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Summary:

Subject was an older male, near 70 turns of age. Cause of death was identified as asphyxiation. Lack of marks to neck indicative that death was not caused by strangulation. Debris later discovered in air passage identified as redfruit. Final determinated cause of death is by choking.

Nerak has walked into the morgue from the records room where she was reading a scroll. She knows that she is to meet Alain here soon, so she finds a chair and sits, reading her scroll. She is glad that there is a curtain between her and the 'patient', because she doesn't want to sit and stare at it...

Musuko follows Nerak, she's just bored, and doesn't have anything else to do. "Nerak, what's going on?" she asks, getting hre attention, not scaring her.

The morgue is a small, dry, cool, dark room off one of the side hallways kept well enough away from the living patients that there's no fear of illness spreading. Equipped with a couple of cabinets and a few tables, the main one, in the center of the room, is overhung with glass glowbaskets to provide the most light possible and serve as an examination table. Alain strides into the room, the state of his hair and clothes indicating that maybe he hasn't had a decent night's sleep in a little while, but as soon as he steps into the room his previously exhausted demeanor changes to one of alertness. He offers Nerak a nod, "Journeyman. G'evening." He sets about scrubbing down immediately, pulling on a set of scrubs and a cap, mask and gloves in preparation.

Nerak looks up at Musuko from her chair and grins, "I was waiting for Alain... and here he is! He is doing another autopsy, and I am going to supervise. Did you want to watch, dear?" She looks at the girl then gets up and follow suit with Alain. She scrubs and puts on scrubs, a cap, mask and gloves in case he will need her assistance or in case she wants to take another look, as she did last time.

Musuko looks around, and walks up, just watching. "Sounds interesting!" she laughs, then smiles at Alain. "Have fun!" she says, and winks.

Linnet slips quietly in behind Alain, arms still folded across her chest in silent challenge to his assessment of her squeamishness. She does not move to don the scrubs, but rather moves to stand lean against a counter across the room.

Alain offers Musuko a brief glance, a little nod, and moves up to the table, pulling back the sheet to reveal the top half of an elderly male with greyed hair and a pinched face. On his torso are dark bruises, some on his arms, shoulders, and a few on his chest, none on his hands and some lighter marks on his lower left arm, none on his lower right arm. As he pulls the sheet down, Alain also reaches for a hide chart, scanning the contents and half-reading alloud, "Identified as Staphrin, of relation to...da da da...age is sixty-eight, hn, old-timer, aaaand...cause of death asphyxiation." He reads a little further, eyes shifting from the page to the body and back again, until he notes the last line, "Question of strangulation was raised--and cause of bruises."

Musuko frowns, and looks at Alain. She decides it's best to be silent, and just watches, knowing that it may come in handy in the future... She's ready to learn... she even pulls out her notebook to take notes.

Nerak nods as Alain goes over the patient/body on the table. "Yes, I see the bruises as well. Hmm, a murder case then? I guess they want you to see if it was a murder? This aught to be interesting." She looks at hte body again, examining the bruises.

Linnet sidles up to the foot of the examining table, leaning forward to get a better view, though careful to stay out of the way of the examiners. "Strangulation? Wouldn't there be bruises on his neck then?" she queries, straing on tiptoe to see if she can spot an answer to her own question.

Alain nods slightly to Nerak, putting away the hide, "Well, he was found by his son. I guess people get tired of taking care of uncles and things." He shrugs and steps up to the head of the body, leaning forward and peering closely at the neck of the deceased. He gets so close that his own head obscures the light, and backs away a little, an intensely concentrated look in his eyes, then shakes his head, straightening up a little. At Linnet's question his mouth twitches up at the corners under his mask and he nods, "Yeah, there would be. But there don't seem to be any." He places his hands on either side of the patient's jaws and reaches a finger in, probing around.

Musuko looks to Alain, questioning silently, and smiles, knowing that Alain would explain, and be very good at it.

Nerak tilts her head and also notices the lack of bruises around the neck. She suspects that he could have been smothered, but leaves it open for now. "How about the mouth? Are there any cuts inside the lip or anything?" Saying this, she watches Alain and his examination of the jaw and mouth, knowing he will get to the lips eventually.

Alain continues fishing, grimacing as he does and squinting, concentration funneled into his fingers, and finally withdraws them, shaking his head. "Nothing blocking the airway unless it's -really- lodged back in there. That would account for bruises on the stomach, but there are none--and the patient was unconscious when found." He peers around the lips and shakes his head, "No indication of his struggling against an external source of suffocation, either. I suppose he could have drowned, but I'd like to think they'd mention that ahead of time." The statement is made with the crinkling of the corners of his eyes, suggesting a wry grin, and he moves toward the torso, pulling on his spectacles to examine the bruises a little more closely. "Well, they're fingers, but that's hardly a shock."

Musuko frowns.. and watches, that had to have been gross... She'd never do it.. Looking at Alain she wonders how he's doin it.

