Angela stood in the doorway of Hodgins' office, quietly watching him work for a few minutes. It seemed he'd finally gotten things arranged so that his work station was set up properly for use with his wheelchair. He was able to get from his microscope and the rest of his equipment and back to his computer quite efficiently, thanks to the information he'd gathered from the online ergonomics program offered by George Mason University. He seemed particularly interested in whatever was on his microscope at the time, talking quietly to himself as he turned to make notes on his computer. Finally he chuckled as he realized his wife was patiently waiting for him to finish his work.
"Oh, hi, Angie! I'm sorry. I got interested in cataloging those particulate samples that I took from the laundry chute in the hotel, and I forgot about the time. I was lucky I didn't lose them when I fell down inside there, you know? I guess it doesn't really make any difference, since the guy who put the body in the chute is dead, but somebody may need them for evidence in a case some day."
"It's okay, Jack. I'm not in a big hurry. I'm just glad to see that you're enjoying your work again." Angela came in and sat on the stool across from her husband. "You've been able to go out to do investigations at crime scenes a few times, too. That has to make you very happy."
"Yeah, it does. I hate being cooped up in the lab all the time. Going to the crime scene makes me feel useful...more like part of the team. It's almost like it used to be, you know? Almost back to normal." He reached over to shut down his computer. "Okay, ready to go." Wheeling his chair out from behind his desk, he joined Angela as they left his office. "Hey, did Fisher leave already? I wanted to talk to him about something."
"I think he had to go help the President's daughter study for that final he was telling us about. It was good to see him again, wasn't it?" They stopped by Angela's office to pick up her bag and her jacket. "He seems to be doing so well, and he was almost cheerful. I'm so happy he completed his dissertation and got his doctorate, but calling him Dr. Fisher is gonna take getting used to, isn't it? What's the matter, Jack? You seem disappointed..."
"Maybe a little. I wanted to thank him, but it's no big deal, I guess. I'll just call him." He shrugged as they left her office. "C'mon...let's go home."
"I don't understand.", Angela commented as they walked through the lab toward the exit. "Why do you want to thank Fischer? Did he do a favor for you?"
"I guess in way, he did do me a favor. It's kind of hard to explain." Hodgins stopped and turned toward his wife. "Fisher's been through a lot, you know? He's struggled with severe depression for years...he was even hospitalized a couple of times because of it, but somehow, even with all his mental health issues, he's managed to work and go to school in spite of his illness, completing his Ph.D and getting a great job, even though there were times he felt so bad he probably wanted to give up on life completely. He's been honest about it,too...he jokes about being in the 'loony bin' and all the therapy he's been through, but he doesn't use it as an excuse, even though he's gonna have to deal with his illness for the rest of his life. He just keeps going, plugging along, no matter what happens, and now he's successful in his chosen career field. He's really an amazing person."
Angela nodded in understanding. "So if he can do it…"
"Exactly. If he can do all of those things while being so severely depressed, I can continue to work while I'm dealing with my paralysis, even if I have to deal with it for the rest of my life. Anyway, I just wanted to thank him for inspiring me, but I guess I'll just call him…" Hodgins turned his chair and moved toward the exit.
"Why don't you ask him to come to dinner sometime soon? You can tell him how much he inspires you, and you can tell him how your brother's doing as well. He'd probably like to hear about that, too…" Angela reached down to hold her husband's hand. "I'd like it if we could keep in touch with Fisher."
Hodgins smiled as he squeezed Angela's hand. "Yeah...I'd like that, too."