Chapter eight

"So he's okay?" Booth questioned immeadately as they walked in the hospital. Hodgins was waiting in the reception area, looking nervous.

"He's in stable condition, if that's what you mean. One more month even and he would have died."

"So why did he pass out?" Bones asked.

"You know Zack, he's a pansy." Hodgins smiled, but that was met by all-around scowls. Just as Jack was going to lead them back to the room where Zack was at Mikey breezed into the hospital. He walked half way past the group of Jeffersionian employees, turned on his heel, and went up to talk to them. "Is Zack okay?" He asked uncertianlly.

"Why are you here?" Bones ignored his question. He seemed un-phased by her rudness. "My drummer caught on fire. Is Zack okay?"

"He's in stable condition." Bones replied. She seemed un-phased by the flaming percussionist.

"What the hell happened to him, though?" Mikey asked.

"What the hell do you think?" Hodgins stuck his white-boy 'fro into the conversation.

"Well, can I see him?"

"What about the drummer?" Angela asked.

"It's only a severe infection. He'll live... probably. Thing is that I need to see Zack because I could have stopped this before it even started like, eight years ago." Dr. Brennan was about to open her mouth to argue but Booth pulled her out of the group. "Fine. Come on." Mikey smiled happily.

Zack looked really pale, like if you even poked him he would break. The boy looked skinny hand half dead. "Fuck..." Mikey said under his breath. The sound made Zack look up from a back issue of Parenting. "Hello." He greeted the group.

"Jesus Christ, Zack. You look like hell." Booth didn't really regret screaming that, the kid should have gotten help.

"Is there a case?" Zack asked.

"There is," Mikey spoke up, "And I'm the dead guy, that's why I'm here. I haven't quite hit rigor mortis. Or decomposition." That brought a smile to Zack's face. The group found somewhere to sit in Zack's little hospital room. They all started talking uneasily, trying to avoid the subject of why they were here, at least for the time being.

But eventually the subject came up. Oh, so tactfully Hodgins said "What the hell were you thinking, Zack?" There was a pause.

"I… don't… know…" He told the group. At about that time, the nurse said it'd be best for Zack to get some rest. The whole group left Zack alone. Again.