Angela and Hodgins ran to Sweets room after getting Cam's call. They showed up smiles but they faded some as they approached the room only to see the three staring at Sweets on the bed.
"I thought things were better?" Hodgins asked stirring them.
"You should have seen earlier then." Booth said, maybe to himself.
"This is actually a considerable improvement in Dr. Sweets health." Brennan clarified as Angela and Hodgins came to sit by them.
"Are we invading on visiting policies?" Angela asked though she hardly cared.
"I don't think they are quite so concerned about that right now." Cam said. "I think if they asked anyone to leave Seeley would pummel them."
"Oh, I would help." Dr. Brennan said and it made them smile though she was serious.
"If it wasn't for this team, Dr. Sweets would not have a chance, the hospital knows that and I think they are going to leave us be, for now at least."
"The rest of the guys are at the lab combing over everything for the hundredth time." Hodgins explained joining in on what the rest of them were doing, staring at Sweets, willing him to wake up, silently praying or bargaining.
"It's my fault." Hodgins said to himself, as though it were an apology to Sweets.
"No, Dr. Hodgins, don't do that, I should have insisted on more protocol when items come into the Jeffersonian, despite what is done before it gets to us."
"I should have checked sooner. We would have been hours ahead if I had opened the door…"
"I didn't do anything wrong." Brennan said in her own way. "But I still feel…." She couldn't find the word. Angela took her hand in hers and finished it for her. "Scared."
"We can all play the guilt game if you like but you know Sweets would be the first to tell us we were being silly."
"Angela's right." Brennan began. "Sweets would tell us that we all know the risks, many different risks in this line of work. We could all walk away at any time, but we stay. It's for the greater good."
"I hope our work did some good." Cam said as they all respired and sunk into their seats more. They had been rushing around for so long they hadn't noticed it was about three in the morning and exhaustion was beginning to fall around them.
No one wanted to leave but eye lids began to fall and soon, one by one they were out. Except for one set of eyes, Booth sat in the seat closet to Sweets bed still. Still in protective mode, unable to relax into even a momentary slumber.
Sunlight began to peek thru the window. The doctor tiptoed in the room over the legs of the sleeping individuals as best he could. He smiled to Booth suggesting it was fine they were there. He checked Sweets quietly and though he smiled it was not a big smile that suggested Sweets was stable, but unchanged. Booth nodded in appreciation of the silent exchange and the news, or lack thereof.
The doctor left and for the fifth time since everyone had fallen asleep Booth pulled up Sweets blanket, adjusting it. Sweets hadn't moved to need it to be adjusted, but Booth had to do something. Aside from hands that obligatorily twitched, thought at a greatly reduced pace, there was little movement on Sweets part.
Thoughts flooded Booth's mind. Only recently could he think of Sweets as a grown up. Once upon a time he would have sat there looking at Sweets like a kid and he as a parent. But now he was looking at a friend. This friend had grown into a man, an equal, or at least close to. Sweets had wanted a gun, to have Booth's back. Booth wouldn't have given Parker a gun, but he would Sweets, he trusted him with it, with his back, like a man, like a friend.
"Come on Sweets." Booth whispered so no one could hear. "You held on this long." He sat up in his seat, now closer to the bed. "You know, I've got a house full of women to live with. I need someone to watch Kung-Fu movies with. And Hodgins, he just likes bugs. So I'd really like it if you could you know, help me out." Booth hoped he could hear him as Booth was appealing to Sweets nature of wanting to help people.
Monitors continued to beep and Booth sighed putting his face into his hands and rubbed his exhausted eyes. He wondered if he should wake everyone and they go home, if they should stay. Though he knew his body was hungry he had no appetite yet.
Booth's hair felt warm and he looked up to see the early morning sun come in the window. The sun shot him in the eye and he moved aside at the bright glare temporarily blinding him. He wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He blinked a few times to be sure and then rubbed his eyes to adjust them. As he pulled his hand away he saw the unmistakable movement, this time voluntary of Sweets hand. His hand moved to the side of the bed as though searching for knowledge that someone was there.
"Sweets?" Booth said still quiet, wanting to be sure before he woke anyone.
Sweets hand continued to move and Booth put his hand over it. The motion caused Sweets eyes try and pry themselves open, his lips trying to move but no sound coming out. Booth was sure now.
