Chapter 5: Battered

He didn't know what to do, where to touch. There was so much blood. When he'd approached the front door, he'd seen bloody footprints leading away from the apartment and his heart has stopped in his chest. The door to the apartment had been slightly ajar and he pushed it open with his shoulder.

She lay on the floor, blood pooled below a gaping head wound, but the deluge had by now slowed to a trickle. How long had she been laying here? There were visible bruises anywhere skin was exposed, including on one side where her shirt and jacket were bunched up. It looked like the monster had kicked her repeatedly once she was down. What had enraged him so?

He gritted his teeth and concentrated once again on Bones. The maniac would have to wait, he needed to try to help her. The sight of her broken body caused Booth actual physical pain, but there was no time to think about that. He rushed over and put two fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse. Thank God, she was alive!

He didn't want to make things worse by moving her, so he started talking. He wanted Bones to know he was there, that she wasn't alone. Booth didn't even know what he was saying, he just rambled. Calling her name, begging her to wake up, all the while praying that God not take her away. He was the one who'd abandoned her when she needed him most. He should be punished, not Bones.

She moaned something and tried to move.

"Shh. Baby, Shh. I'm here. It's okay. The ambulance is on the way. Stay still." He touched her hand lightly, reluctant to do anything that would add to her misery.

"Booth...nails...evidence...Parker."

He glanced at the hand he held and saw something under her fingernails. It looked liked blood. He first thought it was hers but at her words he now knew that Bones, his brave Bones, had gone after the assailant with the goal of getting evidence. She'd been so badly beaten, he wondered if her attempt to get DNA, which he guessed had been the reason for the state of her hand, had fueled the rage the attacker had clearly felt. He stroked her arm softly, avoiding compromising her hard-won evidence as best he could. Oh Bones, I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner. I'm so sorry I didn't answer the phone. He hung his head in abject misery.

"Evidence, Booth! Parker!" The words erupted from her in a rush and then she was gone again, closing her eyes and breathing very softly, too softly. He held on to her more firmly, trying to bring her back to consciousness.

"It's okay Bones. We'll get the evidence. And Parker will be safe. We've contacted Rebecca. All thanks to you. We'll catch this maniac. I promise. Just hold on. Please hold on."

With sudden clarity, he knew that he couldn't lose her. He would disappear without her. Be nothing. She had become such a fundamental part of his life that he took her for granted. Bones was always there. Always ready to help, to offer incites that he often didn't even understand. But he couldn't begin to fathom a world without her, a life without her.

"Please don't leave me Bones. I love you. It has always been you, Bones. Stay with me please, Stay with me Bones."

He heard a commotion and looked up to see two EMTs bearing a stretcher coming into the room. Booth moved aside for a moment to let them put Bones on a backboard and lift her onto the stretcher, but then he made it clear that he would not be separated from his partner. He informed the EMTs about the evidence and asked whether it would be possible for them to bag her hand once they'd done all they could to stabilize her medically. They looked at him with a combination of pity and incredulity, but agreed to do as asked.

Booth walked beside the stretcher as the EMTs rolled it out of the apartment and into the elevator. He leaned as close as he could and continued to talk to Bones, trying his best to keep her with him.

As they exited the building, he saw Hannah talking excitedly to a police officer who was about to mount the stairs. As the stretcher was being carefully loaded into the ambulance, Booth ran over to give the officer some instructions about the scene and what needed to be secured. When the officer left, Hannah asked "How is she Seeley?"

"I don't know.' He ran his fingers through his hair in agitation and let out a deep breath. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Not good, I think. I'm going to ride to the hospital with her. Did you reach Rebecca?"

"They are leaving immediately for her boyfriend's parent's house. She said she'll call you."

"Great, thanks. Can you drive the SUV back home?" He eyes followed the stretcher's progress and knew he sounded detached, but with Parker safe, all of his thoughts were on Bones.

"I'm coming to the hospital."

Booth just shrugged and turned to leave. "I'll be with Bones. You still have my phone; please call the squints if you can."

He jumped into the ambulance and the doors closed, but not before Hannah saw him fall to his knees by his partner's side, a look of pure desperation on his tear-streaked face.