There was something to fight for now she was back. He could feel her and hear her voice as he slept and willed his own body to fight. He listened happily at the banter and teasing between her and Sam. If Sam was here then he must really be in a bad way, Rebecca was still a sticky cow when it came to disrupting their routine.
Days passed and all he did was sleep. She missed him even though he was right there in front of her. So close yet so far.
She wished she could erase her mind. Erase the feeling of Bones' lips on hers. Erase the flutters of something unknown she felt when she thought of him. Erase that whole bloody tour.
She knew she was being distant. She couldn't help it. Guilt never was something that sat well with her. She battled her own mind constantly and it reflected in her face, noticed by everyone.
The fear of losing him ate away at her. How could she have left him when he needed her so badly?
All the while the thought of Bones' hands on her body never left her. She struggled to come to terms with how she'd let it happen.
-OG-
"Hey you" she said with a kiss as his eyes flickered open "god I've missed you" she laced her fingers between his "How you feeling?"
He cleared his throat "Like I've been hit by a bus"
Molly poured him a drink and brought the straw up to his mouth "I'm not an invalid Molly" he snapped
"I know. Sorry, just trying to make you comfortable"
"Where were you?" He went straight in for the kill "what happened that day? You never got back to me?"
She stood by the head of his bed, taking herself out of his eye-line making herself busy stroking his unruly curls, pulling them out and watching them ping back into shape "Don't worry about any of that. Just get better so we can get you home again"
He knew something wasn't right. It was written all over her face "Molly please"
"Stop it" she said a little more firmly than she intended even making the nurse who was checking his chart jump "Are you Okay Charles?" The nurse checked with a disapproving look in Molly directions.
"I could do with some painkillers please. The phantom pain in my leg is awful"
"Have you been doing your rehab?"
He threw his head back, this was not what he needed "Stop making small talk! Just tell me what happened"
"Now listen to me Charles. Stop banging on, maybe you should tell me what your doing stuck in a hospital up here? Why were you in Manchester? To see her was it? And why was you travelling by yourself? You know you're not able to do that"
The look on his face told her she'd hurt him. By presuming to tell him what he was or wasn't able to do she had hurt him. Made him feel useless.
"You don't know what I can and cannot do Molly. You haven't been here to know any of that"
"I'd like you to give Mr James some time to rest please" the nurse intervened and he didn't protest it.
Charles could see in her eyes something wasn't right. She wasn't ready to share it yet. Whatever had happened out there but she would in time.
"Get some rest and settle back in. Then come back to me" he took her hand in his "I love you"
She gave him a small smile "I love you too"
Her thoughts turned to Bones as she rushed through the hospital corridor. She pushed the phone to her ear, hoping whoever was with him would pick up
