March 2012
It was Friday evening, the 2nd weekend of March. It had been a glorious, and unseasonably warm early spring day. Booth and Brennan decided to have a light dinner on the upstairs terrace. It was the first time they had spent any more than a few minutes on the terrace, and they expected that it would be a pleasant spot to have meals in the spring and fall. And, perhaps in the hot summer, a spot to catch a cool breeze after dark before going in to sleep.
After their meal, Brennan collected the dishes and took them down to the kitchen. She heard Booth call out to her from upstairs. "Hey Bones! It's still really nice out there. And the stars are out. Put the dishes to soak and come back up."
When she stepped back out onto the terrace, Booth had a sleeping bag and was unzipping it to lie flat on the flagstones. She flashed him a smile. "What are you up to Booth?" He looked up to the sky above. "I can't believe how many stars we can see here. I was reading that this area of the city was a test for a city-wide dark skies initiative." Brennan nodded. "Yes, I read that too." She pointed to the streetlights along the side of the park. "Notice how they all have shields on the top. The light is reflected down to the sidewalks and not up into the air - which is a cause of light pollution.
He sat down on the sleeping bag and extended his hand. "Come sit with me and teach me what constellations we are seeing." She chuckled as she sat down. "I think you might just have an ulterior motive." He put his arm around her back and eased them both to lie on their backs. "Moi? Just wanna look at the stars with you Bones." She brought her hand up to his face and caressed it, then snuggled up to him while scanning the sky.
"There are a lot more stars visible than I expected." She began pointing out constellations and a few planets. He kissed her temple. "This is nice. I was just thinking. This is the only room in the house that we haven't christened yet. Well, except for Parker's - and that's off limits." She laughed. "Really? You just now thought of it? And, technically, this is not a room." Booth scoffed. "Au contraire, mon frere." She interrupted. "Frere means brother." He just kept going. "I don't care. And yes, it's a room. The patio downstairs is not a room. And we would be on display to our horrified neighbors down there. This room has a wall surrounding it. Look around. No one can see us."
She had to agree. They were hidden when lying on the flagstones. And the sleeping bag was an expensive one - so it was very cushiony. She broke out her sultry voice. "So what are you waiting for, big guy?" He let out a low growl and rolled on top of her. He whispered in her ear. "I'll show you big."
It was one of their long, slow, sensuous lovemaking sessions. Really, by necessity, since they had to be quiet in case the neighbors had their windows open. There was a lot of moaning and grunting into each other's mouths - which was erotic in itself. They had perfected their technique during those months in the small apartment when Parker was sleeping there.
When they were finished and sated, he rolled over on his back next to her. He started to sing quietly. "Are the stars out tonight? I don't know if it's cloudy or bright." She pushed his shoulder. "Booth! I'm freezing." He looked at her. "It was supposed to be romantic Bones. Remember? I sang that to you on New Year's Eve last year." She gave him a half smile. "I remember. But… I'm… freezing!"
He started reaching out and grabbed the clothes scattered around them and they quickly wiggled back into them. As they got up, he grabbed the sleeping bag to follow her into the house. He goosed her on the ass as they went through the door. "Note to self. Next time bring robes."
The next morning dawned sunny and mild. They were forecasting an unseasonable 70 degree high, and Brennan was happy that the plans they had would have them out enjoying this first really warm day.
Not far from the townhouse was a weekly Saturday open-air market - and this was opening day for the season. They were curious to see what kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables would be available. The market had a reputation for good quality vendors, and many people living in that section of the city shopped there weekly.
Brennan grabbed several of her reusable shopping bags and stuffed folded bags inside one to carry. They were able to find parking within a block of the market. Brennan slipped the bag over her arm and Booth took her hand as they strolled toward the teeming market.
They both found the market even nicer than they hoped. It was a several block area with streets that were closed down just for the market each weekend. They walked around the produce area and talked about what they planned to purchase. But they decided they first wanted to explore what else was there, so they put off purchasing the produce until they were ready to leave.
Brennan found a vendor selling handmade organic soaps, and she purchased a few bars. At another table they purchased eggs and fresh herbs. As she was paying for them, she spotted something else on the table. "Booth! Look - they have cherry and raspberry preserves. You would love that on your toast." Booth quickly grabbed one of each and set it next to her purchases. He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll let you buy these for me sweetheart." She gave him one of her patented looks and pulled the cash from her pocket.
A few tents away, she spotted a vendor selling used hardback books. As she began looking through them, she spotted some anthropology titles that intrigued her. Booth rolled his eyes. "Oh boy. We'll be here awhile." She looked over at him standing in the street outside the tent. "Right behind you is a tent full of military items. I know you'd love to rummage around in there."
He turned around to see where she was pointing, and then turned back to her with a smile. "Oh yeah! I'll be here if you need me." As he started to walk into the tent, he noticed the tent next door selling fresh flower bouquets and spied a pretty one of the daisies she loved so much. On their way into the market, she had commented that it would be nice to pick up fresh flowers every week to have in the house, so he decided to surprise her with the daisies.
As he looked through the military odds and ends, he kept the daisy bouquet in front of him so she couldn't see it if she looked across at him. After deciding not to make any purchases, he started walking toward the front of the tent. He was holding the daisies behind his back and had a big smile on his face as he watched her pouring over the book in her hand.
