Again, thank you all for reviewing, it really, really means a lot to me!!!!
Chapter 3:
The ride to the hospital took only about ten minutes, but to Temperance Brennan it seemed like an eternity.
She looked at the pale face of her partner and realised she had never seen him looking so weak and vulnerable. When the bomb in her fridge had blown him up, he had been hurt and unconscious too, but there was something distinctive about a face paled by severe blood loss. She clenched her teeth when the sudden knowledge hit her. He looked like somebody who was bleeding to death, but he had not lost great amounts of blood.
At least not visibly. The wood in his back still sealed the outer part of the wound, but he had to have internal bleedings... the blood he had been coughing up only confirmed it.
A sudden tremble shook her body and caused the EMT on her left side to look up. "Are you okay, Miss Brennan?" She bit back a sob and nodded curtly.
She wanted to shout 'Okay? No, Booth could be bleeding to death, how can I be okay?'
But she had to stay calm and composed, had to fight the urge to break down.
She had to try to give her best, because that was what Booth deserved: her best and nothing less.
When they finally reached the hospital, Booth was rushed inside the ER by the EMTs, a doctor and a nurse meeting them halfway. Brennan heard the EMTs briefing the doctor on Booth's condition and she closed her eyes when she heard the words.
"Male, 35 years. Wound in the back, caused by a big splinter of wood during an explosion, breathing shallow, hypotensive..."
The voices faded away and Brennan caught a last glimpse of Booth's pale face, when they disappeared around a corner.
All she wanted to do, was to follow them, to hold on to him, but another nurse held her back, asking her to fill out a form. She nodded, back to her robotic state again. When she stared down on the form in her hand she suddenly remembered she had a call to make.
She pulled out her cell phone and murmured: "I have to make a call..." The nurse nodded and answered. "Outside please, we do not want to risk interference with our devices."
Brennan walked outside and took a deep breath. It was a beautiful day, the sunshine warm on her face... as if the weather itself wanted to mock her. She clenched her teeth and called Cullen.
As calm as possible she reported the incident and told Cullen that the crime scene needed to be secured. She managed to fight back the tears that threatened to come while describing Booth's injury and asked Cullen to inform the mother of Booth's son and also his parents. She listened to Cullen as he swore and confirmed that he would take care of the crime scene and of informing Rebecca and Booth's family. He told her to keep him informed on Booth's condition and she assured him that she would call him.
When he hung up and the line went dead she remained there, the mobile phone still at her ear, the sunshine warming her face. She did not move, she did not even breathe, she just stood there, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
She only heard Cullen's words in her head repeating themselves over and over again:
"I don't want to lose Booth, he's a fine agent and not replaceable."
And she knew, he truly was not replaceable... especially not to her.
She did not notice that tears had started to stream down her face. The sound of a car honking somewhere near startled her and she suddenly realised that she had not moved, that she still was clutching her phone, pressing it to her ear. Still oblivious to her own tears she reluctantly lowered her hand and stared down on the mobile... a drop of water suddenly appeared on the display, soon followed by another.
She briefly wondered how it could be raining on a sunny day, until she recognised her own tears.
All the sobs that had threatened to come earlier, were brought up in a sudden outburst. She fell to her knees and her tear-blurred gaze rose to the blue sky. 'I never believed in a higher being... but he does. So if you are there, help him, God, please help him to be strong.' She formed the words in her head without hesitation and repeated them again in a low murmur.
After all, it could not hurt, could it?
A few minutes later she managed to rise to her feet again. Her trembling hand pressed a speed-dial button on her phone and she waited for her best friend to answer.
A merry voice asked: "Hi, Sweetie, you need something?"
"Ange." She croaked out and swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat, blocking the words.
"Bren, Bren, what's wrong?" Angela immediately knew something had to be wrong when she heard her best friends voice, full of despair, croaking out her name.
"Booth. There was an explosion. He got hurt... oh, Angela... it's bad, Ange... I don't know if he..." She could not say anymore, sobs interrupting her words.
She could hear Angela's shocked exclaim, soon followed by soothing words. Somehow she managed to answer Angela's question on where she was and the last words before the line went dead were:
"I am coming, Sweetie, you don't have to go through this alone, okay?"
Brennan tugged her phone back into her pocket and wiped her cheeks dry, using the sleeve of her jacket. She had to pull herself together, she had to go back and be there for him.
Determined she went back inside the building again... to the blank form, that still waited for her.
She took a seat and accepted a pen from the young nurse, that later shot her concerned side-glances from time to time, while she carefully filled the blank spaces on the form with information on her partner.
When a doctor appeared in the doorway, asking for her, she tried to steel herself for bad news. She took a step towards the doctor, who's face gave nothing away.
"I am Doctor Reeves. You came here with Mr. Booth?" he asked her and she nodded briefly. "But you are not family, are you?"
She shook her head and quickly added. "He works for the FBI. He is my partner... and my friend."
The doctor nodded and motioned for her to take a seat again. She nervously clenched her fists and waited for him to tell her about her partner.
"Your partner is in surgery right now. We were not able to verify the exact extent of his injuries, that is for the surgeons to discover when they remove the piece of wood. What we know is, that he has severe inner bleedings... that's why he coughed up blood. We are pretty sure that the milt has to be removed and other organs may be injured too. That's why we do not really know how his prospects are or how long he will be in surgery. But I can assure you, that we will do all we can to save his life.
His family has been made aware of the... situation?"
Brennan only nodded, unable to form a word.
"Good" the Dr. Reeves continued "Are they going to come here?"
Brennan licked her dry lips and thought about it for a moment. "His parents and his brother won't be able to come here until tomorrow, I fear. His son lives nearby, but he's only 5 years old... His mother has been informed... but... I don't think she will drag him here until we know more..."
"No wife, girlfriend...?" Doctor Reeves asked and she shook her head, biting her lip, remembering the kiss they had shared earlier this day... it seemed to have happened a lifetime ago.
The doctor nodded in understanding. "Okay, so I will keep you informed on the progress of the surgery. In case the family arrives, please tell one of the nurses and I will come to talk to them.
You can stay here if you want or go upstairs to the waiting room."
"I'll wait here until a friend of mine is here... then we will go upstairs. She should be here soon." Brennan answered weakly.
The doctor nodded and gave her an encouraging look before leaving again.
Now she was left alone again, with nothing to distract her from imagining Booth's still body on an operating table. Flashbacks of the explosion, of his pale face and of the strange, gurgling sound of him coughing blood tormented her and she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
What do you think? Please let me know...
Author's note (ATTENTION, little spoiler on the next chapter):
I have to apologise... I know I promised this chapter would make clear if Booth survives or not (and how can I let this eye-candy die), but the story asked to be written that way... so, sorry to turi, bella and all the others...