FF Witches Powder Chpater 13.
Title: Witches Powder
Author: Dark Wyldchilde (wyldchilde37@yahoo.com)
Rating: As always better NC-17 then sorry.
Pairing: Faith/Tara, Ziva/Abby
Setting: The Lock, an AU of my own creation that started it's own path in season 6 of Buffy, mixed in the end of Angel, and the current run of NCIS as well as healthy elements of the Mack Bolan/Stony Man Farm novels.
Summary: The Lock doesn't tend to societies ills, but the hot new party drug on the scene is looking like it will take their special expertise.
Spoilers: Anything Buffy/Angel/NCIS/Executioner may be used or referred to, read at your own risk.
Disclaimers: This is a non-profit work of fanfiction and is in no way a challenge to any existing copyrights.
Wyld's Notes: This is now the sixth fic in the Lock series. Starting with "Life on the Farm" and progressing through "Downtime". If you haven't read them I would suggest you do because while there are many familiar faces figuring out how they got where they are at could get confusing.
Chapter 13.
On one level Donald Mallard couldn't remember feeling so tired. He wanted to say he was getting too old, but on a deeper level he never felt so vital.
Yes only four hours of sleep after the exhausting surgery he had performed to save the life of Tara Maclay would leave anyone ragged the fact that he was needed yet again made him feel like the young man of his military days.
Of course here at the Lock he was basically experiencing a whole fresh set of military days, but that was part of what left him feeling so vital. Every day quite literally had the potential of showing him something he had never even imagined, and quite often did so. Beyond that however there was that deep satisfaction from knowing one is needed. While his skills were always appreciated at NCIS except for the "rush orders" his abilities were never urgently needed.
Now however he was being called upon to exercise those talents as a medical examiner, but with the case more a mission then a case and still ongoing it went beyond the "rush orders" he was used to.
Yet even then the potential for greater learning was likely as his subject was almost certainly a user of this Witches Powder currently confounding everyone. Not only that, but as the senior medical examiner he was going to be autopsying the one Tara had slain with magic, and the idea of examining a cause of death he had never before encountered was putting a certain spring in his step.
"Coffee, Ducky?"
Having just stepped out of his quarters Doctor Mallard came up short at the sight of Camile, the woman who tackled the daunting task of keeping the Lock, and especially it's slayers, fed. She was pouring a mug even as he started to nod.
"Um, thank you, Camile."
She smiled at the Doctor's obvious confusion. "Ducky, you saved Tara's life. Thank YOU."
New understanding entered Ducky's eyes and he smiled as he blushed and looked down at his feet. The evidence had arrived, and with the mission still active Camile realized Ducky would be woken up to examine it, and while this level of service was unique at the Lock the fact that he had been the surgeon that had saved one of their fearless leaders must have left her feeling he warranted it.
He wanted to argue, but already knew it would be futile so he smiled, nodded, took the offered mug, and smiled and nodded again before taking a sip. "Thank you Camile, but I'd best be off to the medical bay."
Camile smiled. "Of course." and said nothing more as he nodded again and started towards the medical bay.
The way there was littered with "Thank you's" and "Great job's", and Ducky found himself dreading what would have happened if his hands hadn't been quite so sure, or Miss Maclay hadn't been the fighter she was.
There wouldn't have been blame, the combat veterans of the Lock knowing the fragility of life well enough, but the deeper impact to the morale of the fighting force... Doctor Mallard felt a physical shudder at what the loss of their leaders would have meant.
Having both of them survive just emphasized it all the more as the Doctor had comforted more then one bereaved loved one in his long career, and with the depth of the bond the two women shared it would have been his own nightmare to have to have told one of them the other hadn't made it.
Entering the bay Doctor Mallard found his three compatriots either suited up, or getting there as they smiled at his arrival.
The Doctor's keen eyes picked out mugs much like the one he was now draining, and setting aside for the cleaning staff to take care of.
Doctor Finn's eyes were perhaps just as keen, but she decided to comment. "So I see you're feeling the love too?"
Ducky grinned, looking down at his feet again. "Yes, it would seem we are the conquering heroes in these halls right now."
Nurse Baum spoke up as she tied an apron on. "Still, I'd rather be getting more praise then I deserve then the 'You tried your best.' speech."
