Chapter Nine: Circles and Squares

The beeping of the hospital heart monitor was consistent enough to make Hannah groan as she came to consciousness.

"Ugh." Her mouth was dry and had the gross, unbrushed after taste in it as she tried to produce some saliva to moisten her mouth. Beside her, Aubreys eyes shot open and he moved forward, a smile on his tired face.

"Han?"
"Water." Aubrey grabbed a plastic sippy cup from the side table and offered the straw to the woman who took it greatfully and sucked down the cool liquid.

"How do you feel?"
"Like I was hit by a truck."
"Well, if I'm being honest, you look like you were hit by a truck." Hannah opened her eyes and gave him a steely look. "What happened, Han?"
"Well you could say that poop hit the fan." She lifted her hand to take the clear cup from Aubrey and sucked on it some more, the tension leaving her face as she drank.

"I think you get a free pass to swear."
"Don't wanna. Where am I?"
"Washington DC Memorial. Once Booth got you, they flew you straight here. You've been out for three days." Aubrey took the cup away from her and grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it.

"What's wrong with me?"
"Shattered ankle, broken ribs, bruised spleen, dislocated knee, concussion, oxygen deprivation but that's all sorted and broken fingers." Hannah winced.

"Sounds painful."
"Yeah. The doctors didn't like  it when I suggested we take you out back, boil you down and start you all over again."
"That was your only recommendation?"
"Putting you out of our misery didn't seem to be the right card to play." Hannah cracked a grin and laughed a little, soon turning into pained coughs.

"You should get some more sleep.  Heather and Richard will be here in a couple of hours."
"Joy." Hannah was beginning to feel sleepy again. She sighed and closed her eyes, keeping her hand wrapped loosely around Aubreys. "Please don't go."
"I won't. Promise." He pressed a kiss to her hand and pressed the call button for the nurse to come, just as Hannah allowed the waves of unconsciousness to take her into its warm embrace.

Some time later, after Aubrey had gone to go get some food, two elderly people were sat by Hannah's bed. The woman sat there with a magazine, her green cardigan pulled around her shoulders to combat the cool hospital air. Her grey hair was tied back into a bun and her grey/blue eyes flickered constantly to where her granddaughter lay, peacefully unaware to the storm that would hit her when she woke up.

Across from Heather Nardini, for this was who she was, was a giant of a man, chin touching his chest and the faint sound of light snores coming from the grey bush that was his beard. Richard Nardini had his arms crossed over his chest and had fallen asleep some time ago, the flight from Utah to Washington making him dozy. Not that Heather complained. It was better than hearing about Chingo again.

A small knock on the door revealed the nurse on duty who smiled at Heather and whispered,

"Mrs Nardini, there's a man from the FBI here to see you." Heather immediately closed the magazine and put it down on the  side table and put a hand on Hannah's one, squeezing gently. She got up and followed the young nurse out into the hall and came face to face with a ragged and very tired looking Booth.

"You must be Agent Booth." Booth looked down at the smaller, older woman and nodded, offering a hand for her to shake. She took it and gripped it firmly. "Thank you for finding Hannah." Booth hung his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Nardini-"
"Call me Heather." He nodded and led her to a seat so they could both sit down.

He was in civilian gear and from what Heather could tell, he hadn't slept in the days that Hannah had been in the hospital.

"How is she?" He cast a look to the room.

"She's a fighter. She woke up, oh, five hours ago. It was brief but she seemed okay. The doctors are monitoring her closely." Booth nodded and rubbed his hands over his eyes and sighed.

"I'm so sorry this ever happened. I... We had no idea that she was at risk." He looked up to meet Heather's gaze and she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't fret, pet. Hannah... Our family has faced many trials and tribulations over the past years. When she came to live with us when she was twelve, she had already faced more than any other twelve year old. Now she's twenty five... She's seen more than her fair share of evils. There was nothing you could do to stop this and I believe you when you say that. You just need to see it as Hannah will. Another chance for God to work something wonderful." Booth laughed lightly and Heather gave a soft chuckle. "Listen to me rambling... You probably want to go see Hannah. I'll go wake Richard up and we'll go see where young James has gone off to." Heather stood up and adjusted her cardigan as she walked back into the room. Booth contemplated her words for a moment, his heart feeling a little lighter at her words.

