9

Our footsteps echoed off puke colored pea green walls as Jim and I stepped out of the elevator and followed the attendant down the desolate hall to the room at the end of the building. The door to the morgue swung open and two men in puke colored pea green lab coats walked out. They were in deep conversation and paid little, if any, attention to us as they passed by.

I felt like the walls were closing in as we drew closer to our destination. The temperature dropped drastically. Perhaps it was just my imagination. If so, my body responded by shivering uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms across my chest and hugged myself protectively.

Jim held his arm out to signal for me to remain in the hall while he went into the examining room to speak to the coroner on duty. I peeked through the doorway while he walked through it. I was overwhelmed by the amount of bodies on an ocean of gurneys. My heart did a somersault. Frank was one of those bodies.

Their muffled conversatio