Author's Note: It's kinda hard to write an autopsy scene and avoid getting all tangled up in the technical jargon of keeping it realistically correct. I mean, you really don't need to know the details because most of us do know that they slice, peer, investigate and so forth. Or, think Quincy or any of the other crime shows on TV these days that give ya a glimpse of that sort of thing.

So, I decided to switch the focus a little, tweak some, and give the story a little more flavor, if you will, without getting all bogged down.

Let me know if the following scenes worked for you or if they didn't.

Enjoy!

SMK

The Silent Killer

Chapter Sixteen

Part 1

Georgetown University Hospital – Thursday, July 23rd 1:45 AM

Sonny and his coworker, Tony came strolling back through the swinging doors, bickering about the advantages and disadvantages of taking late lunches. They stopped in mid-stride when they noticed Jenny Sue sitting there at her desk, hands folded primly in front of her, palms down, on the top of the desk. Her eyes were closed and she was definitely back to chanting.

"What is it this time?" Tony asked her. "You see a dead body stroll through?"

Jenny opened her eyes slowly and shook her head.

"Bad karma, bad karma, bad karma," she told them.

"She's lost it," Sonny said.

"Never had it," Tony added.

"Don't you feel it?" she asked them, her expression and her voice indicating to them both that she was well and truly serious.

"The only thing I feel is the two cheeseburgers loaded with onions that I ate for lunch," Tony said with a satisfied smile.

"Plug up your circ system," Jenny told him with a scowl.

"Yummy for the tummy," Tony informed her. "Besides, I'll leave you to eating those green plant stems and I'll take my beef any day."

The woman scowled at the both of them.

"Will you please get going and get him out of here. I'm telling you bad, bad, very bad karma."

"Yeah, we'll process him quick enough. Never fear, little Jenny Sue, I keep a stash of stakes and holy water in my locker."

He chuckled, then moved past her and through the doors to where the dead Fed awaited them.

Tony smiled at Jenny Sue, then followed through.

Sonny and Tony then began the process of getting the table ready for the autopsy.

Once the body was on the table, Sonny began talking to it, as if the deceased could hear him.

"Good evening Mr. Dead Fed. My name is Sonny, no not Bono, and I will be your medical examiner for the evening. And that, the crazy dude over there, is Tony, my assistant."

"Don't listen to him," Tony said as he rolled the cart with instruments over to the side of the exam table. I'm the sane one; he's the lunatic. Though, I guess you don't care. Now, I suppose you and everyone else would like to know why you were brought in as our guest tonight. Well, Mr. Dead Fed, allow us a brief moment or two and we will find out."

"Where shall we start?" Sonny asked, even though they both knew that the procedure was the same for every dead body.

"Male, Caucasian, mid to late forties, obviously not a participant in nude sunbathing, judging from the mixed tan lines and so forth. And look here, on the right shoulder. Scarring, I'd say bullet wound."

Sonny murmured his agreement.

"Appendectomy scar."

"Boring," Tony mumbled.

"Did we get the preliminary tox reports?"

Tony shook his head. "Lab items not present, yet."

"Well, let's begin, shall we? Now, Dead Fed, this won't hurt a bit."