CSI Miami Lab

Day one.

"You're joking, right?"
"Come on, Alexx. I need to go. And he's gonna be here any minute. "
"Can't you just wait, or meet him another day?" Alexx Woods pretended to be very busy.
"No. It's David's relative or something. I promised him."
David was a long-time lab worker. He was always ready to do favours and Alexx liked him a lot. Unlike she did with Megan. She didn't actually know why. Maybe because of Megan's 'cold' attitude.
"Ok. If it's David's relative... What do you want me to do?"
"Ask him a bit. Test him a little. Take him to the morgue and let's see if he suits here."
"I'm not a scientist. I won't test him."
"No...but you're a physician. You can easily tell if his stomach suits CSI standards"
"Ok. Only because..."
"...he's David's relative. I get it. See you in an hour. " Megan left shaking her head.
Alexx rolled her eyes and noticed Calleigh Duquesne entering the morgue.
"Did u hear? "
"Yeah. I know you don't like her much, dr. Woods"
"Does this show so badly? "Alexx raised her eyebrows.
"Yep. No worries. I need my victim's COD".
"And Alexx. Not dr. Woods, Calleigh "
"I didn't get use to. But I will I promise dr.....  Alexx. "
"It's almost half a year now..."
"I know". Calleigh laughed her shining- the- room- way.
"Ok... Let's see if he's here. Can you peep out?"
"Yeah... There' s someone sitting at the corridor."
"Handsome? We don't need another quasimodo here."
"Alexx?!?!?!!! That was awful!"
"I know. But true. Ok. Let him in. And... Stay, ok? Pretend to be busy and we'll see who
he is."
"Hey! Are you waiting for Megan Donner??" Calleigh shouted.
The man turned his head and got up."Yeah... I am."
"Come here." She waved.
She was watching him coming. He had dark, curly hair and 5 o'clock shadow. His dark jeans were loose and kinda baggy. Trainers- very clean as Cal noticed - were old converse sneakers. The Nirvana T-shirt was a complete matching the rest. He was tall, but very skinny. Not athletic, just...sporty. As she noticed he wasn't much older than her. And looked rather like a skater than a lab worker. Megan would surely throw him out for being dressed like that.
"Hi." She said handing him "I'm Calleigh Duquesne. Ballistics."
"Tim Speedle. Nobody".
She smiled at his joke but he didn't join so they entered.
"Hello, mister...."
"....Speedle. Tim Speedle".
"Tim. I'm Alexx Woods, the M.E."
"But..."
"I know. Megan was called to a dead body. Instead you got me until she's back." She looked closer at him. She didn't like the way he was standing- looking bluntly.
"Ok...I'm not here to check your documents, but what's your education level?"
"I'm after year 4. In chemistry and biology."
"So you're.."
"23. "   Just like me Calleigh noticed.
"Alma mater? "
"Columbia uni. "
"Phew "Alexx said. " Nice. Listen Columbia boy. What are you doing here in Miami in the middle of the school year while you should be now studying in New York?"
"Gap year." He said quietly.
"GAP YEAR? On year 4? Well, that's strange...why?"
"I ... I guess it's not your bussiness" He raised his head and Cal stopped breathing knowin Alexx Woods, and seeing how furious she is -" ....Ma'am. "
"Well well well....cocky little Yankie"  Alexx said. "But you're right -none of my bussiness. Ok so let's start. I'm here to check if you 're resistent to crime scene violence. Calleigh, open the drawer. Nr 1".
Cal did that showing a db.
He didn't even blink. "Sooo what's the COD?"
"Im not an M.E. ma'am. But what I can say is that the guy was laying on his chest when he died. Probably hurt his eyebrow falling, but he was at his last then- no big bleeding."
Alexx nodded. "And why on the chest? "
"The blood pooled on his stomach area and then after a time he was moved backwards. Maybe by the rescue team. It also looks like he's got a heart attack- his chest area is bruised more. So maybe natural cause, that would be my guess."
"Nr 4, Calleigh please."
Cal knew Alexx was testing him. She was a bit impressed cause her voice got softer, but the m.e still wanted to teach  him a lesson.
"Here you are". She uznipped the head.
His face got paler. Alexx smiled at the sight. "Toilet maybe?"
"No".
"You got pale".
"If you see that and don't get pale you're either used to the sight
-like you, Ma'am-or you're a psychopath. I'm neither".
she nodded, amused.
"COD?"
"Drowning, obviously. "
"How old was the person? Biology student should know how to check it".
He took a glove out of the box. Then put an index finger into body's mouth. And got visibly paler at the smell.
"Eeerm... I'd say 40ish....all wisdom teeth present, lacks in jaw, many fillings..."took the finger out.
"Man or woman?"
"Uh... I don't know how to check it actually".
"Maybe like that?" Alexx opened the zip showing the naked body and the smell became unbearable, even for them
"....a woman, then. " He bowed his head, more ashamed than sick.
"Good. Number 11"
Calleigh knew it's the last one. The floater was the worst. Now she just wanted to see some more science.
He got shocked at the sight. Unzipped it fully though.
"Man, around 20. Probably disabled."
"Why?"
"His hands and legs'  muscles almost invisible. He was laying flat for few years. "
"COD?"
He was watching the body with sad eyes-  Calleigh noticed - and sorrow on his face.
He took a fresh latex glove and pulled the eyelids.
"Tumor. Brain tumor?"
"Close. Brain aneurysm. Crushed while operating on him."
Calleigh immediately noticed his face. His eyes got wider and he became grey on the cheeks. Suddenly looked at her with panicked eyes.
"On the left" she said warmly and he rushed. Hearing him vomiting she felt sympathy for this guy. The floater didn't impress him, but disabled youngster, gone too soon,  made him sick.
The water stopped and he came out of the toilet. The body was already hidden. Alexx was looking at him carefully.
"Mintie?"
"No. Thanks." He sat down."Sorry."
"No worries. Happens." The door opened and Megan appeared "You Speedle? "
"Yeah". He got up.
"Come on. Thanks Alexx" . He said goodbye and left.
Alexx turned to Calleigh asking
"What do ya think?"
"Hmm. I don't know. Smart and resistant."
"...and cocky. Megan doesn't like this kind".
"Neither do you Alexx".
"But I kinda like him. We need him. He looks quite nice too" she blinked "And she owes David a favour. So let's hope she will hire this boy. Now- let's get to work."
They both bowed over the paper