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Tuesday
“Maybe you can give me a ride back there,” Booth said. Bones was still almost limply lying in his arms. They found her in time. Booth escaped from the hospital and Hodgins drove him here; they pieced the pieces of information together. It was Kenton, the FBI agent.
“Yes, sure,” she said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.
“Hey, guys, I can take you both to the hospital,” Hodgins said and took off the bullet-proof vest.
“No! I’m not going back in a toy car. Besides the three of us wouldn’t even fit into that thing,” Booth said.
“Fine, I’ll borrow an FBI car and will take you there. Can we go, finally?” Hodgins said.
Booth slowly straightened up into an upright position and grimaced in pain.
“We should hurry up,” Bones remarked.
“You’ll wrap it up here at the crime scene,” Booth said to an agent, then he pointed at Hodgins. “He’ll take Bones and me to the hospital with your car and will come back before you finish here.”
The FBI agent nodded.
“Thanks for the ride,” Booth said when they arrived to the hospital.
“Yeah, no problem. Still can’t believe it, man. You had really said that my conspiracy theory had been right, that I had been right?” Hodgins returned to his previous conversation with Booth.
“This one time, though it doesn’t change the fact that people really landed on the moon and that chemtrails don’t exist.”
“Yeah, that would be going too far,” Hodgins said, his face blank and Booth couldn’t decide if he was serious or not.
Hodgins then made sure Booth and Brennan safely arrived to the emergency department and left.
The nurse, who was there the previous day when Booth had been admitted, frowned at him. He must have left the hospital against medical advice, she thought. With these injuries nobody would have discharged him after a day.
“Doctor Brennan here needs some medical attention,” Booth said quite loudly in the waiting room.
“I’m fine, Booth. Let them take care of you first.”
“I’m fine. You’ve been kidnapped, tied up, threatened by dogs, punched and hit into your head.”
“When you put it like that… Though it’s still nothing compared to the state you are in. And as in every emergency department, ER, accident and emergency room and such medical professionals here use a very thorough and meticulous triage system. So the order in which the patients arrive or the noise the patient makes doesn’t matter. The triage consists of a brief assessment, checking the vital signs and the assignment of a main complaint-“
“Yeah, I know, Bones,” Booth said tiredly. “I know what a triage is, even know how to do it.”
“Oh, sure.”
He even had to do it – triage his injured fellow fighters and help the combat medics. But it wasn’t the right time to share.
The nurse approached them.
“Doctor Brennan was hit into her head, you should check her very thoroughly. You know, her brain… she’s a genius. And we… need that brain.”
The nurse looked at Booth suspiciously. “Sir, have you taken some narcotics recently? Painkillers?”
“He’s not drugged. I mean he had been probably getting some pain relievers when he was hospitalized here before he left two hours ago… but he’s right. I’m the best forensic anthropologist in the country. On the other hand, I don’t need an MRI. I’m fine. My head just hurts.”
The nurse was towering over Booth and Bones, however she still hadn’t made a single note into her charts.
“Room 3,” she said to Bones. “The doctor will probably send you to an MRI.”
Before Bones followed the nurse to exam room 3, she asked: “And what about you, Booth?”
“I’ll wait in line and you go get the MRI for that clever brain of yours. Nurse ‘Ratched’ will be happy that I get to wait for a bit. Revenge for running away from here.”
Bones was checked up quickly and released from the hospital – with some instructions. In the end, Booth didn't have to wait for long either. After Bones had left the emergency department she found him lying in the same patient room as earlier.
“Here we are again,” Booth said and chuckled slightly. “Everything ok, Bones?”
“Yeah, no concussion, I’ll just have a bruise and have a headache already. You?”
“No new injuries. Just like yesterday.”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
“Yeah…”
“So… I think I should go and … change my clothes and take a shower and so…” Bones trailed off.
“Yeah, of course, go home, rest.”
“I… have the meal tonight with David. We’ve rescheduled so…”
“The meal! Yeah, have a good meal,” Booth said and attempted to smile encouragingly.
“You know what? I'll still have some time so I’ll check up on you before going for the meal.”
“You don’t have to…”
“I want to.”
After returning to the hospital, Bones – in the end – decided to stay with Booth and reschedule the meal with David again.
Wednesday
Angela entered into Bones’ office in the Jeffersonian and Bones hastily reached for the mouse and quickly clicked on something on the computer screen.
“Sorry, didn’t want to scare you.”
