So, this is where the real story begins. As I said before, the two previous chapters were a repeat of my story, You and Me. This is where this story takes off on its own journey and I hope you like it better. I already enjoy writing it better than You and Me.
Brennan's eyes fluttered open slowly. The light hurt her head and her mouth felt like cotton. It took a few minutes for her to notice the beeping in the room and she finally processed that she was in the hospital.
She opened her eyes for real, blinking against the harsh lights in the hospital room. She turned her head to the side, cringing at a pain in her neck. She noticed Angela sleeping in a chair beside her bed. She couldn't remember what happened, but she didn't have the heart to wake Angela up.
As she sat, searching her memory, it all came back. The date, the explosion at the bar, Booth…
Booth. Where was he? The last thing she remembered was Booth passing out as he was being loaded into an ambulance.
Panicked, Brennan shot up, ignoring the pain she felt over her body. She started ripping off the tubes that were attached to her, albeit clumsy because her damaged hands were wrapped in layers of gauze.
Instantly, the machines started going crazy. It not only alerted the nurses and doctors, but awoke Angela anyway, who had a look of concern on her face and was too surprised to move.
Brennan tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed, but her left one was like dead weight and it was then that a pair of nurses rushed into the room, urging her to get back into bed.
Brennan didn't say a word. Not while the nurses hooked her back up to the machines. Not while they asked how she was feeling or if she needed anything. Not even when they explained why she was there and told her the doctor would be in soon to give her a prognosis.
She waited until the room was empty, save herself and Angela.
"Ange," Brennan rasped, "Where's Booth."
Brennan, observant as she was, noticed how Angela couldn't even meet her eyes. Angela averted her gaze, reaching to hand her best friend the glass of water that was by her side. She handed it to Brennan, who sipped it gratefully, feeling rejuvenated although still in pain.
"I'm really glad you are okay," Angela said, brushing a tear away from her eye, hoping Brennan didn't notice, but knowing she did. "When the hospital called, I couldn't breathe."
Brennan understood; it was how she was feeling now, not knowing what had happened to Booth. She just wanted some answers, although she could tell already that the news was not going to be good. She cleared her throat. "Thank you for coming," she said. Paused. "Now, please, what happened to Booth," she begged, bracing for the worst.
"Sweetie, why don't we wait until the doctor comes in and talks to you…?" Angela trailed off when there was a knock on the door. As if on cue, the doctor walked right in, holding a clipboard.
"Hello, Dr. Brennan. I am Doctor Bennett." He flashed a pearly white smile at her. "And how are we feeling?"
Brennan didn't like him, but that could be just because she was in pain and impatient. To her, he seemed very phony, but that wasn't important right now. How could she care about what she was feeling when she didn't even know what was going on with Booth?
But still, it appeared both Angela and Dr. Bennett were both expecting an answer so she took a deep breath. "My chest is tight, my entire body is aching, and my left leg feels completely useless. But I don't care about these formalities Dr. Bennett, I would just like to know where Booth is," Brennan said, completely forgetting that this doctor would not know her partner.
Dr. Bennett cocked his head to the side, confused and Angela interjected, explaining that Booth and Brennan were partners and had been working together for a long time.
"Ahh," Dr. Bennett said, understanding. "The gentleman that was brought in at the same time as you were." His mouth became a thin line.
"I would like to see him now, seeing as no one will give me any answers as to what happened to him. I shall see for myself," Brennan said, getting testy.
Angela looked at Brennan and, seeing that she wasn't going to give up on her pursuit, pulled the doctor to the side. Brennan wasn't sure what Angela said to him, but he came over, checking her vitals and not seeing anything too bad, called a nurse for a wheelchair.
It took a lot of effort and a nurse to get Brennan into the wheelchair, but eventually, with Angela directing, they were finally on their way to see Booth.
Brennan noticed a sign they passed, notifying that they were entering the ICU. Her heart skipped a beat. Angela laid a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
It got quieter, more subdued, the more they progressed into the ICU. People weren't rushing around and Brennan wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.
Finally, they reached a room; the door hung open. Angela pushed her slowly into the room. The first thing Brennan noticed was Hodgins and Sweets, sitting in chairs on one side of the room. They both stood up when Brennan and Angela entered.
Sweets looked like he wanted to say something, but he held back. Brennan assumed he felt responsible for what happened, but she knew that was irrational. How could he have known that the place that she and Booth picked would explode?
Angela wheeled her closer to the bed and then stepped back beside her husband.
At first, Brennan thought they had the wrong room. The frail looking creature lying on the bed could hardly be the same Seeley Booth that she knew. He was hooked up to just as many machines as she had been, but the problem was, he wasn't awake. He had cuts all over his face and she bet she didn't look much better. His legs were exposed, and the burns were intense, although it looked as if skin grafts were placed over some of the wounds, so he must have gone into surgery. A part of his head had been shaved and it was bandaged. She placed a hand on top of his. It was soft.
She turned around as best she could, a questioning look in her eyes.
Hodgins stepped forward. "He had many severe burns on his legs. His jeans were almost melted together with his skin. They had to bring him into surgery to take care of it right away. That's when they found a bleed in his brain. Fortunately, they were able to fix it, but he has yet to regain consciousness," he explained.
But Brennan could tell by their demeanor that that wasn't it. "Please," she said, gesturing for him to go on. Hodgins looked back at Angela for support who stepped forward.
"Brennan, they aren't sure he is ever going to wake up. And if he does, he might lose many of the memories that he has."
Brennan felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Booth might never wake up? That wasn't even a plausible theory and her brain couldn't wrap itself around it.
Sweets, Hodgins, and Angela were staring at her, waiting for any kind of response.
Brennan turned back towards the bed, looking over Booth. He had saved her life, but possibly at the cost of his?
At that thought, Brennan felt something snap. Furious, she pushed herself out of the wheelchair, but her leg wouldn't support her for long. She tried to rush towards the bed, but collapsed in a heap. Sweets barely made it to her side to catch her and ease her to the ground.
She heard a high pitched, keening wail and it took her a moment to realize that the sound was emitting from her own mouth. It eventually took the form of Booth's name, but she wasn't in control of herself anymore and she couldn't stop.
Again, more nurses ran in, surprised at this interruption in the ICU ward. They tried to help Sweets shift Brennan back into the wheelchair, but she was inconsolable, refusing to leave Booth's side. Horrified, Angela buried her head into Hodgins chest.
A nurse left and a few moments later, Dr. Bennett came in, holding a syringe. Brennan was so distraught, she didn't even notice until after they stuck it in her.
Immediately, her limbs felt too heavy to support. She felt arms lifting her up. Her head lolled to one side and Booth was the last thing she saw before she succumbed to the darkness, but not before a single tear fell from her eye.