A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter than the recent ones I've put out, but it was a necessary step to get to the next part of the story.
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue!
The geniuses from the Jeffersonian Institute and the Fringe Division spent the rest of the day going over the bodies with a fine tooth comb. While Dr. Brennan examined the x-rays for answers, Dr. Hodgins spent his day going over particulate evidence in hopes that something might lead them to an explanation as to how these bodies were exact replicas of Olivia Dunham. Hodgins had a sneaky suspicion that these bodies were clones. He couldn't prove it yet, but he was working on it. He had been examining the intestinal tract of the latest victim in hopes of finding some evidence that he thought might help him prove that the body didn't belong to Agent Dunham.
The first body had already been ruled out due to the fact that the bones had shown no signs of aging, now they needed to prove that the second body wasn't hers. Walter Bishop had insisted that the body was not to be de-fleshed as of yet. This had upset Dr. Brennan because she couldn't examine the bones if they couldn't clean them off; she had to settle for the x-rays, which didn't give her much to go on.
Dr. Brennan was unable to determine anything new from the x-rays and approached the old scientist on the platform. "Dr. Bishop I have gone over the x-rays, and there is nothing more I can do until we are able to clean the bones, are you ready to release them to Hodgins for de-fleshing yet?"
"No," Walter immediately responded. "I'm sorry, but I'm trying to find a way to determine if this body is a fake, or if it is the real Olivia Dunham."
"We've already found a way to prove that," Dr. Brennan crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I need to examine the bones in order to give you a definite answer."
"That would work, yes... however, I am trying to find a way to determine if this is our Olivia or not by testing her blood and DNA. Obviously we cannot de-flesh a living breathing form of her to find out if she's a fake; therefore, I am working on finding another way to determine if the Olivia in the hospital is our version of her or not." Another thought occurred to Walter. What if the deceased Olivias were real Olivias, but from other universes? It would explain why all the fingerprints matched. The only thing it didn't account for was the fact that the first set of remains' bones were too smooth. Was there tech not invented here in this world, but existed in another that may account for the non-existent bone pitting?
Dr. Hodgins came running onto the platform with a glass slide in his hand, "I think I've got it!"
"What is it, Dr. Hodgins?" Peter asked curiously.
"I've found a way to tell them apart!" Hodgins exclaimed excitedly. He placed the slide he had under the microscope and offered Walter a peek while grinning from ear to ear.
Walter looked in the microscope as Hodgins rushed to explain. "Lactobacillus acidophilus is a common bacteria that naturally occurs in the gastrointestinal tract and mouth of both humans and animals. Their primary function is fermenting sugars into lactic acid and readily grow at low pH levels."
"So, what are you saying, Dr. Hodgins?" asked Dr. Camille Saroyan as she swiped her badge and walked up onto the platform to join them.
Walter looked up from the microscope and turned around. "I think what he is trying to say is that this body has a lack of these micro-organisms ."
"That is precisely what I'm trying to say," Hodgins continued. "Neither of these remains had an abundance of lactobacillus acidophilus in their digestive tracts that you would see in a normal adult. Basically what this means is that neither of these bodies has had much exposure to life outside of a sterile lab environment, subsequently preventing them from having these bacteria present in their digestive tracts. It seems as if they were grown in a lab and most likely fed through a feeding tube or intravenously." If it was possible, Hodgins' smile widened even further and his eyes twinkled in excitement. "If we use this method of testing on the Agent Dunham you guys found in the tunnels beneath Harvard, we could determine if she's your agent or not."
"Great work, Dr. Hodgins," remarked Cam. "How do we test a living person for these bacteria?"
"Oh, that's easy, miss!" Exclaimed Walter. "You simply need to take a throat swab and a stool sample. I'm sure the doctors at Boston General could easily have us results within the hour."
"I'm going to call Broyles and fill him in on this new development. We need to get her tested as soon as possible." Peter felt a giant weight lift from his shoulders. Finally they had a way to find his Olivia.
"King of the Lab!" Hodgins exclaimed as he hurried back to his lab.
Cam rolled her eyes at his outburst and wondered if he would ever grow up and give up on the whole 'King of the Lab' thing; although, deep down she doubted it.
Peter pulled out his phone as he walked off the platform. He dialed Broyles' number and headed outside to get some air.
"Have you learned anything new, Bishop?" Broyles boomed into the phone when he answered.
"Actually, yes. We've found an easier way to distinguish the bodies from the real Olivia." He ran a hand through his hair as he sat down on a bench near the Jeffersonian gardens.
"Go on."
"Basically we need to have the hospital test her for lactobacillus acidophilus. It's a bacteria found in the digestive tract and the mouth. Walter says the hospital could check for it by doing a throat swab and taking a stool sample." Peter, while relieved, was also nervous. If the Olivia in the hospital was another clone, then that meant his partner was still out there. "We need to get these results as soon as possible because if Olivia is still out there..."
"Don't worry, Bishop. I'll handle it. I'll call you when I have any information," Broyles said before ending the call.
Peter had hope that it was their Olivia, but he also knew that things were never that easy when it came to their line of work, so the chances of it being her was probably fairly slim. Who would kidnap and clone her, and why? He had to find answers.
Peter stood up and headed back to the lab. He'd have to get with Agent Booth so they could go over the case files and see if there was something they had missed.
A/N: I had a hard time writing this chapter, so please be gentile! It took quite a bit of research to get the information I needed to find a plausible way of determining which ones were clones, and since I'm no doctor... it required some extensive reading for me to understand fully what I was writing about!