Bones Episode 8.23 The Pathos in the Pathogens

ACT ONE

The forensic platform is covered with a plastic biohazard tent. Air purifiers and other equipment line the tent. Brennan regulates and instructs the team to put on their Hazmat suits. The gang gets changed and ready in the Autopsy Room. Cam informs everyone that the CDC is ready and holding and has photos from the body find for them to look at.

Brennan pulls the pictures up on the monitor. Angela notes that the skull is crushed therefore a reconstruction may be impossible. The body was found in a facility that disposes of biohazard material and found with veterinary waste. Brennan informs everyone that they thought the damage was necrotizing fasciitis but Arastoo adds that it would not have advanced at this pace. CDC is still unsure if it is viral, bacterial, airborne, or blood-borne. The Jeffersonian team is suited up and ready.

At the FBI, Sweets and Booth go over the information they know. The facility the body was found had a surprise inspection with the CDC. Booth is hoping the killer isn't sloppy leaving them to a pandemic.

The team approaches the tented platform. Dr. Ivan Jacobs, of the CDC, comes in with the body. He has done some tests to determine that the virus is replicating quickly and they need to immediately figure out where the victim contracted it.

A suited up Dr. Jacobs joins the investigation on the platform. The body is revealed with it's fingers and wrists twisted into claws. Angela wonders if the victim was tortured. Dr. Jacobs thinks it is from seizing muscles. Arastoo determines the victim is mid 20's and female. Brennan notices lesions on the long bones and ribs that have developed recently. Dr. Jacobs believes the virus is a single-strand RNA virus. Cam removes the victim's heart-blood that remains in the heart won't be contaminated and she wants to test it. Hodgins pulls out insect larvae that will help to determine where she was before she was dumped. The team works hard on trying to get a ID. Brennan gets a call from Booth on the videoconference.

Booth informs the team that the biohazard facility can't tell where the body came from-all the records got mixed together and got burned. Brennan tells Booth that the teeth, mandible, and maxilla were smashed in to prevent a ID. Hodgins realizes that the murderer knew the virus was dangerous and clearly wanted to hide it. Brennan adds that they must have wanted to infect other people and don't want it to stop spreading. They are dealing with bioterrorism.

ACT TWO

Angela is trying to get a reconstruction on what little information she has. There are a few women who fit the woman's face. Brennan comes in to tell Angela that Hodgins determined that the last place the victim was Coral Hills, Maryland. Brennan determines by the women's facial bones that it is: Mia Garrett. Brennan once again impresses Angela. Brennan goes to inform Booth.

Sweets delivers the news to Mia's boyfriend, Ben Carr. He is devastated and tells Sweets they were going to get married. Ben was traveling the last few days and wasn't worried when he didn't hear from Mia. Mia is a blogger and journalist and Ben assumed she found a lead and was working on it. Mia's writing focus was on big pharma, medical research. Ben's focus is travel and adds that Mia liked to keep her projects to herself until she was finished. Sweets tells Ben it sounds like Mia didn't trust him.

Back at the lab, they get the lab results from pathology. It's not airborne. It had to come through a transfer of blood, fluid, or injection. It doesn't seem to be bioterrorism. Dr. Jacobs tells them they won't need the tent anymore.

Angela tries to hack into Mia's computer. Mia has encrypted her work but Angela can break through it all. Angela searches for the recently updated documents. There are notes from an interview with Dr. Tessa Burke. The notes are about the mutation possibilities of SARS, Lassa, and Yellow Fever.

Sweets and Dr. Tessa Burke meet in the FBI Conference Room. Dr. Tessa Burke is shocked to hear about Mia since she just saw her last week. Mia was working on the dangers of mutating pandemics and Dr. Tessa Burke is an expert in the field and works at a Biosafety Level 2 facility. Sweets wonders if Mia could have contracted something in her lab, Dr. Burke says that's impossible and offended Sweets of thinking otherwise.

The tent at the Jeffersonian comes down as the investigation continues. Arastoo suggests a bone marrow sample is the surest way to see how the immune system was compromised. Brennan does the test and gets the fluid she needs from the body. Dr. Jacobs says the body needs to be bagged until they do more testing. The three of them go to lift the body and Arastoo gets caught on something. He yelps in pain as a small trickle of blood emerges from his fingertip. Dr. Jacobs rushes over and tries to flush out the wound. Cam comes to the platform horrified at what she sees.

ACT THREE

Dr. Jacobs tries to help Arastoo. Cam brings rilpivirine for him to take. Brennan rushes over she found what cut Arastoo. It's the tip of a micro-needle that was embedded in the bone. Cam wants to get Arastoo to the hospital but Arastoo declines. He wants them to analyze his symptoms and try to figure the virus out. Cam tells the Jeffersonian techs to set up the Bone Room as a lab for Arastoo.

Brennan catches Booth up via videoconference. She informs him about Arastoo. Dr. Jacobs interrupt that the bone marrow results are in. They hang up.

Brennan goes into the Autopsy Room to see the results. Brennan has never seen anything like this. Dr. Jacobs says it looks similar to CHIKV found in Africa. He's going to see if the CDC can send a serum to help Arastoo but it's not a guarantee it will work. Cam is extremely concerned.

Everyone goes to check on Arastoo in the Bone Room. He has a fever and Brennan is going to do a bone scan. Dr. Jacobs tests Arastoo's joints, which are in pain. Brennan believes that the murderer will have an antidote because they want to control the virus incase it reached themselves. They need to find the murderer for Mia AND Arastoo.

