Zack had been surprised to be lead out of his room in the mental institution for a visitor. Angela and Hodgins had been to see him yesterday, and everyone else had used their weekly visit permitted to them. That left only two options; one of his siblings had found the courage to come, or someone else was there. Entering the visitation room, he was shocked to see who it was.
'Kat, when did you get back from Africa?'
The petite brunette sitting at the table smiled weakly. 'Two days ago. I came as soon as I found out. I had to call Hodgins.'
Dr. Katherine Martin had been one of his closest friends in University, and even a rival of sorts. She was nearly as intelligent as he was, and had succeeded in finishing her doctorate in Archaeology while they had both worked on doctorates in Anthropology. Five years ago, she had gone to Ethiopia on an archaeological excavation, and they had kept long-distance, infrequent contact. Now, she was back, and had found him here, in the loony bin.
'Zack, what happened to you? What did you do?' she asked, as he sat down. Then she noticed his hands. 'What happened to your hands?'
'I am here for aiding a cannibalistic serial killer. I set up an explosion in the Jeffersonian Institution lab, which created a diversion for him to steal back some evidence. I miscalculated the explosion and it injured my hands very badly.'
Kat shook her head. 'That shouldn't amount to admittance to an asylum.'
'The FBI is under the impression I murdered a Lobbyist, Ray Porter. I haven't corrected them. They declared me non compos mentis so that I could be institutionalized rather than incarcerated. People like me do not do well in jail.'
Zack was never very good at reading the emotions of others, but it was obviously dismay that was written so plainly across Kat's face. Her hands, clenched on the tabletop, were shaking, and tears were welling in her eyes.
'This isn't right Zack.' She said finally. 'Your friends at the Jeff, they shouldn't have let them do this to you. If I had been here myself... I would have fought this Zack. Or I would have kept you from falling prey to this guy.'
Smiling wanly, Zack shook his head. 'If you had been here, it would have been one more reason to co-operate with him. The Master, Gormogon, threatened every single person I care about. His logic in that was irrefutable. Dr. Brennan would have been proud.'
'I'm proud of you Zack.' Kat said warmly, putting her hand lightly on his arm. The steady pressure and warmth of that contact was stabilizing. Stable was not something one often found in Mental Institutions, and he welcomed it. Kat was still a good friend, after all these years.
'Once I figure out a way to help you Zack, without you being incarcerated, I will do everything in my power to help. I promise you that.' She said slowly. 'And until then, I'll come visit you every week.'
She might have said more, but the orderly returned, signaling that their time had run out. 'I have to go, I guess.' Kat sighed, and gave him a brittle smile. 'I'll see you Zack.'
Hours later, back in his room, Zack contemplated what his conversation with Kat had meant. The only conclusions that he was able to draw, were that she cared enough to see him two days after being away for five years, and that Kat looked as awful as he felt. They were both suffering, though the cause for her pain was unclear - unless it was him alone. Kat was taking on guilt, as she had always done when things went wrong. It was who she was.