“You haven’t.”
“I mean it would be normal after what you’ve been through…” Angela said but Brennan didn’t react, so she continued: “Ok, cool. What are you doing, Bren?”
“Just ordering some things online.”
“…some things,” Angela repeated and moved behind Bones so that she could see the computer screen.
“Orthopaedic foam pillows? Wedge cushions? Are you injured? Has Kenton hurt you more than you’ve let on?” Angela asked, alarmed.
“No, Angie. These are for Booth. For patients with rib fractures it’s difficult to rest in a prone position, in fact they are recommended to sleep in a recliner or in a half-sitting position in bed. Thus I’m buying some pillows so that he can lean on them and rest properly.”
“That’s thoughtful. And the slings?” Angela pointed at another window Bones had open on the screen.
“The hospital issues standard slings, I’m buying some more, so that Booth can choose the best and most comfortable one.”
“Well… that’s unusual but everyone expresses their love differently,” Angela noted.
“I just want to make sure Booth has the best conditions for a smooth recovery. It’s essential he return to work soon, getting used to another agent would be a waste of the FBI’s resources and my time,” Bones summed up nonchalantly.
Friday
Bones returned to the hospital to pick Booth up.
“No, that’s really not necessary, I’m a big boy, see. I can take care of myself, you don’t have to babysit me. The doctors have just released me from here so you have evidence that I can indeed take care of myself,” Booth was arguing at the moment.
“And the medical report says that you’ve been released on condition that you won’t stay home alone,” Bones replied.
“Wait wait wait, first, you are reading my medical reports? And second, nobody’s told me that.”
“They probably assumed it was clear that you shouldn’t stay alone. You shouldn’t move much, some assistance would be desirable in the next few days.”
Booth waived it off.
“I’ve also seen the newest x-rays,” Bones noted.
“Old x-rays, medical reports, new x-rays, yeah, I’m getting used to you reading things,” he remarked.
“I’m a doctor. The doctors know that I wouldn’t be allowed to treat a patient and I would never do that, however they also know I do know all about bones. Nothing wrong with another pair of eyes… Ok, I insisted on seeing the x-rays, as you insisted on me getting the MRI. Just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Bones said when Booth didn’t seem to believe her initial reasoning.
“Hmm,” Booth hummed.
Bones gave a sweatshirt to Booth. “I’ll wait outside, you change and when you are ready we can leave.”
Booth slowly put on the sweatshirt and changed his pyjama pants for sweatpants. Bones kept close eye on Booth on their way through the hospital hallways.
When Booth slowed down even more Bones gently put her hand on Booth’s elbow and supported him. “We are almost there.”
“And why exactly are we going to your flat?” Booth asked in the car, still panting a bit.
“You’ve already been in my flat. The damage is already repaired, new fridge… I’ve also prepared some things which I wouldn’t be able to do in your flat. Don’t have the key.”
“But you don’t have a TV.”
“I have CDs, the last time you were enjoying yourself quite-“ Bones stopped abruptly.
“I was. Though it’s kinda hard to dance with broken ribs.”
“Seriously, Bones, I don’t want to bother you. I’m sure you’re busy and you shouldn’t believe doctors every word they say-“
“Booth!”
“I mean I can take care of myself. Sure, I’m not gonna run a marathon tomorrow but I can take a bit of pain and just manage on my own.”
“It’s just for the weekend, I’ll be preparing a speech for a conference, maybe I’ll write a bit. Your presence wouldn’t interfere with any of my plans. Besides, you’ve got injured instead of me and then saved my life,” Bones enumerated.
“It’s a deal, I guess.”
Bones nodded and parked the car.
Booth groaned when he got off the car. Slowly they made it inside.
“You take the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch,” Bones announced.
“I can take the couch,” Booth protested automatically. “I mean, in fact, an armchair would be the best,” he corrected himself.
“I’ve already prepared the bed for you,” Bones pointed with her arm in the direction of her bedroom.
“Ok, we’ll cross that bridge when we have to. For now, I’m ok here,” Booth said and gingerly lowered himself on the armchair.
Bones nodded and brought an ice pack from the fridge and a pack of Ibuprofen.
“Haven’t ordered anything, Mrs. Waitress,” Booth joked.
“R-I-O. Rest, ice, over-the-counter pain meds – that’s the usual treatment protocol for fractured ribs. The same goes for the clavicle, supplemented by an early start of physical therapy. Traditionally, the mnemonic device is R-I-C-E, that is rest, ice, compression and elevation. Elevation for broken ribs is not applicable though and there are various opinions about the benefits of compression.”
