Chapter Text
Ava entered her office for the third time that morning and it wasn't even 7am. The coffee that someone had kindly bought for her had been left untouched on her desk and was now cold and unpalatable. There was a post-it note on it saying something about taking a break, but Ava ignored that too.
She sighed heavily as she looked longingly at the untouched paper cup, imagining a nice steaming hot coffee as her gaze shifted to the stack of reports sitting on her desk. She threw her head back on her leather office and swivelled it from side to side trying to muster up the energy to get going again. 4am starts down at the office with the arrival of a Jane Doe wasn't exactly her idea of fun but when you're the Chief Medical Examiner of a small but bustling city, sometimes you just have to suck it up and do your job. A two-minute time out and pep talk was all she needed. She made herself a mental list of jobs to do by lunch time, starting with the body lying on the slab, sending the collected samples to the lab and finishing with the pile of reports from yesterday's intakes.
She swivelled out of the chair and made her way to the lab, scooping up the coffee on her way and dropping in the trash outside her office door. There was a renewed purpose in her stride as she reminded herself of her reason for being here. Her passion and life calling confused most people and fascinated those less squeamish. Sometimes though, she disgusted those who judged her as having grotesquely morbid tendencies who wasted a medical education on dissecting the dead rather than helping the living.
That never bothered her though. She was confident enough in her choices and her own abilities to let any of that get to her. Ava Sharpe never made a decision that she didn't regret, always putting consideration and thought into everything. Even with the snap decisions made every day, she trusted that her subconscious had a preference for this particular shirt or that salad dressing for a reason. Today, just like yesterday, just like the all the Jane.Does brought in over the last month.
This was her calling. To listen to the stories that the dead were telling. To bring their tales to a conclusion. For the living to have the same closure and peace. To bring identity and dignity to the shunned and forgotten.
As she entered the lab, she smiled knowing that she wasn't alone.
'Casey! I'm so glad to see you, good morning by the way. ' she said, smiling as she walked up to the younger woman who was busy positioning the gurney and the examiner trays.
As much a she liked her own company, Ava always looked forward to her morning routine when the lab techs and assistants started to make their way in. Casey looked up from where she was arranging the kidney dishes on the side table, a wide grin lighting up her face to match the brightness of her green and pink shoulder length hair.
'Morning boss! Did you get your coffee? I thought you could use one. Your office was open when I got in so I assumed that you had an early start'.
Ava smiled while trying to look as innocent as possibly but knowing that she was failing miserably. 'Oh that was you! Thanks for that, definitely appreciated. You know my order too!'
You're such a bad liar Ava Sharpe .
Casey looked sheepish as she went back to her organising. 'Well I don't really, I just guessed but I'm glad I got it right! You know, you did strike me as a cappuccino kinda girl.'
Ava just stood there with the same awkward grin on her face, the type that doesn't quite reach your eyes.
Cappuccino?! Ugh, far too much milk, too little caffeine. Glad I didn't drink it.
She thought to herself before turning around and making a beeline to the transit body tray, getting ready to transfer the morning's arrival onto the main table.
A few more minutes passed and the two worked their way around the room with practiced ease having done this several times a day for the last few months. Lab techs come and go, usually because they get enough of all the death or they move to another city. The good ones tend to get poached to other jurisdictions, lured with fancy technology and attractive retainers. Casey had stayed the longest so far and Ava liked her. She was young and smart with a curious mind and had the appropriate amount of personality to go far in this business. Plus, it wasn't every day that she found someone who could put up with her ambition, perfectionism and her nonchalant attitude towards the living.
'Ok ready?' Ava snapped her gloves and smoothed down her gown.
'Born ready, boss.' The young woman had her finger on bright red button of the voice recorder.
Ava nodded and the button was pressed.
'September 12, 2026, 0736, Jane Doe found in the William Street alley. Body was found lying face down by local council workers, reported to authorities at 0245...' Ava pauses as she takes in the details of the body laying before her.
