The Rings in the Heart
Chapter 10 – Into the Narcotic Nebula
.
Disclaimer: I do not own BONES. If I did, this hiatus thing would have to go.
Pittsylvania County Morgue
The team were finally back on track following Brennan's run in with ten-thousand tobacco leaves.
Samples had been collected from the scene and Hodgins had headed back to his bug and slime cave at the Jeffersonian Institution to do his highly specialised job, which involved pronouncing really, really complex scientific terminology, and unleashing the power of his three PhD's to uncover the truth. Booth was sort of relieved that Hodgins had gone back to D.C., the truth was that Booth still couldn't look Hodgins in the eye while he wore those blue field coveralls knowing what lay beneath them, which was to say, not much at all.
.
Booth was reviewing the field summary report from the FBI technical team, whilst Cam and Brennan were in the middle of an online meeting with Angela. Identification of the victim was proving to be anything but straightforward. Local and state databases had failed to turn up an ID, the main National databases were similarly unhelpful. For a man with particulars as conspicuous as this victim, it was hard to believe that he managed to live under the radar. Cam had also had no luck with matching the serial numbers on the mechanical heart valves, searches of both US and Canadian surgical device databases had turned up a big fat zero. Angela reported a similar dead end on the dentals.
.
"I believe that we will have to conduct isotope analysis of the bones and teeth of the victim in order to establish his origins, perhaps this will assist Dr. Saroyan to narrow the international search of matches for the valve implants." Brennan surmised.
Cam nodded sagely in agreement. "That would be helpful Dr. Brennan. Records for these earlier models of heart valves are not consistently maintained in other countries. The original manufacturer of these devices has been merged with no less than three other biomedical companies in the past twenty years. The matching of serial numbers using archived sales records, if they still exist, would be subject to hand searching."
Angela spoke via the video link. "Bren, are there ethnic populations that this Marfans Syndrome affects more than others? We could add them into the search algorithm."
"That will not be required Angela, the disorder is not clustered in any racial or ethnic subtype" replied Brennan.
.
Booth had been listening in on the proceedings and surreptitiously watching Brennan for signs of fatigue. There were too many dead ends and they were isolated from the squint army that could be called upon to do the grunt work on this case. It was time to ship all of this back to the Jeffersonian.
"Bones?" She turned toward him and winced from the pain in her shoulder. Booth decided was definitely Vicodin-o'clock.
"Yes Booth?"
"You mentioned that the victim has damage to his knees and ankles from sport, I can ask the FBI to track down records of foreign students recruited by college programs that match the physical description." He suggested.
Brennan nodded. "That is a reasonable avenue of inquiry to pursue until the isotope analysis is completed. From the 3-D reconstruction of the skeletal system, I would suggest that basketball is the sport associated with the observed patterns of injury and remodelling."
Booth gestured with his folder of field reports at the mummified victim. "We've exhausted the local avenues of the investigation into the ID, and the crime scene is fully processed, so hopefully we'll eventually find out how he got into that shed. If all of this gets packed up now, we can ship it all back to the Jeffersonian and be back to D.C. in time for Mohitos."
"I agree. There is not much more that we can achieve here. Although it may not be advisable for me to consume Mohitos while I am taking Vicodin" replied Brennan earnestly.
"No Mohitos for you Bones" agreed Booth, giving a sideways glance toward Cam, who looked unimpressed. He went over to assist Brennan to divest herself of her apron and the paper gown.
"I will take care of the transport and paperwork, Dr. Brennan. The two of you will have a few hours of driving, whereas I will be catching the shuttle back to D.C. this afternoon" said Cam in a tone which suggested that this was an order rather than a request.
"Okay, I'll see you when you get back, guys" said Angela as she logged off.
.
Booth shook a prescription bottle of Vicodin at Brennan and pointed at a bottle of water beside his box of paperwork. "You'll be needing a couple of these for the ride home Bones. I'm driving" he stated unnecessarily.
"There is no need to treat me like a child Booth" she said grumpily.
"Well, it's your choice Temperance. But I guarantee that you'll be crying like a child within 50 miles of leaving here if you don't" Booth retorted, giving her a look that he used on Parker during disputes over vegetables.
It was effective. Brennan rolled her eyes at him and held out her hand for the tablets.
Fifty miles outside Pittsylvania
"Booth?" said a glassy eyed Temperance Brennan.
"What's up Bones? Are you feeling okay?" enquired Booth, glancing over at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road.
"There is no pain…but I feel…fluffy…" she gave a low chuckle. "What happened to my voc-cabul…uh…words, Booth?"
.
She opened her eyes, which were a bright blue with very small pupils due to the effects of the powerful painkillers. A smile touched the corners of her mouth.
.
"Vicodin, Bones" said with a smile. Don't worry, all the big words are still in there. Maybe just try to sleep it off, huh?
She remained silent for a couple of minutes, eyes closed.
"I am learning Booth…" she said softly.
"Sure Bones, you're a genius, it goes with the territory" he replied evenly, because her head was in the narcotic nebula now.
"No. Love. It makes more sense…means something now…only with you Booth" she rambled, struggling against the pull into sleep.
"I know baby," he said, reaching over to brush the side of her face gently.
"Booth, I think I am in love…it feels…fluffy"
.
Booth gave a low chuckle as soft snores emanated from the passenger seat. He treasured the unexpected admission. It appeared that the long term experiment showed early promise.
A/N: Another mix of science and fluff. Will Brennan remember I wonder?