“Well, you certainly are prepared,” Booth chuckled and accepted the ice pack. “I’ll take the painkillers later,” he said.
Bones moved to her desk and laptop and continued working on her speech for a conference.
After half an hour her phone rang.
“Hi, Angela.”
“Hi. So how are the two of you doing?”
“I would say very well considering the circumstances. I’m working and have administered ice and over-the-counter painkillers to Booth,” Bones reported.
“Administered… I guess I can imagine,” Angela said, somewhat disappointed.
“Are you going to do the breathing exercises?” Bones asked Booth when she finished the call.
“What?”
“You are supposed to do the breathing exercises. Deep breaths cause the lungs to expand. That helps clear the mucus from your lungs to prevent chest infections or a collapsed lung. You are not taking deep breaths now because it’s painful. Shallow breaths, on the other hand, increase the risk of developing pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.”
“I know that!” Booth grumbled. “Not my first rodeo.”
Bones worked on the laptop some more, then she moved to the kitchen and took a bowl out of the fridge.
“Mexican chilli with some more vegetables than the recipe instructed.”
“You’ve cooked?” Booth asked, barely masking his surprise.
“Cooking is chemistry, basically. And good nutrition has a lot to do with anthropology, you can follow some traces of good or bad nutrition even in the bones. So I have all the theoretical knowledge needed to cook a healthy and nutritious dinner.”
“Let’s taste the dinner then.”
After the dinner Bones brought a pillow and a blanket to the couch.
“I take it as a subtle hint that I should go to your bedroom,” Booth said. "Uhm, I mean I'll go. Without you, you'll stay here of course," Booth added awkwardly.
“It will be more comfortable for you there. I’ve put some big foam pillows on the bed so that you lean on them.”
“Goodnight, Bones.”
“Goodnight, Booth.”
Bones lay down on the couch and read for a while, then she switched off the lamp. She heard quiet snoring noises coming from the bedroom and she smiled slightly, apparently Booth was comfortable and sleeping.
Bones woke up abruptly, it was still dark and she heard some voices from her bedroom. After a moment she calmed down. It was just one voice, Booth’s. Bones listened carefully, he was repeating: “No, stop!”
As she was considering getting up and waking him up or asking him what was going on, she heard a loud bang and bolted from the couch without thinking.
She switched on the lights in the bedroom and saw what was going on. It looked like Booth was trying to run away from something or someone in his dream, he was trying to dodge something and was kicking with his legs hard into the mattress.
“Booth,” she said softly and approached the bed.
Finally Booth opened his eyes.
“Bones?” he looked around confused. “Ehm… yes, so we are in your … bedroom.”
“Yes,” she confirmed.
“That’s a good thing,” he said a little breathlessly and placed his right hand on his ribs.
“I’ll bring you some ice.”
“Have I woken you up?” he asked.
She nodded after a few seconds. “We don’t have to talk about it.”
“Just a bad dream, that happens,” Booth said dismissively.
“A memory,” she said. “I’ve heard you saying ‘no, stop’ and combined with your movements I would assume you were reliving the experience of the torture we’ve talked about in the hospital. Middle East, beating the soles of the feet with pipes or hoses.”
Booth stayed silent.
“I shouldn’t have looked at the x-rays or at least shouldn’t have talked about that. You would have had a peaceful night. I’ve reminded you of that.”
“Hey, shh, Bones. None of this is your fault.”
“Can I at least do something for you?” she asked.
“Could you bring me the pudding I’ve stolen in the hospital?” he winked.
Sunday evening
“I really haven’t been bothering you? I thought that maybe you’d finally have the meal with David,” Booth asked when he was packing his clothes and some toiletries in Bones’ apartment.
“I’ve rescheduled, indefinitely. I had some more important things to do over the weekend.”
“You’ve seemed really interested in him, so … the conference must be quite important. Relax, Bones, you’ve got this.”
“I didn’t mean the speech,” Bones said quietly. “Developmentally, in the sense of reproduction and ensuring the existence of humankind, sexual relationships are crucial. However, from the anthropological point of view, and from many others, friendship is an equally important form of interpersonal relationship.”
“You are saying-“
“I just wanted to take care of … a friend over the weekend.”
“You are a good friend, Bones,” Booth grinned and saluted playfully before leaving her apartment.