| James Cabot | |
| Fictional Character | |
| "In the Shadow of the Great Days" Set in the Future | |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct POV |
| Date of Birth: | 23rd or 24th century |
| Occupation: | Doctor |
| Spouse: | Guadalupe Cabot |
| Children: | None |
| Professional Affiliations: | USS Constitution |
Doctor James Cabot lived in Boston. In addition to his private practice, he was a civilian employee of Captain Mandela Lowell of the USS Constitution. He would row from Boston to Breed's Island every week or two when the Constitution was docked to review medical issues of the crew. Typical cases would be a sprained knee or the clap.[1]
One March day was different. The officer of the deck refused to gossip about the latest misfortunes of the crew and hurried off to get the captain. Captain Lowell arrived shortly and explained that the crew had discovered a dead crewmate in his hammock that morning. He had ordered that the body remain untouched so Dr. Cabot could conduct his own examination to determine the cause of death. The captain led Dr. Cabot below decks to the cramped crews' quarters below the gun deck. There they found Doctor Hakim O'Connor, the ship's surgeon, waiting beside Michael Papaspiros' body.[2]
Papaspiros lay on his back in his hammock with his arms crossed over his chest. Dr. Cabot observed that there were no obvious wounds or blood stains. He looked at the underside of the hammock and also saw no blood stains. Cabot moved Papaspiros' arms to examine his chest and noted that rigor mortis had not yet set in. Dr. O'Connor commented that a fellow sailor tried to wake Papaspiros by shaking his shoulder and found that his body was just starting to cool. Cabot also noted that the postmortem lividity was consistent with him dying where he was found.[3]
Cabot, O'Connor and Lowell lowered Papaspiros to the deck so Cabot could perform an autopsy. Cabot stripped Papaspiros and was about to begin when he noticed a red mark on his chest where his hand had rested. Cabot felt around the spot and discovered a nodule, harder than the surrounding muscle but not solid. O'Connor also felt Papaspiros chest and confirmed the nodule. Cabot turned the body partly over but found no scarring on the back that would indicate an old entry wound. He then picked up a scalpel and cut down from the spot until he met resistance from the nodule. He cut around it and found that the nodule was a bioimplant, something from the Great Days. All three were shocked to find one and Cabot promised to to try to discover what it did and who implanted it.[4]
In the mean time, Dr. Cabot proceeded with the autopsy since they didn't know the bioimplant killed Papaspiros. There was no bleeding in the brain, no signs of heart disease or cancer. Cabot collected a blood sample for later examination. O'Connor commented that Papaspiros was healthier than either of them to which Cabot replied he was deader than either of them too. After a bit more discussion, Cabot left the ship to return to Boston.[5]
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