I own none of the characters of Bones
Years ago
"Welcome Morgan. My name is Leslie. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you." Morgan mumbled
"Would you like to see your room?"
Morgan stood in between her parents, clutching their hands. They had just stepped off the elevator onto the pediatric oncology floor at Washington General.
"No. I wanna go home." Morgan was trying to be brave but she was failing miserably.
"You can't go home angel." Booth told her.
"I know that the hospital can be a scary place but here on this floor we do everything that we can to make it less scary. How about I show you and family around and you can see all of the fun things that we have here."
"It's a hospital. It's not supposed to be fun."
"That's true for grownups. On this floor we have fun. I think we just started a wheelchair race."
"Wheelchair races are stupid. Not fun." Morgan muttered.
"Morgan sweetheart." Bones whispered softly.
"Come on Angel, let's see what there is to do here." Booth encouraged.
"Fine. Whatever." Morgan agreed.
Last night Morgan spent most of the evening crying. When she finally calmed down she sulked until Parker arrived home, just like Booth guessed he would, and as soon as Morgan laid eyes on her brother, she broke down again. She cried in her room, in her brother's arms for over an hour and when the two of them emerged from her room she was sad and sulking. When it was time for bed, Morgan's tears returned, this time because of fear. She knew that after she woke up the next morning she would be in the hospital for an unknown period of time and the unknown of the hospital and what was going to happen to her while she was there terrified her. Booth and Bones did their best to explain to Morgan what was going to happen to her but it was too much for her extremely well developed brain to take in so a scared little girl spent the night in her parents bed, wrapped securely in her mother's embrace but even wrapped safely in her mother's arms, Morgan was still scared.
When Morgan woke up this morning she was still sad but anger was the prevalent emotion at the moment. She was giving everyone she came in contact with major attitude but Booth, Bones, and Parker realized that it was a normal reaction and just let the attitude fly because it was after all, expected and understandable considering what she was going through.
Bones didn't know what to say or even how to talk to her daughter right now. Morgan normally didn't run on emotions but now, that's all she was running on and Bones wasn't the best person to deal with emotion. If Morgan was running on facts, then Bones would know exactly what to say to Morgan but now, for the first time in Morgan's life, Bones didn't know how to be her mother. Booth was the parent that Morgan needed right now. Booth knew how to deal with emotions and he was the better equipped parent to deal with Morgan because right now Morgan was running on all emotion.
After they were shown around the oncology floor and Morgan was settled in her room Dr. Freed, Morgan's oncologist and Dr. Childs, the pediatric gynecologist who was performing Morgan's egg retrieval pulled Booth and Bones out into the hall so they could discuss the procedures that Morgan would be undergoing.
"The egg retrieval is relatively simple. It should only take about thirty minutes max. Morgan will be sedated and with a catheter I will retrieve about a dozen eggs to be frozen. Do you have any questions for me?" Dr. Childs explained.
"Is it necessary to sedate her?" Booth asked
"Yes it is. This is a very uncomfortable and painful procedure. Adult woman are even sedated for this."
"Will she be in pain afterwards?" Booth couldn't handle the thought of his baby girl in pain.
"She'll probably just have some mild cramping."
"Now after the egg retrieval and while she is still sedated I'm going to perform the bone marrow aspiration. Normally I do the aspiration while my patient is awake but I think that it will be easier for Morgan to kill two birds with one stone. When she wakes up there would be only a slight discomfort in her hip."
"When will we have the bone marrow aspiration results?" Bones asked
"I'm putting a rush on the results so I should them by late this afternoon, early evening."
"And when will you begin the chemo?"
"First thing tomorrow morning. Do you have any questions?"
"Not at this time."
"Well let's go talk to the patient." The four of them entered Morgan's room and found her sitting on her bed, next to Parker, staring at the wall, clutching her brother's hand.
"The doctors are here to talk with you Morgan." Bones told her, taking an empty seat beside her daughter.
"Hiya Morgan. I'm Dr. Freed but you can call me Nick."
