Genus: Evolving
Day Five

Michael was listening to the radio on his way to the medical examiner office. The local news reported individuals rapidly dying from some bites from an unknown creature. He was noticing a pattern; the bites were following the power outages up the coast line. If people still had power, they weren’t being bitten.

Citizens are advised to stay indoors… if any animal is sighted, do not approach… notify the authorities immediately… I repeat…

He turned it off after the first round of information, but he was compiling notes, and photographs of everything that was happening. He was determined to replace the connection – and also ordered to replace an answer. He hoped there wasn’t a correlation, but he couldn’t help but suspect there was.

He arrived at the hospital, and went inside. The medical examiner was waiting for their appointment.

“Dr. Frost?” Michael asked.

“Michael DeChaine?” the medical examiner answered with his own question.

The two quickly shook hands.

“I was surprised to have someone from the Coast Guard call me about the unknown animal bite.” Dr. Frost was leading Michael down the hospital hallways toward the morgue.

“The first of several, so I hear,” Michael added.

“Sadly, that seems to be the case,” Dr. Frost acknowledged.

“I realize it’s unusual, but there are multiple issues with an unknown creature in the area, and I want to make sure it’s not related,” Michael explained.

“Your supervisor carries a lot of clout, otherwise I would have denied your request.” Dr. Frost started. He opened the door to the morgue, where a single body was out on a table, draped in the white cloth Michael saw on crime shows, but never in person.

“Even though we’re both being deliberately vague, it sounds like we’re talking about the same organism,” Dr. Frost said while uncovering Tony’s leg. “At first, I didn’t think it was a bite, if not for that being exactly what this gentleman said. The ‘bite’ isn’t a bite-like puncture wound. At least not one I’ve ever seen before.

“There are ‘almost’ teeth marks, but the injury resembles a major, major jellyfish sting.”

“I see,” Michael replied. It did indeed look like a jellyfish sting, with the long tentacle marks and blistering skin. But, there were small impressions inside the skin blisters that looked like teeth marks. Very tiny teeth marks, but enough to cause serious damage to the tissues.

“What was the actual cause of death?” Michael asked without taking his eyes off the leg. “The bite got to an artery or something?”

“Or something.” Dr. Frost explained, “When the medic reached him, he was already brain dead. His heart rate continued because there were still some residual neurological impulses telling it to keep beating. Something, somehow, disrupted his central nervous system – he was essentially on life support for a while until his heart stopped completely. For some reason, the organs other than the brain continued to function for a while.”

“How long is a while?”

“Ten minutes give or take. He wasn’t even starting to get cool when they brought him to me. I expected him to be a little less warm…”

“Do you have pictures of the wounds or should I take my own?” Michael asked. He was fascinated by the injuries, and aware there was a connection of some sort with his investigation.

“Go ahead, you have authorization already.”

Dr. Frost waited in silence and watched while Michael took a few pictures of the bite. He took photos at different angles with a measuring stick next to the injury. Finally, Michael swabbed in the bite itself and carefully put the swab in a sterile tube.

“Does this have any connection to your organism?”

“Will you give me a copy of all lab results once they’re available?” Michael asked.

“Already on the counter behind you,” Dr. Frost said, arms crossed. He was still waiting for an answer after he was so forthcoming. “Any connection, Mr. DeChaine?”

“You said it before,” Michael started while picking up the laboratory reports, “we’re both being deliberately vague, but we’re talking about the same organism.”