The Doctor In A Daze

Arrivals In The Lab

Zack sits in his 'Ooky Room', so designated by his landlord, peer, and occasional social mentor/friend Dr Jack Hodgins, staring at his computer and the flashing cursor indicating the point at which he is up to in his dissertation. Which is the exact same spot it's been for the three months he's spent almost solely working on it whilst his mentor Dr Brennan has been in Guatemala. Evidently, finishing his dissertation has been significantly harder than he had anticipated, for no logical reason. His contemplation of his own issues with procrastination are interrupted by the boisterous entrance of Hodgins, whom bursts in with a slightly breathless 'dude!'

"Yes Dr Hodgins?" Zack carefully turns in his seat to stand from his desk.

"What? No questions about how my holiday was?" Zack takes a moment to scan and categorise Hodgins after the question before answering.

"You went to Maui, you have a reasonable tan, and your smile lines are intensified, thus I surmise your holiday was pleasant. Was social niceties all you wanted?"

Jack squints at the relatively emotionless intern before him. "Goodman just told me I have an intern. She's arriving within the hour. And I figured you would care, given it's another intern and human being you have to learn to interact with as if you aren't an alien from another planet."

"But I'm not an alien."

The two engage in a staring contest, Jack suspiciously squinting as if he truly believes Zack might actually be an invading alien, Zack merely returning eye contact out of habit. Once it becomes evident, however, that Hodgins will not continue the conversation on his own, Zack sighs in a put upon manner.

"So the intern. I thought you would have gotten to choose one for yourself, Dr Brennan chose me."

Jack lets his eyes relax slowly before he answers. "Yeah, well I've managed to avoid getting one for years by just knocking back every application, but Dr Goodman felt that, given we're an 'institution of learning', I should participate in teaching or I would lose my job. So he picked her while I was away and didn't tell me till today." Hodgins sits in Zach's desk chair, spinning absentmindedly as he speaks, clearly upset, enough that even Zach notices.

"You look as though you are unhappy. Have you perhaps considered you might have things in common with your intern?" Zach meanders his own room, avoiding physical closeness to his peer.

"It's not the person. I'm just not the teaching type. Even you, Robo-Boy, would notice I have no patience. Not exactly ideal for nurturing inexperienced fools."

"Then I suppose you have to hope she's already perfect."

Their conversation is stopped at this timely point by the sound of knocking on glass. "Hello. I'm Dr Maguire, are either of you Dr Hodgins?"

Both men turn towards the noise, and Zach immediately begins cataloguing. Hair is shaved on sides and back, remaining hair reaches just above the jawline and is a silver-toned blonde. Her face is soft with youth, but her angles are sharp with prominent cheek and jaw bones. She wears burgundy eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and a matching burgundy lipstick draws his attention to her mouth before returning to her eyes. He finds them blue, a stark, slate grey blue, and somehow finds her brown eyebrows not incongruous with the rest of her features. Her chest is ample and clearly visible in the peep hole in her dress, a tight black thing with useless straps and buckled and mesh, with a skirt that falls gently around her thick muscles thighs. The black knee high socks she wears bring his attention to her calves, which are muscled, and yet considerably larger than his medium, modest ones, and her feet disappear in to large burgundy boots. In the two seconds it takes him to process this information, he judges she is reasonably athletic, visually intimidating, and very physically attractive. A small part of his brain pipes up to correct him.

'That's a lie. Your first thought was that she was hot.'

Ignoring the voice in his head, he points at the curly-haired doctor in the wheelie chair and goes back to perusing his books as if searching for something.

"Dr Maguire? I was under the impression you were an intern working on their doctorate?" Jack leans back in the chair, though stops leaning back in it after a glance from Zach, but continues to cross his arms sternly. "I don't think I need to teach someone who has already been taught."

"I'm a doctor, as in medical doctor, pathologist specifically, but my bedside manner was considered negligent and I reverted to my childhood interest in flora, fauna, which is what I'm here for. Is there somewhere I should put my things?" All she carries with her is a satchel bag, which seems full and heavy. Her question returns Zach's attention to her.

"This is the interns office. I have been the only intern here for the duration, but that desk there is unused." Zach points to the opposite corner of the room. "I hope you have no difficulty with sharing a space."

"I am used to sharing space. What is your discipline?" Her eyes are owlish, and the way she blinks is too perfect and robotic. To Jack, she seems surreal, to Zach, she seems perfectly normal.

"I'm working towards a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering and Forensic Anthropology, though have yet to finish either. Zach Addy." He reaches out to shake her hand, which she grips and pumps up and down firmly, exactly one time.

"Nice to meet you Mr Addy. Since we shall be sharing a workspace, I believe it would be reasonable for you to call me Tully."

"A fair assumption, you are welcome to call me Zach."

Jack watches on in awe and horror, eyes sliding between the two as he watches his friend interact with his new, eerily similar intern. Before anything further can be said amongst the group, Zach's phone rings, which he carefully answers after three rings. To give him slightly more privacy, Tully walks closer to her new boss.

"I'm sorry for not shaking your hand, I forgot. Is there anything you wish to ask me before you begin assigning me tasks?" She holds her hand out to Hodgins who sits and stares grumpily at the girl.

"Any attachment to government agencies?"

"Both my brothers are involved, FBI agent and United States Navy intelligence officer, but I personally don't have any current connections, other than that of this institution."

"...Fine." Before Jack can ask any further probing questions, Zach finishes his phone call, drawing attention to himself with an unnatural sounding clearing of his throat.

"Dr Brennan has called me to a crime scene, we are going to be working with the FBI again. I suggest you complete whatever verbal hazing you have planned before we return with the body and any samples." And with that, he leaves.

"Was there any further 'hazing' you felt was necessary?" The word seems foreign on her tongue, judging only by the halting way she pronounces it, but the truly peculiar part is she's still holding her hand out to shake with him.

"I'll save that till after we're sure we don't have to solve a murder. Lesson one kid, your work will come before all else."

"I'm not a infant goat, but I will write that in my notes."

Jack stares at her, mildly bewildered that he's managed to collect what essentially appears to be Lady-Zach, before shaking her hand sternly and walking away. Once he has left the room, she walks to the desk Zach had previously indicated and emptied out the unnecessary aspects of her bag on to the desk. These consist of a copy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, well worn and yellowing yet clearly well loved and cared for. A photo of her younger self graduating, standing beside a grey haired man, and two adult men, all four smile happily. A fountain pen inscribed with the words 'victus amore a tinea' which she sets beside a plain black leather notebook with an old school brass clasp. She also places a display of pressed flowers, made up of nine similar and yet different flowers. Her desk is clean, and yet personal, and with that job done, she nods with a pleased look on her face before leaving the room to find her boss and truly begin her first day.