"I'm not supposed to call doctors by their first names. My mom is a doctor and no one calls her by her first name."
"Most doctors don't want their patients calling them by their first names but I'm different. We're going to be working together pretty closely, seeing each other every day. I hope that we are going to be friends instead of doctor and patient." Dr. Freed explained.
"I don't want to be friends with you." Bones was going to gently remind her daughter not to be rude but Dr. Freed caught her eye and shook his head. He was used to his patients acting like this.
"That's fine but I really hope that you change your mind Morgan because I think that we could be good friends." Morgan just looked at the doctor like he was crazy. "Morgan I'm going to promise you something right now. I'm always going to be honest with you and tell you everything that is going to happen, what I'm going to do and how it's going to make you feel. Now I want you to promise me that you will ask me any questions that you have and I will answer them honestly okay?"
"Sure. Whatever."
"What's going to happen today is Dr. Childs is going to take out the cells that will one day allow you to have babies and we are going to keep them safe for you so when you're all grown up and ready you will be able to have your own babies."
"I don't want any babies."
"Not now but you may one day." Morgan adamantly shook her head. "Well if you change your mind you'll be able too. Now once that's done I'm going to do a test while you're still sleeping."
"What kind of test?"
"It's called a bone marrow aspiration. You have some very special cells in your bone marrow that I need to look at under the microscope. Looking at those cells will help me make sure that I give you the best kind of medicine."
"Why are you doing it while I sleep?"
"Because it won't hurt you." Morgan's eyes grew wide.
"Why does it hurt?" She whispered, squeezing her mother's hand.
"I take a very long needle and I put it into your bone and take out the cells." Morgan didn't respond. "Do you have any questions for me?" Morgan shook her head. "Okay then. I'm going to go get ready and I'll see you in a few hours." Dr. Freed walked out of the room and Leslie walked in to start Morgan's IV.
"NO. NO. NO." Morgan began to scream.
"Morgan, sweetheart." Bones cried and Morgan wrapped her arms around her.
"I don't wanna stay. I want to go home." Morgan was clinging to her mother as she sobbed. Booth was holding Morgan from behind while Parker stood in a corner and cried for his sister.
"I know Morgan."
"Take me home. Please mommy, take me home."
"I wish I could but I can't. You have to stay so you can get better."
"Please, please, please." She begged.
"I can't Morgan. If I take you home then you will die and I'm not going to let you die." Gone was the softness from her voice and it was replaced with a sternness. "Now you need to lie down and let Leslie start your IV." Bones hated being so stern, it broke her heart but she knew that right now, it was the only way to get through to Morgan.
"Come on Angel. It's time to be brave. Can you be brave for daddy?" Booth asked her softly.
"I don't think so." Booth had to smile.
"I think that you are wrong. Come on Morgs. Let's lay down." Morgan let her father lay her down. Bones stood next to her and gently ran her fingers through her hair, something that always calmed her down in the past while Booth held her hand and whispered encouraging words until Leslie had the IV in. "That's my girl. I knew you could do it."
"You should really eat Bones." Booth told her thirty minutes later. Since Morgan was having her procedures done, Parker took the opportunity to call and update Emily and Booth took Bones to the cafeteria for something to eat.
"I can't think about eating right now."
"You have to eat. What good are you going to be to Morgan if you get sick?"
"What good am I to her now?"
"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I …I am a horrible mother. I shouldn't have said that she will die."
"Bones…"
"I don't know how to respond to all of the emotions that she is experiencing. You know how I am. When I try to react to emotions I always say the wrong thing like today. Instead of comforting Morgan like you did I told her that if we took her home, she would die. I am a horrible mother."
"That's not true Bones."
"I shouldn't have said that. I should have found another way."
"You said exactly what Morgan needed to hear." Bones looked at her husband like he lost his mind. "She's a lot like you babe. Morgan copes better with facts and truth, like you do. You told her the truth. You told her that if we take her home without treatment then she will die. That's a fact. Once she was aware of that fact, I was then able to comfort her, something that I could not have done without your facts."
"I hate this Booth."
"So do I."
