AN: Once again I don't own Bones, someone else does. "Hero in the Hold" was an amazing episode in my opinion except for a couple of points to be addressed at the end. I'm glad that the season just seems to be getting better and better; is it possible that I can write in some spoilers? Possibly. Just remember I can't make changes to my story/writing if no one reviews *hint hint nudge nudge*; any suggestions or things that you want to see included are welcome. For those of you who miss my descriptions of blood, gore, and violence I hope that your bloodlust is assuaged at least for a little while by the following chapter.
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What a fucking mess.
You and your squad are hurriedly humping it out of the area trying to get back to the FOB. Of course "hurry" is probably a stretch; slowly plod is probably a better description.
After all you will not leave anyone behind.
Your chest hurts as you draw in ragged breaths as you make your way up the piss-poor excuse of a road that passes as a motorway in the third-world. You were incredibly lucky. All you got was a flesh wound right under the collar bone; drink water and walk it off. That's the Army's cure for everything. Even for the walking wounded.
Stear up on point with the SAW; Awanbor taking up the rear with the 203, only two men who are truly combat effective, shit. Everyone's head is swiveling back and forth looking for the sign of any threat. Much good it did you guys last time.
You and Alsept are carrying a groaning Vandercook on the pole-less litter, he's got a sucking chest wound indicative of the sucking and gurgling coming out him. Maybe he can last until the FOB before you have to pop him. If you can't get help soon he will die and there is nothing that you'll be able to do about it even if you do pop him. Miller is behind you carrying Chung his lifeless corpse draped over Miller's shoulders. You managed to pry out the RPG leaving it back where Chung bought the farm; a sick memorial marker.
Volgelzon was a bit of a problem what with him being in so many different pieces. Swayne took care of it though in his typical brute and rather callous way. He stuffed the parts in an aviator's kit bag his lifeless eyes staring with macabre wonder out of the top with his boots framing his face. You all ditched your rucks except for the essentials, speed is more important than equipment right now especially since your SINGARS radios, carried as fate would have it, by Chung and Volgelzon, have been destroyed and your small short range pieces (walkie-talkies from RadioShack mailed to you by Rebecca as a sort of "Parker needs his father but I still don't want to marry you" gift) simply don't have the power to call for help in these mountains.
Why are you dragging back the remains of your broken and bloody men? Even the one who was pulped by bullets the size of a grown man's thumb crashing through his ribcage?
"I will never leave a fallen comrade."
You take as a point of duty and pride that you've always brought your men home; no matter their condition or the manner of their transport.
"Sarge we have to stop, Vandercook's definitely needs the needle right now." Alsept sounded worried. He's normally one of the calmest soldiers you know but at the moment… you wish you could just dismiss it as shakes from the adrenaline.
"Alright. Stear!" you shout out, "we have to pop Vandercook, grab some cover and watch the road. You too Awanbor." They both flop down off the side of the road; Miller and Swayne take up security to the sides both keeping their charges close to them as they drain their canteens and look around.
"Ok Alsept do your thing, save him." Wordlessly he goes to work.
Vandercook's face is swelling and purple, his throat bulging out on the left side; sure signs that the lung has collapsed. His internal organs are being pushed over to one side of his rib cavity by the overpressure on the right side and his trachea is getting pushed over in his throat. If you don't pop him soon his death will be excruciatingly slow and painful as his internal organs are literally crushed by his own breath or something can't take it and goes" boom" rupturing.
Alsept rolls out his CLS bag and roots about looking for his tools as you try to talk to Vandercook and re-assure him. If there's the slightest chance that talking to him will keep him from slipping into shock you'll do it.
Alsept pulls out a large gauge needle and cuts a piece of rubber from one of the gloves. He making an improvised catheter he threads the needle through the catheter.
You watch as he counts down to the third rib on Vandercook's right side.
The needle is positioned over the dip between the second and third rib at a 45 degree angle.
