Chapter 2 No Patience
Parker turned in his seat as the airliner's 'fasten seat belt' sign lit up with a 'bing' to alert the passengers to its imminent landing. "Bones, will we get to see the remains as soon as we arrive at the dig site?"
Brennan smiled at his urgent enthusiasm. She remembered him bouncing on the balls of his feet when he was excited as a little boy. The tall young man seated beside her was mature enough to control that urge, but only barely. She shared and mirrored his anticipation of the wonders in store for them. "Not right away, Parker. There are some protocols and procedures unique to each dig that we'll have to familiarize ourselves with, and safety rules they need to explain, to satisfy insurance requirements. It will probably be this afternoon before we even arrive at the cave, so most likely we won't be able to view anything until tomorrow morning. But I understand your impatience! I feel this way whenever I go on a dig."
"Bones, I don't wanna eat, I don't wanna sleep, I just want to see everything they've found and help in any way I can! I think I'm gonna bust, having to wait that long!"
Parks, your dad has the patience of the biblical character Job. He had to develop that virtue in order to be an effective soldier and sniper. I know he doesn't like talking to you about that part of his past, but his ability to be infinitely patient is what has also made him such an effective FBI agent. Seeking the right clues, enduring the boredom of a stake-out without losing his focus; these tasks of waiting are part of his job, just as it is part of what you must do here. You know how exhausting it can be to crouch over a skeleton, brushing away centuries of dust, bit by bit, when your back is cramped and your legs grow numb? Same deal, Bud. And anyway, tomorrow will dawn more quickly than you think. Once your head hits that pillow tonight, you'll sleep like one of these skeletons. The jet lag of a fifteen hour flight will insure that better than any sleeping pill," she finished fondly.
The remainder of the day was, as Brennan had predicted, filled with the minutiae of an academic expedition. Parker thought time had never dragged by more slowly. He did, however, make the acquaintance of several young assistants like himself, sharing details of where they were from, what university they were currently attending, and what their career goals were in the anthropology field.
Because they were family, Brennan and Parker had been assigned to the same tent. A small dressing area was partitioned off with a canvas tarp for privacy. Brennan unfolded a camp table upon which she placed her laptop. Firing it up, she sent an email to Booth describing their activities and his son's exasperation at having to wait to handle specimens. She closed her partition and stepped aside so Parker could message his father before they retired for the night.
"Wow, Dad, we arrived and it's all great. Mom and I are fine. Just can't wait to get started. Hope you're fine. Kiss Chris and Hank for me. Love ya, Parker."