AN: Well, this Chapter is going to be in Casey's POV mostly, at least that's the plan as of now. I want to show her getting accustomed to her new Work-Environment. How does she deal with Derek's Partner? How does she deal with everything? -Lot's of fun reading -Keisha
Chapter 11 „A new job"
Derek's POV
Well, today is Casey's first day... But instead of starting to work, she'll instead start to study, first. She'll have to re-learn the basics of Forensics again and then she'll have to choose her major. She has to decide what it is that she truly wants... I shrug to clear my head as I walk beside her leading her down to the labs. „Well, here's the forensics unit. The guys can surely help you out to choose what you want to do." I smile at her in a reassuring way, because she's looking just as nervous as she'd look before every test we used to write in High School.
Casey's POV
We are standing in front of the doors leading to labs where the words „Forensics Unit" is inscribed. I gulp nervously. I've never been good at meeting new people and making new friends. And I have no idea what this line of work is going to include. What do I want to do? Do I want to be go into Pathology... Working with dead bodies or do I want to work in the labs analyzing the evidence... or do I want to belong to the forensic troops going out to crime scenes... I am not sure yet. „Hello, my name is Dr. Casey McDonald I was a surgeon until very recently but due to unfortunate events I am forced to quit working as a surgeon and I am not sure yet what I want to do." I say nervously looking around the lab and into the faces of five people in white Lab coats. „Welcome my dear." An elderly man in a lab coat standing in front of a electronic microscope says. He smiles at me warmly while I look around the room.
It's held in a simple white and there's the table with the electric Microscope and a few computers attached to it. Then there's a white luminous table with papers and things scattered about. There are three other tables standing against the walls of the room and a door leading towards „Personal Laboratories" in the corner of the room. „My name is Dr. Alexander Martinovich, and I am the Chief Medical Examiner. You say you were a surgeon what was you're major?" He asks with a smile. I give him a quick glance before looking directly at his face and getting ready to answer noting his dark blue orbs and graying black hair. He might be older but the his face still looks young and he has a warmth about him that instantly makes me like him. „My major was Trauma." I answer. „What made you switch?" A young woman with blue and black hair and a Black Sabbath T shirt poking out beneath her lab coat asks. She's wearing black jeans which are ripped and black biker boots beneath her lab coat and is looking at me with interest. „Well as I've said, I couldn't continue working as a surgeon because of certain events I'm not sure I'm allowed to tell you about." I say looking at the girl sheepishly. I didn't think to ask whether if I could disclose this information or not.
„Oh, that's fine dear. We all have our stories of how we got here. In time you'll know that you can trust us and you'll tell us you're story on you're own, isn't that right Anastasia?" Dr Martinovich asks the blue eyed girl who rolls her eyes at him. „It's Sia, how often do I need to tell you that, old man?" She sounds gruff but her eyes are smiling, it seems like all of these people have worked with each other for a long time. „Which Major would interest you the most, my dear? I hope you don't mind me calling you dear, Ms. McDonald, that's just how I treat everybody here." Dr. Martinovic says.
I shake my head. „Oh no, that's fine Sir." I say. „Oh, no don't you go round calling me 'Sir' Young Lady. I might be old but I'm not that old." He laughs warmly. „Call me Alex, everyone around here does." He smiles and moves back to his microscope. „Sorry if I seem busy but I have to finish this analysis for a certain Staff Sergeant..." He says. „It's not for A certain Sergeant Venturi is it?" I ask and as if he knew I said his name Derek comes crashing in. „Yo, Doc you got some results for me?" He asks and gives me a wink. „Why hi, Derek." Sia gives Derek a short glance and a smile before going back to work.
„Hi Sia, how's it going?" He asks before turning back his attention to Martinovic. „Fine as usual." She replies. „Here are you're results Derek." Dr. Martinovic hands Derek a file who thanks him quickly and smiles at me. „How's you're first day going Case?" He asks putting his hand on my arm and giving me a quick glance. „Fine, so far. I am still not really sure what I really want to do but I kind of have an idea now..." I say. „That's my Casey. Never doing something until you've at least thought about a dozen times and tried it out." He laughs and gives my shoulder a light reassuring squeeze. „I want to see a crime scene, to know if I could handle it." I say suddenly. „That's not that easy Space-Case. But I have an idea. Yo, Doc you don't mind if I borrow her for a bit do you?" He asks Martinovic who shakes his head at him. We make our good-byes and Derek leads me through the building.