No hesitation now. The needle is jabbed into Vandercook's chest. You hear a distinct *pop* and a ragged groan escape Vandercook's mouth. His grey-blue eyes opening and then rolling up into his eye sockets as the pain knocks him out; a small mercy. You watch grimly as blood and pus starts to pulse out of the entry wound, at least until Alspet fixes the bandage over the wound after taping down the catheter so that there's a "drain" facing down his side. And by that you mean that the bandage is only taped down on three sides so blood and pus and whatever else can flow down his side and not just collect in his chest cavity.
Already his throat is less swollen and his face is less purple, he might live long enough to get to help.
Alsept takes out a fluids bag and sticks Vandercook in his arm. It's a difficult stick. He's lost so much blood and water already making his veins incredibly small. It takes him three tries before he gets it in and proper.
Maybe you won't have to add another number to the tally.
That tally you hate more than your other one.
Counting the number of men you've failed to bring home safe is worse than counting the number you've killed.
And they're both much too high.
While you contemplate this Alsept starts to pack up his bag. That's when you first hear the screams and the RAT-TAT-TAT-TA of the SAW.
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You gasp as you rush into consciousness. Your body tenses as the screams keep filling your ears; sweat drips down your face as you glance feverishly from side to side.
The first thing you notice is a pair of frightened and concerned blue eyes.
"Booth calm down, it's alright you're safe now in the hospital." She leans over to you placing her hand on your shoulder; a sudden feeling of calm crashes over you washing away the mounting fear that you feel from your dreams.
You glance about now taking in the room. It's what you'd expect of a hospital room. Cold and sterile. You notice a few lines coming out of your arm; some sort of medicine and possibly fluid to rehydrate you.
Wendel's sleeping in a chair by the door, you grimly notice a slight bulge in his coat right under his left shoulder. Who the hell gave him a gun? And why the hell is he asleep? He should be protecting Bones.
You smile slightly as you glance at her; your eyes lock as you both just look at each other for a few seconds of eternity.
"Hey Bones, you alright?"
"I'm fine Booth, I should be the one asking if you're feeling ok. You've obviously been hurt." No offense Bones but it doesn't look like you've slept in days judging by the circles under your bloodshot but otherwise beautiful eyes.
"Hey I've been through worse. I just wanted to make sure you're safe." Nothing but the truth there. You keep going.
"So ah, how bad is it? Will I make it out of here alive or do the docs give me two hours to live?" Damn that was the wrong thing to say, she visibly flinched when you joked about death.
"Booth no nothing like that you're going to be fine," she seems to be telling herself that as much as you "you broke your left ribs 3-5 and you suffered numerous other non-bone related injuries. Dr. Saroyan read over the chart first and she said that you suffered numerous contusions and punctures and were even," she visibly swallows in apprehension and concern "electrocuted by a stun gun of some sort. To say nothing of severe dehydration." She just looks at you her face desperately working to put on a stoic façade but her eyes betraying her concern for you. You can tell that talking about the stun gun reminds her of the Gravedigger and when she was buried alive. You're damn lucky to have a partner like her.
You just nod. Those injuries just about sum up the physical toll the last few days took on you; you thank God that no x-ray in the world will tell her the psychic and emotional pain you've suffered.
"So where is everyone?"
She seems grateful for the change in topic and truth be told so are you, you already got all the injuries once before and there isn't any reason to go through them all again in conversation.
" Cam, and Hodgins are back at the lab going over the particulates that they got off of you and your clothing. Angela is working on that ID that you took looking to see if she can figure out whom that really is," even her eyes harden as she mentions Tim; he died too easily for the pain that he's caused. She draws a deep breath before continuing "Sweets is using his contacts at the Bureau to try to figure out who is safe to trust, my dad is wandering around the hospital somewhere keeping a look out and Wendel," she points with a rueful smirk "is keeping guard here."
"The hell he's guarding you, he's passed out and snoring like a sawmill."
"Booth don't wake him he's completely exhausted from carrying you to Hodgin's work station so we could collect samples and then tossing you into the de-con shower so you could get somewhat hygienic. You really did smell bad when you came in." Her eyes shimmer in amusement at that last bit as she leans in a little closer to you trying to keep a sotto whisper to not wake up her grad student/lackey.
You lean in a little closer to her also trying to keep a sotto voice. You notice the close proximity the two of you currently find yourself in; a slight shiver goes up your spine.
