Chapter 23- Autopsy and Relationships
While Stephen was getting Lester ready to enter the room a scientist came in with an x-ray on the Dodo. There were deep groves in some of the flesh from the movement of the worm, which could also be seen from the x-ray. "Maybe we should have checked the x-ray first before we started the autopsy." Avery told her dad. "it's quite visible on here."
When Lester had entered, dressed in the same garb as them, he stood across from the Cutters, next to Stephen. Nick took the bell jar off the dead creature and picked it up with some large tweezers. It was a marble color and made up of segments. At its mouth it had hundreds of sharp pointed teeth and two clasper like feelers.
"It looks like some type of larva." Stephen noted looking at the worm like creature.
"No, it's an adult. It's some kind of giant cestode." Nick told them then looked at Lester pointing to the grooves in the x-ray. "It's destroyed the internal organs and attacked the central nervous system."
"I thought the trick of being a good parasite was to live off the host creature without killing it." Lester said holding his hands crossed behind his back. Avery saw a blue shirt and a striped tie peeking out from under the white jumpsuit and Avery wondered if he ever wore anything else. His posture was one of control and dominance, an air he always carried around him. But he didn't seem malicious, just a no nonsense person, who often used snark to display his displeasure at something. She was reminded again of an alpha.
"That's true of parasite's living today. But where not dealing with creatures living in the present are we?" Avery asked. Lester raised an eyebrow and nodded. Stephen took the parasite from Nick and started looking at it with Abby.
"To shay."
"No, this one doesn't compromise." Nick continued on her explanation, "It enters the blood stream as larvae, it feeds off the host, and then it moves up the body to lay its eggs."
"Keeping itself alive just long enough to reproduce itself." Stephen added bringing the parasite closer to Lester, sharing a smile with Avery as he leaned away.
"And then mission accomplished, they both die together."
"Isn't nature wonderful?" Lester asked sarcastically.
"Some of the time." Avery bit back looking up through her hair, laughing as Lester sent her a dry look.
"Well I better go upstairs and finish some paperwork." Lester said as he started to unzip the jumpsuit.
"Well good luck, and have fun." Avery banted.
"Oh you guys have some as well. You have to sign some half dozen forms saying that you work for us now, and you may receive some pay. Though you can still keep your old jobs. Then you'll have to do start doing paperwork for everything we do." He smiled then walked away.
When Lester had left they turned back to the Dodo to finish the autopsy.
As Nick made the first incision as the base of the neck Avery really hoped there was not another parasite living inside the Dodo.
When they had finished the autopsy, finding nothing new, Avery, Nick, Stephen and Abby headed to a café near the home office, deciding to get some lunch. Connor had gone back to the university for one of his classes, and he felt a bit squeamish about dissecting animals.
They sat at one of the tables outside the café out in the sun. It was a nice little place with wooden tables and a few flowers on each table. It was directly opposite the home office and looked really out of place between the towering skyscrapers around it. But it was nice, and they had brilliant coffee.
"So tell me about Michael?" Nick said as they ate their respective lunches. Avery had a light soup, not wanting to fill up before dinner. They were having lunch quite late because of how long the autopsy had taken.
Avery grimaced wondering when he was going to bring Michael up. "He's just a boy I've been dating." Avery said trying to draw attention away from Michael.
"A boy she's been dating for a little over a year now. In fact, they're going out later tonight." Stephen cut in smirking as Avery glared at him.
"Oh, any why did you not tell me about him?" Nick asked staring at her.
"Because you and Stephen have scared off all my previous boyfriends, and I didn't want you doing it again. I really like Michael, his handsome, sweet, witty and a great guy." She explained having a sip of her drink. "Stephen wasn't even meant to find him, he just accidentally stumbled across us one time."
"Okay. But next time tell me. I swear I won't scare him off. I swear." He emphasized seeing her look. "But I want to meet him." Nick said with a pointed look over his coffee cup.
"Okay. Hey Abby what's going on with you and Connor." Avery said, steering the conversation off her and Michael.
"He's just staying at my place until his flats fixed up, that's all." Abby explained.
"Then why where you wearing minimalistic clothing?" Avery said.
Abby blushed for a moment before explaining. "The thermostats broken so it's quite hot in the flat."
"If you say so."