Mystery & Cops 3: Coroner Uptake

I did not choose the job as a Coroner, the job chose me. Yes, that's my life setup for me. Just like how I fell in love with Bernice then.

It was like twenty five years ago, fresh graduate of the medical school, I was sent off to a faraway land, fighting a war that was never ours to fight for. From the moment I landed, I was given the scalpel and gown. There was the casualties from the unifomed to the civlians, but I did them all. I saved life where I could and never gave up as it was my duty as the healer. But soon I was immuned to the role and did what I could. I would end up walking to the tent like I was walking to the bathroom. It was becoming a routine since then.

Two years later, I came back to serve in my own country, but works was scarce then. The overdue pay packets I got was enough for me to travel, lived in motels, f****d some girls and moved on when I felt like it. I took the time to see the country and soon found myself at a small county. This was the first place I lived for over a month, and was leaving on the next bus when the police car stopped there.

The officer was the Sheriff and we met before; had some drinks and spoke. I knew him partially due to the other fact I was flirting with his daughter, Bernice whom I had befriended through the talks. That was also why I was leaving; we had an disagreement on where I should placed my hands. .

"Daniel, could you follow me?" I looked at the elderly man; tall and build to wrestled down the steer with his bare hands.

I did not even nodded as I thought he had given me an order. I followed him with my mind on what could I had done with Bernice to warrant this.

We drove past the Station and then my heart thumped over; I am very sure I was never drunk or high on any drugs with Bernice. We never made it beyond the bra strap anyway nor was my zip open at anytime.

We missed the junction to the house.

Could be it be the lynch mob mentality here? I looked at myself in the rear mirror view. My hair cropped short as if I was still in the services and the round rimmed spectacles adds to my boyish look. I wondered how a hung man looked like.

We stopped at the County Medical Centre, and I was led to the basement. There was a dead body on the table covered with a modest cotton blanket. I seen enough dead bodies to know they are. Heck, I hardly believed in vampires and blood suckler. I only watched those for me to grabbed the ladies close to me.

"Daniel, I need you to do an autopsy." The Sheriff looked at me. "Doc Niles could not do it. His wife lies there on the table."

I don't know what came over me. I just walked to the tall rack and removed my jacket to put on the surgical gown and visor. I then proceeded to clean my hands and put on the gloves. I looked at the Sheriff who was still standing there.

"Do you mind leaving me alone here?" I moved my head to motioned towards the dead body. "She may be dead, but she still your friend's wife."

The Sheriff got my message and left me alone.

It was my real autopsy and would not be my last. Today after twenty three years, I am still cracking open rib cages and removing innards daily. I seen them all, men and women, all ages and conditions. To me, when they arrived, they are like mannequins with the only exception they have flesh. They could had been breathing hours ago but now they are on my table waiting for me to seek out the cause of their death.

"Dan!" Jim shouted into my ear. I must had been day dreaming which was occurring lately at my current age. I can recalled now; I am here to examine a body which had its innards removed. It was a young lady and this was the first time I seen such a case. I have seen bodies; mutilated, capacitated, squashed but never removed the innards. It nomally me who remvoed their innards.

"Jack the Ripper, huh?" Jim spoke to me over my shoulder. I hated that as it disrupt my thoughts. I stood up and looked at him.

"Move the body to my Morgue. I would let you know later." That was my jurisdiction and no one can tell me what I ought to know. Jim nodded and understood me well. He knew he had somehow stepped on my emotions and was back off now.

Later at the Morgue, I uncovered the body again. This time alone with her, I am in my elements. I leaned over to looked at the surgical marks on the body; noticing the depth and width, and how it was cut; where the pressure points and the areas the killer took on the victim.

"Sheila, my dear." I knew her name from the report given by the officers at the scene. "You were removed with precision; I envy your surgeon. You have not much for me to work on."

In my works, I need the innards to measure the possible causes but here I am left with an empty vessel.

An empty vessel?

Reminded me of my love at home. Bernice have been in bed ridden for over some years now. She fell one day just days after her forty birthday, and never could move. Initially she could chatter but now its more like a blank expressions at me. We been married for twenty four years and never was a day withiout her chatter. But the last ten years was all silence and her nodding at me.

I was in love with Bernice soon after my first autopsy at the County Medical. I recalled that day well like it was yesterday.