"Alright Bones, I guess I'll cut him a little slack. I'm not a small guy so I guess he's earned a nap." You give her a patented "Seeley Booth Charm Smile" and just look into her deep blue eyes a wave of happiness in your chest as you see her respond with a smile of her own.
"No crap 'Big Sarge,' hey Booth you feeling better?"
You and Bones spring apart as if burned by something hot. You turn to see a sleepy looking Wendell staring at you two like he just accidently interrupted something
"Yeah give me another few hours and some pudding cups and I'll be right as rain." Hey bravado and optimism beat telling the truth on how you just want to curl up and black out the world.
"Wendell watch Booth for a minute will you? I need to go find my dad and let him know that Booth's awake." Bones sounds a little off but it's nice to see a little color in her otherwise pale alabaster cheeks.
"Sure thing Dr. Brennan."
"No not a sure thing, Bones don't go wandering about by yourself it's not safe. Wendell go with her and make sure she stays safe." No way you're going to let her get hurt, even in a hospital.
"Booth I'll be fine." Some of her familiar fire flickers as she turns and glares at you.
"No Bones, the people who got me only did so to go after you. You're the target here so logically you're not safe and since Wendell has a gun," (He squeaks a bit saying "How the hell did you know that?") it's only logical that he goes with you to keep you safe." Good job Seeley work the logic angle, Bones responds to logic.
In response to your brief foray of logic all she does is open up her coat (down Seeley down boy!) and pulls out the Para Browning that you had hid in the waist of your pants and grins at you.
"Booth I'll be fine, besides if I can get your gun off of you I should be able to use it." With that she walks out the door.
A bit baffled you turn to Wendell who's just looking at you sort of uncomfortably.
"How the hell did she get that pistol from me?" Oh God did he just turn red? He squirms in his seat first looking distinctly embarrassed but with a conspiratorial leer on his face.
"Well it was when you were passed out on the examining table we were taking samples of the soil and rocks from you and," the knowing look on his face is considerable more pronounced "well we all noticed that there was a large bulge down your front." Oh God now you're blushing red dumbfounded at the situation. You rack your memory for when your dreams were at any time arousing.
"Well me and Dr. Hodgins were kind of looking 'over' it trying not to cough or laugh but Angela just said: 'Oh cut it out guys he's not pitching a tent, that's a gun.'" Ok Angela, just how the hell would you know if I was or not.
"Well anyways Dr. Brennan," he just looks at you and grins "says 'Well we need to get it out of there' and she well stuck her hand," you cannot believe that you weren't awake for this "down there and pulled it out." Kid's laughing. Oh you are never going to live this down.
"Oh but the best part comes later," Oh sweet Jesus you're already mortified how can this get any better? "Angela asked what you were packing and Dr. Brennan said 'A 9mm, normally Booth has something bigger.'" There is no possible way for this to get any worse.
"Dude it was hilarious Dr. Saroyan choked, Angela started to laugh out loud and Dr. Brennan's dad looked like someone hit him with a train."
"So that was it then?" you ask a bit more meekly then you intended.
"Oh no I told you the best part came later. Well after we took you out of the de-com shower to get some of the dirt off you we were wheeling you over to the van to take you to the hospital and well," ok now even he looks mortified at what happened that can't be good "your towel sort of got snagged on corner and…" oh no "well you sort of flashed the entire lab, at least there wasn't anyone there other than us right?" He looks positively mortified at the entire thing and faintly embarrassed but laughing, definitely laughing.
You just glare at him with as much dignity and feigned malice you can muster. He just keeps laughing like a loon.
"So is that why they call you 'Big Sarge?'"
"Shut up Wendell."
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It takes Wendell a good five minutes to stop laughing; he even falls out of his chair at one point. But repeated threats against him eventually make him stop. Either that or he just pities you. Damn it it's difficult to threaten to shoot someone when you don't have a gun.
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Bones walks back into the room followed closely by her dad who shuts the door and glances about like a scared cat. You notice that he still has his lab coat on and that his right leg is unusually stiff and lumpy for some reason. You notice the clunk as he sits down in a chair facing the door, his leg vaguely pointed towards the door; he must have the Thompson hidden there. He notices you staring at him and he smiles with that familiar "I may be a murderer and felon but I'm also extremely charming" twinkle.
