Broken Bones

Episode 2 "The Man in the SUV" Part 2

-Venus POV-

I watch as Zack walks up to Temp with a finished reconstructed skull. "Ta-da" "Nice job." She takes it and walks over to a magnified glass, "No wonder you had such trouble with the reconstruction. Look at the spread of the trabecular pattern in the bone." "Microscopic fissures, like cracks." Hodgins looked at Zack a bit offended, "I know that.". Temp then pips in "I don't think so. Can we focus? The spread was too rapid for any organic bone disease or genetic condition. I apologize to you Venus, you were defiantly right, it was a toxin." "It's fine sis, you just wanted to make sure. Hey Zack, is there any surviving marrow to test?" "I'll try and find some." "Great. Thank you."

I was standing next to Zack and Temp as Hodgins was checking the marrow, "The marrow's degraded. I can give you basics, but that's it." Zack then adds, "Well, according to these tests, the liver function was impaired." I nod, "His body was trying to get rid of whatever was poisoning him." I look over seeing Angie walking in, "There is trouble in paradise." Temp looked confused, "I beg your pardon?" "Tessa does not feel secure in that relationship. I think she's threatened by you." "You talked to her?" "She didn't say much but, even though she has a phenomenal figure, she was chowing down on a fat-free muffin. And she was reading about unsolved FBI cases. She's obviously feeling insecure." Hodgins then adds in, "She's spying for you?" "No. No!" Zack decided to add something else in, "Even if you have nothing in common, it's difficult to sublimate intense sexual attraction. And we hear it's been a while." "Okay, stop!" "He is there for the taking, honey." 

I look over seeing Booth coming up the platform, "Okay. I couldn't get his medical records." Everyone then looked at him. "What?" We all look away as Temp says "Uhh... nothing." Booth just chose to continue "Trying to track down the doctor." I then jumped up to him, "We don't need him ranger. It was a toxin but were still trying to figure what kind.". Zack then speaks up, "Too bad the liver is cooked. That could tell us everything." I look at Zack with a bright smile confusing him as I turned back to Booth "Until now. Before you ask, the liver is like a filter. It would contain evidence of any toxins in the system. But since we don't have the liver, Zack here gave me the perfect idea to get what we need." Zack looked at me confusingly, but then understood, "No, not them." "Sorry Zack but we need to. Ranger we got the beetles. Hodgins, please come with Booth, Zack, and I to where we keep the beetles." "Sure, but why so many." "Booth and I don't want to touch the beetles and Zack won't be able to do it."

We are now in Hodgins workspace as he speaks grabbing the jar of beetles as I stand next to Booth as Hodgins speaks "They ate Hamid's flesh and whatever organs remained. And, as we know, you are what you eat." Booth then speaks up "So you can ID the poison from the beetles?" Zack looks down at his beetles as he speaks up as well "You can't kill them. They have names." I look at Zack with sad eyes, "Sorry Zack but we need to. At least some. How about for some beetles I could give you something else?" "Really?!" "Yeah, Zack I promise. So, what do you want Zack?" "Could I get a kiss from you?" Booth then stands up straight, "Slow your roll their squint..." "It's fine Ranger a promise is a promise. Hodgins you may proceed." Hodgins grabs some of the beetles and puts them in a jar as Zack closes his eyes. Hodgins then speaks up looking at the beetles, "In Thailand, they're sauteed in peanut oil. Mmm..." Booth and I looked at Hodgins a bit grossed out. I then walked over to Zack tip-toing and placed a kiss on his cheek walking away. Booth chuckled a little as Zack stood there shocked. "Well buddy, it seemed you weren't specific enough." Booth then walked up to Zack about to console him but didn't and just left him there, thinking.

I was sitting next to Zack, letting him finish the final touches of the bomb I created. Temp then walks over to us as Angela was there as well, "We're going to have run a simulation. I need you to input the skull and give me a face." "You got it." "And no more talk about Booth. You shouldn't gotten involved." "But that's what friends are for." "Please, Angela ..." Booth then walks over to us seeing the bomb, "Hey, whoa. Where did you get this?" "Venus is building it, but she is letting me help. Theoretical construct of the bomb based on the particulates we gathered." Booth looks at the both of us, "This isn't your job. Bureau is doing this." Hodgin then cuts in "Got it! They were poisoned by dioxin. A very pure form. It would stay in his system for years, cause cancer, diabetes, heart attack and the facial cysts and bone degeneration we saw." He hands it over to Temps, "Give me the saturation levels. Angela can use it in the simulation to give us an approximate date of ingestion." Booth then asks, "How much would it take to poison them?" "Just a little slipped into their food." I piped in "They could've also inhaled it." "It could but it was probably like at the lunch they both had with Sahara's lover."