The knock came on the door as I was removing the liver. I do not like to be disturbed and was getting agitated at the knocks. I placed down the scalpel and walked to the door.

I forgot I had locked it. I turned the lock and opened the door. There it was; Bernice, my adorable lady friend in her yellow shaded dress and holding a picnic basket. She saw my bloodied gown and held up the picnic basket.

"What happened to you?" She was looking at my condition. I realized not anyone was familiar with the sight of blood. I pulled off my gown, and reached out for her to come in.

"I was doing an autopsy." She had pulled back and refused to come in..

"I knew. Pa told me. But I did ......envisage this ...." Bernice was obviously taken aback by my look. Without another word, she left me the basket and walked away.

I picked up the basket and took it in after locking the door. I then felt famished for the food and looked in. It was the standard Southern fare; steak kidney pie and fries. I took up the pie without realizing I have still on my gloves. I saw my gloves coated with blood and placed the pie down. I then removed the gloves and took up the pie again. During the war, we had our chow in more dire conditions than here, and what was some smudges of the blood.

That evening, I met Bernice and we talked as we sat by the garden bench. After talking for a while, she asked me I wanted to sit closer. I knew then we could had a relationship. I also kissed her that night; a real kiss and not just a peck on the cheeks.

The next day after I got the reults from the Chemist, I cleared the case then, and certified the death was due to failure of the heart. That gave the Sheriff a relief as he had held the husband doctor on the suspicion of murder.

During the dinner that night at the Sheriff home, I was invited as a guest, it was all fun until the topic moved to the death of the Doctor Niles’ wife, Bernice confronted the father for his action of holding the old doctor friend as a suspect. They had a few words exchanged and I offered to excused myself from the family quarrel, but the Sheriff stopped me.

“You explained to her. Its my responsibility as the Sheriff to investigate any possible homicides.” I looked at the tall man and then at his daughter. I was placed in the middle and then took Bernice hand to lead her outside. I explained to her on the findings and her father’s predicament. Soon she was in my arms and I felt elated that I stayed back. The best was til the next day. 

The Sheriff offered me the position as the new Doctor in the Section. He added in that I can see Bernice if I am the doctor there.

I accepted the offer and screwed the daughter in the Morgue three weeks later; door was locked with the sign outside 'Autopsy ongoing'.

We got married a year later, and moved to the city when I got the new offer as Coroner Assistant here.

"Dan!" I looked up at the voice who rouse me from my day dream. It was Jim again.

"Don't you knocked?" I replied as I squinted my eyes at the stupid small screen that they called a PC. Why can't we write the reports with the ink instead of typing and printing? Double works for one stupid document.

"Your door was not locked. I brought you lunch." Jim replied. He was probably feeling guilty on his earlier action. If I was a lady, I guessed I would let him peek behind my blouse for his kind gesture but I muttered a thanks to him. Then I started on the report findings.

"She died of a cut across the neck; bleed and then the killer removed the parts." I explained to Jim the conclusion. "The major organs are missing."

"Transplant seller? " Jim added his conclusion.

"How would I know? I am just the Coroner." I retorted back. "You are the Detective. Find out yourself."

"What's with you, Dan?" Jim who knew me for over ten years asked me. "How's Bernice?"

I looked at my good friend. He ought to know.

"The doctors came. They said Bernice needed a new oxygen tent and machines to keep her heart pumping." I sighed. "Bloody things would cost me more money. Insurance was saying they cannot covered it. If I disagreed, she would die soon."

Just like the lady I did the first autopsy then. The husband was a Coroner and they dragged him to the Station on some suspicion. I averted it with my report. Not the last in my career, but my first was the real memory that I kept on looking back at. A report that I doctored to save a man's love for his wife. He did poisoned her, and I helped him covered it up. I knew why he did that; it was the pain he cannot bear. The pain of seeing her suffer in pain. He ended it for her.

For Bernice, she was not in pain as yet. She may be soon. I don't want her to be like the old lady. I may had to make the same decision like his.

"Dan, we are here to help you." I looked at the detective. He was my solid support for some years now. I assured him that I would be fine. I looked at the meal he brought for me.

"Steak and Kidney pie? I be darned." I smiled at Jim. "You made it my day."