Nerak nods, "Hmmm, finger bruise marks... on the torso... interesting." She looks confused and a bit irritated at Alain's obvious amusement. "He doenst' look like a drowning victem though... they're usually /really/ clammy and more blue in color...." though she's never really seen one... only heard.

A finger slips forward and pokes at the man's toes, a grimace at the cool stiffness the first sign of squeamishness Linnet expresses. "Maybe he just fell or something? Why would they think he suffocated?"

Alain actually chuckles at Nerak's observation. "Yes they are...well, if they've been -in- the water. You don't have to be -in- water to drown, of course," he adds with a shrug, glancing sharply at Linnet for her prodding. "Healer, if you're going to do that you simply -have- to put on gloves--and scrubs," he adds, "Just so you won't contract something...even then it's not guaranteed." He steps around toward the legs, pulling the sheet up and examining them, but finding only one small, inconsequential bruise. "No broken bones."

Musuko smiles, then just leans foreward on her stool to watch, SHE'S not gonna touch that! No Way. 'Suko watches Alain, and smirks. She's curious, but won't touch the body with a ten foot reed!

Nerak nods, "Well, I guess that is true... I wasn't thinking in that way." She looks down at the apprentice and chuckles, she had wanted to do that the first time she was there... afterall, it just feels so /unnatural/. She looks back over the body at Alain. So... asphyxiation... wasn't strangled, didn't choke that we can see... didn't drown, or at least in a large body of water..." She looks confused. All of her patients are alive when she sees them... so she doesn't know where to go at this point...

Linnet lifts a cool gaze to Alain, along with a brow, before stepping back and holding up her hands in innocence. "Is there an extra set for me?" she queries, keeping the note of challenge in her tone within acceptable limits. After all, there is a ranker present.

Alain nods as Nerak tics off each point, and he takes a deep breath before turning to the Journeyman, "I'd like to look instrusively, if you don't mind--just so see if his airway is clear beyond where I can reach." He raises an eyebrow, moving toward one of the cabinets which stores the sterile instruments.

Musuko backs away, and shivers... She'll stay back.. That sounds Disgusting... She'll watch from across the room..

Nerak raises and eyebrow, "Internally?" She backs away unconsciously, not meaning to, but she has never intentionally cut a body open other for emergency surgery. "Well, I see the need, considering nothing else can be found to explain it... So... where do you start? In the throat or deeper?" She winces and tries to make herself watch what's going on.

Musuko grimaces, and shakes her head. "I could never do that.." she mutters to herself, knowing full well that if she had to she would...

Alain nods slightly, retrieving a scalpel and returning to the table. "Just a small incision in the throat," he affirms, measuring with his fingers before making the incision. "Easier this way--no blood," he murmurs lowly, and proceeds to feel in the air pipe with his fingers. The look of concentration returns and he shakes his head, switching his position and moving his hands. "Can you do me a favor and double-check for bruises on the feet? If he'd been trying to kick off an attacker there could be marks."

An odd look lights Linnet's eyes, and she moves around the table to the counters she's seen the healers get the scrubs from. Rummaging around, she pulls one out and follows the procedure she'd watch them undergo before returning to the table, inserting herself between Nerak and Alain, a step behind and out of the way, but just barely. She clasps her hands behind her back and leans in, her eyes following Alain's movements.

Nerak walks around the body and looks at the feet, and in between the toes just in case. She looks puzzled, even though she has on a mask. "No, there are no bruises on his feet... none at all." She shakes her head. "I dont' understand it..." She returns back up to the body's shoulder, where she was before, and continues to watch Alain as he works.

Almost as soon as Nerak finishes examining the feet Alain lets out a little triumphant sound. "There it is! Ha-ha! Theeeere it is..." he murmurs lowly, drawing out the words and reaching further, shifting sideways and nearly leaning against Linnet to do so. He shoots the girl a grin over his shoulder and then grimaces, looking back at the body and finally withdrawing his fingers with a little piece of what looks like Faranth-only-knows what.

Nerak watches Alain's dance as he removes... whatever it is from the body's throat. "Well, that solves that puzzle then... he choked to death. But what about the bruises then? Maybe he was trying to get it out himself?" She decindes not to examine what is in his hand, but takes him at his word... ugh.

Musuko leans forward again, seeming to wonder what it is. "What is it?" she asks, and frowns.

Linnet grins back in response and peeks over his shoulder, nose wrinkling delicately. "Ewww... " she breathes, but does not withdraw. "Want me to clean it off?"

Alain pulls his mask down and actually takes a sniff, wrinkling his nose and putting the object aside in a small dish reserved for such things. "Redfruit," he states, shaking his head to Linnet. "Can't clean it off. It's rotten." He reaches back into the man's throat, shaking his head to Nerak, "No, if his son found him and he was unconscious--" He falls silent and shakes his head, withdrawing his fingers. "Well, what would you do?"

