Genesis (ONC2022)

Day Nine Part Four

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Emilia wasn't one to believe in omens but when her coffee mug spontaneously cracked she could not help feel uneasy. It wasn't like she had knocked it down a little too hard. No. The damn thing was just sitting there. So why did that happen?

It didn't help either that there was this ominous air. It was a strange feeling - almost as if the shadows had come alive. It made her feel uneasy. She couldn't eat a single thing that morning.

Out of habit, she made sure to grab a few treats for Alex. The thought of him made her sad. For all her promises she hadn't found a way to make him better. Hell, she hadn't even found a way to stop Doctor Rudolph from pumping that poisonous medicine into him.

She had believed that by now the Board would have acted on her report but even up to now they were quiet. Was it possible that they were in on it too? No. She couldn't see Natalia Giovanni as that kind of person. The woman was firm but just. She would definitely react to her report.

But what could possibly be taking them so long?

Emilia found herself by the changing area. As she changed into her scrubs she couldn't help but wonder where her bubbly new friend was. It wasn't like Misty to not meet her out here.

And what was it with those lab assists who were scurrying about in and out of the lab more than usual?

Her eyes curiously followed their movements as she too made her way to the lab only to stop upon her entry.

She felt the parcel in her hands drop to the floor. Her eyes, unblinking, could not look away as she watched two of the lab assists load a body into a body bag.

Part of her believed she was still in bed conjuring up this nightmare.

It couldn't be real. Surely he wasn't - he wasn't dead.

"Miss Larsson." She heard Doctor Rudolph call to her.

She turned to face him, the shock spreading through her system like a wildfire.

"I'm afraid we've lost him." Daniel said to her. "I really hoped he could make it through..."

She didn't respond - couldn't respond. Not when her chest felt like it was being ripped wide open. She wanted to lie down on the ground, curl herself up into a ball and cry her heart out.

"I suppose there's nothing left for you to do here. You can go back home now. I'm sure you miss your family." He went on.

With a sad smile he turned and left her there.

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Four hours later

"Trust that son of a bitch, Rowen, to make us clean up his messes." The bold mortician told his companion as he examined the body. "I take it you brought me another one, huh Jake?"

"Yeah, Bruce, you know he never takes down one." Jake, the apprentice mortician who unlike his supervisor was young, skinny and had shaggy blond hair."Poor guy looks to be right about my age."

He rolled the body up next to the other one that Bruce had.

"Well, you done with this one?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm just about done." Bruce said as he took out a box of cigarettes and helped himself to one. "Goddammit, I'm not a miracle worker!"

He blew out some smoke as he sat back on his stool.

"How do I make bullet holes disappear?" He said, mostly to himself before eyeing Jake. "You didn't bring me another shooting victim, did you?"

"No, this one just dropped dead according to him." Jake explained.

"Yeah, because when has Rowen fucking Rudolph ever admitted to outright murdering anyone?" Bruce asked with a sarcastic laugh.

He turned to the new body with interest as he examined it for any possible signs of the cause of death.

"I'll tell you one thing, there was a struggle." Bruce said as he took particular interest on the fingernails. "See that? Skin cells in the fingernails. Poor kid must have known a physical fight wouldn't have gone in his favor. That... Or he wasn't thinking about advantage. Only escape. That could be the case if he was suffocating."

"So he was chocked to death." Jake said matter of factly.

"Well I wouldn't put it past our good friend Rowen." Bruce pointed out.

He proceeded to examine the neck area, his fingers pushing gently against the skin.

"Hm, that's interesting..." He said.

"What is?" Jake asked curiously.

"The throat area appears to be swollen. It's almost like tonsillitis. My guess is it's some kind of severe allergic reaction." Bruce said thoughtfully. "I'll have to look at him more carefully to be sure."

"Okay then, I'll leave you with him while I take her and try to patch her up so you can atleast forge her cause of death without having to explain the hole in her chest." Jake said.

"Sure," Bruce replied without even looking up from the body.

He gently pried the mouth open so he could have a view of the throat from the inside, limited as it may be, but something else caught his attention.

"The hell? That's more sharp canine teeth than I've ever seen on the average person." He exclaimed aloud.

He decided to ignore this oddity. Besides, there were a dozen worse human oddities out there. He decided to focus on his objective but it proved impossible. He couldn't see clearly and hence decided to go it the traditional way.

"Sorry buddy, looks like I'm going to cut you up." He said.

He quickly found his surgical razor and proceeded to make the incision just underneath his throat.

He was about to pry the cut open when something crazy happened. The cut closed up and healed itself right before his eyes without leaving a scar.

"WHAT. THE. FUCK." Bruce exclaimed.

He rubbed his eyes, pinched his skin, in an attempt to prove his sanity. There was no way that just happened. It was impossible.

And yet he couldn't explain how the incision he had made was just gone. Poof. Like magic.

"Hey man, can I have a razor," Jake said, appearing suddenly and breaking him from his train of thought. "I can't for the life of me figure out where I put my new ones."

He didn't respond but merely watched as his apprentice got what he wanted and then walked away. Leaving him to figure out what was going on.

He turned back to his work table only to find a pair of golden eyes staring right back at him.

Before he could react, Bruce suddenly found himself trapped in a vice like grip. As he tried to break free, he screamed in pain when he suddenly felt the sharp teeth tear into his throat.