The Bigger Picture

1 - Emily

"So, how did this poor sucker go?"

I don't even have to turn to know that the booming voice behind me belongs to Nathan, the up-and-coming detective of choice around here - and also my ex. 

I sigh. "Well," I start, glancing up and down the corpse that lies before me. "You tell me, Detective. See any wounds?"

Nathan waltzes slowly over to where I stand, studying the body. It's a young woman with striking long blonde hair and little freckles around her nose, freckles I can imagine someone once liked to kiss. "Not a single one."

"Then what's the next logical option?"

Nathan pauses, coming to rest right next to me. "Poison?"

"That's right." I smile weakly, my brows furrowing. "And that's exactly what happened to this poor girl."

"How can you tell?" Nathan asks, resting his hands down on the table, right where I can see them.

"Ran a test. How does anyone know anything around here?" I reply, feeling myself start to sweat - if I know Nathan, he's going to start something. After all, I broke up with him. 

He chuckles, taking his hands from the table. "I see." He paces around the room behind me, thinking. 

"So what's your latest case?" I ask him, trying to keep the conversation going for as long as possible, before anything happens. If I can distract him for long enough, maybe I can slip away or maybe Ronny will come back to check on his samples...

"Ah, I'm glad you asked. It's a particularly tough one. I may need your help with some of the bodies - you know, run some tests for me."

I frown. "Some of the bodies? There's more than one?"

"Try six."

"I didn't know you'd moved up the totem pole so quickly. They're already assigning you a case with six bodies?" I ramble on, hearing his footsteps and feeling him coming closer to me. "I mean, it was only a few weeks ago that you were totally stumped by that obvious homicide, the one that had the makeshift set up-"

Mid-sentence, Nathan spins me around, grasping me by the hands. I knew this was going to happen. Do something, stupid!

"I didn't know you'd moved up, either. Looks like you've graduated to working late-night shifts... alone..." We lock eyes, and I feel myself freeze - and within seconds he's closed the gap between us, forcefully pressing his lips onto mine. It's only then that it really hits me, what he's doing - I throw my hands forward, try to push him away from me, try to do anything to get him off of me, but it's no use, he just holds me tighter -

"Whoa, there, you two," someone says, interrupting my panicked thoughts. Nathan breaks away and I look over to my left to see who's entered: sure enough, it's Ronny. "If you wanted some private time, you should'a put a sign on the door. 'Do not disturb' works well."

Seizing the opportunity, I push Nathan's arms away from me, crossing my own in front of my chest. "No, that's fine, Ronny," I say. "Come on in."

Nathan smirks at me, causing my stomach to turn in loops. "See ya later, Em," he says, winking before walking out of the room. 

When he's gone, Ronny frowns. "You all right, Emily?"

I shake my head, feeling tears begin to form. "No, I'm not, Ron. I'm really not..." I cover my face in my hands, my mind instantly projecting old memories onto my darkened eyelids, memories I didn't ask for; memories I don't want to see. 

"Hey, hey, now," Ronny whispers, coming over and hugging me close to him. "You'll be all right."

"No," I mutter into his chest. "Not with him still here."

Ronny pauses. "You want me to work the night shift with you? It would be easier to check up on my samples, too."

I imagine Ronny working with me, every so often going to the back room to check on his samples - rotting corpses with different drugs inside of them - and shudder. Working with dead bodies is one thing, but Ronny working with them is another thing entirely; he's like a mad scientist with them. I'm not sure I could stand it. 

"That's okay, Ronny," I say, sniffing and taking my head away from his chest, readjusting my glasses. They're all smudged from being pressed up against my face and Ronny's clothes. "I'll be fine. Thanks, though."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

I sniff again, and he lets go, shrugging. "Well, if he ever comes in here again and tries anything, just page me. I'm gonna go check my samples while I'm here."

I smile. "All right. See ya, Ron."

"Yep." And with that, he disappears into the back room, leaving me with Ms. Freckles and a few more tests to run.