"What if…Booth, what if she…"
"Don't say it Bones."
"I can't bear the thought of losing our little girl."
"Neither can I and that's why I'm not thinking about her dying. I'm thinking about her living. We are part of Morgan and we are both fighters, ergo, Morgan is a fighter. I know that she is going to fight like hell to live. We are going to fight like hell and our baby girl will live."
"Are you going to pray that Morgan live?"
"Absolutely."
"Will it work?"
"I hope so." Bones was silent for a minute and Booth could see the wheels turning in her head. "When you were in your coma, before Morgan was born, I prayed. I prayed that you would wake up so Parker wouldn't lose both of his parents and our baby would have its father. You woke up Booth so maybe I should pray again, for Morgan."
"You don't believe in God." Booth reminded her.
"But you do, Morgan does and maybe, if he does exist then because you two believe and because I'm not praying for myself, I'm praying for my child, so maybe your God will listen to me."
"Bones I…"
"Do you think it will work?"
"It can't hurt."
"I know that but do you think it will work?" Booth heard the desperation in his wife's voice.
"I don't know but I'm still willing to try."
"Then so am I." Without another word, they stood, threw their trash away and together, they made their way to the chapel in the hospital. "So should we take turns?" Bones asked Booth once they were seated on a pew.
"We can pray together. God can hear more than one person at the same time."
"I won't be able to concentrate while you are praying."
"I usually pray silently."
"I don't want to distract you while I pray."
"Okay hon. I'll pray first and then you can pray."
Bones watched intently as Booth crossed himself, bowed his head and prayed. Over the twelve, almost thirteen years that they had been married, Booth had broached the subject of God with her many times but she still refused to believe. He never pushed her but he always allowed himself to bring it up, at least once a year, hoping maybe she had a change of heart.
"Okay I'm done." He said fifteen minutes later.
"Do I have to close my eyes like you did?"
"No. You can do whatever you feel comfortable with."
"I actually don't feel comfortable praying at all since I don't believe that anyone besides you can hear me."
"Then Bones, you don't have to pray."
"I want to do it for Morgan. I know that she would do the same for me."
"She would baby." He squeezed her hand. "Why don't you just talk out loud? That may be the easiest thing for you."
"My name is Temperance Brennan-Booth. I am the wife of Seeley Booth, one of your naïve followers and my daughter is Morgan Booth who also, like her father believes that you exist. I am praying not for me but for Morgan. She is young and her faith is pure. Booth believes that you have some control over our lives and death. If that is true then I ask or pray that you extend Morgan's life. She is only a child who has not really lived her life. I dream of her wedding, watching her walk down the aisle on her father's arm to a man that loves and adores her. I dream of her holding her own child in arms. I have so many dreams for my daughter and she has her own dreams so please, if you do have any control over her life and death, allow her to live a long and happy life. She has so much to contributive to this world. Please, don't take my baby away from me."
After meeting with a therapist that works on the oncology floor, helping the patients deal with their illness and teaching them ways to fight with a "mind over matter" philosophy, Morgan's "fight like hell" trait that she inherited from both of her parents came out in full force. Fear and sadness no longer were the primary emotions felt by the sick child, it was now determination, another trait that was passed down to her. If Morgan was going to lose this battle, she was going down fighting.
Of course there were hard days. On the third day, Morgan finally reacted to the chemotherapy that was started and she was miserable. She had never thrown up so much before, her entire body was sore. Bones and Booth alternated holding her while she puked and comforting her when it was over. As time went on, Morgan developed multiple rashes and sores all over her body. She rarely complained and on occasion, she would cry wrapped in the security of one of her parents embrace.
The first night Morgan was in the hospital, Booth and Bones spent the night with her, Bones in the small bed with her and Booth on a chair, next to the hospital bed holding her hand all night. The second night, Booth went home and Bones stayed in the chair he occupied the night before. By the time the third night came along Morgan forced her mother to go home and as much as she wanted to stay with her she gave Morgan what she wanted but only after she threatened and begged the nurses to call her if Morgan needed anything at all. After a week Booth returned to work during the day while Bones took a leave of absence until Morgan goes into remission.
