Dr. Brennan stood at the examination table looking over remains.

"What can you tell me about our victim?" she asked.

"Male: approximately twenty to twenty-three years old. There is degradation to all joints suggesting Rheumatoid Arthritis. Approximately five to seven years ago, he sustained a break to his right tibia." He said.

"Zack."

"Yes, Doctor Brennan?"

"Zack!"

He suddenly jolted back into his reality. He had finally been able to slip his mind into an altered state of reality only to be brought back too soon. He turned to look at the person who had woken him up. Hodgins.

"Hey Zack." Hodgins said.

"Hodgins!" he replied excitedly, "How are you?"

"As good as I can be, considering the situation." There was an awkward silence between the two of them, "so, fancy digs." Hodgins said looking around the prison-like common room.

"They're awful, Hodgins. Is your vision impaired? Did something blow up in your face?"

"Oh, you mean besides the bomb you set off in the lab? And I mean that both literally and metaphorically."

Zack lowered his head, realizing that he should consider what he says before speaking out loud. Hodgins grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to Zack, he sat and leaned against his knees, "I knew, Zack." He stated, looking him in the eyes.

"What?"

"I figured it out, before Booth, before Brennan, before anyone else."

"And you didn't turn me in?"

Hodgins sighed, "I knew in the pit of my stomach that it was you, but there was a part of me... that was hoping that it wasn't, or at least hoping that they wouldn't find out, so that I could talk some sense into you."

"I'm sorry."

"Are you really sorry, Zack? I'll be honest, I'm not sure you understand the gravity of this situation. You are wasting your gift, man. You just screwed up the rest of your life." He said, beginning to raise his voice.

"If I say that I'm sorry, then I am sorry. I don't say things that I don't mean."

"For such a brilliant young doctor, you are one huge idiot."

Zack scoffed, "You have been talking to me about conspiracies ever since we first met."

"Conspiracy theories, Zack! They are called theories for a reason! A four year old could have told you that."

"You believe that they are accurate."

Hodgins abruptly stood in disbelief, "Are you trying to tell me that you killed a man based on my belief systems, as in, you did it for my benefit?"

"Over time, your belief system has become mine as well. I didn't do it for you; I did it for human kind." He said.

Hodgins shook his head in frustration, "Anyways," he said in digression, seating himself back down next to Zack.

"Did anyone else come with you?" Zack said looking hopeful.

"Not everyone is as forgiving as I am."

"How is Doctor Brennan?" Zack asked.

"Not good. She's miserable. She thinks that she let you down; as though she were part of the reason that you strayed from the path of moral righteousness."

"I must admit that she seemed to take it more personally than I had originally surmised."

"We are all taking this personally. What happened to you, Zack? What happened to the innocent kid who used to refuse to kill bugs, each of whom he named? The guy that I used to race beetles with for a dollar at a time? The one whose innocence was admittedly endearing and who was was eager to help in the fight against criminals?" Hodgins paused looking down at the floor. Zack stared at him, realizing the amount of damage he had caused in his friend. Hodgins shook his head and leaned into him, searching in Zack's eyes for a minute shred of what used to be his best friend, "Was Iraq really that bad?"

Zack looked away from Hodgins and back out the window. They sat in silence until finally Hodgins stood, "Well, it was nice seeing you."

"Thank you for coming." Zack said, still looking out the window. Hodgins patted him on the back and walked away. Zack turned uncomfortably in his chair, obviously not happy with the conversation that just occurred.

Amy plopped down in the recently vacated chair, looking behind them to watch Hodgins walk away, "Who was that?"

"My friend."

"Oh?" she said, fishing for more details, "Are you okay?

"Physically? Yes, I suppose."

"I was going more for emotionally okay, or intellectually if you prefer."

"Intellectually, I am exceptional."

"And emotionally?"

"Stable."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's fine."

"Yeah, but stable isn't good."

He turned to look at her, "I am in a mental health facility. Stable in this environment is, in fact, good… comparatively." He motioned to the other occupants of the room, who were evidently not stable.

"Mmmm… good point." She said, releasing a giggle, "So, you seem super smart. What is up with that?"

"I don't know what you mean by, 'what is up with that?", however, I am a… was a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian institution. I have two doctorates, one in forensic anthropology and the other in engineering. I also have an extremely high I.Q., but I don't like to boast."

Amy let out a loud laugh, "Yeah, I can see that!"

Zack looked at her, straight-faced. She continued laughing at his comment, and soon, he found the humor in it as well, and began to laugh with her.