April 2012
The first night in the rehab center had been a rough one. She got very little sleep and couldn't shut off her brain. But, after finally dozing for a couple of hours early in the morning, she woke up to see a dazzling sunrise. When she had arrived at the facility the night before, she hadn't realized that the window in her room faced east - and it was her first bit of good news. She loved seeing the sun rise, and the fact that she would have that view every morning filled her with a sense of hope.
She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and snapped a photo of the red, orange, and yellow streaks in the sky. She couldn't wait to show it to Booth when he arrived.
Booth didn't sleep much that first night either. It was the first time that he had to sleep in their big bed alone, and he dreaded the next few months. Even when he got her home, he didn't think she would be able to get upstairs until she was much further along in her recovery, so he lay there trying to work out a solution. He finally gave up trying to sleep and got up to get ready to go to the rehab center as soon as they would let him in.
She had now been there for five weeks. That first weekend, Booth had stayed with her all day on Saturday and Sunday. He lifted her into the wheelchair a couple of times each day and took her for a stroll through the facility so she could get her bearings and a feel for the place.
He started back to work the following week, and over the five weeks they had developed a good routine. He would arrive at the office at 7AM and work for four hours each day - mostly handling paperwork and assisting his team. He was able to help them with their investigations by making phone calls, doing searches, and conducting interrogations. He missed being out in the field, but it was better for everyone that he do what he could from inside the building, since he was only there for part of the day.
He would leave at 11AM and head home to change. Then, he would either make lunch for the two of them or pick up something from one of her favorite restaurants. He had purchased an insulated bag, and it allowed him to keep their meals either hot or cold while transporting to the rehab center. The kitchen staff at the rehab center knew that he was bringing lunch Monday-Friday, so they only served her breakfast and dinner.
While he was working in the mornings, she would read her professional journals, or work on her current novel. Her publisher was thrilled that she was interested in getting back to it, and they understood that her motivation to write would come and go as she navigated her recovery.
She had established a hookup to the Jeffersonian on her laptop and most days she would spend a few hours examining sets of bones from limbo. Her interns would x-ray and take magnified images of the bones and upload them to her computer. She had identified a few sets of remains and had made progress with others. It gave her a sense of purpose, and kept her spirits from flagging as the weeks went on.
She also had a PT session each weekday morning - some days right in her bed, and other days they would help her into the wheelchair and take her to the large therapy room. They began with upper body strengthening, and after a few weeks started working on her core.
The occupational therapist worked with her a few days a week helping her to get more and more comfortable using the transfer board to get from bed to wheelchair and back. They also discussed various strategies for everyday life when she finally returned home - dressing herself, getting into the shower, using a walker once she had the green light for weight bearing. They talked about the stairs in her house. The OT thought it would take a few months before she could tackle the full staircase to the second floor, but discussed the ways she could navigate the four steps into and out of the house.
On the weekdays, Booth would usually wheel her to one of the common rooms where they would enjoy having lunch together. After eating, they would sometimes find a spot to just sit around and talk about their day. But she would soon tire and need to get back into her bed. As the weeks went on, she was able to spend longer time in the wheelchair.
Her favorite thing in the facility was located just a few doors down the hall from her room. That first morning, she kept hearing birds chirping, and wondered if someone nearby had a window open. But, as it turned out, the sounds she was hearing were inside the building. Along a wall in the middle of the facility, there was a large, floor to ceiling aviary built into the wall with about a dozen parakeets and finches. It was large enough that they had room to fly - and could perch on many different levels.
Every time Booth would take her for a walk, the first stop would be at the aviary - and they both loved watching their antics. It was a popular feature in the facility, and there were always a few residents stopping by to greet their little buddies.
Booth typically stayed until around 5:00, and left when they brought in her dinner. Their days were spent chatting, or doing their own reading or writing - but mostly just enjoying being together. Sometimes he would sit on the bed with her and they would spend some time cuddling and watching tv. There were even a few times they both fell asleep - and he loved waking up to her head on his shoulder.
She occasionally had visitors in the evening, but if not, she found herself watching way more television than she had at any time in her life. There was only so much work she could do while stuck in the bed - writing, looking at bones, reading journals. In the evenings she just wanted mindless entertainment to pass the time. And the television in her room provided just what she needed.
The weekends were a little different. Booth would get up early and make breakfast for them both and bring it to her. Although he loved making pancakes on the weekends, his specialty was really fluffy omelettes. He had learned a trick from a chef years ago - separate the eggs, whip up the whites, and then fold in the yolks and milk before sliding it into the pan. She loved his omelettes as much as he loved her mac and cheese - and she looked forward to his weekend breakfasts all week.
He would stay into the afternoon, but she often had visitors on the weekend, so he would leave them to chat. And, of course, he had Parker every other weekend. On those days, the boys would arrive with breakfast for all three of them on Saturday morning. Parker enjoyed spending a few hours with his Bones and his dad, but he was such a ball of energy that they couldn't keep him cooped up long. On Sundays, they stopped for an hour or so after church before heading off to whatever they had planned for that day.
