"Booth, I really think I should drive" Brennan said, her hand gripping the door handle as Booth swerved between cars on the freeway.

"Why?" Booth said, his voice clipped.

"Booth!" she cried as he jammed on his brakes and pressed the ball of his hand on the horn, holding it down for an extended period.

"God dammit! Move your ass!" he bellowed.

Brennan closed her eyes, and tightened her grip on the handle as she felt the car shift position from right to left and then back again and considered that this praying thing that Booth did might actually come in handy right now.

Booth pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, the wheels locking up as it screeched to a halt. He threw open the door and tried to get out.

"Booth. Seatbelt?" Brennan said, pressing the button to release him from the strapping holding him in the car.

"Thanks. Can you lock the car? I'm going ahead" he called over his shoulder as he ran to the front doors of Emergency.

"Wait! Can you wait for me?" she called as she watched him run away from the car. "No. Apparently you can't wait for me." She added as she got out of the car, locked the doors and followed him.

Brennan knew how upset he was. Panicked, actually. His greatest fear about Pops was that when the end came he wouldn't get there in time.

Pushing through the main doors, she could hear him before she could see him. He was standing at the Information Counter yelling at the poor nurse on duty.

She immediately decided it was time to take over.

"Booth. Booth, this is not the way to get the information you need." She said firmly pushing him aside. "I'm very sorry. I'm Dr Temperance Brennan. This is my husband Mr Seeley Booth. We're here to see his grandfather Hank Booth. Or Henry Booth. I'm not sure how you will have him listed. We've just driven two hours and my husband is a little distraught. If we could see Hank, that would be good. And if there is a doctor available to speak to, I would appreciate getting his full diagnosis." she spoke firmly to the nurse.

The young woman nodded and checked her computer screen. "Mr Booth is in ICU. They're not allowing any visitors right now"

"No! No, unacceptable!" Booth banged on the counter

"Sir! If you do not lower your voice I will be forced to call security." the nurse said, frowning at Booth.

"Booth. Just let me." Brennan said, holding up a hand to Booth, then turned back to the nurse.

"Do you understand, I am DOCTOR Temperance Brennan. I'm fairly sure I'm fully qualified to go into an ICU unit to check on a patient. If you are uncertain about that, please page the most senior doctor on duty right now and have him come here to reception, where I shall be happy to inform him about your inability to direct us to the ICU."

Brennan's eyes were boring into the young nurses eyes, forcing her to look back at her computer screen and stammer. "Yes, yes of course. I am sorry Doctor Brennan. ICU is up on the second floor in the East wing. You can sign in here" she gestured to a clip board on the counter "Or at the ICU itself. Although if there isn't a nurse on the counter you will have to"

Brennan didn't stay to hear the rest of her sentence, she turned and grabbed Booth by the arm and led him towards the elevators.

Booth stood next to her, his posture slumped. His shoulders drooped forwards, his head hanging low. He was licking his bottom lip over and over. It was a nervous gesture. She reached over and lay her hand on his shoulder. He didn't shrug her off, so she left her hand there, gently rubbing up and down.

The elevator stopped moving and the doors slid open. Brennan took two steps forward then turned to see Booth still standing there. She stepped back in and hooked her hand through his arm and led him out into the corridor.

"He'll be alright, won't he Bones" he whispered.

Brennan turned to face him. It was time for her to be the strong one. Time for her to hold him up and be a rock for him to cling to.

"Honestly, I can't say until we get into the ICU and I see his charts and speak to a specialist. If he is not being looked after by the top specialist, I will make sure that he gets transferred and receives the very best care. But we need to get in there to see him. You need to see him. Leave all the medical stuff to me. You just sit with him. Talk to him. Let him know you are with him." she said.

They signed in at the ICU desk pumped antiseptic onto their hands, donned gowns and quietly entered the room where Pops was.

Booth felt his lungs collapse as he saw the old man in the hospital bed in front of him. He wanted to turn and run out of the room and pretend that this wasn't happening. He walked slowly up to the bed, pulling a chair close behind him. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Pop's cheek. It felt warm, which was strangely comforting.

"Hey Pops. It's me. You doing OK now?" Booth sat down and picked up the old man's hand. The skin felt dry and crinkly. "Can you hear me Pops?"

Brennan walked over to the other side of the bed and leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead "Hi Hank. It's Temperance." She walked around the bed and lay her hands on Booth's shoulders and whispered into his ear "I'm going to go find Pops' doctor and then I'll go get us coffee" . she walked to the door and turned back to look at him. "Talk to him Booth. It's a documented fact that people in coma's can hear when people talk to them." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Booth watched her leave, then turned back to stare at Pops. Words woudn't come. He took in every detail of the old man's face. His hair seemed even whiter, if that was possible. His skin looked a funny colour. Not skin coloured at all. His eyes were closed. He let his eyes trace the contours of his face. He noticed his nose had several blunt, coarse grey hairs growing out of the tip. He rubbed at his own nose, worrying that he might have inherited this trait. The skin of Pops cheeks, which looked so full when he was sitting up and smiling, seemed to sag towards his ears, distorting the features of the man that had raised him. Booth leaned in closer.

"Did you know your eyelashes are grey? Wow. I didn't know your eyelashes went grey." he said, then laughed at himself. Of all things to say. He shook his head.

"So, um. I'm here. Brennan's gone to talk to the doctors. Um. Christine is at Angela's for a few days. We're here for as long as you need us to be, OK Pops? We're going to be here every day until you're better."

Every day until you wake up

"So the matron at the nursing home told me that you caused a bit of excitement. Apparently you took your swan dive in the middle of the dance floor during salsa classes? Your friend. Um girlfriend? Maisie?" Booth shook his head and frowned. "I actually thought her name was DeeAnne, but perhaps that was last month's love interest?" He laughed "You're definitely one of the more popular guys at the home. Well, Maisie took a little tumble when you fell. You kind of took her with you. But she wanted me to let you know she's OK. Just a bruised elbow and a run in her best stockings. Oh, and Matron told me that there's a prayer group for you, so that's nice"

Booth placed his hand back on the crisp white sheet and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed at his stubble.

"I don't know if you can hear me. Can you?" Booth closed his eyes, covered his face with his hands.

Can you hear me? Please? Dear God, don't do this. Don't let him go without knowing I'm here. I don't want him to think he's alone.

His hands slipped down in front of his mouth, palms pressed together.

All our times are in Thy hand.

All diseases come at Thy call, and go at Thy bidding.

Brennan stood quietly at the door, looking through the glass panel. She felt her heart thumping loudly. Any time Booth was in pain, she got this sensation. It was like they were linked by their hearts. She couldn't bring herself to interrupt him just yet.

So she stood, silently, watching her husband praying.