AN: I am not sure about the procedural/forensic stuff or the military stuff, so those of you in the know please forgive me. I just went with what sounded like common sense to me.
“CLEAR! 400!” Dr. Becker put the paddles to Tony’s chest for the second time. His body arched off the bed and fell again. Seconds later there was a heart beat. The doctor waited for the rate to even out and increase before he put the paddles back on the crash cart and ordered the Code Blue team out of his patient’s room and back to their normal work stations.
“BP 125/45, respirations 12, pulse 62.” Nurse Joyce Carter said looking down at Tony. She left her hand resting on his chest until she was sure her patient was out of danger.
“Ok.” Dr, Becker nodded. “He’s gonna make it. Thank you for a job well done.” The team left the room and Dr. Becker remained with his patient for a moment longer checking his machinery and tubes to insure proper placement and working order.
###
Abby worked like a mad woman. She reported to Gibbs that the casings were indeed identical, fired from the same weapon because of the markings made on the outside of the casing as the bullets exited the barrel of the gun. The fabric had no DNA on it and was likely worn as an outer garment for warmth. So the shooter probably didn’t even realize he had torn it from his clothing.
“Gibbs.” Tim said as soon as Gibbs made it to the bullpen. “Ducky needs you and so does Abby. But first, our dead marine, a gunney, Jason Henderson had been out on maneuvers and for some reason wandered off from the rest of his squad. No one had noticed he was missing until they stumbled onto Henderson’s body. No one had heard a shot fired. I talked to his commander and a fellow gunney.”
“Marines don’t WANDER off during maneuvers. That is an automatic severe reprimand, a clear defiance of an order. He could have wondered into an area with planted land mines. Only the team leader knows and he does not give out maps until the beginning of that particular exercise.”
“LIVE mines?” Ziva asked, surprised the U.S. would use live mines for exercise purposes.
Gibbs nodded. “They are not loaded like the regular ones. These have enough power to cause damage to exposed skin. That type thing, it’s more like a blast of compressed air than anything.”
“Hardly scary.” Ziva said.
“But enough to remind those guys what a real one can do.” Gibbs retorted. “You two work on the why. I need to get downstairs to Ducky and Abby.” Gibbs said leaving the bullpen and heading towards the elevator.
TBC
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