I own none of the characters of Bones.
Years ago…
"Morgan's cancer is back." When Booth heard the confident voice of his wife utter those fateful words his whole world seemed to crash around him. Feeling the vomit rise up his esophagus Booth ran into the bathroom that was connected to their bedroom and threw up his very expensive dinner. After washing the tears off of his face and brushing his teeth he returned to his room, sat on the bed and placed his head in his hands.
"Why aren't you questioning me? Why are you just accepting what I am telling you without a fight?" Bones asked him.
"Because I believe you."
"Why? You have told me many times that I am an overprotective mother and when it comes to Morgan being sick I tend to make a bigger deal out of something insignificant." She desperately wanted to Booth to argue with her, to tell her she was overreacting. For the first time in her life, she didn't want to be right.
"I've seen it. I just hadn't been able to admit to myself what I was seeing until right now."
"What have you been seeing?" Bones asked softly.
"She's pale. She's got those dark circles under her eyes. She's been sleeping like crazy. Last night she was asleep by ten and this morning I had to wake her up at eleven to get ready for her hockey game. After the game, she slept for a couple of hours before dinner, she fell asleep on the way home from the restaurant and less then an hour after we got home she is out again and she has no energy. I noticed during her game, she was skating slower then she usually does." Booth told her.
"I can't believe this is happening…again." Bones mumbled.
"She'll beat it. Just like she did before."
"The odds are against her Booth. The chances of curing a reoccurrence are low."
"Our daughter will beat those damn odds."
"You don't know that."
"YES I DO." He shouted. "Our daughter WILL NOT die." Booth collapsed on the bed and sobbed. Bones laid next to him, they wrapped their arms around each other and cried themselves to sleep, fully clothed on top of the blankets.
"Seeley, Temperance, Morgan I'm sorry to tell you but your suspicions were right." Dr. Freed told them gently. "Morgan, your cancer has returned." Morgan was sitting in between her parents and as soon as Dr. Freed confirmed Morgan's diagnosis Booth and Bones each reached for the hand closest to them but she pulled away.
"What do we do? Chemo again?" Booth asked.
"I would like to start with Chemo and…"
"No. I don't want chemo again." Morgan said, interrupting the doctor. "It didn't work the last time so why should I go through the chemo again if it's not going to work."
"It did work Morgan." Dr. Freed said.
"No it didn't." She yelled. "I'm sitting back here with cancer aren't I?"
"If the chemo didn't work the first time then you wouldn't be sitting here Morgan." Dr. Freed told her bluntly.
"I hated being sick and bald. I don't want to go through all that again." Morgan whispered.
"I know it sucks Morgan."
"No you don't."
"I was seventeen when I got cancer and I had to go through chemo myself and I'm living proof that chemo works."
"I'm sorry." Morgan mumbled.
"Since the cancer has returned I want to give you a bone marrow transplant."
"What's that?" Morgan asked.
"The cells in your body are making the cancer cells. Cells reproduce themselves identically and your cancer cells reproduce themselves into more cancer cells. What I want to do is after all of your cells are killed with the chemo I want to give you someone else's bone marrow or cells and then when those cells reproduce the will make healthy cells."
"Why didn't we do that the first time?" Booth asked.
"Because protocol is chemo first." Dr. Freed answered.
"Whose bone marrow will I get?" Morgan asked.
"I don't know. The best possible match is a family member so usually we start with that. If none of your family members match there is a national database that we can check and see if there is a match."
"How soon can we be tested?" Bones asked.
"You can be tested anytime."
"Morgan do you have any questions?"
"When do I have to go to the hospital?"
"I would like to for you to go today so we can get you started with chemo first thing in the morning. I've already called and got a room reserved for you."
"Great. Just great." Morgan stood up and stormed out of the room. Bones went to go after her but Booth reached out to stop her.
"Give her a minute Bones. She needs a minute to process." Booth told her and then he turned to Dr. Freed. "What are the chances of finding a match?" He asked the doctor.
"Her best bet for a match is a full sibling."
"Parker is her half brother." Bones whispered.
"He may match or one of you may be a match. There is no exact percentage on finding a match so I can't give you a number."
"Can anyone be tested or is it family only?" Booth inquired.
"Anyone can be tested. We have found matches by a friend of the family being tested."
