by Dobi Cross
Zora leaned back further into the pillow and closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe it was finally over. She had almost died and had thought she would never see her friends again.
“Zora?”
Zora opened her eyes. “Yes, I’m here.” Seeing the concerning look on Christina’s face, she said, “I just needed to close my eyes for a second. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You scared me.” Zora saw that tears had welled up in Christina’s eyes. “I thought I had lost you.”
Zora reached out for Christina’s hand. “I’m fine now.”
“Just don’t do that to me again.”
“I won’t,” Zora said, patting her hand.
Christina drew in a tremulous breath and tried to smile. “In other news, you are now a celebrity.”
“What?”
“It’s all over the news. Medical student cracks the Formalin Killer case. Your phone has been ringing non-stop. Your classmates, the press. I don’t know how they got your number. I had to switch it off. Marcus, Silas, and your mom know to call my phone instead.”
Zora heard the door open. She swung her head and saw a dark-skinned nurse step in and walk to the foot of the bed.
“How are you doing?” the nurse asked. “I see you are awake.”
“Not too bad,” Zora said. “I just feel very tired.”
“You should be after what you’ve gone through. You do need to rest. The doctor will also come by shortly.” Turning to Christina, she said, “All visitors have to leave now except for family.”
“That means I get to stay,” a voice said from the door. Zora looked to see Marcus, as gorgeous as ever in a grey dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and a pair of jeans. The sling was gone from his left arm. “I’m her fiancé,” he said with a deadpan face.
Christina’s mouth hung open in shock. A fly could have made it in and out of her mouth easily.
Zora laughed.
“Is it true?” Christina asked Zora in a whisper.
Zora beamed at Marcus. “We’ll see,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
EPILOGUE
Zora looked around the Gross Anatomy laboratory. It had been a week since the kidnapping. She had recovered much faster than everybody predicted, though she sometimes still got tired. The doctors had requested a full body workup just to make sure everything was back to normal, and then she had been discharged. Marcus had also recovered fully and Zora was grateful for that.
It felt good to be back. Funny, but she had missed this place. Maybe because learning to dissect was a big step closer in becoming a surgeon.
The lab had now been reopened and new security measures had already been put in place to prevent a repeat of what had happened. The rooms in the basement were been renovated into modern autopsy rooms. They would be put to better use.
Pickles had been charged with murder and attempted murder. Silas had mentioned it might not go to trial; Pickles had been diagnosed with end stage interstitial lung disease with about three months to live. He was expected to remain in prison custody till his death. They never did find out who had warned Pickles off.
The detectives had taken Zora’s statement in the hospital. Zora had given Detective Morris a fierce stare throughout the interview, and he’d had to look away, which gave her a small measure of satisfaction. A directed search of Professor Oakley’s house had revealed the missing rape kit with the forensic results. Drake Pierce had been charged with the rape of Anna Pickles. There were rumors that he’d gone into hiding. No one had reported seeing him since the incident happened. His lawyers were fighting the charge. Zora was sure they would run up their bills.
A certain Miss Susie had been found in the river with her throat slit. For a second, the police had thought she was an older version of Zora. It turned out she was the mother of Anna Pickles. She had abandoned Anna when she was only a baby. For some reason, the case had been closed, though the killer had not been found. Zora had a feeling Drake Pierce had had a hand in that decision. Danny Thompson was also missing and the police suspected that he might be dead.
But Zora was no longer interested in the case. She was just glad to be alive. It was time to focus back on what truly mattered.
Zora looked down at the body on the table. Female, late fifties. She ran a gloved hand over the back. No powder. The professor had re-certified every body in the lab this morning to confirm they were the cadavers they had requested.
She smiled at her teammates and nodded. It was time to get started. She closed her eyes and bowed her head for a moment of silence for the cadaver.
Zora then opened her eyes. “Let’s begin,” she said to her teammates. She took a deep breath and picked up the scalpel.
Her phone rang in her lab coat pocket. She had changed her number after the kidnapping, so only a few people knew it.
Zora clenched the scalpel tighter and gave her teammates a forced smile.
The phone rang again.
“One second,” she said and dropped the scalpel in a stainless steel bowl. She removed her gloves, dropped them in the hazardous waste container under the table, and pulled her phone from her pocket.
“This is Zora Smyth,” she said as she walked a few feet away.
“Miss Smyth, this is Dr. Wang.” Dr. Wang was her primary care physician and had been for several years.
“Hi, Dr. Wang. What’s going on?”
“Would it be possible for you to come by my office tomorrow? Afternoon would be best.”
“What is it? Is something wrong? Just give it to me straight.”
“Is it an appropriate place to talk?”
Zora strode towards the door and exited the lab. There was no one in the hallway. “Yes, I can talk now.”
“Your CBC results just came in. Your neutrophil and WBC counts are abnormally low, and we found some blast cells as well. We would like you to come in and get a confirmatory bone marrow aspiration and biopsy done.”
“What are you thinking of?”
“The results so far are indicative of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. We think you might have cancer.”
Thank you so much for reading! Want to know what happens next to Dr. Zora Smyth?
Check out LETHAL INCISION here!
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READ MORE BY DOBI CROSS
Dr. Zora Smyth Medical Thriller Series
Read Lethal Emergency (Prequel)
Read all the books in the Dr. Zora Smyth Medical Thriller Series
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing a book is harder and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. And it would not have been possible without the support, love, and encouragement from my number one cheerleader, my dearest mom. My life would never have been this awesome and wonderful without her.
Of course, I have to thank my precious little DC for his smiles and antics. They brighten my day and give me the strength to keep pushing through.
Thank you to my sisters for being great sounding boards for my ideas and bearing with me while I rambled on and on. Thanks to my baby brother (who is so not a baby anymore) for being super supportive and checking in on my progress.
I also want to thank the folks at Grub Street who encouraged me to write my first short story and cheered me on to write more, even though I felt that first story was awful.
A big thanks to Josiah Davis, whose first feedback of the first book manuscript I ever wrote encouraged me that I could do well as a writer and who has been a great editor and partner since then.
Thank you to all my fellow authors in 20Books50k and The W
riting Gals, whose selflessness and willingness to share what they know have made my writing journey smoother and an exciting one.
Most of all, I want to thank God who gave me life, surrounded me with the most wonderful people, and loved me all the way.
And finally, a special thanks to all my readers whose love of my stories spur me on to write more. Thank you!
ABOUT DOBI CROSS
As a former physician and business executive in another life—with a childhood filled with reading multi-genre novels—Dobi Cross loves to write thrilling stories with heart. Whether it’d be medical thrillers or whatever book that takes her fancy, Dobi Cross loves to dream up and pen everyday characters that rise above unfavorable circumstances to overcome incredible odds.
Lethal Dissection is the first book in the Zora Smyth Medical Thriller Series. Sign up HERE to be notified when the next Dr. Zora Smyth Book comes out!
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Thanks for reading LETHAL DISSECTION!
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DEDICATION
To JC, Grandma D, and DC, whom I love more than life itself.
Copyright © 2018 by Dobi Cross
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to events, places, or actual persons living or dead, is unintentional and purely coincidental. The information included does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Cover Design by Luxhaven Publishing
Interior Design by Luxhaven Publishing
Edited by JD Book Services