Author's Note: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed, or even just alerted. It means so much to know that people are interested in this story. With that said, here is the next update. I hope that it lives up to expectations, and that you lovely people will take the time to review again. Thank you so much!
Light.
The first thing she remembered was light. That, and a cornucopia of voices, all of which seemed familiar yet foreign. A steady beeping noise invaded her senses, creating a steady beat.
Air.
She remembered the need for oxygen, but for a moment was unable to breathe. Something; a tube she began to realize, was obstructing her airway.
"Just relax, Temperance. I'm Doctor Weston. You are in the hospital. You have been for a while." The gray haired doctor tried his best to remain calm. "The tube will unfortunately have to stay down your throat for a little while longer. I do however need to ask you a few questions. Can you understand? If so, blink once for yes and twice for no."
Somewhere in her mind it registered that she was truly in the hospital and it all hadn't been just an unfortunate dream. Blinking yes, Brennan had to admit that the situation felt completely strange. She wished that she could be somewhere else, somewhere different. But as she blinked in reply to the questions Doctor Weston was asking, she got the feeling that it wasn't about to happen.
How much time had passed? Minutes, hours? Seeley Booth again lifted his head from being buried in his hands as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
"We got here as soon as we could. Where is Doctor Brennan?" Zack asked, hair disheveled and breath coming out in rapid blurbs. It was obvious by the way he fought to gain his breath that the team had hurried to get there.
"Well, she's obviously still in a hospital room." Hodgins replied, noting the stress in the way that Booth sat. "Hey man, do you know anything new?" He asked as he sat down in the waiting room chair next to him.
"Nothing other than what I was told on the phone." Booth sighed as he ran a hand across his stubbled face. "I just don't know. We were supposed to come here today. We were supposed to pull her off of the life support because it was what she wanted. But instead, she just wakes up? I'm grateful. I'm beyond grateful. I can't imagine what I would have gone through had I been there, but-"
Cam silenced him as she sat on the opposite side of him. "Leave the worrying to us. Trust me, you've been doing a fair share." She said apologetically. Casting a glance in Angela's direction, she stood up again. "Well, it looks like we'll be waiting a while. Is anyone else up for grabbing a cup of coffee?"
Zack agreed, and though reluctant, Hodgins did as well. The three left promising to bring Booth back a cup. Though he wouldn't need the caffeine, he figured it wouldn't hurt.
"You're afraid she won't remember." Angela spoke softly as everyone else left. She offered a smooth smile and with crossed arms made her way across the room to sit next to him.
"We had two good years, Angela. Yeah, it was hard at first. But we made it work." Booth sighed, shaking his head. "If she doesn't, then I'll deal with it."
"Maybe she'll remember everything. Studies have shown-"
"I don't need the science of it all right now okay, Angela?" Booth cried. He looked up to see her hurt expression and immediately regretted his outburst. "I'm sorry, I know you're on edge about this, too. There's no telling how much time Bones has lost."
"That's true." Angela replied, trying to keep the hope she felt inside alive. She glanced curiously around the waiting room that she had sat in so many different times waiting for a chance to at least try and get through to her friend. She wasn't able to at first due to the fact that she wasn't family. But when Brennan's husband was an FBI Agent, he was able to not only offer consent, but recommend that Angela be allowed to visit.
"I just-" Booth stopped, resting his elbows against his knees. "What if it had been me? I mean, it was a normal night. We were going out for dinner, she argued yet again that she could be the one to drive. I of course told her that since we were riding in the SUV I'd drive. But if I'd...if I'd agreed just once. If I'd have let her have her way just that one time, we wouldn't even be here."
Angela's eyes softened as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "How many times do I have to tell you not to beat yourself up about it? There's nothing any of us can do that will change what happened, Booth. All we can do is wait."
Booth sighed, shaking his head. "Twelve months. We've waited a whole year and it's...it's almost like she knew."
"We both know how hard Bren can fight if she truly wants something." Angela replied with a smile. "She's doing this, Booth. She's fighting to get back to everyone. We just have to wait a little while longer."
A shadow appeared in the doorway, and as the door opened, she saw Booth standing there. It was a welcome sight and though she was glad to see a familiar face in a storm of confusing ones, there was something that polluted Booth's features that she just couldn't place. Brennan watched, wanting him to sit close to her bed, but felt fear creep up when she realized that he wasn't making an attempt to move.
Booth studied her pale blue eyes, thinking of how many nights he'd spent just praying that she'd open them. He felt his breath hitch when he realized that she was indeed looking back at him. The sight of her-machines, tubes, monitors-all attached to something in an effort to keep her alive; the weight of the last year settled on him. "Welcome back," His voice sounded distant even to himself. Detached, though it was anything but cold.
If it was possible, Brennan would have smiled at Booth's comment. But try as she might, she couldn't muster an expression of any sort. She watched as Booth hovered near the door. Why wasn't he coming closer? Why did he seem so hesitant? He had never been so careful with her personal space, so why would her being hospitalized cause him to be any different?
His feet took on a life of their own as Booth slowly walked toward the left side of her bed. He wanted so badly to do something. Touching her would somehow make it more real. But the look in her tired eyes told him that it was too soon. For that moment he simply took her hand in his and momentarily wondered if kissing it would be misconstrued. If she remembered they had been married, she would wonder why he hadn't kissed her forehead, cheek, or any other place that would be deemed affectionate. If she didn't, then she'd surely wonder what he was doing. "I missed you." He whispered, offering a sad smile. "Everyone at the lab, the squints...we all did."
Temperance wanted to yell, to scream the question that itched at the back of her throat. How long have I been gone?
Sighing, Booth settled back into the chair that now held his imprint. He'd wait. He hated waiting. But if it was what his wife needed, Seeley Booth would be more than willing to give it to her. Offering a smile, Booth ran his thumb over the back of her hand, trying his best to ignore the surgical tape that lay there. Moments. While a part of Booth missed the arguments, or the cases...deep down the moments that he missed the most were the ones where they were able to, for once, sit still. "We uh...we've got a lot of catching up to do."
Brennan blinked and stared back at him, slightly puzzled but none the less relieved by his presence. He was her friend and partner, and was the first face she even remotely recognized within the past few hours of being awake. She wasn't good at reading people but as Booth sat holding her hand she thought she noticed the slightest tinge of sadness in his eyes. For what? She was awake, wasn't she? It wasn't all a dream?
Booth moved to brush a stray strand of hair away from her cheek and his breath caught in his throat, coming out more like a laugh. "A lot of catching up to do."
So things are a little ambiguous, I realize that. To be honest, I don't want this to be just another "Booth/Brennan gets in an accident and has amnesia" type of stories. And, well...though there wasn't any in this chapter I'm hoping to incorporate some Hodgela as well. Because I love them and I think that through the year of Brennan's hospital stay (and beforehand, obviously), they sort of grew closer with Booth because of it. Anyway, please review if you can and let me know what you think so far. Thank you!
