#bigsmile# Thanks for all the nice comments - I hope I didn't forget to thank anyone personally - if so: SORRY ;-) I'm really happy to see you guys like the story.

Alright, here we go for the next part - as already announced with a little special appearance of my favorite ME :-) I just love the guy. First I'm always happy to see HIM on the show, then he's really nice and funny - and he's so sweet and nice with Stella.

Hope you like it!

Chapter 4 – Tales From The Crypt

"AH! The sun is rising in the crypt…" Sid Hammerback proclaimed when he saw his favorite CSI entering the morgue.

Stella rolled her eyes in feigned desperation.

"So how did she die?" she asked, trying to ignore the comment.

"He."

"Hum?!"

"She's a 'He'!" Sid replied.

"What?? We are talking about this morning's victim, the one from the electric bed with the knife in the back, right?" Stella returned in surprise.

"Are you sure???"

Instead of explaining, he lifted the bottom of the sheet that covered the body.

"Check for yourself…"

"Oh… Yeah, from what I remember I'd say I agree," Stella returned perplexed.

Sid looked up at her.

"Well, if I can do anything to help refreshing your memory..."

"Don't flirt with me, Sid… Mac doesn't appreciate such private distraction at work," she grinned. She couldn't help it, somehow she liked the peculiar coroner.

"Mac doesn't even like other guys just taking a look at you, not to mention talking to you or being anywhere around you," he returned with a wink before he turned around so that he didn't notice her reaction.

"Hey Stella, what do you say – you, me, a little drink after work today?" he asked without looking at her.

"What??? Are you asking me out?" she wondered, still confused about his previous comment.

"Just a little after work drink among colleagues. Friends…" he smiled, unclipping his glasses and putting them back onto his nose.

Stella cleared her throat slightly.

"And… what does your wife say to this?"

"She's not in town. She's visiting her sister in Alabama, I'm a bachelor for a week," Sid grinned.

"Sid, I don't know what to… Look, I really like you, but I'm sorry I have…"

"Hey, no excuse necessary. I was just asking, I didn't mean to offend you," he smiled openly. "Not that you think I would make an inappropriate advance…"

Stella shook her head.

"Don't worry, I know that. Maybe another time, okay. It's just that today I already have plans – so…"

"Sure, another time it is. Promise?"

"Promise!" she smiled.

"By the way, back to work - have a look at this…" Sid handed her something small, bloody and slimy which had a suspicious similarity to a pair of rotten plums or something like that.

Still slightly irritated by their prior conversation, especially the part about Mac that had distracted her completely, Stella grabbed the thing with a reflex action and gave it a disgusted look.

"Urgh… thanks. What - the – hell - is - this?!?" she asked while looking for a place where to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

"His family jewels," Sid stated in a neutral tone while he held out a glass where she could drop them in.

Stella briefly shuddered while she took off her gloves and threw them in a trash can.

"And why exactly was I holding his balls in my hand?" she wondered, not really sure if this was just a joke or part of the investigation.

"Um, sorry. I didn't mean to intimidate you, in case…" Sid struggled. He was one of the few people who could risk such jokes with her without getting choked, just right now he wasn't sure if he might have crossed the line.

"In case what?"

Now Stella had the feeling it was her turn to tease him a little and she was willing to go for it.

"In case I never had anything like that in my hands before? Hum? Well, let me just tell you so much – not yet when they were this much undressed at least," she reported while she looked him straight in the eyes without blinking.

Sid gave her an investigative glance over the upper edge of his glasses.

Serves me right!

He figured she was just teasing him and gave her a smile. They were tuned to the same wavelength.

"So?" Stella reminded him with a look at the now safely stored items.

"Right. I examined the body first. Only obvious injury is a stab wound to the back which you already know about. But the wound itself wouldn't have been fatal, normally the guy should have been able to get up afterwards. He would have had severe bleeding, but he should have made it to the phone to call 911," Sid started to explain his findings.

"Unless he would have turned around to examine the knife the moment he stepped on the carpet," Stella mentioned.

"Right, but I didn't find any burn marks on the body, he didn't get an electrical shock," Sid returned.

"So why is he dead then?" Stella wondered.

"Coming to that now," he replied. "I took samples of fluids, hair etc. and sent them to Tox. Results came back half an hour ago, slight amount of poisoning."

"So he was poisoned, not stabbed?"

"Not sure, the dose wasn't fatal either. And besides it wouldn't have been anything that you would expect to be used as a killing drug…"

"What is it?"

"Hormones. When you take them as a man, they … um, shrink…" he looked over to the glass.

"Figures," Stella grinned. "Tough topic, hum?"

"Tell me about it… Anyway, after I got the results, I decided to excise his testicles. And as you can see - they don't really look normal."

"Never really examined any that close to be honest, but yeah, you're right. They do look weird," Stella confirmed.

"You should test for chemicals in them, there are numerous poisons that amass in certain organs, some attach to protein and um…"

"Yeah, clear. Protein central…" she winked while she picked up the glass and put it in a paper bag. No need to carry that kind of content around in plain view of everyone.

On her way back to the lab, Stella's thoughts wandered back. That had certainly been a VERY weird conversation.

TBC

Keep in mind: Try to encourage fast posting - don't forget to feed the little sheep with some reviews ;-) It's hungry... and it will appreciate it #smile#