SailorStar9: After getting the prologue out, this is Chapter 1 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny which, unfortunately, is still alive.
Chapter 1: No 'Fun' In 'Fungus'
"Adeline," Sara entered the autopsy lab with Warrick in tow and looked at the female body the younger coroner was working on. "So, what's the story on her?"
"A story implies fiction." Adeline remarked, still focused on her work, Dr. Ribbons was dealing with a corpse in the next room as both senior coroners had trusted her enough to let her handle the minor cases. "I deal with facts."
"Fair enough." Warrick smiled. "So, what're the facts on her?"
"Belinda Simpson, age forty-four and diabetic." Adeline reported. "Her husband, Samson Simpson, had her brought back from a camping trip via emergency helicopter after she started exhibiting symptoms of hypoglycemia. She was pronounced DOA this evening at 19:39."
"Low blood sugar?" Sara echoed. "Then why does she have signs of jaundice?" having noticed the yellow shade of the corpse's skin. "Wait, Samson Simpson?" She paused.
"You don't mean the same Samson Simpson who runs that wilderness camp about fifty miles outside Vegas?" Warrick blinked. "The one that lets tourists live off the land for a week, as long they have five thousand bucks?"
"The same guy." Sara nodded. "He says they went on the camping trip to make up after a big argument. And according to him," she glanced at her report. "Belinda wanted to move back to Miami so that she could get back to her career. He's outside with Jim kicking a fuss about how it's not natural to cut open a dead body."
"The tissues in her esophagus and mouth are irritated." Adeline reported. "Indicating that she had vomited recently, and quite violently too, judging from the tissue damage. Not only that, she is also severely dehydrated, which supports the vomiting but it has nothing to do with the low blood sugar."
"Her skin does look pretty dry." Sara admitted.
"That's due partly to these." Henry said, entering the autopsy lab and holding up a packet of alcohol wipes that was tagged in an evidence bag. "They're used to clean off; no showers in the wilderness. Good for cleanliness,"
"But bad for moisturizing." Adeline added. "Which is why I only use them for makeup removal. Henry, is the toxicity report back?"
"Yeah," Henry nodded. "The report you wanted came back."
"Thanks Henry." Adeline nodded and took the report. "Amanitin and phalloidin." She quickly identified the culprits.
"They are poisons." Henry interjected, seeing Sara's and Warrick's confused looks.
"And both are found at highly toxic levels in the Amanita phalloides mushroom, aka the death cup mushroom." Adeline added.
"They sound like real fungis." Henry joked.
"Henry, shut up." Sara was not amused as Warrick and Adeline tuned out the lab tech.
"Did she eat some bad mushrooms by mistake?" Warrick asked.
"There were no traces in her stomach or digestive tract," Adeline frowned as she returned to her side of the autopsy table.
"Could she have vomited them all out?" Sara inquired.
"There would be traces in her intestines," Adeline explained. "We only vomit out what's in our stomachs, and Amanitin takes six to fifteen hours before causing nausea, which gives her stomach plenty of time to digest its contents."
"There's a myth about poisonous mushrooms," Warrick remarked. "Something that says you can detoxify them by boiling them in water and vinegar."
"That's an old wife's tale." Henry cut in from beside Sara. "Using isopropyl alcohol is only way to extract the poison."
"And no sane person would eat a mushroom after it's been soaked in that." Adeline added. "Don't you have more analysis to do, Henry?" she reminded.
"Spoilsport." The toxicity tech muttered and removed himself from the lab.
"Alcohol…" Sara's brain went into overdrive. "Warrick, have Jim detain Samson Simpson for further questioning."
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.
