Page 14 of Backdraft
I blinked and stood taller, doing my best to force the image out of my brain.
"Ah, yes. How are you?" I looked at each member of the team and nodded, trying to settle myself down. I needed to get a grip and not have any more memories pop up.
"Alright then, let's get busy." Taylor pushed open the autopsy room doors and held them for us to pass. Three bodies lay draped on three separate tables. I drew in a deep breath seeing the two smaller ones.
"Is Shannon coming?" I asked as I positioned myself at the head of the three tables, waiting to see which one Taylor would start with.
"She should be here by now. We need her for the second victim." We all glanced over at the middle table.
I nodded and pulled my lips between my teeth. It didn't do for me to get emotional. Kids could do that to you.
"Right then, I'm going to start with the baby. He looked over to the members of his team. "Linda, Paul, you can begin with the mom." We all went to our respective tables. Once Shannon arrived, I expected we would then move to the middle child. Taylor reached down and gently pulled back the sheet covering the baby. I sucked in a breath and glanced up at him quickly when I heard him do the same.
"Doesn't matter how many times you do this, it does not get any easier." Taylor drew the sheet off and we stood looking down at the child.
He switched on the microphone and began his postmortem. I watched, taking notes and photographs as he performed all the necessary steps.
The room was hushed except for the soft talking of Taylor and Linda. Both recorded their findings and verbalized them as the PMs progressed.
By the time Shannon arrived, we were halfway through, and I was a little more controlled and able to remove myself from the emotional state that had almost taken over.
Shannon breezed into the room, and I knew it was her way to arrive with aplomb. I bit back a smile.
"Linda, you carry on while we meet with the forensic pathologist." Taylor was very professional. I was still surprised that he’d shifted from being a doctor to a pathologist. I wondered why?
"Right then, let's take a look." Shannon walked over to the middle table while Taylor and I stood on either side. Shannon looked at us both, drew in a breath, and said, "Let's get started.”
She pulled back the sheet, and we all looked down at the body on the table that had once been a child. I drew in a breath. It was always tough with kids, and I dreaded those calls.
Shannon was completely focused, so when she spoke it startled me. “Did you find soot in the trachea of the other two victims?”
“Yes.” Taylor replied in a low voice.
That meant they were alive during the fire.
“Any other impact trauma to the bodies?” Shannon was carefully opening the fisted hand of the child. In a hot fire the body goes into a pugilistic stance or posture, with hands curled into a fist and arms flexed to the body like a boxer.
“No gunshot or knife wounds.”
Shannon nodded and she and Taylor discussed her findings as she worked. I stood back and continued to take notes even though I knew her report would be in-depth.
My gaze gravitated to Taylor. Why had he switched from being a doctor to a pathologist? He'd spoken at the conference in Denver. I remember being impressed with his talk on ER and trauma medicine. I remained silent and watched them work.
Finally, we were done and it had not been pleasant. We were all quiet as we went down the hall to the change room. Shannon was still in the autopsy suite, and the rest of us stripped off our protective gear and put everything in the biohazard bin.
I'd been impressed with Taylor's quiet expertise as he performed the autopsies. His movements were precise and respectful.
Shannon pushed open the door and joined us. She began chattering away, and I half listened, thinking about Taylor and the fire scene. My thoughts were less about the fire and more about recalling our sexcapades in Denver rather than where my thoughts should really be focused. Here. Now. The job. I couldn't help it though, and a slow burn spread along my veins.
"How long before you think you’ll have results?" I asked Taylor
"Hopefully by the end of tomorrow. Toxicology will be a little bit longer." He ran his fingers through his short dark hair, and his icy-blue eyes caught mine. I couldn't look away. I was magnetized and forgot the question I was about to ask.
"Uh, right. I was glad to see we found most of the bones, but I would like to get back to the scene to look a little more."
I pulled my gaze from him to Shannon.
"Yes, I do too."
