Dr. Oliver Wells snickered as he and Hodgins played their video game. "Seriously...how can Dr. Brennan justify it?" Shaking his head with a guffaw, Oliver watched with delight as Hodgins' animated drone crashed and burned. "You'll never reach level 50 if you fly like that, Hodgins…"
"What are you talking about, Oliver? How can Dr. B justify what?" Hodgins got the game ready to so they could play again. "Wanna go best two outta three?"
"Sure...I'll still beat you, Hodgins, and then I'll be 'King of the Drone Races!" Beaming happily, Oliver explained what he meant about his mentor. "I don't know how Dr. Brennan can justify relying on the expertise of a lowly FBI agent when she has a museum full of the brightest people on the planet to choose from for assistance. After all, I have five degrees. I'm brilliant. Agent Booth probably had to struggle to graduate with a four year degree, and he's of average intelligence at best. I would've figured out what the shape of the victim's skull wound meant eventually." Oliver banked his drone hard to the right to avoid an obstacle and crashed into an animated wall. "Damn it!"
Hodgins chuckled as they got ready to play again. "Yeah, you're pretty smart, but you don't know everything, and that's where Dr. B. has you beat. You think you know everything, and you never want to ask anybody for help. That means your investigations may go longer than necessary, Oliver. When you're working on a murder investigation, time is of the essence. You have to be quick, accurate, and able to use all of the resources available to you. Dr. B., on the other hand, does know pretty much everything, but, if she doesn't know something, she looks to others for their expertise. It just so happened in this case that the expert she contacted just happened to be her husband, Agent Booth. And, by the way..." Hodgins leaned to one side as he tried to help his imaginary drone fly better. "Agent Booth is no dummy. He's just smart in a different way than you are, and he's also a better shot than you are, so if I were you, I wouldn't let him know that you think he struggled in college, or that you think he's stupid."
"But how can he be an expert on anything? He has, what...one four year degree in criminal justice or something useless like that? I'm sure he doesn't understand the first thing the physics of hockey...about how the angle of the blade affects the flight of the puck…" Oliver leaned back as he tried to pull up on the imaginary throttle of his drone.
"He doesn't have to know that. All he has to know is that each player has their own preferred blade angle and handle preference. Agent Booth has practical knowledge, and as well-educated people, we have to know when to utilize that knowledge. HA...Gotcha." Hodgins grinned as his drone beat Oliver's around the video game course. "That's it. I win. Hey, look at the time. Let's call it a night." They shut down the game as they got ready to leave for the evening. "Here's the thing, Oliver. If you want to work in a great forensics lab like the Jeffersonian, you have to learn to respect all of the people you work with. You can't go around acting like a superior jackass, just because you think you're the smartest person working here. Everybody who works here has something to offer in solving a crime or figuring out the answer to a puzzle. I will say, you did a lot better getting along with people on this rotation than the last time. But still…"
"I'll do just fine when I'm finished with my degree, Dr. Hodgins. I don't need your advice." Oliver stuck his chin out proudly. "I know what I'm doing."
Hodgins nodded as he pursed his lips. "Okay. I understand. You know everything. But here's a little something I want you to consider. I have to sit in this wheelchair now because I'm paralyzed. It's a disability I have to overcome, but I was in no position to overcome it until I accepted that the disability existed. Once I accepted it, I've been able to move on, and I hardly think about it any more. You have a disability, too...you don't get along with other people. In fact, you're an absolute jerk. Until you accept that part of you and try to improve that aspect of your personality, Oliver, you won't be successful working in a laboratory setting. So, you need to decide what to do. You can let me apply my expertise to help you with overcoming your disability, or you can be unsuccessful at work and at life. When you decide...let me know. I'll be here." Hodgins turned and wheeled himself off the lab platform, leaving Oliver standing alone on the platform, gaping in surprise as he pondered what Hodgins had said.