Keeping one hand over Sweets he turned to the group. "Hey, hey, I think Sweets, he's maybe, maybe awake?" He said not sure what was happening.
Cam and Brennan roused first and came quickly to the bed side. Hodgins went for the doctor as Angela came by Booth.
"Sweets, Sweets can you hear me?" Cam asked trying not to get too excited first.
Sweets opened his eyes a crack a took in a breath which led to a quick cough that seemed to rock his fragile aching chest. Their eyes filled with panic as they feared the illness was either beginning again or lingering.
Cam put her hand over the other to keep him reclined and the cough quickly subsided not nearing the intensity it had before.
"Probably some of the last of the congestion breaking up." The doctor said as he entered the room. Reluctantly Cam and Brennan backed up, not wanting to let go while the doctor began to examine Sweets. The doctor glanced at Booth who gave him the expression that under no circumstances was he moving. The doctor smiled and made no such request. He could do what he needed from this side.
"Dr. Sweets, do you know where you are?" The doctor asked.
Sweets eyes slowly looked around the room and as though considering it he nodded his head yes.
"Do you remember what happened?" He asked again.
Sweets considered this notion as well and nodded and slightly shrugged his shoulder suggesting he remembered some of the previous day.
"Well, I'm sure your friends can fill you in on the details. They saved your life by the way." He smiled at Sweets before he turned to the group.
"It's looking very good. He'll need rest, but the congestion sounds far less severe and his heart rate it stabilizing. We will continue to monitor him."
"Doc, do we need to go, can we stay?" Angela asked.
"That's up to Dr. Sweets, but I have no issue with it." The doctor said smiling at the fact he had just handed over his hospital policy. This case had been so strange even he was exhausted by it and its effects.
"How about it Sweets, want us around?" Hodgins asked sitting by the bed next to Cam. They knew he was awake but they weren't ready to go yet, not just yet.
Sweets shrugged his shoulders as though he didn't care and tried to talk. "You're probably busy with a case." He whispered out.
"Actually Sweets, the only case we have right now is you." Angela pointed out.
"And it would be best to monitor the victim of our case." Brennan pointed out from sitting next to Angela.
"What about the body in the casket?" Cam asked wondering if they should do something about that.
"The interns are the lab, I'm sure they will attend to it." Brennan said and surprised them that she did not insist on being there but here.
"Sort of like when the inmates take over the asylum." Hodgins said adding a much needed laughter to the room.
Sweets coughed again which pulled him up from the bed. They all stopped and smiles dissipated at the haunting sound. It was quick and soon done and they all exhaled held breaths as Sweets relaxed back onto the bed. They felt nearly shell shocked at the sound, taking a moment for themselves to relax. While they could tell the coughing still caused Sweets some pain, it wasn't near what it was hours before.
They looked to each other trying to give each other a small smile of reassurance. Brennan glanced at Booth to see that he still had a hand over Sweets and barely taken his eyes off him. If Sweets noticed he hadn't brought attention to it. Instead Sweets looked around the room, a slight smile forming in the corner of his mouth.
"I feel like we should be doing more." Angela began and then looked to Sweets. "Sweetie, can we get you something, do something?"
Sweets eye lids drooped but his smile increased as he shook his head no. No one but Booth, from sitting so close, noticed Sweets was still grinding his teeth residual pains. The fact Sweets said nothing about it made Booth assumed he didn't want anything for it, knowing the risk it could still pose.
Hodgins stomach gurgled and his cheeks reddened some at the sound.
"I'll bet everyone's hungry." Cam said with a smile. "How about some breakfast?"
"Should we…" Angela said wanting some nutrition having worked thru dinner the night before and exhausted from the long night since.
"We could take a break." Cam suggested looking at Sweets who smiled at her in reassurance. "Let Sweets get some rest."
The others nodded and from in the hall Brennan noticed that Booth was not with them. She walked back in the room. "Booth?"
"I'll wait here." Booth said in a low tone, perhaps not wanting to wake Sweets. Booth was sitting back in his chair now, hands in his lap, looking at Sweets as though he were still holding his breath as though he wasn't convinced just yet, not able to leave, just yet.
Brennan knew this look and in all honesty she felt better than someone did stay, for Sweets sake, but for Booth too. Booth was the resident patriarch, the protector and he was on his perch, not ready to leave just yet.
"I'll bring you back something." Brennan promised and Booth offered a fake smile and nod.