeping up on him again, "No but i-if you have a map or something I have a rental in the parking lot."
"There's no need for that," the concierge said, "I'll meet you out front in two minutes with the Hotel's Courtesy Bus. I know how to get to the nearest hospital and you can concentrate on making sure she's alright till we get there."
"Thank you," Booth breathed out in relief to the man's already retreating back, "It's going to be okay Bones," he whispered into her hair, "I promise," he couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips tenderly to the top of her head.
The concierge who finally introduced himself as Steve was true to his word and pulled up in the mini-van that acted as the hotel's courtesy bus two minutes later. Booth was grateful for the bench seats in the back that allowed him to sit comfortably with Brennan resting against his chest. She didn't stir the whole time and this only worried Booth more.
"It's not far," Steve said over his shoulder from the driver's seat, "Only five minutes if the traffic holds up."
"Thanks again man," Booth said gratefully, "You have no idea."
"I'm just glad to see that there's still some gentlemen in this world willing to take care of his lady," the older man said smiling in the rearview mirror.
"She's not my," Booth trailed off staring down into his partner's sleep slackened face, "I would do anything for her," he said softly sweeping the hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear.
"I know that feeling pal," Steve chuckled, "My wife Joan and I have been together going on twenty-five years and that woman has me wrapped around her little finger."
"Wow, twenty-five years," Booth whistled, "That's impressive."
"No more impressive than you rushing your lady love to the hospital in the middle of the night," Steve said, "I know many a folk who wouldn't care enough."
"Actually she's not really..."
"Here we are," Steve said, pulling up in front of a large, brightly lit building. Booth was about to make a comment about how you weren't supposed to park in the ambulance bay but he let it slide when Brennan groaned and twisted in his grasp.
"You have no idea how grateful I am for you doing this," Booth said as he gathered his partner up in his arms, "I owe you."
"You owe me nothing," Steve said shaking his head, "Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?" Booth asked ducking as he stepped from the van onto the ground.
"When she's all better, you tell her how you really feel."
"How did you?" Booth spluttered.
"I may be old but I'm smarter than I look," Steve winked, "Just call the hotel when she's ready to be discharged and I'll have someone come over and pick you up."
"Thank you Steve," Booth said, "If I had the use of my hands I'd shake yours."
"Forget it," Steve smiled, "Just make sure she gets better."
Booth burst through the emergency room doors and whipped his head around back and forth, trying to work out who it was he was meant to approach. The hospital staff bustled around him and the waiting room was full to the brim with people with various injuries and illnesses that Booth couldn't define even if he wanted to. He had no doubt that had she been awake his partner would have delighted in explaining every single one of the broken bones that littered the waiting room and he almost wished he could see the gleam in her eye as she explained something for his benefit.
In relief Booth finally spotted the admissions desk and hurried over walking quickly so he could overtake a man who looked to be sporting a nasty broken finger. He shot the man an apologetic look over his shoulder but he was in no mood to be courteous at that moment. The nurse who was sitting behind the desk looked up as he rushed to the counter and pressed a button next to her computer when she spotted the unconscious woman he held in his arms.
"Sir," she said calmly, "Can you tell me what happened?"
"She's sick," Booth said, "She's been battling the flu and her fever's really high."
"Okay," the nurse nodded kindly, smiling reassuringly as she noticed his worried frown, "If you follow Eric he will take you back to an exam room and a Doctor will be in shortly to assess her."
"Will she have to stay overnight?" Booth asked worriedly, "We're from out of town."
"It'll be up to the Doctor to decide," she said gently, "If he thinks it's best then she might have to but we will make sure there is adequate accommodation so you can stay with her."
"Okay," Booth nodded, "Thank you."
He followed the orderly called Eric into one of the examination rooms which only had enough space for a bed and a cabinet of what Booth assumed was full of medical supplies. After making sure Brennan was comfortable on the bed, Eric told him a nurse would be in shortly to get her information and then a Doctor would be in to conduct an examination.
Booth paced the small room, throwing glances at a still unconscious Brennan every two steps. She looked so small and still on the hospital bed and the fluorescent lighting of the room made her skin look almost translucent. He was reading a poster on the wall that showed all different types of broken leg bones when he heard her stir and rushed to her side.
"Booth?" she rasped, her voice nearly all gone. He winced knowing that her throat must be hurting.
"Yeah Bones I'm right here," he said not able to stop himself from smoothing a hand over her hair.
"Where are we?" she asked looking around the room in confusion.
"Your fever's really high so we've come to the hospital so they can help bring it down," he told her.
"Where's Angela?" Brennan asked, "She probably talked you into this."
"Angela's back in DC," Booth reminded her gently, "We're in Florida for the Senator's case, remember."
Her brow scrunched in confusion and she rubbed her hands over her eyes looking so much like a two year old Booth couldn't help but smile. He bet her parents had a hard time saying no to her when she was little.
"Make sure you tell Sid I don't eat meat," Brennan told him seriously, "The last time we went to Wong Fu's there was a definite meat taste in my tofu."
"Okay Bones," Booth said, "I'll tell him."
Her fever was still obviously raging making moments of lucidity rare. Booth was about to go and find the nearest nurse to come in and treat her when a grey haired middle aged woman dressed in pink scrubs entered the room.
"Good evening," the nurse said smiling at the two, "I see we have a little bit of a fever," she said reading the chart she held in her hands, "I'm just going to ask you a few questions and the doctor should be in shortly."