"Good morning Temperance." Leslie greeted.
"Good morning Leslie. You remember my best friend, Morgan's aunt, Angela."
"I do. Hi Angela."
"Hi."
"So how is Morgan this morning? How was her night?"
"Morgan slept through the night. She woke up this morning nauseated, as usual. She ate a piece of toast and kept it down and about an hour ago she had some yogurt."
"Thank you." Bones and Angela began to walk to Morgan's room.
"Temperance, Morgan isn't in her room."
"Where is she?"
"In the back hall playing hockey I believe." Bones grinned.
"Only my daughter would find someone in a hospital to play with hockey with. Come one Ange." The two of them went to the back hall where they found Morgan, indeed playing hockey with a fellow patient, David, a boy Morgan made friends with on her second day when David commented on the hockey jersey that she was wearing. They both discovered their common love for hockey and became instant friends.
"SCORE!" Morgan cried gleefully as she shot the puck into the improvised goal. "That's what you get for talking crap."
"It was a lucky shot Morgan." David defended himself.
"Phfft. Not luck. Pure, raw talent." Morgan then noticed her mom. "Hey mom. Hiya Aunt Angela. Did you see my shot?"
"Yes I did. It was very accurate."
"Of course it was. That's why I scored a goal."
"Should you be exerting yourself?"
"Nick said that as long as I feel like it, I can do anything I want."
"Okay. If Dr. Freed said that it's okay then I'm okay with it but Angela does need to get to work."
"David and I are tied right now. Can I just win this game real quick?"
"Please Morgan. I'm winning this game. Hi Mrs. Booth."
"Hello David. We'll wait until one of you wins this game."
For the next five minutes, Bones watched her daughter, playing the game that she loves and besides the fact that they were standing in the hallway of a pediatric oncology floor, things seemed almost normal. Morgan was smiling and having fun, her cancer far from her mind and she was happy or she was until David scored the winning goal.
"I can't believe he got that past me." Morgan grumbled as the three of them walked to her room.
"It happens to the best of hockey players." Angela told her.
"Not to me. David and I will have a rematch and I will kick his butt, cancer or not." Angela laughed. "Did you bring the razors?"
Yesterday Morgan's hair started to fall out and Booth and Bones were more upset about it then Morgan was. She knew that it was going to happen and she embraced it and was taking control of the situation. Today Morgan was going to cut her own hair off and then Angela was going to shave what was left off and Bones swore she was excited about it.
"Yes sweetie. I brought the razors." Angela assured her.
"What about scissors?" Angela nodded. "Hand them over."
"Are you sure about this Morgan?" Bones asked her softly. Morgan took a minute before she answered her mother.
"Yeah mom, I'm sure. My hair is falling out so I might as well just get it over with all at once instead of dragging it out."
"Whatever you want honey." Bones knew what Morgan wanted was to have some control over what happens to her and by cutting her own hair, she had control.
"Do you still want to donate your hair sweetie?" Morgan had decided that she wanted to donate her hair to a company that made wigs and gave them to cancer patients for free.
"Yes I do."
"Well I need to make the first cut and then you can go to town." Angela explained and then she got to work.
Bones silently watched as Angela pulled Morgan's long, wavy tresses into a ponytail. Before she made the cut, Angela glanced at Bones who nodded and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying as Morgan's hair disappeared. Morgan had such beautiful hair; it was dark, not too thick, not too thin and it had the perfect wave to it. Fifteen minutes after the first cut was made, Morgan was looking in the mirror and running her hand over her now bald head. "What do you think mom?"
"You're beautiful." Bones told her thickly.
"Will you take a picture and send it to dad?"
"Of course." Bones pulled out her cell phone, took a picture and sent it.
"Now will you help me with my scarf?" Like her father, Morgan had an affinity for socks with crazy, colorful patterns and that affinity remained prevalent when Morgan picked out the scarves that would cover her head. The scarves all had crazy patterns and colors and were totally Morgan. As soon as the scarf was tied on Morgan's head Bones' cell phone beeped. She read the text and handed her phone to Morgan.