"Without a match, what are Morgan's chances of survival?" Bones asked the question that was weighing on her and Booth's mind.
"Looking at her test results, this time the cancer is aggressive so without a transplant, her chances are slim." Dr. Freed told them gravely.
"I'm worried about her Booth." Bones told him three days later on their way home from the hospital.
"So am I." Booth admitted. Morgan seemed to have given up. She started her chemo two days ago and was miserable from it. She was so sick, sicker then she had been the last time. She was constantly puking. She had a horrible skin rash that covered her from head to toe and it itched her relentlessly. She had scratched so much that she made herself bleed. The inside of her mouth was full of blisters that made it impossible for her to eat and besides all of the physical aliments; mentally she was just as bad. She was very depressed except she wasn't crying. When she wasn't puking Morgan just laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling and she refused to speak to anyone. Bones knew that science played a very important role in Morgan's recovery but she has read many studies regarding the mind-over-body phenomenon so she knew that Morgan's mental state could play an important role in her recovery as well.
"She's not even fighting. She's given up." Bones whispered.
"I know." Booth parked his SUV and they silently walked in the house together.
"How can we make her fight?" Bones asked her husband when they settled on the couch.
"We can't Bones. We can't force her to fight for her life if she doesn't want to."
"She'll die Booth and I can't just stand by and let it happen. I'm not going to let my baby die." She yelled.
"We're doing all that we can sweetheart." It was killing him as much as it was killing her watching Morgan suffer.
"I'm scared Booth. I am so damn scared and helpless and I hate feeling like this."
"I know baby, I know." Their doorbell suddenly rang.
"Who is that?" It was almost eleven o'clock and they weren't expecting anyone. They knew it wasn't Parker because he would just walk in, not ring the doorbell.
"I have no idea. Let's find out." Together they went to the door and when they opened it, they were shocked at who was standing on the other side. "David what are you doing here?" Booth asked.
"I apologize for showing up so late but I need to see Morgan."
"David come in." Bones said, pulling Booth to the side so the young boy could enter. "How did you get here? Are your parents here?"
"I took a bus and then a cab over here."
"You must be exhausted. Come and sit down." Bones led her daughter's best friend/boyfriend to the couch in the living room. "Are you thirsty? Would you like something to eat?"
"No thank you."
"Do your parents know that you are here?" Booth asked.
"Yes sir. With their permission, I used my allowance to come here and I don't have school for the next two days because of some teacher meetings so they told me that I can stay until Sunday if it's okay with you."
"Of course it's okay." Bones insisted.
"I appreciate it. Now I don't mean to be rude but I really need to see Morgan."
"She is not here David." Booth told him.
"Where is she? Is there…is she with someone else?" He whispered.
"When was the last time you spoke to Morgan?" Bones asked.
"Monday. She called me and broke things off. She wouldn't give me any explanation. She said that we can't even be friends anymore. Morgan, she is my best friend and if she doesn't want to be more than friends then I understand but I can't lose my best friend." Booth and Bones looked at each other in surprise. Morgan had been telling them that she has been in constant contact with David.
"There is something that you need to know." Booth told him softly. "Morgan is in the hospital."
"Why? What's wrong?" They could hear the panic in his voice.
"Morgan is out of remission. Her cancer is back."
"Oh my God." David whispered. "How bad is it?"
"It's bad. Dr. Freed wants to do a bone marrow transplant. She started her chemo on Monday and it's been rough on her. She's pushing all of us away and from what you just said she is pushing you away as well." Bones said.
"Can I be tested?" Bones shook her head.
"I know you want to but one of the disqualifications is having a history of cancer."
"I have to see her. I need to be there for her."
"It's late and she is sleeping. Bones and I will take you to the hospital in the morning."
"Thank you Seeley." David stood.
"Come on, I will take you to the guest room." Booth told him.
"Thank you for letting me stay here." He told his girlfriend's parents. Bones hugged him tightly.
"I'm glad you're here." She told him when she released him.
"Goodnight Temperance." Booth and David headed to the guest room.
"David, you should know that Morgan's actions have nothing to do with you." Booth said when they got to the room. "She is like her mother. When she gets scared, she pushes everyone away and right now, I know my daughter is terrified but eventually, she will let everyone back in to help her through this." Booth surprised David by pulling him in for a hug. "She'll get through this son." Booth wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or David.