They both decided that it was good for Booth to spend most of those weekends with Parker and it gave them both a little time to themselves.
Booth walked into her room at noon on the Monday of week five and found her waiting for him in her wheelchair. The first thing he noticed was the smile on her face. He looked down at her legs and was shocked to see that, although her right leg was in the chair's leg lift, it was no longer out straight.
He looked back up at her. "Your knee! I didn't realize this was the day you would start to bend it!" Her smile grew wider. "When they wheeled me down to PT this morning, Janice said that today was the day they were unlocking my brace. They now have it locked to move between 0 degrees and 40 degrees."
Booth dropped the bag containing their lunch and knelt in front of her chair so he could take her into his arms. "Oh my God Bones. This is the beginning of your recovery!" He pulled back to look at her and saw that she had tears in her eyes. Joyful tears. He put his hands on either side of her face and they shared a long, loving kiss.
Brennan couldn't stop smiling. "It was a long, frustrating five weeks just waiting for everything to heal up inside, but it's feels so great to finally start moving the leg." She reached down to touch the cast on her left leg. "And one week from today, we go to see Dr Banks and hopefully this heavy cast will be gone."
Booth couldn't contain his glee. "This is big honey. I can't believe we're finally here. Tell me how it felt to bend it the first time. Did it hurt?"
She put her hand over her knee between the straps of the brace, running her fingers over the metal staples. "It felt odd. Janice first explained that, for the next few weeks, whenever I bend the knee, I have to do it slowly. That makes sense because I don't want to stress the new tendon. So I had my leg sticking straight out on the leg rest and she made the adjustment to both sides of the brace. She held my leg straight while she dropped the leg rest and then helped me slowly flex the knee to drop it to the 40 degree stop."
She reached down again and massaged the knee with her fingers split on either side of the healing incision. "It felt quite stiff the first time. But she held my leg and lowered it up and down very gently. I was a little surprised that I couldn't seem to raise the leg myself - she had to do it for me. But she explained that my quad is useless at the moment, and starting today we will begin rebuilding it. She said we have to start 'firing' the quad. For this first week we'll be doing mostly isometric exercises, and after I see Dr Banks, hopefully he will give the go ahead to begin ramping up the intensity. It's just the first step, but it's exciting Booth."
He was still on his knees in front of her and pulled her into his arms again. "This is a big day Bones. We have to celebrate. Let's go say hi to the birds and then have some lunch."
After lunch, he wheeled her over to the nursing desk and asked one of her nurses if she was allowed alcohol - and if he could bring it in for her. The nurse smiled at them. "It shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't get her too drunk. Unlocking that brace today is a big deal." She smiled watching the happy couple head down the hall.
Booth took her back to the room and told her that he wouldn't be long. He made a couple of stops before getting back to the rehab center. He walked into her room with a large bouquet of daffodils, a small decorated cake, a chilled bottle of champagne, and a pair of crystal flutes.
"Booth! Those aren't our flutes. You didn't go out and buy more?" He laughed. "Of course I did. I didn't want to take the time to drive home to get ours. When you go home, we'll leave these with the staff for anyone who could use them for a celebration." She just shook her head in amusement and reached her hand up to his face. "You're a good man Booth."
He looked around the room. "Do you want to stay in the wheelchair to celebrate, or would you be more comfortable in your bed?" She looked over at the bed. "I think we could sit in the bed together. That would feel like a real celebration." A broad grin split his face. "Champagne and canoodling? That's what I'm talkin' about!"
He lifted her from her chair and set her on the far side of the bed. He brought over the rolling table that went over the bed and set the cake, champagne, and flutes on top. He went into the bag containing the plates and flatware from their lunch and pulled out two forks and a knife. "I'll just wash these in the bathroom - I'll be right back."
When he returned, he slipped off his shoes and slid onto the bed next to her. After giving her a kiss, he opened the champagne and they clinked glasses in a toast. They dug into the cake while they finished their first glass of bubbly.
He put both of their empty glasses back on the table and took her in his arms. They shared a long snogging session with lots of tongue and running of hands through each other's hair. They finally came up for air and she dropped her head to his shoulder. He leaned his head against hers.
"Oh Bones. It's been way too long." She sighed. "When will we be able to make love again Booth? I miss you so much." He took a deep breath. "I know. But it just wouldn't feel right trying to do it here. I don't want it to be a quickie. Like teenagers trying not to be heard - to be caught." He nuzzled her neck just below her ear and whispered. "I want to make you scream."
She started to giggle, and he knew the champagne was making her slightly giddy. "You've been on the wagon for too long, sweetheart. One glass of champagne and you're already a little tipsy." He kissed her temple and poured them both a second glass.
