Life, It's a Beautiful Thing!!!

 *** An extra chapter to celebrate the story's return. Be sure you have re-read Ch 97, I have changed it since my return.***

-(Chapter Begins.)-

Standing in the office of Dr Grimley, two middle-aged men start discussing their first impressions of the scene. 

"We're going to need to tell the coroner that's on his way to stop for a shovel to get this guy into a body bag. What does this to a man?"

The second man, in a brown suit jacket, is taking a closer look at the mummified body curled up on the ground. "Not a clue Manning, and they won't need a shovel. There's hardly anything left, just skin and bones. Who was he?"

"Eric Grimley, chairman of the Plant Sciences Department here. We talked to him a couple of weeks ago about a poisoning case in the same building. Remember, he was the one in the wheelchair. The guy was 83 and would have kicked the bucket sooner or later. Still, this couldn't have been a pleasant way to go."

O'Shea stood up. "Great, a big shot. Just what we needed." He looked into the hallway, "That the scientist who found the body?" 

"Yep, looks a little green around the gills. What do you think we should do??? Good Cop / Bad Cop? Bad Cop / Bad Cop?? Good Cop / Good Cop? Aw hell, let's just get this over with!"

Both men approached the sick-looking Darshan Bapna. "I am Detective Manning, and this is my partner Detective O'Shea. You want to tell us what went down Darshan?" 

Darshan was hugging himself and had a fearful look on his face. "Hey, guys. Um, not sure... It all happened so fast." 

"Just start from the beginning Doctor Banpa. How did you find Doctor Grimley?" O'Shea said as he adjusted his glasses.

"I was wrapping up some work and wanted permission to go to the outreach renovation going on today for Dr. Cruz. You know, we were doing a Community Garden in her honor. Anyway, I knocked and called for him but didn't get an answer. The second time I knocked I heard a loud thump, like something heavy hitting the ground. I thought maybe he fell out of his wheelchair or something, so I started opening the door."

Taking a deep breath, Darshan continued. "Then someone came flying out of the office and the door slammed me into the wall and then I fell to the ground. I couldn't really see who... Or what... It was." 

O'Shae looks up from his notepad. "What do you mean 'What'?"

"Well, I... I can't say for sure it was... Human? I swear, Detective. It was like a... Thing." Darshan looked at the ground as he spoke.

"You've got to be kidding me. That's it. Manning, we have to shut down the whole building. Where's Pamela Isley?"

-(Scene Shift)-

Pam took her phone away from her ear and looked at Logan. "We need to get to the Botanical Garden, Fred just called and said there was another situation there."

Logan tossed the last of the old wooden fence in the dumpster and brushed his hands together. "Let's tell Winston to finish this up and then head there."

20 minutes later Logan and Pam walked through the door and were greeted by a panicking Darshan. "There you are Pam, I was running all over to find you. First Luisa, now Grimley's been found dead."

Taken by surprise, Pam shouted out "WHAT?"

Darsham is bent over, breathing fast. "All I know is that I ran smack into whoever did it. I just spent an hour with the police. They're closing down the whole wing... I think I'm going to puke." 

"I need to get into the lab."

"Pam, didn't you hear what I just said?"

"I'm pretty sure whoever killed Luisa and Grimley also stole my research, It's somewhere in the building. I can feel it."

"They're closing down the lab, No one is allowed inside."

Their conversation was interrupted. "There she is, wasn't she the one who found the first body? Doctor Isley, a moment please!" 

"We have a few questions for you... Dammit, who's calling now?" Manning took his phone out and held it to his ear. 

O'Shea took the lead while Manning took his call. "What was your relationship with Eric Grimley?"

"This is ridiculous. Detectives, my experiments are time-sensitive. Victor, tell them I need to get into the lab." Pam implored the 3rd man who had walked up with the police detectives.

"Sorry, I don't think so Pamela." Victor averted his gaze from Pam's stare.

Logan could tell that everything was beginning to get to Pam, she was getting madder every moment and the accusatory tone this Detective O'Shea had was just making it worse.

Pam took a deep breath. "I don't have time for this."

"Perhaps you don't understand how these things work lady!"

"You can stop right there Detective! I suggest you take that accusing tone out of your voice as you ask Ms. Isley questions, which she is voluntarily answering even though she doesn't need to."

"Well, how about you both ride back to the precinct in the back of my car with cuffs and we can continue asking hard questions there?"

"Sure, Detective O'Shea. We can do that. But then I offer my personal guarantee that within a week you will be back on the beat in a patrol car listening to the cries of a 1st year rookie about how demanding the job is. Wondering how you are going to start your pension all over again from the beginning at your age." 

Detective Manning stepped between them. "Hold up O'Shea... Chief wants a word."

O'Shea looks at the phone Manning is offering him and says, "Now What?"

Logan walks over to Pam and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Relax, no need to escalate the situation." He nods toward the nearby flora that is reacting to Pam's frustration." She takes a deep breath, and the plants go still again.

They both return their attention to O'Shea as he talks on the phone. "What? No. Right. I understand sir."

He hands the phone back to Manning, "The Chief told us to let you go. You must have some friends in high places, Doctor Isley. However, I don't care who is protecting you, young lady. You still can't enter a crime scene." 

Pam takes a deep breath and allows Logan to walk her towards the door. But before Logan was out of earshot, he heard the Detectives talking between the two of them.

"What do you think O'Shea, witness protection program? Informant?"

"I have no idea. But did you also notice that pencil pusher Victor didn't say a word? The guy doesn't look exactly sorry his boss is dead."

 That was all he heard before the door closed behind them. Pam was still fuming a bit, but then her phone started beeping at her and she quickly pulled it out of her pocket. After a brief glance, she turned towards Logan. "I am so grateful for your help today, but I have to get home, it's an emergency. I will text you later tonight." She quickly gave Logan a kiss and then ran to her bike and tore out of the parking lot. 

Pam raced home as quickly as she could, all her thoughts were on what was about to happen and not on what had happened before her motion alarms went off and notified her phone. As soon as she got into her parking garage she ran for the elevator, even forgetting to lock her bike up. 

During the elevator ride, she removed her clothing to reveal an outfit made of leaves covering her from her breasts to mid-thigh. In her excitement, she lost some control over her body, and it started to turn green in floral patterns. {Time to reap the fruits of my labor.} When the elevator stopped, she quickly opened the sliding door and moved into her studio room.

{I have never delivered a pregnant plant before. I guess it's showtime!} Pam could see some liquid pouring out of the closed bud of the plants and moved to the one that had a faster flow assuming it would be the one to give birth first. Placing both hands under the bud she waited to see what would be coming out. "Come to me, my Sporelings." 

The first plant opened and deposited its embryo into Pam's hands and quickly the second one followed. Pam sat down as she held what appeared to be two infant girls in her arms. One was dark colored and had sprouts for hair and the other was milk-white with blond-looking hair. {Life. It's a BEAUTIFUL thing.}