.:9:.


Henry tilted his head aside as he studied the body before him. Lucas stood just behind Henry, watching his boos, waiting for his careful examination of the body before they started their autopsy. It was always a process they had to go through. Their office was brought a body, the history of it was explained a little bit, sometimes Henry preferred not to be told anything about the deceased, wanting to solve the mystery himself.

Sometimes it was obvious, determined by what had happened before the body was transported to him. Car accidents, industrial accidents, and work hazards were some of the more…interesting cases he'd come across. It was obvious, in those cases, what had cut down life so short; especially with one body that had a large piece of metal through the skull that came out through the jaw. And another body flattened to a pancake after having a lorry filled with rocks fall atop of them.

Simple cases.

It was the mysteries that really made him enjoy the work he did, despite using it to work out the curse that seemed to be placed upon him.

The cases where a body came across his table that was so pristine were his favorite to work with. He spent his time working out what caused the 'natural death' or what may not actually be a natural death. Though there were some drawbacks he supposed, the points of life that he trained himself to become numb to. Cases of suicide and murder by domestic violence, drug addictions, and the even more tragic where someone's heart gave out or they passed by an unknown illness.

He worked himself to become numb to it, to not be so affected by what was fleeting for him. To focus on the bedside manner for the families that had to come identify the bodies. The ones who screamed and cried and threw themselves towards the lifeless bodies of their loved ones, he had to force himself not to turn way from and give a sympathetic ear to. The more information they received, the easier it was to grieve.

And yet, Henry couldn't grieve along with them. He'd stopped grieving after Abigail had left him, after he started his search, after he realized how futile it was to find her. If she wanted to be found, she would've let him find her. So, he turned his attention to the mysteries of the human body.

As the one who couldn't die, there was a multitude of things that could take someone down. But for someone who made it his life's mission to figure everything out, it was a puzzle he enjoyed working out.

Lucas looked at his boss, wondering when he was going to start working on the body. It did take a few moments of Henry studying the body to get an idea of where to start, but this time it was taking a bit longer for him to get to the point. Quietly, Lucas cleared his throat and said, "So, are we going to get started or…?" Henry slowly lifted his head and shifted his gaze to Lucas, as if only noticing him for the first time. Lucas let out a quiet, nervous laugh. "I mean, I don't mind standing here all day. I just, you know, what to learn from you as much as possible, and if that means we have to stand here and just watch, then I'm great with that. You have your process and—"

"—Lucas," Henry interrupted. The simple word made his co-worker fall into a steady silence. Henry pursed his lips and took a step back, so that he was standing side by side with the younger man. Henry nearly laughed at the thought—younger certainly was right. He probably couldn't pinpoint how old he was by the time Lucas was born let alone when he first applied to work beneath him.

As it was, Henry could hardly remember a time where Lucas wasn't there by his side, helping him out with everything he needed. Honestly, Henry remembered how perplexed he was when he first met Lucas. The young man's motor mouth aside, there was something about him that caught Henry's attention. His innocence and youthful joy of truly wanting to work in the medical examiner's office probably did it. How many people wanted to look over dead bodies and pull them apart to find out the inner workings of the human's system in a way that would make even those with the strongest stomach to hurl.

Nevertheless, something about him made Henry want to take a chance and his gamble had paid off…just like it would've with Sydney, had he been able to spend more time with the boy. It was strange to him, the sort of connection he felt with a teen boy who had a sarcastic streak as long as Henry's arm. But the way he continued to look…guarded made Henry wonder, at times, if it wasn't just his father that was the problem in his life.

But if it were because he…maybe…had the same abilities that Henry did. He didn't think there was anyone like him out there before Adam. That he was the only one in the world cursed to live a life that would never end. Adam was the boogeyman over his shoulder, waiting for the time to contact Henry when he felt like it, wanting to taunt him when he got the chance. Enjoying the cat and mouse game that haunted Henry for days on end afterwards, breaking through the carefully crafted veneer that Henry worked hard to keep up, to keep people out.

And yet, he hadn't known Sydney for too long and the young teen somehow managed to throw Henry's life off-kilter. Maybe because he felt a natural parental instinct to keep him safe through his own suspicions of Robert. Or, Henry thought, you know there's something there that you don't want to say out loud.

How do you go up to someone and ask, "Do you ever come back to life after being killed?" Right, that conversation would go well. He'd be sent off to the nearest mental hospital long before he could figure out a better way to bring it up. That is, if he hadn't been slapped with a restraining order from his investigation into Robert.