Just then, there was a loud, crunching, squealing noise. Immediately, people were screaming and running. In a split second, he realized it was a car coming from his right, speeding through the middle of the market. He screamed at her as he saw her lift her face from the book and try to make sense of what was happening. "Bones!"
His heart dropped as he realized she was right in the path of the vehicle. She was trapped in the warren of tables piled high with books, and had no escape. It was all happening so fast that he couldn't scream at her to tell her where to go, or how to avoid the car. He ran as fast as he could toward the car and tried to grab the door handle as it hurtled by. He immediately felt a searing pain in his left shoulder, but it was quickly forgotten when he saw her body hurtling through the air as the car continued its path of destruction.
As he took off running toward her, screaming her name over and over, he heard a loud crash coming from his left. The horrible sounds of the revving engine, squeezing brakes, stalls being destroyed - all those sounds stopped on a dime. The only sounds now were people screaming, people crying.
Booth heard none of it. His left arm was dangling, but his eyes were focused on his Bones. She had landed on top of overturned tables, and her body looked like a rag doll. He got to her and knelt down, putting two fingers on the pulse point on her neck. She was alive. He leaned his face down to her face and confirmed that she was breathing. He took a deep, grateful breath, and started assessing her injuries. She was unconscious. He was afraid to move her in case she had any spinal injuries. He saw no blood and no obvious injuries to her upper body. But her legs were both in bad shape. Her right leg was bent in an awkward manner, and her left ankle was obviously dislocated.
He knew she needed to get to a hospital quickly. The outside world finally penetrated his consciousness. Looking around, he thought he should be helping other people, but he couldn't leave her. He just couldn't. So he was relieved to see a lot of people running to help the other victims. He had taken her wrist in his right hand to make sure that her pulse remained steady. His left arm was useless. He knew he had dislocated his shoulder, but pushed it to the back of his mind. All that mattered right now was Bones.
He began hearing sirens, and called to the people nearby, asking them to direct paramedics to them when they arrived. It felt like it took forever, but he finally heard the people directing a pair of first responders to them. They had a wheeled stretcher, and they inched their way through the upturned tables to reach them.
Booth gave them his assessment of her visible injuries and they began checking her over. They decided to put a neck brace on her as a precaution, and encased her legs in air casts. As they were working on her, one of the paramedics noticed how Booth was holding his left arm and asked if he had been injured in the crash. "It's nothing. I just dislocated the shoulder."
As the other paramedic went to grab the board to get her onto the stretcher, the one talking to Booth insisted that he let him relocate the shoulder. "Ambulance rides are very bumpy. Let me just do it right now. It will take 20 seconds." Booth capitulated, and after a very painful few seconds, he felt immediate relief. "Thank you." The paramedic looked him in the eye. "You're pretty tough." Booth knelt down next to Brennan again and tossed over his shoulder. "Former Army Ranger." The paramedic nodded. "Ah. That explains a lot."
They finally got her onto the stretcher and down the street to one of the dozens of ambulances waiting at the edge of the market. Even though they had her hooked up to monitors, Booth held her hand in his left hand and his right hand stayed on her pulse point, relieved to feel the life affirming steady beat.
They arrived at the trauma center of the large regional hospital and the place was a madhouse of doctors and nurses triaging the victims from the market. In addition to the medical staff, there were walking wounded waiting to be seen, and many family members, some sitting with the injured, and others waiting for word.
Booth tried to go back with her, but was told that he had to wait in the lobby area. "We need to get her in, get her stabilized, and assess her injuries. And I need to get all of her information from you." Booth realized that he would be in the way of the doctors if he insisted on going with her. So he stood with the medical secretary and gave her the information she needed. Name, birth date, address. He told her that Brennan had been a patient in the hospital in the past, so they had her records. She put her hand on his arm. "They're taking good care of her Mr Booth. Someone will come out and talk to you once they have assessed her needs."
He walked over and sat down on one of the plastic waiting room chairs. He was numb, and he couldn't even think about what he should do next. All he wanted was for someone to come out and tell him that Bones would be fine. That's all he needed.
Just then, the two paramedics came out of the doors wheeling their stretcher as they headed back to the ambulance. The one who had fixed his shoulder walked over to him and pulled a piece of black satin out of his pocket. "Here. You're probably going to be sitting for awhile. This will keep your shoulder comfortable for now. If it doesn't feel better in a few days, check in with your doctor."
He fitted the sling onto his left arm. Booth was grateful. "Thank you. I've had this a few times and it usually feels back to normal in a few days. Thank you for everything." He patted Booth's good shoulder. "Doing our job. I hope everything goes well for her." The two men walked out the door and Booth finally let go. The silent tears started falling and he couldn't make them stop.
Author's note: I was finishing writing this chapter today when word of the accident at the German Christmas Market came across the news. I was stunned at how similar this horrible event was to the scene I had just written. I began writing this story months ago, and this accident in the market was part of my outline right from the beginning. Some of the injuries, and the recovery process, will be mirroring an injury I suffered several years ago (write what you know) – although the accident I had wasn't nearly as traumatic.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the people who were affected by this horrible tragedy.