Creatures of God

A Gross Tearing

Hello Everyone! Thanks for staying with me. I hope the drama and intrigue is building for you. Let me know! Anyway, thanks as always! On with the show!

"... practice safe protocol ... use extreme caution..."

The day's announcements were a hollow blur as they blared out over the Interlink system; invisible instructions to Elliot, who stood in the pathology lab, in full covergear, alone and in shock still. He stared ahead blankly with subdued eyes and an expressionless face, contemplating the personal turmoil he had experienced the last couple of days: he had betrayed his childhood friend, discovered his mentor murdered, and now he was grappling with the idea that his newfound friend might actually be the killer.

If that weren't enough, Elliot also found himself graduating early. Upon Dr. Berman's death, the young scientist had prematurely completed his apprenticeship and was now officially designated "Dr. Elliot," the new head physician of the Pathology Department at Anderson Science Center.

"... the Human Protection Unit has been notified..."

Panic was settling in amongst Anderson's small community as rumors about Dr. Berman's death swept through the departments like a whirlwind storm. The cause of his mysterious death? A trauma so horrifying, it was automatically thought to have been perpetrated by a wild animal.

Elliot, on the other hand, was less convinced. He could think of one human who could have killed the Professor; a person who was extraordinary, with an unknown agenda. Elliot knew in his heart that his new friend Alessandro, the young human from a time capsule, may have killed Elliot's mentor, Dr. Berman.

I'm sorry, Professor. It's my fault you're dead. I should've been there when you tried to isolate him.

Elliot groaned and put his hand to his stomach. He looked downward and saw the white sleeve to his new lab coat, which he wore underneath his work coverall. Embroidered at his left chest was his new title as Doctor.

I don't deserve it, Professor. I'd return it all if it meant you could somehow come back.

Elliot closed his eyes and fought back tears. The pungent smell of formaldehyde in the air was not helpful, and he blinked to clear the salt water from their source. He took a deep breath and sighed. The cooler temperature in the room made him tremble. He found himself in the same location where he had been standing for the last hour; in one of the exam rooms, performing his first autopsy as department head; standing in front of his mentor's cold, dead and naked body.

How am I supposed to do this?

It was impossible for Elliott not to think about this first autopsy in a personal way. It was too strange. Normally, it would have been the Professor in the lab, examining the dead person's body with Elliot helping, observing and taking notes. That was no longer the case. Elliot was no longer the student. He imagined himself standing there next to the Professor, as if Dr. Berman were still alive, examining some other human that had passed away.

How would Dr. Berman start? What would he do? What would he say?

Elliot began to dictate to the department log:

"Date: 0139-10-14. Species subject: human; identified as 'Dr. Berman.' 62 years old. Gross external examination... "

Elliot paused to study the most explicit injury at the right side of Dr. Berman's neck.

"There is a large, deep laceration that begins at the superior portion of the right mid-clavicular line ... "

Elliot raised the Professor's right arm and pulled it across the chest to get a better look at the injury from the backside.