AN: A belated response to the Anniversary Challenge but here it is :-) Wow, I just realized that this will make my 50th story posted under this profile...and it's a Five-O one at that LOL. Mahalo goes to Honu59 for finding the perfect image for me to use. Thank you also to "Book 'em Again" for the suggestions - I have made a couple of minor adjustments accordingly.
This is just a one-shot at this stage but I may write a follow-up or extend it in the future - I'm not yet sure.
The following quote appears in my ficlet:
"But I found out that bones with flesh are more interesting than bones without."James MacArthur
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters, quotations, locations or canon information depicted in the series "Hawaii Five-O". I'm just borrowing them for my pleasure and hopefully the enjoyment of others.
In The Name of Medicine
"But I found out that bones with flesh are more interesting than bones without." James MacArthur
The incessant and persistent wearing down of the white tiled floor no longer surprised the crusty coroner who had over the years grown accustomed to the habit that came with the presence of Hawaii's top cop. Disposing the synthetic gloves, Doc Bergman picked up his clip board and pen without so much as a glance in McGarrett's direction.
"Well?" Five-O's lead detective huffed, apparently no longer able to contain his profound impatience.
Bergman looked up from his paperwork and waited for the man before him to cease his monotonous pacing. It's like watching my grandchildren traipsing in and out of the kitchen waiting for the cookies to cool on the rack.
McGarrett sighed heavily before finally allowing his feet to come to a complete stand-still. He crossed his arms and frowned. "Please tell me you found out who our John Doe really is."
"No, not yet. But, I found out that bones with flesh are more interesting than bones without," Bergman chuckled wryly. That man is tight as a coil ready to spring. Sometimes I worry about his blood pressure. Not that he'd ever listen if I gave him a piece of my mind to take better care of himself and take a blasted vacation. God knows I could use one from him!
"Doc, please, spare me the humour. I'm at the end of my rope here." McGarrett reached up with one hand and rubbed his temple.
"Alright, but you're not going to like this. Our John Doe was indeed murdered. Cause of death was asphyxiation. He was strangled. Judging by the marks around his neck, someone used a cord to do the job," Bergman explained.
"What else, Doc?" McGarrett prodded.
"I found track marks on both his arms," Doc continued.
"Just like the other two victims," McGarrett mused aloud.
"Well, like with the other victims, it looks to me like some form of a hallucinogen was administered into their system, along with two other unidentifiable substances. I've sent blood samples to the lab for analysis. As soon as I get the results back, I can tell you more," Bergman explained. He waited for the detective to dig further and prepared himself for the usual third degree in true McGarrett-style.
"Any luck on finding out which institution uses the same type of wrist bands we found on the victims?" McGarrett questioned.
This was the second John Doe in less than a two week period found floating in the harbour wearing what looked to be hospital gowns. While both victims exhibited the same tell-tale signs that foul play was involved in their deaths, neither of them could be matched to missing persons records and were yet to be identified. However, there was one other distinguishable feature that linked the victims together and that was a wristband found around their left wrist which looked to be hospital issued.
Doc slowly shook his head. "Sorry, Steve. The serial number and inscriptions don't match any hospital or clinic that I know of. And none of them are missing patients that fit the descriptions of our John Does."
It didn't escape Doc's notice – nor did it surprise him - that the detective appeared less than pleased with what little he could tell him. Logically he knew that the top cop wasn't placing the blame on him personally but he did acknowledge the frustration that showed on McGarrett's weary face as he tried to keep his emotions in check.
"I still haven't ruled out the possibility that we're dealing with a new drug being prepared to hit the streets but maybe, just maybe, we're dealing with something else altogether. Doc, is it possible these victims could be the results of some illegal pharmaceuticals experiments gone horribly wrong? That an organization could very well be behind it and now they're trying to cover their tracks?" McGarrett theorized.
"It's a possibility. Proving it on the other hand…" Bergman said thoughtfully. Although he hated the thought that someone in the medical profession could be abusing their position to commit such unspeakable crimes, he wandered if McGarrett was on to something. Something that only nightmares were made of. Using fellow human beings as guinea pigs for man-kind's everlasting search to find a cure for countless deadly diseases appalled the coroner.
Doc could almost see the wheels of motion were turning a million miles a minute in the detective's mind. A knock on the door, however, disrupted the tense moment and a young man in a white lab coat entered.
"What is it, Kevin?" Bergman prompted.
"There's a phone call for Mr. McGarrett. It's Dan Williams," the young man announced.
"Go ahead, Steve. I'll call you as soon as the blood work results come through," Bergman dismissed the detective.
"Thanks, Doc. I'd appreciate that." Without waiting for a response from Bergman, the detective briskly left the coroner to his own thoughts as he left the room to take the call.
Bergman himself anxiously hoped that the call boded some good news. If these heinous crimes were indeed committed by someone from the medical field, he would like nothing more than to see justice prevail and the nightmare to stop. He didn't believe in substituting the life of one innocent to save another nor did he support the lengths that people would go to, for the sake of finding a medical breakthrough if it meant that someone else would suffer to achieve it. He had lived long enough to have seen evil done by those who saw themselves as healers or saviours as they acted in what they believed to be for the greater good. If the going price to save the world from any one of the many diseases that afflicted the populace was a human life, then the price was too high to pay and that was the firm belief that Bergman lived by.