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I still don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Concerned that Booth was not at home, Brennan placed her hand on Hodgins knee to get his attention. Moving over as much as he could, Brennan then moved closer to Hodgins allowing Booth to sit down. Breathing a little hard and holding his arm pressed against his chest, Booth shook his head and tried to smile although it was filled with pain. Speaking in a hushed voice, he tried to act nonchalantly. "I hope I didn't miss anything good."

Placing her hand on her partner's thigh, Brennan spoke quietly in return. "You shouldn't have come here, Booth. You're supposed to be resting. The strain you're putting on your lungs is not good. You . . . "

The pain increasing, Booth leaned back and closed his eyes while he felt a wave of pain radiate from his chest and back. "Yeah . . . I just wanted to be here."

Taffet glanced around and found that Booth was in the courtroom which surprised her. Not sure what was going on she turned to stare at him. Studying him, she noticed his sweating face and then coldly turned back to listen to Cam's testimony.

Hodgins, staring at Booth as the agent tried to ride out the pain, shook his head. "Man, you need to go back home."

Rubbing his forehead, Booth finally lowered his hand and turned his gaze upon the entomologist. "Bones said that you're going to testify this afternoon . . . I thought I'd come and make sure you don't screw it up . . . You have a tendency to sound like . . . you're in love with bugs. That can turn off the jury so behave and . . . and talk like a normal person for God's sake."

Stunned, Hodgins stared at Booth and suddenly smiled. "Thanks man. That's good advice. I never did understand why people don't see the beauty in our little insect friends. They do so much to make this world a fit place to live and most people want to kill them. It's just sad really."

Rolling his eyes, Booth frowned at the man. "Yeah, it's shit like that that makes everyone think you're weird, bug boy."

Amused, Hodgins reached across Brennan's lap and grabbed Booth's knee and shook it. "Thanks man . . . you shouldn't come, but I'm glad you did."

Staring at Hodgins pressing his fingers into his knee, Booth frowned. "Let's not get carried away . . . When you testify, if you feel like Taffet is trying to make you lose your temper just look over here at me . . . and talk to me not her. Don't look at her and just talk to me . . . You know I don't understand squint speak, so make sure you use words I can understand . . . no dollar words when nickle words will do."

Hodgin nodded his head, released Booth's knee and straightened up. "Yeah, I'll do that . . . thanks."

Closing his eyes, Booth leaned against Brennan. "Harris is going to get all pissy with me when he finds out I came here . . . Let's not tell him. The cab driver that brought me here said when I call for another cab . . . to ask for him and he'll come and get me and help me to his cab . . . He helped me walk to the courtroom . . . nice guy."

Relieved that Booth had quit shaking and he seemed to be breathing easier, Brennan took Booth's right hand and rubbed the back of it. "After Hodgins' testimony is complete, we'll wait for recess and I'll help you walk out to the front of the courthouse. You can call the cab from there. They have benches out front. We'll commandeer one of those."

Swallowing, Booth tried to control his breathing. "Yeah, sounds like a plan."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The court in recess, Booth felt the breeze cool dry up the sweat on his face while he sat on the bench outside the courthouse between Hodgins and Brennan. "You did good Hodgins. Taffet tried to throw a few bombs your way . . . but you played it cool. You didn't let her win."

Concerned for his friend, Hodgins watched as Booth leaned against Brennan. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Opening his eyes, Booth sat up straighter. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired that's all."

Cam, hurrying towards them, arrived and glared at her friend. "Booth, what the hell are you doing here? Don't you understand that you could actually hurt yourself by not staying in bed. Your surgeon would have a seizure if he knew you were here. You need to have absolute rest right now."

Shrugging shoulders and then regretting it, Booth felt his face flush with pain. "Look, Cam, I needed to come and now I'm going back home . . . Don't worry about it."

Furious, Cam crossed her arms against her breasts. "God, you're so damned stubborn. Go home and do not come back here. I mean it. I will not let you jeopardize your health like this."

Placing her hand on Booth's arm, Brennan nodded her head in agreement. "Booth, you really need to rest in bed and not come back here. I don't want you to injure yourself."

Worried about Booth's paleness, Hodgins looked up and down the street for the cab. "My testimony is done for the day. Let me drive you back to Harris's house."

"No way man." Turning to stare at his friend, Booth frowned. "It would probably kill me to try to get into that toy car of yours. I'll take the cab."

Seeing a cab pull up, park in front of the courthouse and a large man get out of the car, Hodgins observed the cabbie climb up the steps towards them.

Happy to see Booth, the cabbie smiled. "Came here as soon as I could. Ready to go?"

Standing slowly, Booth smiled. "Thanks."