Nerak looks at Alain again, "Oh.. I misheard, I thought the son found him dead... I suppose the son tried to get him up, pulling him by the arms. I realize that few people know how to dislodge foreign bodies in the airway..."(since Heimlich maneuver may not have been invented at that point... hmmm)

Musuko wrinkles her nose. "Eww.." she frowns. "I'd see if he was still breathing..." she states, knowing that she would.

Alain nods lightly and points toward the bruising on the arms, "He was probably unconscious so the son shook him. Older people bruise more easily--not as good of circulation, you know." He wrinkles his nose, "Maybe he tried to pull him up first--people that panick don't know their own strength, and if Staphrin here's lungs weren't in top condition--and he's old--maybe he just couldn't cough hard enough to dislodge it."

Nerak looks at Musuko and grins, "But then again, dear, you've had first aid training, and that is why you'd check to see if he was breathing... Not everyone has been trained in it, which is a shame. I wish holders would come to our open First Aid classes more often." She shakes her head, "It might have saved this man... Then again, it /was/ lodged pretty deeply..."

Musuko nods, and sighs. "I'd voulenteer to teach.." she doesn't even look right at the man..

Linnet is rapidly loosling interest in the exchange now that the mystery was solved. Step by step she backs up, gently tugging at the fingers of her gloves. OOC: gotta run ya'll. Thanks!

Alain nods, "Very deep. It must have just gotten hooked--" He shakes his head and moves around to the other side of the body, too absorbed to notice Linnet sneaking out. "That's not that hard to figure out, I don't think. Need to make the notation that the cut was made by me...otherwise, I'd say it was asphyxiation due to food lodged in the victem's throat." He glances up toward Nerak, "Journeyman, do you concur?"

Musuko shakes her head. "That's gross..." she shakes her head and backs away. "I'm leaving.. this is gross." she flees.

Nerak nods, "Yes... I see. I do understand and agree." She smiles at Alain. "Have I mentioned to you before that you do very well with this? I'm not sure I'd have figured that out... Then again... it might have taken me a while...

Alain nods distractedly for the comment with a murmured, "Thanks." He proceeds to check over little details, making marks on a chart and glancing up at Nerak upon abruptly realizing she's still watching. "Did you want to check with anything else? I'm going to check his back for any marks, again, but my preliminary check didn't show any."

Nerak grins at him and smiles, "Yep, I'll help you turn him over again. I'm here until you're done, dear. I'm learning too!" She chuckles, and finds it a bit odd that she's learning from her mentee,but then again, he's good at this...

Alain nods, "Thanks. If you wouldn't mind..." He trails off to move up to the man's shoulders again and slides his hands under, "On three?" He takes a breath, "One, two--hup--" Lift. That was three. And once the body is on it's stomach? (Stiffly so...) Alain begins the slow examination of the man's back, not becoming cursory even at this seemingly negligible stage.

Nerak helps Alain to flip the body over when he counts. She watches his examination, not noticing anything horribly abnormal on her own quick examination.

Alain shakes his head, "Nothing. Again, not really any surprise there." He feels the man's skull and shakes his head, "No cracks, no breaks, no bumps," he assures her and finally nods. "Help me flip him back over?" he asks, moving back to do so and waiting for Nerak's help. "Anything else you want checked? I'm satisfyed," he assures his mentor.

Nerak helps him flip hte body back over again. "Nope, I've got everything I need... sounds good to me. As long as you're satisfied, you're the one signing the report!" She chuckles, knowing she will have to co-sign since he is still a Sr. Apprentice... though not for long with the way he is going.

Alain nods firmly, "Very satisfyed. Two days and a piece of redfruit. Makes good sense to me--logical, scientific." He falls to re-covering the man's body and nods again, "Do you have dinner plans?" What a lovely thing to ask as soon as one is done examining a dead person!

Nerak nods, "Hmmm, redfruit... " She helps with recovering the man, then goes to the sink and removes her gloves, gown, hat and mask. "Dinner plans? Well, if there is no redfruit involved!" She grins. "I actually didn't have plans. You?" She watches as he finishes what he is doing.

Alain shakes his head, "Not yet. Of course, if I find a cute guy on the way to the dining hall I might--" he breaks off, blushing slightly upon realizing he's talking to his mentor. "I was joking, of course," he assures her, "Just going to--uh...eat." There you go. He follows suit in de-scrubbing, though, the occasional glance tossed toward the body. "I should finish up my hidework first," he murmurs, "I'll be out there before too long," he promises.

Nerak nods "Alright. I have to go scribble some notes as well... I'm going to go back into the records room and just take some quick notes. Meet me out there and we'll head to the mug... and not if I see the cute guys first!" She grins at him.

Alain chuckles and nods, waving a hand, "Alright, fair enough." He falls quiet, doing his post-exam scrub in a thoughtful silence before moving over to an empty table to begin making notes on a hide.

Nerak moves from the morgue to the records room.