That got unanimous nods.
It was that military man inside Doctor Mallard that knew he needed to break the somber mood that contemplating what a failure that hadn't happened would have cost them. So he strode over to the first body bag in the row of four.
"Right! They however did survive in spite of these lads best efforts, and now we need to see what they can tell us!"
Their face masks were pulled up and their face shields were pulled down, bags were unzipped, and the familiar procedures began, but they quickly ventured into the unfamiliar as the Y incisions were made and the organs removed and weighed.
Jimmy was the first to comment. "This guy seems remarkably healthy for a junkie willing to kill for their next fix."
Ducky didn't speak, but was nodding as Sam commented. "Same here. The dermis is in the condition you would expect from a routine user, but the organs aren't showing the damage you would plan to see."
That had Doctor Mallard commenting, his cultured tones distracted. "Quite, but most all narcotics are there to effect the brain. So I believe that is where we should examine next."
Words were matched to action and after their subjects scalps were sliced into and pulled back the whirr of small circular saws filled the air as they were used to cut open the subjects skulls.
Or at least he first subject's skull. While Samantha Finn and Cameron Baum might have had more experience with their supernatural comrades and competition Ducky and Jimmy knew medical examination and they had the skull of their subject off first, to have it emit a cloud of gray powder.
Ducky dropped the saw, and the revving engine came to an immediate stop as the safety engaged. "Stop what you are doing!"
The clear plastic shield over Ducky's face was covered with gray crystals, but the venerable medical examiner didn't show any hesitation to his steps as he hurried to the sink. His face shield was dropped into a bio-hazard bin as he dove his head under running water.
Jimmy had been standing to the side and had the gray crystals all over his hands and arms, and had hurried over with Ducky, washing his hands as Ducky washed his face.
The two women had stopped their actions at Duckies direction and as Cameron moved over to assist the two men Samantha hit the bio-hazard alarm.
Ducky and Jimmy quickly scrubbed all exposed flesh and shed their blue scrubs. The women took the scrubs and hurled them into the same bins the men's medical equipment had been tossed into.
As the two sodden men stood there in undershirts, boxers and socks they looked over to the subject on their exam table, and the pile of gray powder the had poured out of the subjects skull while still covering the inside of the skull and the surface of the brain.
Ducky was the first to speak. "While our bio-hazard procedures are spot on..."
Samantha finished for him. "I think we've found the source of the Witches Powder."
As Abby was walking around the autopsy area in full bio-hazard gear vacuuming up the powder and covering the bodies with plastic tarps she found herself agreeing with Ducky and Sam, and saying so to Riley over her contamination suits radio.
"I think they're right Riley. It LOOKS like Witches Powder, and it explains the organic compounds that Major-General Mass Spec was picking up."
Riley however himself had another question. "Major-General?"
Abby grinned to herself under the clear plastic shielding. "My mass spectrometer at NCIS was Major Mass Spec, and while I loved him dearly the one you guys got me here is even better so he's Major-General Mass Spec."
Finn hadn't smiled since his return from hunting an all-too human predator, but as he spoke there was a smile evident in his voice. "Understood. As long as the blood tests following their decon showers come up clean I'll let them get back to work, but what sorts of organic compounds were you finding?"
Abby's voice carried her uncertainty. "He wasn't sure. They LOOKED like neurotransmitters, but...not. Seeing Witches Powder pouring out of this guy's skull... I think..."
Willow Rosenberg's voice suddenly cut in. "Soylent Smack is made from people!"
The resounding silence hung until Willow's much tamer voice again came over the channel. "Sorry... with Xander and Tony in the field I figured someone should say it."
Now Abby's voice had an obvious smile. "Essentially, yeah. We'll want to take a more magical look at this, but I'm guessing the reverse tolerance is because the users soon end up with a literal head full of the stuff."
Riley complimented her thought with his own. "It would also explain why it doesn't show up to normal drug tests... but what does it do exactly?"
The Goth sighed. "Ducky and Sam will be able to give us a better idea of that, but looking at this guy's brain it seems mostly intact, and with Major-General Mass Spec finding what he thought neurotransmitters I would guess it turns certain neurological activity into the drug itself. Which explains why we aren't finding the bodies, they get turned into new product. Redefining the vicious cycle of drug abuse."