Hodgins updates Angela in her office. He doesn't want her anywhere near Arastoo. Angela has found a story that Mia was working on. She was working on exposing a private lab that was developing performance-enhancing drugs for horses. The guy funding it is Byron Fuller. Angela pulls up some of their emails: Mia and Byron were also sleeping together.

Booth interrogates Byron Fuller. Byron denies having anything to do with Mia's murder. Booth produces racy emails between Bryan and Mia and accuses Byron that when he found out she was going to expose him, he killed her. Byron is not saying another word without a lawyer.

ACT FOUR

Cam monitors Arastoo. His fever continues to rise.

Dr. Jacobs informs Brennan that the CDC searched Bryon Fuller's lab and it was clean. The CHIKV antiserum arrives and they rush to Arastoo. Brennan heads to the platform to reexamine the bone lesions because they don't mimic CHIKV.

In Angela's office, her and Sweets videoconference. They go over Mia's email to Byron Fuller. Angela informs Sweets that Mia accidently sent the email to her boyfriend, Ben. Angela tells Sweets if that to her and Hodgins, she would definitely kill him for going behind her back.

Dr. Jacobs stakes out the antiserum and has Arastoo sign a waiver. Dr. Jacobs gives Arastoo the antiserum. His heart starts to race and then he starts to seize. Cam gives him medicine to lower his blood pressure. The seizure stops.

Brennan comes into the Ookey Room to see Hodgins brewing folk remedies for Arastoo. To Hodgins surprise, Brennan wants to help. She suggests he use the plant Pyrogenium to settle Arastoo's nervous system.

Sweets talks to Mia's boyfriend, Ben, again. Sweets notes that Ben was in an Indian rainforest when he got Mia's email about her affair. Ben said that him and Mia worked through their problems and he knew it was for the story. Sweets tells Ben they found needles in his apartment when they searched it. Ben is a diabetic. Sweets thinks that maybe Ben brought black market drugs back from India to kill Mia with. Ben denies everything.

Dr. Jacobs and Cam are still helping Arastoo. They are doing everything they can to save him. Dr. Jacobs is going to decrease his cellular metabolism so they have more time to treat him. Cam's going to give him medicine to help him sleep and rest. Arastoo falls asleep. Cam asks Dr. Jacobs how long Arastoo has. "Four hours at most."

ACT FIVE

Angela video chats with Booth and Sweets in the FBI. She tells them that Hodgins tested the needles found in the boyfriend's appointment. They don't match-the gauge is too big. Angela says that Mia was targeting a level 4 labs, the most dangerous. Angela tells them that even though Dr. Burke's current lab is a level 2, she used to work at a level 4 a few years ago and got fired. There was a lawsuit citing wrongful termination, which is still sealed.

Brennan and Hodgins come in with their home remedy for Arastoo. Dr. Jacobs is against it but Cam wants to try it. They give Arastoo the remedy.

Booth talks to Dr. Leonard Thorne about Dr. Burke. He is hesitant to tell Booth that when Dr. Burke worked at his facility cultures went missing but they didn't have proof it was her. Dr. Thorne is certain it was her. They were cultures for CHIKV.

Dr. Jacobs comes to apologize to Brennan. She was right-Arastoo is getting better. He tells her that there wasn't any evidence of CHIKV at Dr. Burke's lab. Brennan shows Dr. Jacobs new injuries that she has found on the victim. The bones are bowing outward which means they happened postmortem. It isn't CHIKV. Something is causing postmortem cellular reproduction.

Brennan comes into the Autopsy Room to confirm that Mia was injected with a virus and bacteria. The bacteria were a booster to make sure the virus would grow more quickly. Hodgins examines the mass spec-it's Botulinum toxin. Brennan realizes that once they narrow down the specific version of the toxin, they can prove it to Dr. Burke's lab.

ACT SIX

Booth talks to Dr. Burke. He tells her he knows about the lawsuit she filed. Dr. Burke tells him that Dr. Thorne accused her of stealing so he could have her notes. His lab owned all her research and Dr. Thorne wanted it for himself. Dr. Burke tells Booth that she told Mia everything-all the outbreaks and unethical practices. Mia was going to check into Dr. Thorne.

Booth gets a call from Dr. Jacobs-the Botulinum Toxin is registered with Dr. Thorne's lab. Also, Simatech was only certified for the toxin this year. Booth lets Dr. Burke go.

Cam takes care of a failing Arastoo. She needs him to fight through this and she tries to hold in her tears.

Booth pays a "friendly" visit to Simatech Lab to see Dr. Thorne. Booth barges in and knows that he killed Mia. Dr. Thorne wants a lawyer. Booth needs the antidote.

Booth takes Dr. Thorne to the Lab and barges in. He drags Dr. Thorne to the platform. Booth sticks Thorne's face in Mia's dead corpse. Booth tells the Jeffersonian team that security tapes confirm that Mia came back to Simatech late one night when she was already sick. Booth drags Thorne to a different place.

They go to the Bone Room to see Arastoo in bed. Cam begs for the antidote. Dr. Thorne wants his lawyer present. Brennan wants to Dr. Thorne. She holds up a syringe and explains they were able to duplicate the virus with the needle from Mia's body. Brennan stabs Dr. Thorne in the neck with it. Now, Thorne is forced to give the antidote to save himself.

That night, Angela and Hodgins get ready to go home. Arastoo is getting better and his fever is almost gone. Cam and Arastoo are on the way to the hospital. Angela is so proud of Hodgins and Brennan for saving Arastoo.

Brennan packs up for the day as well. Dr. Jacobs comes in and thanks Brennan and the team for all their work. Booth comes in to tell them Dr. Thorne is in custody. Brennan tells Booth that was not a real virus so she wouldn't have really killed anybody. They are both happy that everyone is safe and alive.