a/n: wow, you guys, i didn't think that many people at all… i'm happy to know that people are enjoying this, and it shall continue! oh, and this will make sense later, but i am an atheist so i assure you i am not promoting religion in this (my friend made me put that in)… plus, school just got out yesterday, yippee!!!!!
"Where's Zack?" Hodgins asked Joycie as she came into the garage.
"I told him to hurry up." Unlike Lynne, Joycie didn't mind lying. In fact, she did it a lot. She sat down and started to pull on her Converse high-tops. One was new; the other was decorated in permanent marker with a bunch of names. That one had been Lynne's; Eric had its match.
They waited another 20 minutes before Hodgins ran up and dragged Zack down the staircase. Zack was really confused, but he got in the car, and they took off to the hospital again.
"Where have you been?" Booth asked when the three of them came into the room. Angela had ended up sharing a hospital room with Cam (Booth had a little bit to do with that). Booth was by Cam's bed, but angled to face Angela.
"We had a bit of trouble getting someone to leave the house." Hodgins shot a pointed look at Zack.
"No one told me to come downstairs." He defended himself.
"I yelled it through the door." Joycie sprawled on the floor and proceeded to set up a game of Solitaire; more mindless activity. "I thought you heard me."
This visit was longer than their last one. Brennan, Booth and Hodgins all stayed by Angela and Cam. Zack was slouched in a chair, and Emily sat cross-legged on the windowsill. Joycie left and went to the food court at one point.
Cam was awake, and said she felt fine. Angela, however, was on oxygen, and her neck was bandaged. She had been dead for a minute and a half before Brennan was able to revive her. The doctors didn't have much to say on how stable her condition was. All they knew was she wasn't awake, she hadn't been since Brennan found her, and she probably wouldn't be any time soon.
They all stayed there that night. No one slept. Joycie stayed in the hallway. She couldn't stand seeing Cam and Angela like this. The team thought it was like Andy had said; she was sensitive. She didn't correct them.
Around 2 a.m., they were all sitting around, staring at each other, when Emily spoke, "I guess mysterious packages aren't the only things you guys need to be careful of."
"You think?" Booth gave her a glare.
"Hey, don't give me that look. It isn't my fault."
"Angela was acting on your advice." He was tired, angry and worried; he didn't mind starting a fight. Besides, he was just about sick of Emily. Everyone was.
"I didn't think that-"
"You're right, you didn't think." He got on his feet. "You know what, you're just like Zack; you don't have any emotions. I guess it runs in the family." He was walking toward the windowsill.
"Booth." Zack tried to stop the argument.
"Well you just think you know everything," Emily countered. "If you haven't noticed. No one's dead!"
"Emily!" Zack tried harder this time.
"You wouldn't give a crap if any of us did die!" The room went silent. Emily took a deep breath. She had an urge to attack Booth, but remembered the cool-down methods Zack had taught her. She did feel emotions, but her strongest and most dominant one was anger.
"If you want me to leave, just tell me." They glared at each other more. Booth didn't say anything. "Fine, I'll see you at Christmas, Zack." As she walked out she muttered, "And mom wonders why I hate hospitals."
Zack looked out the window. It was pouring rain. How appropriate. The dark sky was cut with a flash of lightning, followed by the roll of thunder.
After a few minutes, Cam looked at Booth. "You all should go home and get some rest." Before he could respond, "Booth, I know for a fact you didn't sleep last night."
He protested, and Cam won. The team left, but they didn't go home. They all wound up asleep on the floor of Brennan's office.
Zack woke up around 4:30 to find Joycie gone. He was searching the copy room for her when he heard sniffling. He walked down the hall to Cam's office. Joycie was on the floor, cross-legged, sitting in the hole in the wall, her head leaned against the side.
"When we were little, my mom used to think we were scared of the thunder." Zack slipped under the yellow police tape and went to the hole. Joycie was soaking wet, since it was still raining.
"You still are little." He said.
More lightning cut through, making the office bright for a second, then pitch black again. She continued as if he hadn't said anything. "She told us it was the angels bowling. One time, I tried telling Eric what thunder really is. Scientifically." She didn't move as she spoke. She just kept staring at the rain. "He began crying and said I was going to Hell because I didn't believe in God and the angels."
Zack stared at her. He guessed her father taught Eric that. Lynne was an atheist; she wouldn't have talked to her kids about religion.
"I got a lecture from my dad while he calmed Eric down." She gave a slight laugh. "Imagine having your 3-year-old brother yelling at you that you're going to Hell while your dad tries to keep your mom from hearing it."
Zack sat down next to her and got drenched within seconds. He then noticed that part of the water on Joycie's face was tears. She gave that slight laugh again. "Mom thought I was afraid of the thunder." Turning to Zack, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For barging into your life. For moving into your home. For bugging you at work. For what my dad is doing now."
"None of that is your fault." He remembered something. "I thought your dad died."
"Eric's dad, my step-dad, yes. In the car crash with mom. My real dad, no."
"I thought your biological dad left-"
"Before I was born, yes. Mom didn't know that I tried to find him. No one knew. I found him a few years ago, and we kept in touch. He said he was sorry for leaving, and he wanted to make it up to me." She shook her head. "It wasn't until the custody battle that I found out he only wanted me for the money he'd get from mom."
She laid her head down on Zack's lap and stared back out at the rain. "Back in Michigan, he told me he'd get me back, no matter what it took. It was creepy how he said it. I told him not to do anything bad." She meant anything stupid.
"Have you seen him since?" Joycie froze.
"No." Zack didn't ask further. "Are you gonna leave me too?" She looked up at him.
"No." He awkwardly patted her head. He meant what he said, though.
Joycie fell asleep there, soaking wet, in a hole in a wall. Now it was Zack's turn to think of Lynne, and thunder, and the angels, as he stared at the rain.