Author: Dark Wyldchilde (wyldchilde37@yahoo.com)
Rating: As always better NC-17 then sorry.
Pairing: Faith/Tara, Ziva/Abby
Setting: The Lock, an AU of my own creation that started it's own path in season 6 of Buffy, mixed in the end of Angel, and the current run of NCIS as well as healthy elements of the Mack Bolan/Stony Man Farm novels.
Summary: The Lock doesn't tend to societies ills, but the hot new party drug on the scene is looking like it will take their special expertise.
Spoilers: Anything Buffy/Angel/NCIS/Executioner may be used or referred to, read at your own risk.
Disclaimers: This is a non-profit work of fanfiction and is in no way a challenge to any existing copyrights.
Wyld's Notes: This is now the sixth fic in the Lock series. Starting with "Life on the Farm" and progressing through "Downtime". If you haven't read them I would suggest you do because while there are many familiar faces figuring out how they got where they are at could get confusing.
Chapter 13.
On one level Donald Mallard couldn't remember feeling so tired. He wanted to say he was getting too old, but on a deeper level he never felt so vital.
Yes only four hours of sleep after the exhausting surgery he had performed to save the life of Tara Maclay would leave anyone ragged the fact that he was needed yet again made him feel like the young man of his military days.
Of course here at the Lock he was basically experiencing a whole fresh set of military days, but that was part of what left him feeling so vital. Every day quite literally had the potential of showing him something he had never even imagined, and quite often did so. Beyond that however there was that deep satisfaction from knowing one is needed. While his skills were always appreciated at NCIS except for the "rush orders" his abilities were never urgently needed.
Now however he was being called upon to exercise those talents as a medical examiner, but with the case more a mission then a case and still ongoing it went beyond the "rush orders" he was used to.
Yet even then the potential for greater learning was likely as his subject was almost certainly a user of this Witches Powder currently confounding everyone. Not only that, but as the senior medical examiner he was going to be autopsying the one Tara had slain with magic, and the idea of examining a cause of death he had never before encountered was putting a certain spring in his step.
"Coffee, Ducky?"
Having just stepped out of his quarters Doctor Mallard came up short at the sight of Camile, the woman who tackled the daunting task of keeping the Lock, and especially it's slayers, fed. She was pouring a mug even as he started to nod.
"Um, thank you, Camile."
She smiled at the Doctor's obvious confusion. "Ducky, you saved Tara's life. Thank YOU."
New understanding entered Ducky's eyes and he smiled as he blushed and looked down at his feet. The evidence had arrived, and with the mission still active Camile realized Ducky would be woken up to examine it, and while this level of service was unique at the Lock the fact that he had been the surgeon that had saved one of their fearless leaders must have left her feeling he warranted it.
He wanted to argue, but already knew it would be futile so he smiled, nodded, took the offered mug, and smiled and nodded again before taking a sip. "Thank you Camile, but I'd best be off to the medical bay."
Camile smiled. "Of course." and said nothing more as he nodded again and started towards the medical bay.
The way there was littered with "Thank you's" and "Great job's", and Ducky found himself dreading what would have happened if his hands hadn't been quite so sure, or Miss Maclay hadn't been the fighter she was.
There wouldn't have been blame, the combat veterans of the Lock knowing the fragility of life well enough, but the deeper impact to the morale of the fighting force... Doctor Mallard felt a physical shudder at what the loss of their leaders would have meant.
Having both of them survive just emphasized it all the more as the Doctor had comforted more then one bereaved loved one in his long career, and with the depth of the bond the two women shared it would have been his own nightmare to have to have told one of them the other hadn't made it.
Entering the bay Doctor Mallard found his three compatriots either suited up, or getting there as they smiled at his arrival.
The Doctor's keen eyes picked out mugs much like the one he was now draining, and setting aside for the cleaning staff to take care of.
Doctor Finn's eyes were perhaps just as keen, but she decided to comment. "So I see you're feeling the love too?"
Ducky grinned, looking down at his feet again. "Yes, it would seem we are the conquering heroes in these halls right now."
Nurse Baum spoke up as she tied an apron on. "Still, I'd rather be getting more praise then I deserve then the 'You tried your best.' speech."
That got unanimous nods.