"Good Morning Angel." Booth boomed when he walked into his daughter's hospital room the following morning. He immediately went over and kissed her.
"Good Morning honey." Bones echoed the statement and question and Morgan just glared at both of them. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Freaking peachy." Morgan mumbled barely moving her lips since it hurt her to talk.
"Here's your breakfast." Morgan's day nurse Sophia announced as she walked into the room. Since eating was painful for Morgan she has been having protein shakes that she really didn't care for but it had all of the nutrients that she needed. "How are you doing? Do you need anything?" She shook her head. Sophia charted Morgan's vital signs and then left the room. Bones grabbed Morgan's shake and put a straw in it.
"Here you go honey." Bones said as she handed her daughter the shake.
"I don't want it."
"Angel, you've got to drink the shake." Booth told her gently.
"It's disgusting and I don't want it." Morgan reached out and slapped the shake out of her mother's hand, sending it across the room.
"Morgan Christine!" Booth said in surprise. He knew his daughter was sick, but it was no reason for her to act like a brat.
"Morgan you made a mess." Bones said tearfully. She quickly grabbed some napkins and began cleaning up the spilled shake.
"I'm going to tell Sophia to bring you in another shake and this time you will drink it. Do I make myself clear?" She nodded. Booth hated being so stern with Morgan but he knew that she had to drink that shake and he would do whatever it took to make her drink it. "I'll be right back." After Booth requested another shake for Morgan, he went and found David who was hanging out at one of the nurse's station.
"Are you ready? She's in rare form." Booth asked the nervous boy in front of him.
"Yes sir."
"Let's go." They walked to Morgan's room and Booth stepped in first. "Your new breakfast will be here shortly and while you wait there is someone here to see you."
"I don't want to see anyone." Morgan told her dad.
"Tough." Booth held open the door and David stepped through and tears instantly filled Morgan's eyes.
"I can't believe that you called him." Morgan accused her parents.
"They didn't call me. I came on my own when you wouldn't take any of my calls."
"I don't to see you. Mom, please make him go." Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she refused to look at David.
"Morgan he came a long way and you owe him an explanation." Bones gently told her.
"Come on Bones. Let's get some coffee." Booth had no desire for coffee but he knew that Morgan and David needed some time alone.
"Mommy…please." Morgan begged.
"It's for the best sweetheart. Daddy and I will be out in the hall if you need anything." Booth and Bones linked hands and left Morgan and David alone. Booth managed to pry Bones away from the door and they went to get the coffee that neither of them really wanted. When they returned to Morgan's room ten minutes later they looked through the window and saw David sitting on Morgan's bed and they were hugging.
"It looks like he got through to her." Booth said.
"We should have been able to get through to her."
"You know, it doesn't matter who gets through to Morgan. The point is someone did." Booth snapped. Bones opened her mouth to snap back but she never got the chance.
"Temperance, Seeley, I have some really good news." Dr. Freed told them.
"Did you find a match?" Bones asked. Booth and Bones automatically reached for each other's hands.
"We did."
"Who?" Booth managed to get out.
"Your son. He is a perfect match."
"Parker?" Booth and Bones asked together.
"Do you have another son?" Dr. Freed asked with a grin.
"No. Parker is our only son." Bones answered and Booth had to laugh. She was still so literal.
"I know that Temperance."
"I don't understand."
"Forget about it Bones." Bones glared at her husband and Booth grinned at her. "Does Parker know?"
"Not yet. I wanted you to be the first to know." Booth nodded
"So what happens now that we have a donor? How soon can Morgan get the transplant?" He asked.
"Morgan needs two rounds of chemotherapy before we can do the transplant."
"Is it necessary for another round? She is reacting horribly to this round." Bones wasn't sure if she could continue to watch her daughter suffer.
"Two rounds are necessary. What she is getting now is very strong which is why she is reacting badly to this round but the second round isn't as strong and she shouldn't react as badly."
"But why two rounds? If the first round is strong why does she need the second?" Booth asked.
"All of Morgan's cells have to be destroyed or the donation will be pointless. The purpose of the second round is to kill any stubborn remaining cells." Dr. Freed explained. "I'm going to check on my patient. So do you two want to tell Morgan the good news or shall I?"
"We would like to tell her." Bones answered for both of them.
