OOM: The things you hear.
((Just before.))
Booth almost doesn't hear her call his name. It's like a whisper in his ear, and he turns around but thinks he's sort of wasting his time, jumping at shadows. So he's surprised to see Pam, staring at him hard enough to burn a hole in his jacket.
"I'm doing this for us," Pam says, and he starts to stand. Because someone else might have missed the click of the safety in the chatter of the bar, the beat of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and Brennan's (surprisingly) gorgeous voice.
Seeley Booth is not someone else. He stands, draws his gun, but he hears the blast from the muzzle before it's clear of the holster.
The screams should be all he hears, but instead, he all he can hear Brennan (and why isn't she singing anymore? Is she hit? Did that crazy woman hit her?) and Sweets' exchange from earlier in the week:
"Well, Dr. Sweets still thinks that she's a killer."
"Dangerous. I think she's dangerous."
He staggers backwards and there's a thud as one knee hits the ground, then another as his body collapses. The screams are louder, but he's straining to hear Bones in the pandemonium. (She can't be hit. He only heard one shot.) His breath sounds harsh, labored, raspy, and he can't see - why can't he see?
But everything is okay for one minute - just one, in spite of everything - when he hears the sound of his gun going off. He hears a gasp, then another thud, and everything is fades into the background. Hodgins directing Zach, the horror of the other patrons, the distant sound of ringing telephones, all just disappear as Brennan's voice cuts through the pain that's only starting to hit him.
"Booth, you're gonna be fine. I'm right here. Come on. You're gonna do this. You're gonna be fine. You're gonna make this. Come on! Come on, Booth. You're gonna make it."
He wants to say something, to tell her, "Yeah, 'course I'm gonna be fine. You're not worried, are ya Bones?" But it's too hard to breathe and the words just won't form.
Her voice is raw, edged with panic, and she's nearly screaming, but Booth can barely hear her. Even her voice is fading, like the screams and the coming sirens. That's when Booth realizes he's really in trouble here.
"Come on! Come on, Booth. Come on! Come on, come on, come on. You're gonna make this. Come on. Come on."
Her breath is coming hard now, her voice hoarse with fear. "You're gonna do this. Come on. Come on. Come on, Booth. It's gonna be fine."
His vision clears, just for a moment, and she's all he sees, her pale skin, her wide, terrified eyes, and he thinks, If I have to die now, if it's really necessary, thank God it was like this. For her.
Then Booth's vision clouds over again, and her voice sounds like it's coming from the end of a long tunnel, faint and echoing.
"Come on Booth, no, come on. Come on, Booth!"
((Later.))
Booth almost doesn't hear her call his name. It's like a whisper in his ear, and he turns around but thinks he's sort of wasting his time, jumping at shadows. So he's surprised to see Pam, staring at him hard enough to burn a hole in his jacket.
"I'm doing this for us," Pam says, and he starts to stand. Because someone else might have missed the click of the safety in the chatter of the bar, the beat of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and Brennan's (surprisingly) gorgeous voice.
Seeley Booth is not someone else. He stands, draws his gun, but he hears the blast from the muzzle before it's clear of the holster.
The screams should be all he hears, but instead, he all he can hear Brennan (and why isn't she singing anymore? Is she hit? Did that crazy woman hit her?) and Sweets' exchange from earlier in the week:
"Well, Dr. Sweets still thinks that she's a killer."
"Dangerous. I think she's dangerous."
He staggers backwards and there's a thud as one knee hits the ground, then another as his body collapses. The screams are louder, but he's straining to hear Bones in the pandemonium. (She can't be hit. He only heard one shot.) His breath sounds harsh, labored, raspy, and he can't see - why can't he see?
But everything is okay for one minute - just one, in spite of everything - when he hears the sound of his gun going off. He hears a gasp, then another thud, and everything is fades into the background. Hodgins directing Zach, the horror of the other patrons, the distant sound of ringing telephones, all just disappear as Brennan's voice cuts through the pain that's only starting to hit him.
"Booth, you're gonna be fine. I'm right here. Come on. You're gonna do this. You're gonna be fine. You're gonna make this. Come on! Come on, Booth. You're gonna make it."
He wants to say something, to tell her, "Yeah, 'course I'm gonna be fine. You're not worried, are ya Bones?" But it's too hard to breathe and the words just won't form.
Her voice is raw, edged with panic, and she's nearly screaming, but Booth can barely hear her. Even her voice is fading, like the screams and the coming sirens. That's when Booth realizes he's really in trouble here.
"Come on! Come on, Booth. Come on! Come on, come on, come on. You're gonna make this. Come on. Come on."
Her breath is coming hard now, her voice hoarse with fear. "You're gonna do this. Come on. Come on. Come on, Booth. It's gonna be fine."
His vision clears, just for a moment, and she's all he sees, her pale skin, her wide, terrified eyes, and he thinks, If I have to die now, if it's really necessary, thank God it was like this. For her.
Then Booth's vision clouds over again, and her voice sounds like it's coming from the end of a long tunnel, faint and echoing.
"Come on Booth, no, come on. Come on, Booth!"
((Later.))