Handshake - Edward Nygma

(2.) Light Bulb

I love the fact he finds his job so fascinating
Or
It's really creepy how much he likes his job of looking at dead bodies

With my arms wrapped around my body - trying to keep any heat I had left, Jim stood next to me. He stood like he normally would inside or outside any building, acting like the cold didn't effect him. We watched as Edward looked through the pockets of the dead man in front of us, his body and clothes almost drenched in blood. He looked for any identity. Passport? Driving licence? ID? Nothing.

"We have a horrible job, don't we?" I turned to Jim, taking my eyes off the body lying just a few metres in front of me. Jim seemed distant, almost like he wasnt listening - his thoughts else where. He stared at an old bridge that had been out of use for a number of years. At first it was due to maintenance, then it became a health and safety problem so the builders left it alone. Now it's just a big scenic scar left near the harbour. Sitting under the eyesore sat two men, chattering among themselves. They both wore tattered clothes, dirty and ripped as they sat with a shopping cart full of blankets, drinks and food. They were homeless.

"Somtimes it can be" he replied, clearly not giving any thought into my question. "I'm going to ask those men over there if they saw anything." he told me, putting his hand on the green, rusty railing behind him, turning back to look at the body

"Alright."

"Over your head I appear when you have a great idea" Edward said quickly, practically jumping out in front of us, almost like he meant to scare us.

"Jesus Ed. What have I said about doing that?" Jim said sternly, however, Edward seemed unfazed by his tone.

"Sorry." His apology didn't seem sincere, Although they never usually did. "Over your head I appear" he started, a lot more slowly this time "...when you have a great idea." He smiled at both of us.

"A lightbulb" I answered, slightly proud I had gotten is so quickly - usually I'm not that good with riddles, but I didn't let it show.

Edward smiled at me brightly, his eyes widened a little, showing he was clearly just as surprised I got it as I was. Although It should have hurt that he was surprised, it actually made me feel quite good about myself that 'the smartest man in the world' didn't think I would get the answer.

"What?" Jim almost spat, completely puzzled and in denial. "A lightbulb?!"

"Look at this" Edward said, turning around to face the Body once more. I slightly cringed at how close he wanted me to go to the dead man, Jim also inching me closer. Edward kneeled back down in the same place he was before, looking at the small brown bag next to him that was full of medical equipment. He ran his finger along all the tools until he got to the last one - a long pair of tweezers. He took it out of the small elastic band that held it in place and held it in his hand. He smiled - almost chaoticly - taking a finger from his free hand to pull his chin down, his mouth wide open. The tweezers were held over the mans face, Edward slowly inching them down his throat, careful not to tare any skin. The tweezers were pushed far down before it stopped, pulling it back up slowly. A lightbulb. All the glass from the bulb gone, most of it in his mouth - poking into the roof and tounge. It was just a base that was left, a bloody light bulb base.

As he pulled it out I inverted my eyes, looking back at the abandoned bridge. I almost gagged and probably would have thrown up if I looked for a second longer. "That's. Disgusting." The image of the lightbulb stuck in my head, and will be for many weeks.

"Yes it is" Edward said, still holding the base high up with the tweezers. A man came over to him, handing over a clear plastic bag labelled 'EVIDENCE BAG' and placed the bloody base inside, careful not to touch it - even thought he was wearing gloves, it could alter the testing in some way. "But forever fascinating."