The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 237

Julia let out a sharp gasp.

She stepped closer, peering at the victim's abdomen. Just as Nora noted, the uterus was enlarged to the size of an egg.

A preliminary estimate put the pregnancy at roughly five weeks.

"No wonder there was so much blood at the scene."

Nora stared down at the freezing metal table, a heavy knot forming in her chest.

The violent loss of one life was already a tragedy that was hard to swallow.

But discovering that this broken body had been harboring a tiny, developing life—knowing a mother and her unborn child had been snuffed out together—the horror of it wasn't just doubled. It was entirely devastating.

"Let's continue."

Nora took a slow, grounding breath. The discovery had severely rattled her, but years in the Forensics Division had taught her how to compartmentalize her grief.

She quickly fell back into her clinical rhythm. After completing a meticulous sweep of the body, she delivered her final verdict.

"Direct cause of death is traumatic brain injury coupled with massive hemorrhage."

Nora peeled off her bloody gloves, her tone steady. "Is Nathan back at the precinct?"

Julia jotted down the final conclusion and nodded. "Yeah, he's back. I saw him standing in the hallway earlier, but when he saw you were deep into the autopsy, he left to give you space."

Nora gave a faint nod and walked over to the sink to scrub her hands. "I'll write up the autopsy report. You can go handle your other tasks."

Nora was the only medical examiner officially assigned to Nathan's task force. While Julia frequently assisted her, the younger woman technically still belonged to the general Forensics Division roster.

Nora made a mental note to officially request Julia's transfer to her team.

Having to requisition her every time a major case hit was getting tedious. They worked seamlessly together. Nora had mentored Julia since her first day on the job, and the girl was incredibly talented. Nora wanted her full-time so she could train her to lead her own autopsies sooner.

"Alright, Dr. Hayes, I'm heading out."

Julia packed up her kit, gave a quick wave, and slipped out of the morgue.

Nora sat down at her desk, forced her mind into sharp focus, and began typing out the autopsy report.

The sterile room fell dead silent, save for the rhythmic, rapid clatter of her keyboard.

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