Chapter 4- Work, work, sleep
Nick and I begin processing the scene. It is a messy job. There is plenty of evidence to collect, but how much will actually tell us anything is anybodies guess. We begin with the victim. This must be one of the more disgusting corpses that I've encountered in this job. Finally the coroner comes to remove the body. I feel myself relax a little. I now shift my attention to the rest of the room.
Nick becomes quickly absorbed in the task at hand. Something's stopping me from giving my full attention to the scene. Since I saw that body I've been trying to block the image from my mind. I've been desperately trying to ignore the sick feeling festering in my stomach.
I can still remember the first hanging victim I ever saw. In my first year of college. My roommate. She was always a little unstable. When things got tough she used to harm herself. Cut her arms. I tried to stop her when I first found out, but in the end I gave up. A part of me can never forgive myself for not trying harder to help her.
When her boyfriend broke up with her it finally pushed her over the edge. I was studying in the library for an up-coming exam till late. When I got back she had killed herself. I found her hanging in the shower. She'd cut herself for the final time before she died. Her injuries were not dissimilar to the woman we found today.
I shudder at the memory.
I contemplate telling Nick my story, if for no other reason than to break up the heavy silence in the room. I decide against it. I continue to rescue the pages lying around the room, bagging them, planning to make sense of them back at the lab. I finish this task and look around me, trying to decide what to work on next. Nick's carefully photographing the knife and delicately removing it from the blood. I decide to look over the fallen chair. I pick my way through he sea of rose petals. I can feel that it's going to be a long night.
I was right. It took us hours before we could return to the lab. I'm swamped with evidence, but so far I've found very little. The blood pooled on the floor belongs to the victim. The knife's a bloody mess. I've managed to lift some partials off it, but so far I've not matched them to anyone's prints.
I wonder if Nick's having any more luck with the rope. I'm so tired; I can barely keep my eyes open. It feels like I've been working alone in this room for hours. It must be nearly the end of the shift. I wish I'd remembered to put my watch on today. There's no clock in this room.
I can't fight the sleepiness any longer. I lean over the workbench and rest my head on my folded arms.
I seem to have barely closed my eyes when the door opens. A soft voice calls my name in my ear.
"Sara. Sara, are you planning on leaving at all? The shift ended two hours ago."
I groan and slowly open my eyes, to find myself looking deep into Nicks beautiful, warm gaze.
I smile weakly, feeling silly for being caught sleeping. He places his hand on my back.
"You work too hard."
I don't bother to point out that he's also still here, obviously working. Reluctantly I raise my head and his hand slides off my back.
"Do you want to come back to mine? I'll make you breakfast."
I'm torn in half. I want to accept his offer. I really do, but my danger alarm is screaming at me. Telling me I'm just setting myself up to get hurt.
"Come on," he begs, "It'll be fun."
He looks so sweet. Standing there in the semi-darkness, waiting for an answer. I can feel myself caving in. Ignoring the warnings, I nod my head. He grins like a kid on his birthday.
He takes my hand and leads me out of the lab. As we cross the parking lot I worry that I've made the wrong decision. I'm too tired to drive, so I accept his offer to take his car. I can come back and collect mine anytime.
As I get in the car, my worries disappear. I'm amazed at how unafraid I feel.
Nick and I begin processing the scene. It is a messy job. There is plenty of evidence to collect, but how much will actually tell us anything is anybodies guess. We begin with the victim. This must be one of the more disgusting corpses that I've encountered in this job. Finally the coroner comes to remove the body. I feel myself relax a little. I now shift my attention to the rest of the room.
Nick becomes quickly absorbed in the task at hand. Something's stopping me from giving my full attention to the scene. Since I saw that body I've been trying to block the image from my mind. I've been desperately trying to ignore the sick feeling festering in my stomach.
I can still remember the first hanging victim I ever saw. In my first year of college. My roommate. She was always a little unstable. When things got tough she used to harm herself. Cut her arms. I tried to stop her when I first found out, but in the end I gave up. A part of me can never forgive myself for not trying harder to help her.
When her boyfriend broke up with her it finally pushed her over the edge. I was studying in the library for an up-coming exam till late. When I got back she had killed herself. I found her hanging in the shower. She'd cut herself for the final time before she died. Her injuries were not dissimilar to the woman we found today.
I shudder at the memory.
I contemplate telling Nick my story, if for no other reason than to break up the heavy silence in the room. I decide against it. I continue to rescue the pages lying around the room, bagging them, planning to make sense of them back at the lab. I finish this task and look around me, trying to decide what to work on next. Nick's carefully photographing the knife and delicately removing it from the blood. I decide to look over the fallen chair. I pick my way through he sea of rose petals. I can feel that it's going to be a long night.
I was right. It took us hours before we could return to the lab. I'm swamped with evidence, but so far I've found very little. The blood pooled on the floor belongs to the victim. The knife's a bloody mess. I've managed to lift some partials off it, but so far I've not matched them to anyone's prints.
I wonder if Nick's having any more luck with the rope. I'm so tired; I can barely keep my eyes open. It feels like I've been working alone in this room for hours. It must be nearly the end of the shift. I wish I'd remembered to put my watch on today. There's no clock in this room.
I can't fight the sleepiness any longer. I lean over the workbench and rest my head on my folded arms.
I seem to have barely closed my eyes when the door opens. A soft voice calls my name in my ear.
"Sara. Sara, are you planning on leaving at all? The shift ended two hours ago."
I groan and slowly open my eyes, to find myself looking deep into Nicks beautiful, warm gaze.
I smile weakly, feeling silly for being caught sleeping. He places his hand on my back.
"You work too hard."
I don't bother to point out that he's also still here, obviously working. Reluctantly I raise my head and his hand slides off my back.
"Do you want to come back to mine? I'll make you breakfast."
I'm torn in half. I want to accept his offer. I really do, but my danger alarm is screaming at me. Telling me I'm just setting myself up to get hurt.
"Come on," he begs, "It'll be fun."
He looks so sweet. Standing there in the semi-darkness, waiting for an answer. I can feel myself caving in. Ignoring the warnings, I nod my head. He grins like a kid on his birthday.
He takes my hand and leads me out of the lab. As we cross the parking lot I worry that I've made the wrong decision. I'm too tired to drive, so I accept his offer to take his car. I can come back and collect mine anytime.
As I get in the car, my worries disappear. I'm amazed at how unafraid I feel.
