Broken Bones

Episode 24 "The Man in the Cell" Part 2

-Venus POV-

We are back in the lab as Temp says, "The neck was severed just above the shoulders. The jaggered marks on the bone indicate that Epps used some kind of saw to decapitate her." Cam then says, "No sign of blunt-force trauma to the skull, Epps's usual M.O. No clear cause of death." Temp adds, "Without the rest of her body, we can't know for sure how she died." I then spot something, "I see some kind of white powder in her hair. Hodgins can tell us what it is." Cam asks, "Why just leave her head?" 

Booth says, "To get us all involved. I mean the less we have to work with, the, the more we're all drawn in." I then say, "Epps told me to use my head." "Everything he says is a clue. Could it be inside the head?" Cam shakes her head, "It's too early to tell." "What do you mean, 'too early' okay? All we do is just cut open the damn head and find out what's inside." I then say, 'There are protocols." "Yeah, and I'm sure Epps is really concerned about the protocols." I sigh, "I will permit it if Cam is up to it." "This is my autopsy. We're going to do it by the book. That means surface exam, followed by X-rays, after which I will open the skull."

Booth then says, "Sorry, I'm just a little anxious to get the little gerbil back in his cage, that's all." I chuckle as Cam says, "Okay, that's terrifically disturbing." "What?" "Massive blood aspiration to the soft tissue of the neck." I sigh as Booth asks, "Meaning?" "Caroline Epps was alive when Howard cut her head off." I then say, "Now he's torturing his victims." Booth adds, "So let's torture him." Temp then asks, "How?" "Bring his mother in." Cam then says, "I thought Epps hated his mother." "His FBI profiler believes he was emotionally attached to her. His prison logs show that he wrote to her almost every day." "Well, that's sick." "But helpful. I mean, if he feels responsible for his mother being in jail, we can knock him off his game."

Booth and Temp went to interview the mother as I chose to stay with Cam and figure out what Epps is trying to say with Caroline Epps. We found something in her ear as Cam calls Booth, "Something was inserted in Caroline's ear. Epps made an incision in Caroline's left ear canal, inserted a token for a kid's ride from a place called Hillside Park." I then say to Booth, "Ranger isn't that where Parker goes to play everyday afterschool." "Yes, I need to go." We looked at each other worriedly as I say, "Let me borrow your computer real quick." She nods as I sit on her computer and start inputting things in as I get a location and Cam asks, "What is that?" "That is Parker." "Your tracking Booth's son?" "No his toys, I am tracking his toys. I made him many different types of toys that he asked for and put a tracking chip on each of them just in case he loses it. But I think this is a better use now." I grab my phone and put in the exact location to where Parker is to Booth and wait for the best.

Cam and I are waiting for a response as Booth called us and said that they found parker and that he was okay and thanked me for sending him his exact location. We sighed in relief and then proceeded to continue working. I set up Carolines head for Cam to examine her head. While she was examining, and I was watching as well to make sure we don't miss anything. We then hear footsteps approaching us as we knew it was Zack. Cam then says, "No." "I didn't say anything." "You've been in here every ten minutes since they left. I will let you know when we are finished." "I could take the head and x-ray it. Then you could finish what you're..." "No. We have these protocols for a reason."

Zack looks at me as I say, "Don't give me those looks Zackaroo. I am going with Cam on this one." The phone rings and Cam answers, "Saroyan... I just finished telling Zack... Parker. Your upset." Booth then tells her one last thing and hangs up on her and she looks at me. "Could I..." "Do whatever you think is right Cam." She nods as she looks at Zack, "Get me the number two saw." He nods and leaves I get her equipment ready as she marks the head on where she needs to cut.

We put on our glasses as I am next to her as she turns on the saw and she says to Zack and I, "I found some bruising to the back of her head. I'm going to cut below it so I don't disturb the area." I nod as Zack was across from us and says, "I hate this part." "Me too." She starts cutting as she gets to a spot something breaks and sprays something right at her and since I was next to her I also inhaled a small portion of it as we both gasp, and cough. Zack then comes over to us, "Dr. Saroyan!, Venus!" Cam cant speak as I gasp out, "Protocol!" I press the button as Zack calls it in and Cam goes down first then me. She goes into a seizure with foam coming out of her mouth. I was on my knee's and hands as I start shaking a bit with a bit foam in my mouth.