A sequel to "The Biophysical Relationship Evolution." The story continues 4 years on from Sheldon and Bernardette's wedding. Everything belongs to Chuck Lorre and friends. Part 6 - Bernadette's job interview.

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Bernadette was nervously waiting outside the interview room when Janine Davis came out to get her.

Janine "Dr. Rostenkowski-Cooper? Hello, I am Janine Davis, Caltech Human Resources, I am here to take you into the interview room."

Bernardette shook her hand and said "pleased to meet you."

Janine "Cooper, are you related to Sheldon Cooper?"

Bernadette "Professor Sheldon Cooper is my husband."

Janine "Oh you poor thing! Here's entrance to the interview room, come with me."

Bernadette "Thank you."

Janine "Ladies and Gentleman, here is our final candidate for the microbiology experimental officer post, Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Cooper. May I introduce the interview panel. On the left is Dr. Jane Parker, she is the current experimental officer who is going on maternity leave in 2 months. In the middle is Professor Tom Kariuki, head of the microbiology department. On the right is Dr. Amy Fowler-Wolowitz of the neurobiology department, she will be asking more general biological questions. Each member of the panel will ask you questions in turn, at the end you will have an opportunity to ask questions. Now before we start Dr. Rostenkowski-Cooper I want to make sure that you are fully aware that is only a one year maternity cover post, Caltech can make no commitment to any further employment after Dr. Parker returns from maternity cover."

Bernadette "Yes I understand that."

Janine "Also we would like the successful candidate to start as soon as possible so there is an overlap period between the maternity cover person and Dr. Parker, it will give Dr. Parker the chance to show the new person the ropes. Would that be a problem for you and your current employers if you were to be offered the job?"

Bernadette "It would not be a problem for me. If I were to be offered a new job then as a professional scientist I would like to leave things in good order with my current employer before leaving. Other than that it would be no concern of mine if my current employers would find this a problem."

Janine "The panel will deliberate after the end of the interviews to determine the most favoured candidate, we hope to contact this person by tomorrow afternoon. Professor Kariuki if you wish to start?"

Kariuki "Dr. Rostenkowski-Cooper, how did you find out about this job?"

Bernadette "Dr. Parker told me about the job at Amy's, I mean at Dr. Fowler-Wolowitz's wedding, where I was maid of honour. My husband is Caltech Physics Professor Sheldon Cooper. I want everyone on the panel to know this before we get started, I want to be considered for this job on my own terms, not through my personal connections with Caltech."

Kariuki "You are married to Sheldon Cooper?"

Bernadette "Yes I am, lucky me."

Kariuki "You are currently employed in the new drug development group at Zangen pharmaceuticals. I suppose that a job like that could pay a far greater salary than academia. I would imagine, although it is not my place to ask, that you are earning more money in your current job than I am as a tenured Professor. So why potentially give that up for a one year post here at Caltech with no guarantee of further employment?"

Bernadette "A valid question Professor, I was sure that you would ask it. A question for you Professor, I am sure you worked hard to get your PhD and then kept working hard to become a Professor. Are you still able to do any science?"

Kariuki "I don't get to do as much as I like with all my teaching and administration duties. However, I try and spend a couple of hours a week in the lab with my graduate students."

Bernadette "10 years ago, when I got my masters degree, I was offered a job in scientific administration with another pharmaceutical company, not Zangen. I turned them down because I wanted to do some real science of my own. I waited tables for 5 years to help pay for my doctoral studies. Then when I got my PhD I went to Zangen. At first I was doing real work in the lab with Zangen, all my sacrifices to get my PhD had been worth it. I was doing new interesting science and getting well paid. But then the paperwork and meetings started to replace the science, I hardly set foot in the lab these days. What I am doing at the moment doesn't need a PhD, if I had known this was my future I wouldn't have bothered with the sacrifices of doctoral study, I would have gone into scientific administration. I still want to do science, this job would give me the chance, even if only for one year, to get a lot closer to new science than I get with my endless meetings at Zangen. "The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out", as someone from Caltech once said."

Kariuki "Thank you. Dr. Parker will ask the next question."

Jane "In the lab you may be dealing with potentially dangerous biological materials, what would you do if you saw someone in the lab not following the correct safety procedures?"

Bernadette "I would make them stop what they were doing and ask them if they knew what they were doing wrong. If required I would make their lab working area safe. I would then make sure that this person was fully aware of what they were doing wrong. Depending of the severity of what they were doing I might have a word with their supervisor if it were a graduate student or postdoc. If they kept doing this I would kick them out of the lab and not let them work unsupervised."

Jane "What if Professor Kariuki had not been following the correct safety procedures?"

Bernadette "I would kick him out straight away, I would hope that he would know better than that!"

Kariuki "Looks like I would have to watch my step if you were to get the job Dr. Rostenkowski-Cooper!"

Bernadette "I would hope that everyone would watch their step, and ask questions if they weren't sure, biological safety is not a laughing matter."

Kariuki "Indeed, any further questions on this topic Dr. Parker."

Jane "No, I am happy with her answer."

Kariuki "Dr. Fowler-Wolowitz will ask the next question."

Amy "Dr. Rostenkowski-Cooper, you would be responsible for a suite of electron microscopes in the microbiology lab. What can you tell us about the use of these instruments in biology?..."

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40 minutes later it was all over. They let Bernadette go and she went to meet her husband. As she approached Sheldon's office she turned on her phone and 30 seconds later her boss called. Sheldon heard her coming and opened the door as she replied.

"Oh it's you. What did you mean why didn't I answer the earlier calls. Today I have a day off work, I know that it is a difficult concept for you to imagine. What I do on my days off is no concern of yours or anyone else at Zangen. You want to see me tomorrow at work at 10.00am? I shall see you then, good afternoon."

Sheldon "Let me guess, your wonderful boss called to say hello?"

Bernadette "Congratulations, you guessed correctly and you win a prize. You get to take me home."

Sheldon "Lucky me. So how did the interview go?"