"Next time Booth try and steal something less conspicuous for me to haul around. I've just had to explain to three separate nurses that I don't have a prosthetic leg and that I'm only an old man who's had a strenuous life."
"Sure thing Max, I'll remember that the next time I get kidnapped." You meant it as a joke because honestly Max is quite humorous as far as felons go.
"Booth don't you dare get kidnapped again." Bones glares at her dad for even mentioning the possibility and then at you for joking about it. Of course you forgive her for her temporary killjoy moment because she brought you pudding.
"Pudding! Thanks Bones." These pudding cups almost make up for the fact that you're in the hospital.
Nothing prepares you for the crash of glass as something flies through the window.
You yell out "Get Down!" and throw yourself out of the bed grabbing Bones and throwing landing on top of her in case it's a grenade or bomb. Bones yells something at you but you cut her off with an inescapable tackle embrace. Slight twinges register in your arm as you realize that the needles were pulled out with your leap.
Wendell jumps out of his chair taking cover in the corner of the room accidently knocking over the medicine tree beside your bed sending IV bags of fluid across the floor.
And Max just yanks out the Thompson and looks out the window looking for where the projectile came from.
"Max get down!" You bellow and shut your eyes trying to put more of your body between Bones and any potential blast.
"Calm down will you Booth? It's just a brick." He keeps looking out the window before muttering a curse under his breath. Boy do you feel embarrassed right now.
"Whomever it was they got away, I couldn't see a thing." He looks disgusted with himself as he walks over and hits your call button.
"Booth you're squishing me." She mumbles this somewhere around your chest.
"Whoops sorry Bones." Actually not too sorry, the feel of her in your arms is far more pleasurable then you're willing to admit. You scramble up to your feet feeling the twinge of your ribs and foot as you get up and help her up off the floor.
"Uh Booth," she looks slightly embarrassed uh-oh what happened "you might want to adjust your gown."
Wow it really is drafty here. You sit back down on the bed absently putting pressure on your arm to staunch the bleeding from pulling needles out of your arm. At least you're not bleeding too badly.
"Wendell go check to see if there's anything on the brick."
"Uhh, Dr. Brennan there seems to be something written on the brick but nothing else."
"Well what is it?" A message from a stalker is the best you can hope for right now.
"25 High street Carlstown, West Virginia it's an address." Something tells you that something bad happened there, you just know it. Bones picks up her phone to call it in.
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The first thing that they notice is the semi-trailer parked outside the warehouse.
The perimeter secured the Tac-Team breaches the front door.
Silence.
The radio crackles to life.
*Command this is Tac-Team 1 we've breached the perimeter moving down the main hallway.*
*Three rooms, all empty and cleared.*
*Door ahead.*
*Breaching.*
*Oh my God.*
*Oh God oh God oh God oh God.*
*Tac-Team report.*
*It-It…*
*What is it Tac-Team?*
*…*
*Tac-Team report!*
*…*
*Tac-Team what is happening? What do you see?*
*…sir please don't ask me to describe to you what I see, my eyes are polluted enough and I don't want my tongue to be likewise.*
*Is the room secure?*
*Yes but-… I now know what evil is.*
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Enjoy? Remember to review. I'll have more time to write soon so maybe I'll be able to write more about Booth's past before Fox makes his past canon. I already know that they're all jacked up when it comes to his military past because the timeline just doesn't make sense for him based of his position in the FBI. I hold the strong belief that the uniform that he wore in PITH was fake because the chronology doesn't make sense for him to be a Master Sergeant and a Special Agent. Also he has the Pathfinder award on his office wall but doesn't show it on his "uniform" and also his "uniform" doesn't show any Jump wings which are kind of important for Pathfinders whose job is to set up drop zones for paratroopers. And unless Cpl. Parker was deliberately being annoying then there was no way in hell he'd call a MSG "Sir." Also he should have been wearing a tan beret in his Army Greens. Other than the confusing travesty that Fox has been inflicting on Booth's military past I thought that HITH was a good episode.