Heather emerged a few minutes later with a dozy looking Richard, her arm looped through his as she guided him towards the elevator. Richard nodded at Booth but didn't seem to be quite awake enough to chat. She threw him a smile as Booth stood up and carefully walked into the dark room, the sound of Hannah's heart monitor chirping, filling the silence.

Booth sat down in the seat that had been Heathers and watched Hannah for a moment. His eyes traced the oxygen prongs, the multiple IV lines, the heart cords... She was so wired up. He scoffed slightly before tentatively reaching out to take her hand. Her hand was cold under his and he winced slightly. Careful not to dislodge the IV line or the brace that held her broken fingers together, Booth gently wrapped his hands around hers and leaned forward, resting his head on his hands. He chewed his lip before he started talking.

"I'm so sorry, Hannah. This wasn't fair on you. I... I wish that I could go back and make you not go in that bathroom. That maybe I would go instead," He frowned. "OR maybe that Taffet was in the men's bathroom because I shouldn't go in the woman's...

But I just wanted to say I'm sorry and that we never gave up. I never gave up. I knew we would find you. Y'know, Aubrey actually threatened to hit me with a frying pan. I'm not sure where he would've gotten one but he did. It was because Taffet wasn't talking and he wanted to get in the room and make her talk but both Philips and I said no so he said that if we were unconscious, ergo the frying pan, we would never know... He didn't though. You'll be pleased to know that Bones and Angela managed to figure out where you were.

But... You're okay now. You look like like a giant bruise, but you're okay. And I need you to be okay. You've only been here four months and I swear, Bones is more attached to you than she is her interns. Don't tell her I said that though. But I need you to be okay. I need you to be there with me as we do this whole... FBI partner thing. You're the only one I can imagine doing that with. I care about you more than I should."

Booth was watching Hannah's face as he spoke. She didn't say anything.  She was asleep. Drugged up on the good hospital drugs. He was glad, in a sense, mainly because he had just bared part of himself that only Bones and Cam really saw to her. Uncovering her hand slightly,  Booth closed his eyes and pressed a gentle kiss to her fingers.

*************

Hannah woke up with a clear head a day later. The doctors decided that sedating her for another day wasn't good and Brennan was in agreement. Mainly because she wanted to hug her young friend and tell her how proud she was.

Which was a rare occasion.

"I'm allowed to be proud. She survived an ordeal that, fortunately, not many have had to suffer."
"I would suggest not wording it like that, but that's sweet of you." Cam smiled as she rearranged the bouquet of flowers she had gotten to give Hannah. Michelle, her adopted daughter, had helped and Cam knew that would bring a smile to Hannah's face.

"I don't see why you can't just let her loose. She's Brennan. She won't sound normal if she doesn't just say that." Brennan smiled at Angela's words. Angela, who was driving, didn't want to have to play the 'mom' card on Cam and Brennan.

Hannah woke up the next day around lunch time the next day, feeling much more herself. The pain medication she was on was still strong, but not strong to knock her out but still enough to keep her in bed and slightly nauseous.

Heather, Richard and Aubrey had taken  to staying with her. Hannah was grateful, unwilling to be alone for long periods of time. Aubrey had a day before he had to return to Texas, Philips giving Aubrey an extra day to make sure Hannah was alright.

The four of them celebrated her twenty fifth birthday in the room, Heather and Richard happy to be there, despite the circumstances.

"How's Booth?" Hannah picked at a piece of chocolate cake, the sweetness  of it still too rich for her tongue but she enjoyed the small sugar rush it was giving her. Heather was putting a pink fuzzy sock on to Hannah's unbroken foot so that it wouldn't get cold.

