Jessica Warren slowly walked towards Dr. Hodgins' office, carrying a sample of tissue that Dr. Brennan and Dr. Saroyan wanted to have tested for particulates. Normally, she would've looked forward to seeing Dr. Hodgins. In many ways, he reminded her of a combination of the Wizard of Oz and Bunsen Jude, the Science Dude. Dr. Hodgins always had some experiment going in his office, whether it was growing slime molds or raising colonies of fire ants, and Jessica was always interested in his results. He seemed to have recognized her as a kindred spirit, and when she was at the lab he had often sought her out to help him with some sort of wild and crazy experiment.
That all changed after Dr. Hodgins' injury at the crime scene. Jessica had visited him a few times while he was in the rehabilitation hospital, and was pleased to see that he was making an effort to maintain his good outlook on life. That all changed when he was told that he would probably never regain the use of his legs. Jessica sighed…what horrible news for an active man to receive, and it had turned the cheerful, if irascible Dr. Hodgins into an ogre wallowing in self pity. She understood what he had lost, but she also understood what he still had in his life: his intellect, and the love of his family, coworkers, and friends.
Of course, it doesn't help that James is okay...and I'm close to James...she thought as she reached the office door. Knocking softly, she peered into the office with trepidation. "Dr. Hodgins? It's me, Jessica. I have a sample that you need to check for particulates. Dr Hodgins?" She stepped into the office and walked over to his computer station. "Oh, there you are. I have a sample that needs to be checked…"
"I heard you the first time.", Hodgins growled. "Just leave it on the table. I'll get to it when I can. It's not like the remains are going anywhere." He looked up to see Jessica biting her lip as she rocked back and forth on her heels. "What? Haven't you seen anyone in a wheelchair before?" He laughed bitterly. "I'm thinking of getting one of those racing chairs so I can get away from demanding interns faster." Waving his hand, he dismissed her. "Tell your boss I'll have the results to her eventually. Hey, what are you doing? Put that down." Hodgins took the container from Jessica and glared at her. "You heard me. Get out."
"I was checking your progress on hybridizing the slime mold that smells like lemons. Weren't you going to try to sell the patent for that? It would be a natural deodorizer, right? You'd make as much money as that foam you invented." Jessica sat on a stool across from Hodgins. "It looks like you don't have many experiments going. I'm disappointed, Curly...you always have something fun for me to look at when I come to visit your office. I always look forward to seeing what you've been working on."
"You're out of luck, kid. I haven't had time to play with any new slime molds. I've been too busy getting my office set up for a cripple in a wheelchair. You'd be surprised how hard it is to look through a microscope when you're sitting in one of these babies." Hodgins wheeled himself out from behind his desk. "Sorry...I know you like that stuff, but I just can't do it anymore. I'm not mobile enough. Okay, playtime's over. Off you go, back to work. Go pick at your bones for a while."
However, Jessica was not so easily deterred. "What are you going to work on when your office is rearranged? Weren't you going to investigate a way of raising dermestid beetles that didn't take up so much space? Vertical, kind of like an ant farm, right?" She rose from her stool and looked through the petri dishes stacked on some of the upper shelves. "These cultures look like they've been contaminated, unless you're growing mold. I can dispose of these dishes, if you like, and then we can start some new cultures."
"What the hell are you doing? Didn't you hear me? Get out of my office!", Hodgins roared. "You aren't my intern. Go back and help Dr. Brennan, Ms. Warren!"
"Okay, okay. Sorry. I didn't mean to waste your time. I'll just come back on my lunch break and help you then." She smirked at Hodgins as she turned to leave. "We still have a lot of work to do, and we may not get all of it done today, but I can help you put a dent in it."
"No, you aren't coming back on your lunch break, Ms. Warren! Things are fine just the way they are. I don't need you in here bothering me and meddling in my business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Hodgins glared at her and turned back to his work.
Jessica inhaled deeply and closed her eyes tightly, trying to gather her courage. She was about to make a risky move, and she hoped it wouldn't get her fired. "Listen, Curly. I know I'm Dr. Brennan's intern, and she oversees what I do here. But here's some news for you. I was offered internships all over the country. I chose to come to the Jeffersonian because there are so many different scientists I can learn from in this lab. You are an inspiration for me, and I'm learning just as much from you as I am from Dr. Brennan. I need to take advantage of the opportunity I have to learn as much as I can from you about the investigative procedures you use in order to expand my knowledge so I can be a better forensic anthropologist. I want to use some of what I learn from you to help my dissertation stand out from what everyone else does so I'll look like a well rounded candidate when I apply for a job somewhere. Don't you understand? I need your help! Please?"
"I can't offer you anything you couldn't get anywhere else…" Hodgins turned back to his computer. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Jessica. I'm in no position to help you with anything like that. I've got too much on my plate right now to be any good to anybody."
"That's not true, Curly. They didn't ask you to come back to work here when you got out of the hospital just because they felt sorry for you. The staff here doesn't have time to take on another member out of pity. They need you here. We all do." Jessica sighed as she was met with stony silence. Embarrassed by her outburst, she quickly moved toward the office door. "I'm sorry I bothered you, Dr. Hodgins. I've got to go back to help Dr. B. Please let her know when the results from the sample are ready."
"Jessica, wait." Hodgins glanced up at her as she turned back to look at him. "If you have time, you can come by on your lunch break. I've got some things on the upper shelves for you to move around and clean up...and maybe we can bounce around some ideas for your thesis….but I'm not promising to help you with anything other than ideas…"
Smiling, Jessica nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Dr. Hodgins. I'll see you later."
Hodgins paused before typing on his keyboard again, thinking about what Jessica had said. Maybe...just maybe….I can be useful after all.