It was that military man inside Doctor Mallard that knew he needed to break the somber mood that contemplating what a failure that hadn't happened would have cost them. So he strode over to the first body bag in the row of four.
"Right! They however did survive in spite of these lads best efforts, and now we need to see what they can tell us!"
Their face masks were pulled up and their face shields were pulled down, bags were unzipped, and the familiar procedures began, but they quickly ventured into the unfamiliar as the Y incisions were made and the organs removed and weighed.
Jimmy was the first to comment. "This guy seems remarkably healthy for a junkie willing to kill for their next fix."
Ducky didn't speak, but was nodding as Sam commented. "Same here. The dermis is in the condition you would expect from a routine user, but the organs aren't showing the damage you would plan to see."
That had Doctor Mallard commenting, his cultured tones distracted. "Quite, but most all narcotics are there to effect the brain. So I believe that is where we should examine next."
Words were matched to action and after their subjects scalps were sliced into and pulled back the whirr of small circular saws filled the air as they were used to cut open the subjects skulls.
Or at least he first subject's skull. While Samantha Finn and Cameron Baum might have had more experience with their supernatural comrades and competition Ducky and Jimmy knew medical examination and they had the skull of their subject off first, to have it emit a cloud of gray powder.
Ducky dropped the saw, and the revving engine came to an immediate stop as the safety engaged. "Stop what you are doing!"
The clear plastic shield over Ducky's face was covered with gray crystals, but the venerable medical examiner didn't show any hesitation to his steps as he hurried to the sink. His face shield was dropped into a bio-hazard bin as he dove his head under running water.
Jimmy had been standing to the side and had the gray crystals all over his hands and arms, and had hurried over with Ducky, washing his hands as Ducky washed his face.
The two women had stopped their actions at Duckies direction and as Cameron moved over to assist the two men Samantha hit the bio-hazard alarm.
Ducky and Jimmy quickly scrubbed all exposed flesh and shed their blue scrubs. The women took the scrubs and hurled them into the same bins the men's medical equipment had been tossed into.
As the two sodden men stood there in undershirts, boxers and socks they looked over to the subject on their exam table, and the pile of gray powder the had poured out of the subjects skull while still covering the inside of the skull and the surface of the brain.
Ducky was the first to speak. "While our bio-hazard procedures are spot on..."
Samantha finished for him. "I think we've found the source of the Witches Powder."
As Abby was walking around the autopsy area in full bio-hazard gear vacuuming up the powder and covering the bodies with plastic tarps she found herself agreeing with Ducky and Sam, and saying so to Riley over her contamination suits radio.
"I think they're right Riley. It LOOKS like Witches Powder, and it explains the organic compounds that Major-General Mass Spec was picking up."
Riley however himself had another question. "Major-General?"
Abby grinned to herself under the clear plastic shielding. "My mass spectrometer at NCIS was Major Mass Spec, and while I loved him dearly the one you guys got me here is even better so he's Major-General Mass Spec."
Finn hadn't smiled since his return from hunting an all-too human predator, but as he spoke there was a smile evident in his voice. "Understood. As long as the blood tests following their decon showers come up clean I'll let them get back to work, but what sorts of organic compounds were you finding?"
Abby's voice carried her uncertainty. "He wasn't sure. They LOOKED like neurotransmitters, but...not. Seeing Witches Powder pouring out of this guy's skull... I think..."
Willow Rosenberg's voice suddenly cut in. "Soylent Smack is made from people!"
The resounding silence hung until Willow's much tamer voice again came over the channel. "Sorry... with Xander and Tony in the field I figured someone should say it."
Now Abby's voice had an obvious smile. "Essentially, yeah. We'll want to take a more magical look at this, but I'm guessing the reverse tolerance is because the users soon end up with a literal head full of the stuff."
Riley complimented her thought with his own. "It would also explain why it doesn't show up to normal drug tests... but what does it do exactly?"
The Goth sighed. "Ducky and Sam will be able to give us a better idea of that, but looking at this guy's brain it seems mostly intact, and with Major-General Mass Spec finding what he thought neurotransmitters I would guess it turns certain neurological activity into the drug itself. Which explains why we aren't finding the bodies, they get turned into new product. Redefining the vicious cycle of drug abuse."