"He came to see you yesterday. He might come back today. We did tell him he could."
"You didn't tell him it was my birthday did you?" Heather looked guilty. "Gran...."
"I had to, dearie. I know you aren't big on letting people know it's your birthday but he's your partner. And very very concerned about you." Heather winked, causing Hannah to blush and push her cake away.

"He saved my life."
"Now, Heather have you seen the paper?" Richard chose that as his time to interrupt, a smile on his face. Aubrey was sitting in his seat by Richard,  face red from holding in his laughter. Heather scolded Richard.

"I told you to bring it up with you." She grabbed her purse and walked out of the room, conversation forgotten. Richard sat there, smiling and winked at Hannah as he pulled said newspaper from behind his back and went back to reading it. He was a  man of few words and a man who loved his granddaughter  and knew that his wife could get a bit antsy.

"Thanks, grandpa." He smiled and continued reading. Aubrey pulled out his phone to send a quick text before looking up at Hannah and was reaching for the call button.

"Much pain." She merely said. Aubrey stood up and pressed it for her.

Booth sat at home, staring at the clock. Aubrey had texted him and he was trying to figure out if he should go. Dialling Brennan's number, he waited for her to answer.

"Booth, what's wrong?"
"Why do you assume there's something wrong?"
"Because Hannah's in hospital and that can mean a number of things." She paused. "Is Hannah okay?"
"Yeah Bones, she's okay. She's actually awake."
"Thats great! Are you going to go see her?" Booth sighed.

"I am. Tonight." Brennan smiled on her side of the line.

"You need me to cover for you at the press conference?"
"Please?"
"Get Aubrey to come  in your place so that we have FBI representation of someone who was there at the case but I'll come up with a reason for your absence." He could hear the smile on her voice.

"Stop smiling, Bones."
"Never." Booth hung up and lay down on his couch and puffed his cheeks before letting out a breath. If he was going to go that evening, he was going to need a nap. Closing his eyes, Booth dozed off into a restless sleep.

Hannah smiled when Booth walked into her room at six o'clock. Aubrey had left to take his place at the conference and her grandparents were preparing to leave for the night. Heather had jumped at Booths offer and in his head, he could see why. Although he had only admitted it to an unconscious Hannah, he knew that Heather saw more than she ever let on.

"Call us at anytime." Richard shook his hand firmly, bushy eyebrows furrowed together in all seriousness.

"I will sir. Don't worry." Hannah squeezed Heathers hand and watched her grandparents walk out, holding on to each other's hands as they left. Booth smiled.

"Your grandparents are pretty cool." Hannah nodded.

"They've done a lot for me. I'm glad... I'm glad they could be here." Booth fell into the seat beside her.

"How'd you feel? Honestly." He gave her a questioning look. She breathed heavily through her nose and shrugged.

"I'm fine, I guess. But I'm glad that you're here. I'm... not keen on being alone." Booth nodded and reached over to grab her hand. He had sat down on the side where her hand wasn't broken  and smiled.

"I'm always here for ya, Price. Always."
"Thanks, Booth." She smiled and squeezed his hand. Her heart fluttered as he looked her in the eyes and looked down, pulling away slightly. She gripped his hand tighter,  stopping him from moving.

"Thank you for saving my life."
"Thank you for not giving up."

Authors Note:

Ayyyye here's a surprise update. I kinda just started writing and couldn't stop and I know you guys wouldn't mind a surprise update. We need our #Prooth ship to sail.
Which, as you can see, has started.

And so I just thought I should letcha know that you should prepare for hopefully more frequent updates.
I have to 'Hannah' finished by the 25th of Feb because I start uni again and can't be distracted when I'm in class!

So prepare for a months worth of shock updates and feels because we have 11 chapters and an epilogue to get done.

I'm so happy. So tired but so happy.

So now I'll see about getting you another update by Friday/weekend. Don't hold me to it.

》Bree《