"She's a little out of it so does it matter if I answer for her?" Booth asked.
"Who are you?" the nurse asked.
"Special Agent Seeley Booth," Booth said knowing it wasn't necessary to throw the 'Special Agent' in there but hoping it would bring her some quicker treatment, "I'm her partner."
"Okay," the nurse nodded writing that down on her form, "Let's start with her name, date of birth and insurance information."
When Booth supplied the nurse with what he could she promised him a doctor would be in to see them soon before leaving the two of them alone.
"Booth," Brennan called weakly from the bed.
"What is it Bones," he asked sitting down on the edge of the bed and holding her hand in his.
"I had the strangest dream," she told him her eyes glazed, "You were there and you kissed me."
"Sounds nice," Booth gulped, "How was I?"
"Very adequate," she nodded looking at their clasped hands, "I was extremely satisfied."
"That's good to hear I guess," Booth blushed. He wasn't going to remind her then that the kiss had actually happened. Hearing that she was pleased and satisfied with the kiss, no matter how much it might have been the fever talking definitely made his heart flutter.
"Knock, knock," a young blonde haired man poked his head around the door, "I'm Dr. Evans and I'll be looking after you this evening."
"Special Agent Seeley Booth," Booth said holding his hand out for the doctor to shake, "This is Dr. Temperance Brennan."
"The author?" the doctor asked, "My girlfriend loves your books."
"Perhaps your relationship isn't as sound as you think it is if she loves my books and not you," Brennan said.
"She didn't mean that," Booth said sharply, "The fever is messing with her speech filter." How much of that statement was true he didn't know but he felt like he had to assure the doctor that she wasn't as blunt as she made out.
"That's alright," Dr. Evans said cheerfully, "I've heard much worse. When did her symptoms first present themselves," he asked sitting on a wheeled stool and rolling over so he was next to the bed."
"Two days ago," Booth scrunched up his face trying to remember, "The fever only got really bad tonight."
"Okay," Dr. Evans said, "Dr. Brennan I'm just going to take your vitals and then we'll go from there."
"Don't tell Booth," she said, "He'll worry and go into ultra-protective alpha male mode."
"I'll make sure Agent Booth is kept in the dark," the doctor smiled placing a thermometer in her ear, "104.3, you were right to bring her here," he told Booth making a note on her chart.
Booth watched, hovering nervously by her bed as the doctor went about checking her breathing and heart rate. Once he was satisfied and his orders were written on her chart he placed a kind hand on a now groggy Brennan's arm and smiled at her.
"We're going to see what we can do about bringing your fever down Dr. Brennan," he said.
She nodded and Booth thought that she looked absolutely exhausted.
"I want to keep her here at least overnight so we can bring this fever down and I'll be in to check on her again tomorrow morning. If her fever's broken she can be released then," Dr. Evans said.
"Okay, thanks," Booth said.
"It's going to be okay Bones," the FBI agent said once the doctor had left, "You'll be feeling better in no time, I know it."
"You can't know it Booth, you can't possibly feel what I feel and therefore it would be impossible for you to know whether or not I'm feeling better."
"There's my girl," he said softly as Eric came back with a wheelchair.
"Dr. Evans requested a private room for Dr. Brennan," the orderly told them.
"Much appreciated," Booth said helping him get her situated in the chair, "Check this out Bones your own personal chauffer driven ride to your room."
"Are you coming?" she asked suddenly sounding very small.
"Of course," Booth assured her, "I'll stay with you the whole time. I'll be harder to get rid of then this bug you're fighting."
The room they were taken to was a little bigger than a standard hospital room, with enough space to fit the squishy looking blue vinyl couch that sat in the corner. They were greeted by a nurse who introduced herself as Grace who asked Booth to wait outside while she helped Brennan get changed into the standard issue hospital gown. Once he was allowed back in the room he hovered at the base of the bed as Grace took a blood sample and prepared an IV on the tray that rested next to where Brennan lay.
"The blood sample is for a metabolic panel, to check her liver and kidney functions and her sodium levels and a whole bunch of other medical jumbo. This IV is basically saline," she explained, "It should help to keep her fluids up and make sure she doesn't get dehydrated. This is going to pinch a little sweetie," she said kindly to Brennan as she inserted the needle into the forensic anthropologist's hand. Booth winced for his partner who watched on with half lidded eyes.
Another nurse came in then carrying a blanket which was explained as being a cooling blanket which would help to bring her fever down. She was then given some Tylenol which she swallowed, grimacing as her throat was irritated.
"I'll be in to check on you in an hour," Grace said, "Try to get some rest."
"Thanks," Booth said taking the seat next to his partner's bed, "How you feeling Bones?"
"Like dead," she groaned.
"Like death," he corrected, "The Tylenol and the blanket should kick in soon," he said taking her hand again, "You should get some sleep."
"I'm not tired," she grumbled shifting uncomfortably.
"You want me to tell you a story?" Booth asked, "It always works with Parker."
He expected her to refuse but was surprised when she smiled.
"When I was four I made my mother read me a chapter from the Freshman science class's text book every night," she said smiling wistfully.
"Well I can't promise I'll be as riveting as that," Booth teased, "But I'll do my best."
He launched into a story about the time his high school football team competed for the state championship, his thumb unconsciously tracing circles on the back of her hand. He was relieved that she was finally in capable hands and hopefully on track to being on the mend. The future conversation that they would have to have regarding their earlier kiss was always at the back of his mind but for the moment he was content to sit with her and regal her with tales of his past.