Hodgins quickly stood up, placed his arm around Booth's waist while the cabbie stood on the other side of the agent and placed his arm around Booth's shoulder. Watching Booth helped to the cab, Brennan crossed her arms and bit her lower lip. Once he was safely in the cab, Booth waved at Brennan.

Jogging back up the steps, Hodgins stopped when he got to Cam and Brennan. "You know . . . Booth was right. Taffet did her best to piss me off. The only thing that kept me from jumping on her ass was Booth frowning at me. He'd have been angry if I'd done that. It's not a good idea to piss that guy off."

The anthropologist turned and walked back towards the courthouse entrance. "He can be very supportive."

Smiling, Hodgins glanced at Cam and pointed to a coffee cart. "Let's get some coffee before we go back in to court. I'm not going home yet."

Glumly, Cam shook her head. "I have to go back to the Jeffersonian. This has been a very long day."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Laying on the couch, Booth tried to ignore the pain he was in. Finally, unable to bear any more he walked into the kitchen and found his pain medicine on the counter. Taking a pill, he opened the fridge to see what was available to eat. Suddenly aware that the sight of the food was making him nauseous, he closed the fridge door and returned to the living room. Carefully lying back down on the couch, he soon closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Susan arrived home at 4:15 p.m., entered the living room and found Booth in deep sleep on the couch. Worried that his clothes were damp and his face was sweating, she checked to make sure the A/C temperatures weren't set too high. Seeing that the temperature was fine, she walked back over to the couch and crouched down next to Booth. "Seeley, wake up."

Fighting sleep, Booth finally opened his eyes. "Yeah? . . . what?"

Concerned for him, she placed her hand on his forehead and found that he didn't have a temperature. "Have you been over doing it? You know you're supposed to be resting."

Shaking his head, Booth denied it and closed his eyes again. "No . . . I'm just sleepy."

Susan studied his face for a few minutes and decided to let him alone for the time being. Standing, she went into the kitchen to start dinner.

oooooooooooooooo

After arriving home, Harris found Booth asleep on the couch and Susan standing in the kitchen doorway watching Booth. Pointing at the sleeping agent, Susan frowned. "I came home and found him sweating, but he doesn't have a fever. I need you to help me get him up and check his incisions to make sure he doesn't have an infection."

The news a little disturbing, Harris walked rapidly around the couch and woke his supervisor and friend. "Come on Booth, wake up."

Groggy, Booth opened his eyes and stared at his friend. "What? . . . what's going on?"

Kneeling beside the couch, Harris watched as his wife stood behind the couch. "I need you to sit up so Susan and I can look at your wounds. We want to change your bandages . . . okay?"

Exhausted, Booth groaned and forced himself to sit up. Sweat popping out on his forehead, Booth placed his hand on his chest. "Don't jerk the tape off like the last time."

Snorting, Harris helped Booth unbutton his shirt and then remove it. Putting on a pair of surgical gloves that his wife had handed him, he gently pulled the tape off of the dressing on Booth's chest and found a little blood on the dressing. "Some blood, but it's just a little bit and the color is okay. Your skin isn't red or hard so that's good."

Susan, inspecting the wound on Booth's back, nodded her head. "Same here. Looks good." Replacing the dressing with clean sterile gauze, Susan and her husband soon had Booth back into his shirt.

Watching his friend remove his gloves and drop them in a trash bag, Booth frowned. "Help me go to the bedroom . . . I don't want to be in the way out here."

Harris put his arm around Booth once Booth was standing and slowly walked with Booth to the guest bedroom. After he had Booth settled on the bed, Harris walked back out of the bedroom and turned on the TV in the living room. Watching the news, he and Susan watched the report on the Gravedigger. Anger boiling up, Harris noticed Booth, Brennan and Hodgins sitting on a bench in front of the courthouse as the reporter talked about the trial and how Dr. Hodgins had given his testimony that afternoon.

His eyes flashing, Harris marched into the guest bedroom and shouted at Booth. "Damn it, do I have to get a guard on you to make you behave? The courthouse? Really? Who the hell do you think you are?"

Opening his eyes, Booth knew he'd been busted. "I was careful. Don't worry about it."

Glaring at Booth, Harris shook his finger at him. "Careful my ass. You big dummy. Do you want to end up back in the hospital? You stay the hell home. No more trips to the damn courthouse. I mean it. Pull that shit again and I'll send Holtz over here to baby sit you during the day. You stupid damn toddler."

His eyes closed again, Booth muttered. "Yes, Daddy."

Furious, Harris clenched his fists. "Don't you dare blow me off. I mean it. Stay home tomorrow."

Opening his eyes, Booth turned to stared at his friend. "Sorry . . . I'll stay home."

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