"I thought as much." Dr. Freed turned to walk into the room and Bones followed.
"Aren't you coming Booth?"
"I'm going to call Parker. Go on. I'll be in soon" She nodded and the two of them went into Morgan's room and Booth pulled out his phone and called Parker.
"How is Morgs? Did they find a match?" Parker greeted. He had been worried sick about his sister since he got the news and when his parents told him about the bone marrow transplant he was asking if he could be tested before they could even ask.
"They did."
"Oh thank God. Who is it?" When word got out regarding Morgan's need for a bone marrow donor, everyone that they knew was tested.
"It's you Bub."
"Huh?" Dr. Freed had told all of them that the possibility of Parker being a match to his sister was very, very, slim, practically impossible.
"You heard me. You're bone marrow is a perfect match to your sister."
"I…wow. That is awesome."
"Parks, you have no idea what this means to me and mom. You are saving your sister's life and there are no words that can express our gratitude."
"Morgan may be my half sister but she's my sister in every way that counts and the fact that my bone marrow is a perfect match for her further proves that statement and I would do anything for her."
"I know that son but still, thank you."
"You don't have to thank me."
"I love you Parker."
"I love you too son." Booth returned to Morgan's room with a major weight being lifted off of his shoulders. Not that he admitted it out loud to anyone, not even to Bones, he was terrified that a match wasn't going to be found and he was going to lose his precious daughter and now, thanks to Parker, Morgan actually had a fighting chance, something she didn't have before.
"Excuse me, Temperance." Dr. Freed called to her one morning, two weeks later. Morgan had just finished her second round of chemotherapy and was due to get her brother's bone marrow the next day. "Hang on." Dr. Freed rushed over to her. "I was just about to call you. Is Seeley with you?"
"No. He is at work. Is everything okay?"
"Unfortunately, Morgan has had a setback."
"A setback? What kind of setback?"
"Very early this morning, Morgan began to cough and run a fever. We gave her an antipyretic but her fever has continued to go up and her cough has gotten worse. We did a chest x-ray and she has developed pneumonia."
"She was fine when we left last night."
"Morgan has no immune system Temperance. It won't take much to get her sick and when she is infected her symptoms will occur quickly."
"What are you doing for her?"
"I started her on strong IV antibiotics."
"How bad is it?"
"It's bad Temperance. Right now she is stable but it can go either way. Morgan is under constant supervision and the only thing we can do is watch and wait."
"I need to go to her." Bones whispered tearfully.
"I have put her in isolation which means that everyone that enters her room has to wear a gown, gloves, mask and hair covering. She's in an isolation room, 3406"
"Thank you."
"I'll be in to check on her again shortly." As Bones went to find Morgan's new room she called her husband to give him the news. As expected, Booth took the news hard and he told her that he was on his way. After washing her hands and donning all of the protective gear that she would need, Bones entered her daughter's room. Tears filled her eyes when she saw her daughter, lying on the bed, very pale with an oxygen mask over her face. Morgan's eyes fluttered open when her mother took her hand.
"Hey honey." Morgan took the oxygen mask off of her face.
"I don't feel good mommy." From where she was standing Bones could hear the wheezing coming from her daughter.
"Keep the mask on." Bones told her as she placed the mask back on her face. Morgan began to cough and it sounded horrible. By the time she was done coughing there were tears rolling down her face.
"Hurts." Morgan gasped.
"I know sweetheart. I know." Bones wet a washcloth down and then sat next to Morgan's bed and began wiping her daughter's face, hoping to cool her down.
Booth arrived a half an hour later and together they spent the next five days sitting vigil by their daughter's bedside. By the end of the first day, Morgan grew considerably worse. Fluid was collecting around her lungs and she was having trouble breathing so Dr. Freed had to put a tube down her throat to help her breathe. On the second day of Morgan's pneumonia her vital signs were dropping and Dr. Freed told her family to prepare themselves that Morgan may not make it through the pneumonia but Booth and Bones refused to believe that their daughter was going to die and Morgan ended up proving them right.
After three terrifying days the fight gene that she had inherited from both of her parents kicked into overdrive and Morgan finally started showing improvement and by the fifth day the breathing tube was removed and everyone was breathing easier, both literally and figuratively. It was another two weeks before Morgan was able to get the bone marrow transplant and after six long weeks of being in the hospital Morgan was released with a clean bill of health, thanks to her brother's bone marrow.
