A sequel to "The Biophysical Relationship Evolution" and "The Biophysical Relationship Continuation". The story continues 4 years after Bernadette starts working at Caltech.
Everything belongs to Chuck Lorre and friends.
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Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Cooper, Senior Research Assistant in Microbiology at Caltech, was returning to her office after lunch with her husband Sheldon when she saw her friend Dr. Jane Parker. Bernadette had first come to work at Caltech when she did Jane's maternity cover post after being fired by Zangen pharmaceuticals.
"Hello Jane, how are things in my old lab?"
"Hello Bernie, things are fine in the microbiology lab. Do you have time to come over this afternoon to see the new electron microscope upgrade?"
"Sorry Jane, I have some paperwork to do before I have a meeting with Professor Kariuki."
"No problem, maybe tomorrow?"
"I'll let you know, see you later?"
Bernadette had half an hour to catch up with paperwork before her weekly meeting with Professor Tom Kariuki, Assistant Dean of Biological Science at Caltech. Bernadette ran Kariuki's research group for him as he was too busy with his administration work.
5 minutes later there was a knock on the door.
Bernadette "Come in but make it fast, I have a meeting in twenty minutes." Bernadette then looked up and saw who it was. "Oh, hello, long time no see."
Jackson "Hello Dr. Rostenkowski-Cooper, do you remember me?"
Bernadette "Yes, Dr. Simon Jackson, head of the new drug research division at Zangen. You do know that Zangen fired me?"
Jackson "Yes, I know that Zangen fired you. I also know that you have a meeting with Professor Kariuki, I will be at that meeting as well. First, if it is OK I would like to have a private chat with you. The reason I am here is that Zangen wants to sponsor a new research project at Caltech and Kariuki logically wants your input on this project. But before that I want to apologise to you about how you were treated towards the end of your time at Zangen. Have you heard anything from Zangen since you left?"
Bernadette "I have been here at Caltech for 4 years, about seven months after I started my old boss started calling me! I reminded him that he fired me and hung up. He kept on calling me so eventually I got Caltech to block any calls to me from Zangen. Since then nothing."
Jackson "I understand that you didn't enjoy working at Zangen those last few months."
Bernadette "That is a bit of an understatement. I went from doing interesting work in the lab to endless meetings and late nights, my boss was pretty awful."
Jackson "This was all part of his plan to try and get rid of you. His niece was coming to the end of her PhD studies in microbiology in San Diego, he wanted to make you quit so she could do your old job. Eventually when she got her PhD he fired you, he rushed through paperwork to get your old job advertised and she was doing your old job in the lab a month after you left.
She wasn't the best employee Zangen ever had, in retrospect I wonder how she even got through a PhD program. She was warned several times about her lab work, after 5 months there was a big lab accident. Some people got very sick, although fortunately nobody died, after she broke a flask containing some nasty bacteria. After that there was a big investigation, only then did the family relationship between the two of them come out, they both thought they could hide that. This was around the time he started calling you."
Bernadette "That's terrible. One of the reasons I applied for a job at Caltech is that my husband is a Physics Professor here, but I made sure everyone knew that at the job interview."
Jackson "As you no doubt remember, Zangen wants to know about any family connections of new employees so we can stop any potential acts of nepotism. They were both fired immediately, it cost Zangen a lot of money to get your old lab decontaminated."
Bernadette "What is my old boss doing now?"
Jackson "Last I heard he was working at Walmart stacking shelves. Thank you for your time, I wanted to let you know so it would be less uncomfortable for you if you end up collaborating with Zangen in this new project. I will see you with Professor Kariuki in a few minutes."