A Conversation Brennan Will Never Know About
By: Arwen_lune
Rating: all age
Feedback: yes please
Summary: see title
Mirror ficlet to A Conversation Booth Will Never Know About
A Conversation Brennan Will Never Know About
"Why is she in iso?"
"Bunch of drunken morons in the block," the cop said. "Seemed a good idea to give her a private room."
"So why…"
"The guy is in hospital, sir. In ICU. She just shrugged when we told her."
"She was attacked in a dark parking lot. She defended herself. You think she should feel remorse?"
The cop shrugged, a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the FBI agent.
"Most people… they worry about it. They say they didn't mean to hurt him that bad. And they're a little more battered themselves."
"You said her wrist was badly bruised," Booth pointed out, eyes on the video feed.
"Bruised, yes. Compared to what he has… He's pressing charges."
Booth turned to the man and gave him a withering stare.
"Her attacker and would-be rapist is pressing charges because she didn't lie down and let him go ahead?"
"I don't like it any better than you do," the cop changed tack. "But the fact is that he's in hospital with a bunch of broken ribs, a punctured long and multiple stab wounds-"
"Hold on. Stab wounds?"
The cop took his key set and held it so that one of the keys stuck out from between his knuckles. Booth nodded. Simple and effective, especially if you were walking to your car and already had your keys in hand.
"-and she looks none the worse," the cop continued. "Excessive force is probable. And she doesn't seem upset."
"Listen, I know her. She's about the least sentimental person you'll ever meet. The bastard attacked her and wanted to rape her. She disabled him in whatever way she could given the circumstances. She's not going to play that it upsets her that he is wounded, because it probably doesn't."
"But it should!" the cop began.
Booth cut him short with a glare.
"She is the victim in this scenario. If he hadn't want to get hurt, he should have kept his hands to himself."
"No argument there," the cop sighed. "I just can't just forget about the excessive force."
"Listen, press that, we'll go to court. Just let her out now. She got attacked; she needs support from friends, not a night alone in a cell."
The cop stared at the video feed for a long moment. Brennan sat on the bare cot of the cell, a blanket around her shoulders. She'd pulled up her knees. Booth thought she looked very young, and sort of… lost.
"Right. Here is what I'll do. Just because you're a Fed, I'm waiving bail; I'll release her into your custody-"
"Thank you," Booth sighed.
"I'm not done. That means you better make sure she goes to court when she's summoned, and for God's sake let her practise a statement with a little emotion put into it. The judge will have a hard time sympathising with her if she's like this."
"I hear you," Booth said with a slight grimace. "can I…" he gestured to the door.
"Yeah. Here." He handed over a separate key and nodded. Booth took it and went through, down the hall to the isolation cell.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," she greeted him, huddled under her blanket. He could see the relief in her eyes, but she didn't move.
He opened the door wide. "You coming?"
She stood up, letting the blanket slide onto the cot. Her arms were bare, and an angry purple bruise circled her wrist. He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders, and she immediately shrugged into it. The brief touch to her neck told him she was cold.
He wanted to hit something.
Stamping down on the impulse he laid his hand between her shoulder blades to gently steer her out the door.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Rating: all age
Feedback: yes please
Summary: see title
Mirror ficlet to A Conversation Booth Will Never Know About
A Conversation Brennan Will Never Know About
"Why is she in iso?"
"Bunch of drunken morons in the block," the cop said. "Seemed a good idea to give her a private room."
"So why…"
"The guy is in hospital, sir. In ICU. She just shrugged when we told her."
"She was attacked in a dark parking lot. She defended herself. You think she should feel remorse?"
The cop shrugged, a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the FBI agent.
"Most people… they worry about it. They say they didn't mean to hurt him that bad. And they're a little more battered themselves."
"You said her wrist was badly bruised," Booth pointed out, eyes on the video feed.
"Bruised, yes. Compared to what he has… He's pressing charges."
Booth turned to the man and gave him a withering stare.
"Her attacker and would-be rapist is pressing charges because she didn't lie down and let him go ahead?"
"I don't like it any better than you do," the cop changed tack. "But the fact is that he's in hospital with a bunch of broken ribs, a punctured long and multiple stab wounds-"
"Hold on. Stab wounds?"
The cop took his key set and held it so that one of the keys stuck out from between his knuckles. Booth nodded. Simple and effective, especially if you were walking to your car and already had your keys in hand.
"-and she looks none the worse," the cop continued. "Excessive force is probable. And she doesn't seem upset."
"Listen, I know her. She's about the least sentimental person you'll ever meet. The bastard attacked her and wanted to rape her. She disabled him in whatever way she could given the circumstances. She's not going to play that it upsets her that he is wounded, because it probably doesn't."
"But it should!" the cop began.
Booth cut him short with a glare.
"She is the victim in this scenario. If he hadn't want to get hurt, he should have kept his hands to himself."
"No argument there," the cop sighed. "I just can't just forget about the excessive force."
"Listen, press that, we'll go to court. Just let her out now. She got attacked; she needs support from friends, not a night alone in a cell."
The cop stared at the video feed for a long moment. Brennan sat on the bare cot of the cell, a blanket around her shoulders. She'd pulled up her knees. Booth thought she looked very young, and sort of… lost.
"Right. Here is what I'll do. Just because you're a Fed, I'm waiving bail; I'll release her into your custody-"
"Thank you," Booth sighed.
"I'm not done. That means you better make sure she goes to court when she's summoned, and for God's sake let her practise a statement with a little emotion put into it. The judge will have a hard time sympathising with her if she's like this."
"I hear you," Booth said with a slight grimace. "can I…" he gestured to the door.
"Yeah. Here." He handed over a separate key and nodded. Booth took it and went through, down the hall to the isolation cell.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," she greeted him, huddled under her blanket. He could see the relief in her eyes, but she didn't move.
He opened the door wide. "You coming?"
She stood up, letting the blanket slide onto the cot. Her arms were bare, and an angry purple bruise circled her wrist. He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders, and she immediately shrugged into it. The brief touch to her neck told him she was cold.
He wanted to hit something.
Stamping down on the impulse he laid his hand between her shoulder blades to gently steer her out the door.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."