"Morgan, can I come in?" Bones asked through the closed bedroom door.
"Yeah. I guess." Bones opened the door and stepped into her daughter's bedroom.
"Oh Morgan you look beautiful." Morgan had been home from the hospital for twelve days and tonight was her high school's Winter Formal. Since Morgan started high school, she had been so excited about this dance but since she came home from the hospital she had changed her mind and surprising everyone, Bones had been the one to convince her that she needed to attend this dance.
"I look like a bald -headed freak in a dress." Morgan had never been self conscious about her bald head before. She was comfortable wearing a scarf or one of her crazy wigs.
"I can solve that problem."
"Do you have a magic hair-growing spell?"
"Morgan there is no such thing as magic."
"I was kidding Mom."
"Oh." Bones reached into the bag that she had set on the bed and pulled out a silk scarf that matched the color of her dress and a wig that was the color of Morgan's hair, when she has hair. The wig was styled in a very beautiful up-do. "Will one of these work for you?"
"Oh mom." Morgan reached out and touched the wig with one hand and the scarf with the other. "They're beautiful."
"You don't have to wear either one of them if you don't want to."
"I do want to. I just can't decide which one." Morgan placed the wig on her head, examined herself in the mirror and then traded the wig for the scarf and then continued to switch between the two items until she finally made a choice. "I think that I'm going to wear the scarf."
"It's perfect." Morgan held out the scarf.
"Will you?" With a smile Bones took the scarf and expertly tied it on Morgan's head.
"There. What do you think?" Morgan looked in the mirror.
"David told me that he loves me." She whispered to her mother.
"He did?"
"When he came to the hospital after I broke up with him. He said that even though I am a stubborn, pain in the butt he loves me. After everything I did to him, he loves me? Why?"
"Because he knows how special and amazing you are."
"I was scared mom." Morgan admitted.
"When I get scared I push those I love away and you do the same thing."
"He came back. I pushed and he came back."
"No matter how hard we push those that love us always come back. Your father taught me that. Do you love David?"
"Yeah, mom. I think that I do."
"There was a time that I didn't believe that love between a man and woman but I was wrong. Love does exist. I feel it everyday with your father and I can see it whenever you and David are together. Treasure that feeling sweetheart." Morgan turned and looked at herself in the mirror once more. Bones stood behind her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Are you ready? David is downstairs waiting."
"I'm ready."
"Let's go."
Thirty minutes later Booth and Bones were standing on the porch watching David and their baby girl drive away to her first formal dance. "I have a strong desire to stake out the dance." Booth told his wife.
"Don't you dare."
"I won't." He sighed as they walked into the house. "God Bones, she looked so beautiful, so grown up."
"She is growing up Booth. She is fifteen, almost sixteen years old."
"I know but it doesn't mean that I have to like it."
"A few weeks ago she almost lost the chance to grow up." Bones mumbled and Booth wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Believe me, I know that." Morgan's near death experience was never far from either of their minds.
"Can you tell me why Morgan has had to fight for her life…twice?" Bones was angry. She was angry that her daughter almost died.
"You know I can't answer that Bones but even if I could does it matter now? Morgan is in remission."
"Just because she is in remission doesn't mean that she is out of the woods yet. She won't be out of the woods for five years Booth and for the next five years I am going to wake up every day with the fear that her cancer is back and if it comes back there are no more options. Morgan will die."
"Maybe her cancer will come back, maybe it won't. We don't know what the future brings. I'm scared as hell too but for Morgan's sake we can't, you can't live in constant fear. It's no good for anyone. We have to live a normal life, school, hockey, and dances. Can you do that Bones?"
"I can do anything that I put my mind to." She answered confidently.
"And when your fear gets to be too much for either of us we will talk to each other about it okay?" Bones nodded. "Promise me Bones, that you won't hold it in."
"I promise. You have to promise me as well."
"I promise. Now do you want to talk?"
"I'm not in the mood to talk. We have a few hours until Morgan and David come home."
"And what are you suggesting we do with those few hours?" Bones wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.
"It's been too long. Make love to me Booth." They hadn't made love since before Morgan was in the hospital.
"I think that can be arranged." With a grin Booth scooped his wife up into his arms and carried her to their bedroom, a trail of clothes following them.