The usual routine was to describe her first impressions. Pause and step away, before coming back to re-examine the body in case she missed anything. The initial observations were captured diligently, with the skilled assistant moving deftly so as not to muddy the recording.
'Caucasian, youthful appearance approximately 20-25 years old. Slim build, with well-developed musculature, approximately five foot four inches tall, body is cool to touch. Blonde shoulder length hair. Initial surface scan shows three distinct wounds to her abdomen. Eyes blue with corneal opacity...'
Her eyes are beautiful.
'...Cheeks and forehead freckled. '
The cutest freckles I've ever seen.
'The anterior surface has some scar tissue of various stages of healing, most appear to be caused by a blade of some sort, some burns and others are indistinguishable. Posterior surface displays significantly more scars tissue from similar wound patterns.'
Who would do this to you? The sick bastards!
Ava could feel her heart rate and breathing increase as she tried to shake away the emotions that threatened to spill. She blinked hard and tried to refocus. Her mouth ran dry and she tried to swallow but the action was futile.
'Most of the scars are healed, some appear quite new’ -Ava blinked hard again, forcing her eyes wide- ‘Ok, shifting to the wounds. Penetration trauma, the incisions into the skin don't appear to be from a knife but another sharp object, sharpened on both edges it seems, approximately four inches in length.'
What have you been through? Wait…what's going on, why am I feeling so sad about this girl?
Ava tried to brush it off but the overwhelming sadness in her heart couldn't be ignored. She tried to continue. Casey was noticing the hesitation in Ava’s voice and could see her swaying, she looked on with concern but didn’t want to interrupt.
'Uh…skin around the wounds have some bruising and additional trauma, suggests that the removal of the offending object may be the cause.'
Oh, you poor creature, how could anyone do this?
Ava inserted a small ruler into the wound. 'Depth analysis indicates that the wound was deep enough to pierce the abdominal artery, suggesting cause of death...'
Ava paused as she suddenly became short of breath and everything in her vision went bright. She closed her eyes to steady her spinning head. She grimaced as her head felt like it was splitting into two and she held her hand up to her forehead. Stepping backwards, she suddenly felt transported to another place.
Opening her eyes, she squinted into the sunlight as she looked around confused. She was standing in a field of grass, so green and long that she could feel the wisps against her knees. Running towards her spinning in a yellow sun dress was the blonde that a moment ago was cold on a slab. Everything about this moment filled her with feelings of happiness and contentment as she watched the blonde laughing and calling her name.
'Dr. Sharpe? Dr. Sharpe is everything ok?' Ava snapped back to reality to the voice of her assistant looking at her through her face shield, her body unmoving, not knowing what to do.
Gloves quickly removed, she clawed at her coat and the collar of her shirt, feeling like they prevented her from breathing. The room was closing in around her as it spun into a blur. The oxygen in the air had disappeared and the constriction around her throat had her gasping as her vision became a jumbled array of lights, flashing haphazardly. Her hands found purchase against a wall and she made her way towards the exit, losing her footing several times as she stumbled down the corridor to what she remembered was the emergency exit.
She could hear her name being called but amidst the panic coursing through her, nothing resonated. Occasionally she would feel hands on her trying to provide support, but she would fend them off, too confused and in disarray. Sweat dripped down her face and she felt like her blood was boiling as her ears filled with her name, her own heartbeat and the gentle laughter of the dead woman. Every time she closed her eyes all she saw was the woman on the table alive and well, happy and in love.
Finally, she felt the cold steel exit door and pushed it open, falling out into the sunlight, the warmth this time on her exposed skin. The surge of fresh cold air entered her lungs as her eyes cleared for the first time. She heard Casey calling her name again and turned back towards her.
'Ava! Ava look out!'
The screech of tyres turned her head but it was too late. The impact sent her body into the air, the fall onto asphalt was followed by blackness.