Chapter 291
An autopsy was nothing like doodling on paper. One wrong move and there could be real consequences.
Roger stood there, his face set in a hard line. He clearly didn’t trust the young professor. His voice was cold. “Asclepius, if you’re not up for this, I’ll take over.”
The dead deserved some respect.
Charlotte didn’t bother replying. She just focused on the victim’s abdomen, her expression all business.
“Asclepius
“Be quiet.” Charlotte’s tone dropped, sharp and commanding. Her eyes flashed with something dangerous. “Stick to your job and help.”
Help. The word stung. Roger had lowered himself to be her assistant, and now she talked to him like he was some kind of lackey.
His mood soured even more. He glared at her, determined to see if this so-called Asclepius was really as good as everyone said.
He watched as Charlotte made her first cut. She chose a tricky T-shaped incision, starting at one shoulder, sweeping across the chest, then making a clean slice down to the navel. Her movements were quick and sure.
Roger leaned in. The incision was perfect. Not a single organ was harmed. It was a demanding way to open the body, and even harder to stitch up afterwards. But there was one upside: the neck stayed untouched, so there’d be no obvious scars left behind.
Watching Charlotte work with such speed and confidence, Roger found himself quietly impressed. The doubt in his eyes faded. She really did have some serious skill. Honestly, he wouldn’t have tried that method unless he had no other choice.
“Container,” Charlotte said, still not looking at him. Her voice was steady and calm. “You take the left, I’ll handle the right.”
“Okay.” Roger, for once, just did as he was told. He grabbed the forceps and started on the stomach.
Most of what they needed to find was in there. To get it out without damaging the evidence took steady hands and perfect teamwork. Doing it alone would have been almost impossible.
“Asclepius, maybe we should bring in a couple more people?”
Charlotte didn’t slow down. She pulled a bloodied plastic bag from the stomach and dropped it in the container She shot him an impatient look. “You guys from forensics always need backup, huh?
Can’t do anything on your own?”
Always calling for help. It was like a kid running to their mom whenever they got hungry.
Roger didn’t know what to say.
The big white lamp above them cast
a soft glow on Charlotte’s face. Her
dark lashes framed bright, clear
eyes, steady and focused. Just watching her, Roger felt a strange. sense of calm. He stared, a little lost in it, forgetting where he was for a moment.
Charlotte suddenly looked up, catching his gaze. She noticed he was about to make a cut, and frowned. “What, do you have a personal grudge against the deceased?”
Roger snapped back to reality, realizing he’d almost made a mistake. He’d gotten distracted staring at her.
“Two millimeters,” Charlotte said, pointing at the right spot. Her voice was clipped, a bit annoyed. “Go left. And keep your hand steady.”
For a second, Roger felt like a rookie just out of college, getting scolded in front of everyone. His face went pale.
In the observation room, everyone exchanged glances, relieved they weren’t on that table with Asclepius. If she was that impatient with Roger, she’d probably kick them all out-or worse.
The work was painstaking and slow. Roger and Charlotte worked side by side for six hours, finally getting everything out of the stomach. The container was almost overflowing with plastic wrapped pillseach about the size of a thumb, all different colors.