Thank you for the great reviews of the first chapter to this one. I'm glad everyone is enjoying it. Here we find out how Booth does with his initial "lessons" on forensic science, as well as how they all got exposed to COVID-19 by Hacker. My plan is to add a chapter a day, barring any unforeseen problems. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Gregg
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Day One, cont.
There was no doubt about it. Hacker was a dead man. Thoughts of slowly torturing the pathetic waste of skin danced through Booth's mind as he turned the page of the rather thick book that Bones had plopped down in front of him to study from. The picture that met his eyes made him want to hurl. Beetles! Hundreds of the things gleefully chowing down on the desiccating flesh of the poor soul whose dead carcass needed to be taken down to the bone. It was a sickening sight! A whole textbook, written by Bones herself, on the methodology and techniques of defleshing the human body. Naturally all his protests fell on deaf ears, and his sensitive stomach was having to deal with all these hideous images, coupled with detailed explanatory texts, after having had a genuinely man sized breakfast of 6 large buttermilk pancakes, a dozen pieces of bacon, two fried eggs, and three cups of coffee to get him revved up for the day after being woken up at a totally ungodly hour. He let his mind wander to how this nightmare came about, thus adding more fuel to his desire to torture and maim Hacker.
The Previous Day
Booth was enjoying a rare treat. He was at the lab at the Jeffersonian enjoying having not only Bones there, but also Christine and Hank, though they were not on the platform or the Ooky room. Also, as a surprise, though Hodgins wasn't thrilled, Angela's Dad, Billy, was visiting and everyone was having a fun time. Angela and Hodgins son was at home with a sitter since the day care had closed with all this coronavirus stuff going around, and Angela was at the store, having left early having not realized her Dad was going to be dropping by. It had been hilarious to see Hodgins squirm when Billy had shown up.
"Booth! Temperance!" came a voice that Booth had hoped to never hear again. Hacker!
Booth felt a hand on his forearm, and saw that Bones was telling him without saying it that he needed to be nice. In reality, Booth wanted to beat the crap out of the jealous waste of skin! The freak had never gotten over the fact that Bones had chosen someone else. Fortunately, Hacker had been given a promotion, though Booth would never understand how the idiot got one, to a regional director.
"Hacker," Booth said through clenched teeth.
"Andrew," Bones said politely. She knew it ticked Booth off to hear her call Hacker by his first name, so she always did it as the ensuing argument at home, and the make-up sex were literally toe curling and spine tingling.
"I'm in Washington for a meeting with the Director and had to come say hello," Hacker said, not really catching the tension radiating off of Booth. His main focus was on Temperance, though he knew that she was Booth's, and the two kids with them proved it spectacularly. He moved over and clapped Booth on the shoulder and shook Temperance's hand. He knew about all the social distancing stuff, but the President had been giving the good word all along that this whole virus stuff wasn't a big deal, right? It was the flu, or something, right? Besides, he'd been tested a couple of days before and hadn't heard anything alarming. No news was good news, right?
Booth's eyes narrowed as he saw Hacker shake everyone's hands, including Billy. This COVID-19 stuff was pretty serious from what Bones had told him, and he was willing to bet that this idiot had no conception of social distancing, or the importance of it. But he wouldn't be here glad-handing everyone if he was an infectious risk, would he? No one was that insane! But this was Hacker, though, and he didn't have the best track record on intelligence. His musings were interrupted when Hacker's cell phone rang.
"Hacker," the twit said in a cocky tone.
Booth watched as the waste of skin's face turned pale. Must be some bad news. Booth smiled at that thought. He schooled his expression when Hacker lowered the phone.
"There's a problem," Hacker said, his voice shaky and almost a whisper. "I tested positive for the Coronavirus. I just found out."
"You came in here knowing you'd been tested and were supposed to be self-quarantining?" Hodgins asked, looking like he was about to lose his lunch. Hodgins at least had the satisfaction of seeing that nutbar Billy look a little green around the gills, but this was not a good turn of events. He whipped out his cell phone and tapped one on the speed dial function he'd programmed in. "Angie?" he said when someone answered. "Stock up the man cave for the long haul. Billy and I are going to be hunkering down in there. Hacker exposed us to COVOID-19 after he tested positive and I don't want that shit anywhere near you or Michael Vincent. We'll be at the house in about half an hour." He hung up. "Okay, Billy. You and me are going to be isolating in the Man Cave. We can at least be comfortable for two weeks."
"Sounds like a plan," Billy said, offering a lengthy stare/glare to Hacker. "And I've got plenty of Tequila for the two of us."
Hodgins looked utterly sick when Billy mentioned Tequila, but at least he knew that there were no tattoo paraphernalia whatsoever in the Man Cave. Angie had made it damn clear that any more body art from Billy and it was removal time.
Booth wanted nothing more than to kill Hacker for being such a complete and utter idiot. As it was, he got the satisfaction of seeing Bones deliver a hard right cross to Hacker that was going to leave a damn nice black eye on the piece of work.
The Present
"Bones, this is hideous!" Booth complained when his musings on the day before had ended. "How come I have to suffer through all this, and Hodgins gets to isolate in his Man Cave? I should be in my Man Cave right now enjoying being a lazy schlub."
"Christine and Hank wanted you to be in 'class' with them, so I decided that this would be the perfect way to have us all spend time as a family," Bones explained calmly. "And Hodgins is not in his Man Cave, nor is Billy. Angela thought it was too close to her and Michael Vincent, so she had them ushered into the emergency shelter and is having food slid to them as needed."
Booth shuddered. Hodgins' emergency shelter would make solitary in a maximum-security prison look spacious! Granted, Hodgins made the shelter in case of intruders, but the guy hadn't really spent any time or money on making it really livable. Now he was in there for two weeks with Billy? Maybe lessons weren't such a bad way to spend time, though he would be having a chat with Christine and Hank about proper Daddy/Family activities. Lessons from the Super Squint herself on forensic science was definitely not on the list!
A/N: There's the second chapter. I hope everyone enjoys this one. I want to keep the chapters a manageable length so I can post every day, or at a minimum every other day. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Gregg