For those of you who wanted answers to all the questions from the last chapter… Some of them are answered here, some aren't. And there are a couple of reviews answering the question about ink in pens, so go look there if you're really interested. Haha, I will answer two of them, though. 1. Booth PROBABLY should've stayed for the rest of the seminar, don't you think? 2. Yes, this chapter immediately follows the explosion. Now, onto the action!
Chapter 35—Burn
Pushing his foot down harder on the gas, Booth took a hard right turn followed by a left. Swerving in front of traffic, he tried to call her back just as he made the last turn and pulled up in front of the lab.
What was left of the lab, that was. The corner of the building that was occupied by the Medico-Legal lab was in flames. The first floor windows around the lab had blown outward, scattering glass into the streets, and flames licked their way up into the sky.
The ample availability of oxygen fueled the fire, allowing it to grow in front of Booth's eyes, as it moved to consume the second floor. He could hear sirens in the distance, but they barely registered as his mind tried to process the destruction in front of him.
Jumping from the vehicle, Booth sent up a silent prayer that Brennan and the rest of the squints had been able to make it out alive. Looking at the obliterated lab, Booth prayed harder, knowing their chances were small.
The next few minutes passed by in a blur, as the fire department arrived and worked to put out the flames. Paramedics and ambulances lined the street, treating the minor injuries and taking the more severe cases to the nearest hospitals.
With each body being pulled from the building, Booth looked to see if it was one of his team, but none came. He tried to fight down the panic that had spread throughout every nerve in his body, keeping him on edge. He was losing his control with each passing moment, as his hope that Brennan and the rest of his squints had survived dwindled.
Finally, the fire was completely out. There had been major structural damage, and the firefighters were proceeding with caution into the remains of the lab, to pull out anyone they could find.
Two bodies were removed, charred beyond recognition. Placed on the vibrant green grass in front of the lab, the two were pronounced dead. They had obviously been right near the center of the explosion.
"Agent Booth?" one of the firefighters asked, approaching Booth's worried form.
"Yes?" Booth all but snapped at the man, immediately regretting it when he looked at who had spoken to him. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," the man told him, understanding that is was hard to wait for news. "I have someone who has been asking for you."
"Who is it?" Booth asked, following the firefighter as the wound their way through the chaos of bodies and equipment to the other side of the building.
"A Zack Addy," the man explained, pointing to where Booth could see the young scientist sitting on the curb, a pack of ice held to the back of his head.
"Thank you," Booth replied sincerely, jogging to where Zack was seated.
"Zack!" Booth yelled at the young man, his eyes still alert for any sign of Brennan or the other squints. Stopping in front of him, Booth could see that Zack had gotten banged up pretty well, and had a couple of burns, but it didn't look too serious. "Where's Bones? And everyone else?"
Zack looked up from where he was seated, and Booth felt for the kid, remembering the only other time Zack had been in an explosion. Well, he hoped it had been the only other time.
"Cam," Zack breathed deeply, trying to clear the smoke from his lungs, "went to GW for burns. Angela and Hodgins," Zack wheezed, gesturing off to his left "are over getting checked out."
"Where's Bones?" Booth demanded, looking at the younger man. "Where is she?"
"I don't know," Zack told him, not meeting his intense gaze. "She was walking towards Cam's office when the explosion happened, but after that, I don't know."
"Thanks, Zack," Booth touched his shoulder, carefully avoiding the burns. "I'll be back when I find something out."
Jogging in the direction Zack had waved, Booth kept his eyes out for Hodgins and Angela, but he was intent on finding his partner.
"Bones!" Booth called, winding through the crowds, his badge in his hand to keep people from trying to hold him back. "Bones!"
"Booth," he head from his right, the woman fighting to yell his name over the noise and her smoke inhalation.
Turning, Booth spied Angela sitting on the ground with Hodgins, both with breathing tubes in hand. "Have you guys seen Bones?" He questioned as soon as he was close enough to talk over the commotion.
The pair shook their heads, neither of them having seen anything after the explosion.
"I'm going to keep looking for her. Cam went to GW, and Zack is over on the corner," Booth pointed, letting them know where the rest of their friends were.
With nods from both of them, Booth took off again in search of his partner. When he'd realized the firefighters had been pulling people out of the back windows, he had hoped to find Brennan, but once again those hopes were starting to wane with each passing minute.
When he was sure he had gone through and checked everywhere and everyone who was left outside the lab, Booth knew she wasn't there. Making his way back to where he had left Zack, Booth saw that Angela and Hodgins had joined him.
Dropping onto the curb next to Hodgins, Booth ran his fingers through his hair in agitation. "I can't find her anywhere," he told them, not looking at them when he spoke. "No one knows where she is or if she was sent to one of the hospitals."
He could feel Angela's hand find its way onto his shoulder, but he found no comfort from it.
"What happened?" Hodgins croaked, his voice still tight from the smoke.
"The best they can figure right now is there was probably a chemical explosion," Booth told them. "Did any of you see anything?"
Before anyone could answer, Booth's phone was ringing. Pulling it quickly out of his pocket, he answered the unknown call, praying it was Brennan.
"Special Agent Seeley Booth?" the woman on the other end was asking, her voice annoyingly cheerful.
"Speaking," Booth replied tersely, hoping the woman had something good to tell him.
"I'm calling from the George Washington Medical Center. We have a patient who has listed you as their emergency contact," the woman's voice was already irritating Booth.
"Who?" he asked, praying it was Brennan.
"A Camille Saroyan," the woman told him. "She just went in for treatment, but asked us to give you a call."
"Is she going to be alright?" Booth asked, wanting to know about Cam, even through his worries over his partner's safety.
"She has some major burns, but the doctors don't expect she'll need any grafts, which is a good thing," the woman explained.
"Thank you," Booth cut her off. "Can you let her know I'll be down as soon as I can?"
"Yes, sir," the woman told him, "I'll let her know as soon as possible."
Without saying goodbye, Booth hung up the phone, sending up a silent prayer for news about Brennan.
He hadn't even opened his mouth to tell the rest of the squints about Cam's condition, when the firefighter from before approached the group, drawing Booth's attention.
"Agent Booth," the man called as he crossed the street. "Your partner is on her way to GW right now."
"Doctor Brennan?" Booth asked, just to be clear, his spirits lifting to hear she was alive.
"Yeah, Doctor Brennan. She asked someone to find you and let you know," he explained to the group, whom had all just climbed to their feet.
"Thank you," Booth told the firefighter, shaking his hand gratefully as he pointed the others in the direction of his SUV. "Thank you."
Without a backwards glance, Booth and the squints rushed towards the car, eager to get to the hospital and see how their friends were doing.
