The Squinterns

A Boy in a Tree

"I'm out of alternative scenarios to explain this hyoid break." says Angela. Everyone walks off in separate directions, so I go back to the platform. Zack is examining some bone, and Hodgins is looking at something in the microscope.

"What are you looking at?" I ask them.

"I'm pretending to examine the femur, although I actually don't have anything to do." says Zack, not looking up from his bone.

"I'm admiring this beautiful fungus." says Hodgins. "The colors are quite beautiful."

"Fun" I say enthusiastically. "There's still no news on what broke the hyoid. Any guesses?"

"Maybe the killer broke it on purpose." says Hodgins.

"What, just reached over and snapped it?" I ask.

"That would show on the bone. However, the break was clearly from a rope-like object." says Zack, finally setting down his femur.

"Then what could it have been?" I ask him.

"I don't know. Maybe the killer found some way to pull on the victim while he was twenty feet above him." he shrugs and picks up a tibia.

I'm jump when my phone rings, making Zack jump. "Richie" I answer.

"Hey, it's Booth. You minored in psychology right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Someone throws a CD, but not the case. Where is the case?"

"Well, that's not really a psychology thing. it's a common sense thing. The case is probably with the other CDs, but with something of more importance inside."

"Okay, Thanks." he hangs up the phone.

~

Booth places the CD I helped find in the DVD player. "Ugh, I should've known. It's a fifteen year old boy. It's just porn."

"Wait" says Brennan.

Angela rewinds the tape a little while. "That's our hanging victim" she realizes.

"This is pretty kinky stuff." says Zack.

"I need to know where and when it was shot, what kind of camera was used, anything to help with the investigation." orders Brennan.

"I'm gonna need stills and a close up of that girl's face." orders Booth.

Hodgins burps loudly. "Oh, thanks a lot Booth. My seven organ soup is repeating on me."

"Well, you ordered it. You should have left it to Sid." says Booth. "Let's see what the school has to say about this." He, Brennan, and Angela leave the room.

Hodgins and I grab Zack's arms.

"That was not wild and kinky sex." says Hodgins.

"It was very basic, beginners stuff." I add.

"Just so you know." finishes Hodgins. Then he gags and leaves the room. I follow, not wanting to get caught in an uncomfortable conversation about sex with Zack.

~

"Tabanid pupil casings show that the boy ingested a heavy dose of ketamine before he died. Kids call it special K" says Hodgins ahead of me. I walk behind him, Dr. Brennan, and Booth with Angela and Zack.

"So somebody dosed him, right? That explains why he wasn't struggling during the hanging." says Booth.

"Or, wild though, he took it himself, for fun, like most kids do." says Brennan objectively.