Brennan snuggled against him and started to sip the champagne again. "Would you like to watch tv with me?" Booth looked at her and laughed. "I can't believe how much of a tv watcher you've become since you got here." She took another sip and languidly leaned her head back against the pillow. "Well, it can get quite boring here. Some nights I just need the mindless distraction to pass the time."
He put his hand on the side of her face and drew her in for another long kiss. "Okay baby. What do you want to watch?" She reached over for the remote control. "Don't call me 'baby'." He laughed, as he always did after that familiar exchange. "Okay Temperance. What are we watching?"
She crinkled her nose at him. "Well, you're either going to love it or hate it. I'm not sure which."
As the tv came on, a couple was standing in a town square - it looked like somewhere in Europe - and they were having a loud argument. They watched for about 10 minutes, and then it went to commercial.
Booth looked at her in confusion. "What are we watching?" She looked slightly embarrassed, but also slightly tipsy. It gave her a little courage. "It's a show about real people who meet and fall in love online. Then they finally get together in real life for the first time and find out if it works in person. If things work out, they apply for a visa and when they get to America, they have 90 days to get married."
He just sat there looking at her in astonishment. She looked back at him, daring him to make fun of her. "It's called '90 Day Fiancé' and it's a fascinating anthropological study of human behavior." He tried hard to hold it in, but he let out a snort. He had a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh, I see! It's all academic study then."
She huffed. "Of course it is. Remember that case we had last year with the Guidos? We might not have caught the killer if I hadn't watched the Jersey Shore documentary. The insight I had gleaned from watching it was instrumental to solving the case." He hugged her. "Of course it was. So what have you learned from this 'documentary'?"
She elbowed him in the side. "Booth. This isn't a documentary - it's a reality show. One of the aides here told me all about it. Oh! The commercial's over. This next couple are fascinating. They seem very much in love, but he's Muslim and insists that she has to convert to Islam before they marry. She has no intention of converting - but it's not surprising. Look at the way she's dressed. Showing a lot of cleavage, showing her pierced navel, wearing very tight shorts with spike heels. His parents are not at all pleased."
Booth looked at her in wonder - and wondered who this woman was sitting next to him. But he loved it. They both sat there for the next few hours watching several episodes and feeling very relaxed as they finished the champagne. As each new couple came on the screen, she gave him a quick rundown of their situation, and before he knew it, he was hooked along with her.
As one of the episodes ended, he looked down at her head on his shoulder and realized she was sleeping. With a quiet smile on his face, he took the remote from her lap and turned off the tv. He leaned back against the pillow and closed his eyes and decided to stay until they threw him out.
About an hour later, he realized he had dozed off when he woke to hear the door open. A nurse was there to take her vitals and was surprised to see him still there. As she stirred hearing the noise, he smiled at the nurse. "We were watching tv and she couldn't stay awake."
The nurse finished checking her blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and pulse. "I'll tell you what. It's pretty late, so if you want to stay the night, I won't rat you out. You both look very comfortable."
Brennan smiled at her. "Thank you. That would be a real treat." As she left the room, they smiled at each other. "I don't know about you Bones, but I'm pretty sleepy. Do you want to lay the bed flat? Being able to sleep against your side tonight is like a dream come true." She snuggled against him. "For me too. You can't imagine how good this feels. You just have to make sure not to jostle my legs."
He pushed the buttons to adjust the bed, and then the button to darken the room. Pulling the light blanket over them both, he turned on his side and buried his face in her neck, laying his arm across her waist.
She had such a feeling of comfort and love having him there. It had taken her several weeks to get used to sleeping all night on her back, but there was nothing else she could do. With the injuries to both legs, there was no other choice. She couldn't wait for the day when she would be able to roll over on her side for a portion of the night. She already had plans to ask Dr Banks about it when she saw him next week.
She only woke up one time that night, and knew that it was Booth's touch that helped her sleep so soundly. She looked over at the clock. 3:15. It made her smile. She was still in the "3:00 club". But this night, she didn't need reading material to make her sleepy again. She felt for his arm and pulled it around her more tightly. He stirred, hummed, and kissed her lightly on the neck. She could tell that he never really woke. She closed her eyes again and was back asleep within seconds.
She awoke to a series of kisses all along her neck and the side of her face. "Good morning sleepyhead." She looked at the clock. "It's only 6AM Booth." He sat up and swung his legs to the floor. "I need to run home and get changed and go to work. If I don't leave now, I won't be finished in time to bring your lunch today. Go back to sleep. I'll see you in a few hours."
She made some noises of annoyance as he slipped into his shoes. He leaned over and moved her so she was a little more comfortable in the middle of the bed. He gave her a quick kiss. "I'm going to try to sneak out so we don't have tongues wagging. Get some more sleep baby."
As he opened the door and looked down the hall, he smiled when he heard a sleepy voice from the bed. "Don't call me baby."