Absolutely beautiful. What Morgan or Bones didn't know was that when Booth got the picture of Morgan he broke down in tears but he truly did believe that without her hair, Morgan was without a doubt the most beautiful child in the world.
"Thank you Nick. I'm going to miss you." Morgan told Dr. Freed as she hugged him tightly. The day before, Dr. Freed finally gave Morgan and her family the long awaited news. Morgan's cancer was in remission and she could go home.
"I'm going to miss you too kiddo." It was always bittersweet for Dr. Freed when his patients were released. Over the time his patients spent in the hospital they grew close so while he was ecstatic when he could release those children home, to their lives at the same time, he was sad to see them go. "Are you ready to get out of here?"
"Oh yeah. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad place but I'm so glad to be leaving."
"Go say goodbye to your friends and Leslie. Don't forget her. She put up with a lot of your crap."
"Yeah, I know." Morgan took her mother's hand and they left Dr. Freed and her dad alone.
"Dr. Freed, I don't know how to thank you for saving my daughter's life. I didn't want to imagine my life without that precious child in it and now, thanks to you I don't have to."
"Seeley, you don't have to thank me for doing my job."
"It may be just a job to you but it's so much more to me and her mother. Our kids, Parker and Morgan, they are our everything and because you did your job Morgan is going to live." Booth was usually not a man who hugged other men, if he did it was a rarity, but right now, he was so overwhelmed with gratitude; a handshake just wouldn't do so without hesitation, Booth gave the doctor a bear hug, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Booth mumbled over and over again tearfully.
"It was truly my pleasure." Dr. Freed told Booth when he finally relinquished his steel grip.
Booth and Bones took their daughter to the diner, her favorite restaurant, for her first meal outside of the hospital. Morgan had been done with her chemotherapy for a couple of weeks and her appetite had finally returned so the food and pie at the diner was just what she needed. After their lunch they took Morgan to the ice rink. Her hockey, was the one thing that Morgan really missed and she couldn't wait any longer to get back on the ice and right now, they were so thankful that she was healthy that if Morgan wanted an ice rink installed in the bathroom then it would be done but all she wanted was to so was skate, an easy enough request to fill.
For the next hour Booth skated with Morgan and played hockey while Bones stood and watched. She never did take to ice skating. She had been skating with Booth, Morgan and Parker before but Booth always was next to her, holding her hand, keeping her upright. Ice skating and hockey, it was something that Morgan and Booth shared and Bones never wanted to interfere with that. When Morgan's friends from the hockey team arrived Booth joined his wife on the sidelines.
"You're smiling again." Booth commented as he wrapped an arm around Bones' shoulder and she leaned into his body.
"I'm happy again because Morgan is healthy. She's going to be all right. She's all right isn't she? The skating isn't too much for her is it?"
"She's tired. I noticed that she doesn't have the energy that she used to have which is why we were only shooting the puck around. Dr. Freed said it will be awhile before Morgs is back to her normal self but she'll get better everyday."
"She is only eleven Booth and she has already been through so much. She has seen people die, people she knew and played with. No child should have to go through that. I know that physically she will be fine but mentally, will she be okay?" Over the course of her stay at the hospital Morgan had to watch three of the other patients that she made friends with lose their fight.
"I think that she will. So far she has handled things well but I also believe that she hasn't really thought about what she has been through and when she does it may get rough but we'll be there for her and if necessary Sweets can help."
"I feel like I have been holding my breath for the past two months and now I can breathe normally again. Booth, I was so scared, so damn scared that we were going to lose her. Every night when I went to sleep I thought that I would wake up in the morning and learn that Morgan didn't. I have never felt so helpless before." Booth turned and pulled his wife to his chest and she wrapped her arms tightly around him and began to cry softly.
"Shhh, its okay Bones. It's all over." Booth told her and as she glanced out to the ice and saw Morgan laughing and skating with friends Bones knew that her nightmare was truly over.