"Lucas, why don't you take the reins on this one?" Henry surprised himself by saying.

Lucas seemed to feel the same way as his eyes widened and shifted back and forth, as if looking for the nearest exit he could run through. "Uh…wow. Really? You, you, uh, you trust me with that?" He laughed nervously, almost a staccato sound that bounced off the walls of the office. He brought up his hands and started to pluck at the ends of his gloves, repeatedly smacking them against his wrist.

Henry watched the nervous movements. Did his best not to laugh. Of his own perception skills, people watching became a past time for him. But watching Lucas was some of the most entertaining ways to pass the time. At his young age, Luas was still at the point in his life where he truly felt he didn't know what he was doing or where he was going and worked to cover that nervousness with a false bravado. A false bravado that became a mis-mash of excited, nervous energy.

The way he continuously snapped his gloves, Henry could see the nervousness that bubbled up through his body. Could practically see Lucas's mind slot machining through worrying thoughts. "Oh my God, it's happening. I can finally get my chance to do this. But what if I mess up? What if I take his head off on accident? What if I bruise the body. My DNA will be all over it. Will they think I killed him? Are my gloves alright? Maybe I should put on another pair of gloves over top? Or will they think that's suspicious? Will my DNA be on that, too?"

Henry nodded, clasping his hands together behind his back. "Yes, Lucas, I do trust you on this. You've watched me and helped me on a lot of autopsies, I believe you know how to handle this one." He nodded with his chin toward the body. "Now, what do you see?" He asked the easiest question to start him off, to calm his nerves.

Lucas nodded back, his eyes flittering towards Henry once more before he took a calming breath. Letting it out, Lucas nodded and stepped closer to the body that lay on the table. He studied it for a moment, the same way Henry had done before. It was engrained in his head; the face of a man of an indistinguishable age; younger but something in his aura that made him appear older. As if he'd seen everything life had to offer him.

And yet, there was nothing, outwardly that would've proved what caused his death. No broken capillaries in his eyes, visible through half-lidded eyes. No tell-tale cuts along the wrists. No pools of blood. Blood hadn't even started to pool at the bottom of the body. Rigor mortis had set in, the heaviness sticking him to the table. The lines around the man's mouth were soft, lips almost pulled back into a smile. Maybe a smirk. As if he was happy about what was happening next.

No bruising.

No contusions.

Nothing.

It was a case where Lucas, surely, would have to be invasive. And be prepared for anything that may show up.

"I don't see anything outwardly," Lucas said quickly. He rounded his shoulders and immediately lowered his voice, moving into a more serious phase. "But that doesn't mean something hasn't happened outwardly. There's always some tell-tale sign."

Henry nodded. "What are you going to do next?"

"I'm going to inspect the scalp, hands, and feet and ensure there isn't anything I may have missed," Lucas said. He checked his gloved hands once more then looked to grab a mask to cover his nose and mouth. He placed it around his neck then moved to the top of the body and started to run his fingers through the man's hair, pushing aside small sections to examine the scalp. "I'm examining the scalp for any injuries that may have been missed, palpitating for anything that may be hidden under the scalp."

Henry nodded and started to pace, circling Lucas as he watched his every move. "And did you find anything?"

"No. Nothing on the scalp." Lucas pressed his fingers tighter to the skull, waiting a second. "Nothing that would indicate any injuries to the skull as well. No shifting plates, no fragments sticking out. He didn't die from a head injury."

"What are you going to do next?"

"I'm going to check the hands and feet for any signs of injections or hints to any illnesses or diseases that may not have been seen before. Any moles, any skin tags, any signs that would be worrying for a live patient to have on their bodies." Lucas continued to speak out loud as he moved through his examination of the body while Henry nodded in response.

Neither a positive or a negative sign.

But a sign that he was watching.

Part of his mind wandered, shifting to Sydney once more. Abe had told him about the day he'd found Sydney in the park, having skipped out on school, but being nonchalant about it, saying his father wouldn't mind too much. Henry knew that not to be true, and Abe seemed to have picked up on it as well. But Abe was of a different sort of 'old man', he was still young at heart and knew how to connect with those that were even younger than him.

He certainly connected with Sydney better than Henry had. Abe had returned home with a fresh bandage on one arm, another on his elbow, and practically limping, explaining that he'd gone skateboarding before he ran into Sydney that day in the park, before bringing him back to the antique shop. It was there, Abe said, that Sydney truly came alive. Henry doubted it was the antiques that did it but being out of the public eye. How many teenagers liked to hang out in an antique shop with an old man?

