With their arms linked, Booth and Brennan make their way down the hallway. His steps are slow and hesitant and he's biting his tongue. She can feel him shaking, so she adjusts her grip on his arm and leans against him slightly. He runs into Dr. Brooks when she stops in front of Parker's room because he's not quite paying attention. He swallows and holds onto Brennan even tighter.
Dr. Brooks clears her throat and steps to the side. "A nurse will be in and out of his room to check on him throughout the next few days, and tomorrow afternoon, he'll be taken up to radiology for some more tests. If there's anything you need or you think there's a problem with Parker, I'm on call, so just press the call button."
Brennan nods.
"I'll leave you two alone and go see if I can get some information on Ms. Stinson. Is she family?"
Brennan shrugs. "She's Booth's ex and Parker's mother, so I don't know what that makes her exactly."
Dr. Brooks nods. "Alright." She flashes them a polite smile and disappears back down the hallway.
Brennan squeezes Booth's bicep and looks at him. "Are you ready, Booth?" When she doesn't get a reply, she says, "Booth?"
Booth shakes his head and lifts his chin, meeting her gaze. "Hmm?"
"I asked if you were ready to go inside."
"Oh." He swallows and reaches his hand out, resting it on the door. He slowly opens it and steps inside the small room. He's immediately hit with the smell of disinfectant and the sound of steady beats from the heart monitor and rhythmic clicking of the ventilator. He takes a step back and feels a hand against his back.
Brennan nudges him forward and rubs his shoulder blade.
He makes it halfway to the bed and stops, peering at the 16 year-old lying motionless under the white sheets. His heart pounds against his chest wall, tears pool into the corners of his eyes, and his breathing speeds up, as he stares at Parker. He swallows and sinks his teeth into the inside of his cheek as he walks the final distance to the side of the bed.
Brennan follows him, keeping her distance.
He gasps when he finally sees Parker up close, and involuntarily steps back, the edge of the chair hitting the back of his legs, causing him to collapse onto the cushion. He swallows hard and closes his eyes, his hands beginning to shake. He blinks his eyes open again and takes another look at his son. He can hardly recognize him. He quickly whips away a couple tears and brushes his knuckles against Parker's cheek. He opens his mouth to speak, but only a sob manages to escape.
Brennan rests her hand on his shoulder as she takes a look at Parker. She blinks and sits on the arm of the chair, sliding her hand onto Booth's back, rubbing gently back and forth. "It doesn't even look like him," she blurts out. "Do you need some space?" She asks, her hand finding its way back to his shoulder.
He shakes his head and reaches up, grabbing her hand, his eyes still trained on his son. "No, Bones, stay," he manages.
The room falls silent and it stays that way for a while.
It's a quarter to five, and Brennan's asleep on the couch in Parker's hospital room and Booth hasn't left his son's bedside once. He's just sitting there, his shoulders hunched. He's holding Parker's hand with his eyes on the teenager's pale face. He brushes his thumb against his son's knuckles and closes his eyes.
Brennan stirs and pushes at the couch with her hands, lifting her upper body off the cushions. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and squints. "Booth?" She swings her legs around, stands up, and walks over to him. She cups his shoulder and leans down, pressing a kiss into his hair. "Has there been any change?"
"No."
"Well, that's promising."
He whips his head around and glares up at her. "How is that promising, Bones?"
"No change means Parker's not getting worse. Not getting worse, isn't the same as getting better, of course, but it's promising." She rubs his back and sits down on the arm of the chair.
He raises an eyebrow and smiles at her, faintly.
She smiles back, her eyes getting glassy again. "Some of your optimistic tendencies must have got on me."
There's a knock on the door and then it opens. A nurse walks in and over to the bed. She checks Parker's vital signs, scribbles something down in the chart, and then leaves again, shutting the door behind her.
A couple minutes later, Dr. Brooks shows up and enters the room.
Brennan turns her head and swallows. "Is something wrong with Parker?"
Dr. Brooks shakes her head. "Oh, no. I'm not here about Parker. I have information about Ms. Stinson. Is this a good time?"
Brennan stands up and looks at Booth, who's gone back to watching Parker closely. She squeezes his shoulder and then walks towards the door. "What is it?"
"Dr. Franks informed me that Ms. Stinson's injuries are severe and she became too unstable, so he sealed off the area temporarily. She'll be monitored very closely in the ICU and when and if she stabilizes, he'll bring her back to the OR and finish the procedures."
"She's alive?"
Dr. Brooks nods. "Yes, but she's still in critical condition."
Brennan looks back at Booth and then sighs.
"Ms. Stinson's brother is with her now."
"Thank you for getting back to us."
"You're welcome, Dr. Brennan." Dr. Brooks pauses and then adds, "I'll keep you updated on Ms. Stinson's condition, as long as her brother doesn't mind."
"Thanks, and call me Temperance." Brennan heads back inside Parker's room and sits on the arm of the chair.
Brennan rakes her fingers through Booth's hair to get his attention. "Hey."
Booth gives her a sideways glance and then looks back at Parker.
"Booth, Rebecca's in the ICU. She became too unstable during surgery, so Dr. Franks wasn't able to finish the procedures. He can't bring her back into the OR until she stabilizes. She's alive, but she's still in critical condition." She pauses. "Rebecca's brother is with her now. Dr. Brooks said she'd keep us updated as soon as more information becomes available, and if Tyler doesn't mind since you and I aren't technically family."
Booth just nods his head.
"You weren't listening to a word I just said, were you?"
Booth shakes his head. "I heard you, Bones," he mutters, giving his son's hand a squeeze. He takes in a deep breath and lets it out, clearing his vision again. "Bub, I love you. I need you to be okay." His voice shakes and his heart is beating so fast he has to stop and take in another few deep breaths in and out. "Bones needs you to be okay and Christine too. She needs her Parky." Tears drip down his cheeks and get trapped in his stubble, as he speaks.
Brennan takes a few steps back, giving him some space, and listens to him whisper to Parker. After a few minutes, she says, "You should rest, Booth. He's in a medically induced coma. You can't will him to wake up by staring at him."
"I know that. You don't have to remind me, Bones, 'cause I know that." He stands up and leans over the bed, pulling the sheet up towards his son's chin and tucking it around him. He sits back down and yawns. "I know that," he repeats under his breath.
Whoa, that was depressing.
Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and I promise happier times are coming. :)