The young doctors.

Burning in solidarity.

~(episode 21: The Soldier on the grave)~

I was resting in one of the chairs on the platform with Zack and Angela with my headphone on due to it being a loud day when I woke up. Zack of course was watching the news about what's happened.
"The unidentified suicide victim was found at Private Kent's grave this morning. Services had been planned to honor Kent on the one-year anniversary of his death in Iraq." The lady told and Goodman ended up joining us when Kent was playing basketball.
"Ah. I used to love watching Kent play. He could fly." Goodman told.
"He made 46.4% of his three point attempts in his last season." Zack stated.
"A basketball fan? I'm surprised, Mr. Addy."
"Basketball season is the worse at home." I told making him give me a worried look. "I say it in a loving way."
Soon Temperance walked onto the platform and turned the tv off.
"Zack, I'd like you to keep cleaning the bones." She told
"Did you see the game against North Carolina?" He asked looking at Goodman. "Fifty-three points, and he grabbed 18 rebounds."
"Zack?" Doc spoke giving Zack a pointed look and gestured to the remains that were on the examination table as she puts gloves on.
"Sorry. Cleaning." He told as he turned back to the remains and turned a UV light on.
"It's difficult knowing Kent will never play again. Makes the war so real." Goodman told.
"Which is odd since it was all fiction that got us there in the first place." Jack stated.
'Not this again.
"So you don't think we should stand up to tyrants?" Goodman asked making Jack smirk since he fell into his trap.
"Sure. I've been waitin' for the press to do that for three years now."
"I can't believe you took the bait." Angie told.
"Yeah. Me neither." He admitted before his phone began to ring making him wince as he grabbed his phone and saw who the caller was. "Oh! Press Office of Defense. Please I.D. him. This is the third call in an hour."
'This will be good.'
He picked up the call and instantly looked a mixture of tired, annoyed and weary about what's happening.
"Hello? Yes. It's a pleasure to hear from you again, sir. Yes, we're very close."
"All right. I fed his dentals, approximate age, height, along with the rough sketch I made from the tissue markers into the D.O.D. database." Angie explained and Seeley joined up with us on the platform.
"The victim had lamb about an hour before his death. Of course, it's a little overcooked now." Jack told
'I just want to sleep.'
"Toasted himself. Who cares what he ate?" Seeley told.
"Just doing our jobs, Booth." Doc told.
"Big boys telling you to sweep this one under the rug?" Jack asked.
"Just can the left-wing conspiracy, Hodgins. Probably one of your nut-ball friends here on the table."
"Don't think so. Fabric found at the scene was cotton with synthetic polymers. Dye: olive green." Jack told
"He was wearing a military uniform, Seeley." I told.
"He's one of yours, not mine." Jack added
"Okay. His name is Devon Marshall." Angie told making us look towards her. "He served in the Guard with Kent."
"What?"
"He was there in Mosul the night Kent was killed." Angie stated as we were shown an official photo and his basic information on the computer screen.
"He was protesting?" Zack asked.
"Marshall could've had a change of heart. It's not like support for the war is increasing." Jack told.
"It also could've been survivor's guilt. The guy who saved his life didn't make it. You can't imagine what it's like carrying that around." He told before looking towards me realising what he said. "Sorry Ash."
"No need to be. You are just stating facts." I told giving a small smile.
Doc shared a confused look with everyone who didn't know about my past wonder why Seeley apologised to me before Doc continued.
"I don't think so, Booth. There's evidence of damage on the external auditory meatus..." she told before showing the hole in the skull. "...here and here."
"I'm sorry, you know, but I left my phrase book at home." Seeley told
"The opening in the skull where the auditory nerves feed into the brain." Zack explained
"So we're talking ear hole?" He asked as he looked and sounded annoyed, which caused Doc to look at him with a perplexed and annoyed look.
"Yes."
"They simplify these words for a reason, people." He told
"Something was jabbed into his ear." She added.
"Okay, that's clear. But why?" He asked slowly.
"There's scrapings within the cranium and marks on the inside of the parietal and occipital. Whatever was used was pushed completely through his skull." She told.
"Someone scrambled his brain, then set the fire so there'd be no tissue left to see what had been done."
'Sleep sounds so good right now.... Maybe I should have also taken today off.'
"Exactly. Devon Marshall didn't die in the fire. He was murdered first." Doc told before looking towards Seeley who just looked tense and grim from what happened.
'Fuck a duck.'

(Zack p.o.v)

I was with Ash, Jack and Angela and we all surrounded the bones that were in the examining table.
"There are signs of additional damage on C-1 at the base of the skull. This mark couldn't have come from the assault inside the cranium." I explained.
"I'll work it out. Later." Ash told before leaning her head and using my back as a pillow of sorts.
"I just think that you should be aware that Booth went through something over there." Angela told to Hodgins due to being annoyed at what he had said earlier.
"So I'm not supposed to tell the truth?" He asked.
"Truth? It's opinion Jack."
"Looks like a dimple in the bone. Could be genetic." I told frowning but Ash wrapped her arms around me and gave me a quick tap on my chest to tell me she was listening.
"There were no W.M.D.'s. That's the truth."
"Every major intelligence agency in the world thought there were." She told and knowing Hodgins he was going to be stubborn about this.
"We should get magnification of the area to determine what else could've caused it." I told making Ash nod.
"Are you defending what's going on over there?"
"No. Mistakes were made, obviously."
"Yeah just ask Edgar & Edith, and then me and Peter." Ash quietly told making me chuckle.
"Yeah! Like establishing military bases over there instead of investing a fraction of what this war costs into alternative energy projects."
'At least I've got Ash listening to me, even though she's tired today.'
"Nothing is that simple."
"To me it is! We're ruled by the corporate oligarchy. Face it." He argued and Angela didn't look amused from it.
"There's also some discoloration. You should do some scrapings to see what it might be." I told mostly to Jack since Ash was going to work out the weapon and Angela gave a sigh.
"You want to make the world a better place, Jack? Try shutting your yap long enough to hear something other than the sound of your own voice." She told before leaving making Hodgins get surprised.
"Hey, where are you going?" He asked calling out to her.
"The scrapings?" I asked making him look towards me.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I thought we were having a good time." He told scoffing.
"You were being a dick." Ash told.
"How was I being a dick?!"
"You weren't thinking of anyone else but yourself. Yes mistakes were made in war, but the shit you say can be hurtful. Take a page out of Seeley's book and apologise, he said sorry to me once he knew what he said."
"You know you never told us why you shut us out for that week."
"Cause I don't have to. I don't like talking about it and I'd hope you'd respected me enough to just pretend it never happened." She told making me tap the table to let her know I was here for her no matter what.
'She'll tell me when she's ready.'