BONES AU - PART FOUR "Princess and the Pear"

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

Max, Tony and Kevin stood in the autopsy room, examining the remains.

"Trauma is limited to the skull. Once I clean the skeleton and get a better look at the mandibular damage, I'll know more. Or get fired for incompetence." Tony stated

Kevin nodded. "Well, I am finished with the soft tissue, so you can remove the flesh now."

Max stood up from the wheel-y chair he was spinning in. "According to our old friendth Diptera and Coleoptera, I'd place actual time of death about 72 hourth ago. Also, I discovered soil under her nailth, along with traces of Virginia nailwort. Neither native to the dump thite." Tony sighed when Max was done. "What'th with the long face there, thunshine?"

Kevin snorted. "Tony's girlfriend of two days broke up with him."

Max groaned, face falling instantly. "What about me? My boythfriend and I broke up and I gotta thee him at work every dayth."

Tony sighed again. "Well, obviously, it hasn't blackened your soul like it has mine."

"There wath thome light charring."

"I'm dead inside."

"Okay, you win, happyth?'

"Not that I can remember."

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As Scott sat in his office, he saw Joe's number calling him on his phone from his apartment.

"Joe?"

"Heya, Bones!"

"What did your doctor say?"

"Something about a possible herniation occurred on my disks L-3, L-4. Nothing, you know, a little rest, stretching... Hey, maybe a good massage will just kick it right out?"

Scott shook his head. "Intervertebral disk degeneration shouldn't be taken lightly. Are you wearing your lumbo-sacral support belt?"

"Yeah, the girdle, you mean. Yes, it's nice and tight. Oh, hold on." He answered the 2nd line. "Yellow, its Joe."

"Hey, it's Perotta. How you doing? Uh, you need anything?" The second line asked.

Joe shook his head. "Nope. I am just dandy."

Perotta nodded. "So, we found the victim's father."

Scott's eyes widened, considering he could hear the conversation. "We did?"

Perotta took a double take. "Who's that?'

Joe raised an eyebrow. "It's Joe."

Perotta shook her head. "No, before it was you."

Scott snorted. "Joe, you pressed 'conference call'."

Perotta snorted as well. "Dr. Hoying?"

Joe was thoroughly confused. "No, its Joe!"

Scott rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him. Joe is on painkillers. Is the victim's father coming in?"

Joe perked up. "I wanna be there!"

"Joe, no. Your back. You can't go."

"Yes, I can. I am the ranking officer!"

"But you are incapacitated by painkillers, Joe!"