Disclaimer: All hail Viacom, who own them. I ask only to borrow, to use, maybe to soil (a little) but I shall return them.
Rating: PG-13
Status: Work in progress.
Summary: In 1998, Jesse Travis was found bleeding and alone in Utah. He had been missing for five days and had no memory of where he had been, or what he had done. In the summer of 2002, he's about to find out.
Notes: This is not part of the Jesse's Journey universe, and is not slash. Events mentioned here occurred in the excellent episode "Alienated."
Trigger
By NorthernStar
8th June 2002
In all the years Steve had worked homicide, the smell of dead flesh had never ceased to sicken him. Death had its own rank odour of course, but murder…
The scent of murder reached deeper, played to the baser instincts of man. He would never get used to it and he hoped he never would.
Steve ducked under the 'police line' tapes, flashing his badge at the uniforms patrolling the crowds of gawpers, and headed towards the knot of officers at the centre of the cordon. The ugly smell worsened with every step and he fought the impulse to wrinkle his nose in disgust.
When he reached the body, he knelt down beside the familiar form of the police pathologist. Amanda gave him a smile in greeting.
"What have we got?" He asked her.
"Male, approximately 35 years old, five foot ten. Apparently died of asphyxiation and/or fractures to his upper vertebrae."
"Time of death?"
"Again, very approximate until I can get him into the lab, but I'd say sometime yesterday. Not long ago."
Steve looked up at the uniformed cop standing next to him. "Was there any ID on the body?"
"None, sir." He held out an evidence bag. "But we did find this in his pocket."
Inside was a thin circle of plastic. A bracelet, the type Steve was very familiar with. It was a hospital ID tag. He looked at the front. "No name." He muttered. "Just a number. 200670."
The cop shrugged, wearily. "Just another John Doe."
******
Amanda had just finished filing the last of the autopsy reports, including that of the John Doe when Mark walked into the path lab. She had been expecting him for a while and smiled at his entrance. Her friend never could resist the allure of an unknown corpse.
Mark made straight for the body and pulled back the white sheet. The man's pale, almost gaunt face stared hollowly up at the ceiling.
"What did you find?" He asked.
"He was strangled. Probably from behind by the positioning of the bruising to the right side of his oesophagus." She said. "He had been beaten approximately 48 hours before the time of death resulting in soft tissue damage to his kidneys and severe bruising to the back of his knees. There was also a significant amount of swelling in the area. He would have walked with a limp."
Mark consulted the file beside the body. "Borderline malnutrition."
"That's consistent with his appearance and the state of his clothes. He was almost definitely a transient."
Mark sighed, looked down at the pitiful body before him.
Amanda peeled the cover back a little more. "I also noted this."
She took the corpse's arm and turned it, revealing the white flesh of the under arm. She pointed to a small crescent shaped scar about two inches from his armpit. "It's about three weeks old, and the edges are quite ragged, suggesting that it wasn't stitched at the time. It's amazing such a deep cut didn't become infected, particularly given the man's lifestyle."
"You know, I've seen something like this before." Mark said, frowning. "I just can't remember where."
"Has Steve identified him yet?"
Mark sighed. "No."
And they both knew that, as a homeless wanderer, he wasn't ever likely to have any other name attached to his passing other than 'John Doe.'
The door opened and Jesse strolled in, looking happy. Amanda was expecting him too. The young doctor couldn't resist a murder any more than Mark could. Or herself for that matter.
They really needed to get out more…
"Hey." Jesse said as he came around the autopsy table. He stopped at Mark's side and peered at the man.
Something tugged at the back of his mind and he frowned. He bent over, looking right into the corpse's face, oblivious to the strange looks Mark and Amanda were giving him.
"Jess?" Amanda murmured.
The young man's face became like stone, the colour leeching from his skin.
Jesse began backing away.
Mark reached out to him, concerned. "Jess?"
Jesse jumped at the touch and pressed his hands over his ears, curling in on himself.
"Jesse, what is it?"
"No…n-no…stop…." He dropped to his knees, still clutching his head.
"JESSE!"
At Mark's shout, the young man's head snapped back, eyes wide, staring wildly up at Mark. "Utah…" he gasped, before crumpling bonelessly to the floor.
~~ To be continued (yes, I know I'm being cruel :o) ) ~~~