„Where are we going?" I ask curiously. „I want to show you something and if you can handle it we might have found what you wanna do." He answers cryptically making me all the more curious. We take an elevator down to the archives and he greets the officer sitting there with a handshake. „Still the same old Derek, are you?" I whisper softly. „Not my fault people love me so much." He shoots back. He takes out a box and opens a file handing me pictures.
I take a look and see the body of a dead woman in about her twenties. She's laying on the cold concrete floor. There's snow and ice surrounding her and her eyes are open wide but unseeing. I am looking at a dead body. It's not like I haven't seen enough dead bodies as of yet, but this one is different. This woman was murdered, she didn't die because she was sick, or had an accident. She was killed by someone... I am shocked to find that I am curious. What lead to this? Why was this woman dead? Who is she? I look up at Derek to ask but he merely grins and starts giving me answers without me having to actually ask the questions.
Derek's POV
Seems like my hunch was correct and we've found what Casey wants to do. „Her name's Christina Parrish. At the time of death she was 23 years old and the cause of death was a blunt head trauma. She was killed by a drunk who wanted her purse for more drug money. He left so much evidence but it took us about 6 weeks of digging around known drug-joints to actually get our hands on him. He's now in jail." I answer all of the questions her eyes ask. „Seems like we found something you'd like to do, am I right?" I ask grinning victoriously.
„The only reason we were able to find him was the evidence left on her dead body and on the crime scene. To check that out and give us all info he or she can get we've got the Crime-Scene Unit and the Coroner. The Coroner is responsible for the dead-body and for getting all the evidence he can get from it. The CSI does the rest. They look for any evidence left behind on the crime scene and they collect and catalog it. The Coroner does the same with the dead body. Some Coroners even put two and two together to give us all the insight they can...like re-creating the circumstances of death. Those are called Medical Investigators." I explain proud that I can finally explain something to Casey.
Her eyes light up while I talk and I'm happy that I've helped her find her way along. I might never tell her that my last M.E quit working with me because I appearantly never let him do his work in peace and always hurried him along, or that the one before that quit working with me because I 'knew his work better than himself, or so I thought from his point-of-view'
„Well, we have to tell Martinovic, because currently he's doing that job for me, too. He'll be glad to get me and my cases off his back. I'm sure he's got plenty of work he can get off his back delegating it to you." I say. „Don't forget that I'll still have to take a few courses to be able to fit the job discription. I may have been a good surgeon but Surgery and Pathology aren't the smae thing. I'll need to do a fellowship before I can actually start working. Most choose this career directly after college, I on the other hand am kind of forced into it... We'll have to see whether if I can get my residency done here or whether if I'm going to be having to do it elsewhere." She explains. „I'm sure you can do it here, just ask Martinovic I'm sure he'll be happy to help you along. He desperately needs some case-loads taken off his back. He might have a bunch of Pathologists down there to work with him but he's the only M.E we've got. Not many people choose this career anymore. Maybe Bones and CSI scared them off." Derek shrugs.
„I will ask him, right away." I answer as we make our way back towards the offices. „Yo, Doc. Casey would like to be an M.E. Can you help her along with the whole residency crap?" I ask as I barge back into the office with Casey trailing behind. „M.E? Sure the almighty gods sitting up there can help you along with that. And you can take some Case-loads off me. I've been trying to get a second M.E for ages. But 'The budget is too small'." He makes air-quotes. „I'll be glad if you could start to work with me. It's not that tough once you've refreshed you're memory a bit." He smiles.
„Thank you." Casey answers timidly before I pull her back out. We need to get that educational matters sorted. So she'll do her residency here. We get back up to the Directors office and inform him of the possible job Casey could help with. Just like I'd thought he's delighted and agrees in helping us with the whole residency thing. He'll enroll Casey with a fake name, so her name doesn't pop up in any lectures she'll be having to attend. So everything is set for Casey's new career. She's thrilled.
AN: Yepp, the chapter's a short one, but this was just intended to fill a bit of space and to have Casey figure out what she want's to do. I wasn't too sure about it either when I started writing this Chapter but as an M.E she'll have loads of adventures with Derek from now on. I am sure things wouldn't be possible like I've explained them and getting a job as an M.E isn't that easy either but please pretend it is for the sake of this story. Love as always- Keisha