Maybe that's the point, Henry mused. He can't relate to those around him but can relate to those that are older. He didn't add 'just like me' the thought had crossed his mind numerous times before. He stopped before a profound sense of sadness could befall him, if that were the case. It was already tough not being able to die as an older man, but only as a teenager?

If it were even true.

Henry wasn't quite sure what to think, honestly.

He still needed to do something, anything to get Sydney the help he needed. Watching Robert continued to move around as a free man, having seen him with that smug smile of satisfaction after knowing his insistence that his son was a minor and couldn't be questioned without his express permission, made Henry so incensed he could hardly contain himself.

One look at Jo and he could see she was struggling as well. She hadn't said much to him since then, focusing on other cases that came across her desk. But she did send the odd email every now and then. Henry stood straight at the realization he hadn't checked his email in a while, maybe she'd been trying to get in contact with him, a little too busy to call or text.

"Lucas, there are some emails that require my attention," Henry said after a moment. Lucas looked up at him, hands poised with a scalpel placed at the chest of the cadaver. "I shall be back in a few minutes."

Lucas stood straight as well. "I've been trying to get you into technology for years and now you're off to check your email." He pointed the scalpel towards Lucas, wagging as if he were wagging a finger. "Who're you messaging and how serious is it?"

Henry gave Lucas a pointed look. "I assure you it is strictly professional." He started towards his office. "And as if it, it's none of your business. Back to work, please. I'll be right out." The second he crossed the threshold to his office, Henry's phone rang.

He glanced at it then back over his shoulder, as if unsure whether Lucas was pranking him in some way. He quickly decided against it. Lucas could be a jokester, but he knew when to take his job seriously. He already had his head bent back over the body and was slowly working his arm back, no doubt using the tip of the scalpel to slice through the skin to get to the man's rib cage.

Then another thought crossed his mind, a thought he hadn't wanted to think about but knew was coming at some point. Abe was getting older and he was the emergency contact. Heart pounding, Henry swooped toward the phone, picked it up, took a second to compose himself, then brought the phone to his ear as he swiftly said, "Medical Examiner's office, Dr. Morgan speaking."

"Hello, Henry."

The voice instantly made Henry's blood run cold. He swallowed hard, tightening his grasp around the receiver. Adam waited patiently for him to respond, waited for Henry to find his voice. Silence stretched down the length of the receiver.

Henry took a deep breath and steeled himself. "Adam," he said coolly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

Adam chuckled. "You sound like a man who's gone through a lot in life. So much so that you don't surprised to hear from me."

"I figured it was only a matter of time before I heard form you again. You can't seem to stay away from me."

"Do you miss me already?"

A humorless smile came to Henry's face. "I assume you have a reason for calling me at this time of day. You know how busy I am."

"So busy that you have your assistant handling the body in your office?" Henry's teeth clenched. A vein in his forehead stared to throb. He could hear Adam continuously chuckling on the phone. "You seem to be making a lot of friends lately. Detective Martinez, her partner, your assistant, that young boy." Adam laughed louder. "I'd be careful about hanging around him, you don't want anyone to be getting any ideas."

Henry turned and looked around his office window, eyes shifting over the streets below, trying to find Adam. Wondering how he was able to figure out everything that'd been going on. On the other hand, he had to give it to Adam. He truly knew how to keep tabs on Henry when Henry had absolutely no idea where to even start looking for him.

"How do you—"

"—How do I know about Sydney?" Adam demanded. "The young man sure does love to talk when he gets the chance. A bit suspicious, though. He didn't seem to enjoy my company, though we did have an interesting conversation on books we enjoy reading."

The phone in his hand made a cracking sound as Henry gripped it tighter. "What do you want?" He demanded. "What do you want from me?"

Henry looked up when he heard a soft clearing of the throat from the doorway. Henry barely looked up from his desk top to find Lucas staring at him. The way his assistant's mouth opened and closed before he started to clear his throat, a clear sign for a loss of words, let Henry know the truth before he even had to ask.

The body was gone.

On the phone, Henry heard Adam chuckle under his breath before saying, "You have a lovely office. It's very minimal. Just as I thought it would be." He laughed again, a dry, raspy laugh that made Henry's skin crawl. "I'll be seeing you again Henry. Maybe, this time, we can have an actual conversation."

The line disconnected before Henry could respond.


A/N: Well, Adam sure is an interesting character. I always thought he was pretty cool in the show and wished there was more with him before it was cancelled, so here's some more of him here.

Cheers,

-Riles