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Pest Control
By Megan Hull
(c) October 2001
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	It was half an hour past sunset when Nick moseyed into the morgue.  "Be 
with you in a moment," Natalie said, tucking away her instruments and 
pulling off her gloves.  She looked back at him and noticed the definite 
downward turn of his mouth.  "What's wrong?" she asked.

	"When does Sorenson get back?" he asked without preamble.

	Natalie laughed.  The day coroner, Sorenson, was taking his vacation, so 
Natalie was filling for him.  "In four days.  Then I'll be back on nights," 
she assured him, patting him teasingly on the cheek.

	"If it weren't winter, I wouldn't get to see you at all," he continued to 
grumble.

	"But it is, and you do, so no more complaints," she admonished.  "Besides, 
it's only a ten-day vacation.  You'll survive."  She went to gather her 
things.  Nick gave her a hand picking up some packages she had gotten before 
coming to work.  As they approached her car, one of the bags ripped, 
dropping her things to the asphalt.

	"What's this?" Nick asked, picking up a device with a picture of a running 
mouse on it.

	"Oh, that's a sonic pest repellent I got.  We've had some problems with 
mice and rats this winter, and I want to make sure they stay out of my 
cabinets.  It emits a tone that really bugs rodents, but it's too high for 
cats to hear, so it won't bother Sydney.  See?"  She demonstrated by turning 
the switch on.

	Nick winced and quickly reached out and turned it off.  "Please remember," 
he said, rubbing his ear in pain, "that I have a slightly better hearing 
range than your average household rodent."

	Natalie looked at him in surprise.  "You can really hear that?"

	"Yes.  It's something like fingernails on a chalkboard."

	"Jeez."  Natalie stared at the device in her hand.  "The volume's only a 
third of the way up, too.  I wonder what the highest setting is for, New 
York City sewer rats?"

	"I guess," Nick laughed, recovered.  He waved forlornly as Nat drove off, 
then headed to the precinct.



	Natalie tugged on the oversized tee-shirt she wore to bed and fed Sydney.  
Then she locked the door and windows; ever since learning about vampires, 
she had become nervous about sleeping during the night.  As she headed to 
her bedroom, the sonic device caught her eye.  She stopped and picked it up, 
considering.

	A slow smile spread across her face.

	Setting the device on the kitchen table, Natalie turned the volume all the 
way up and turned it on.  With a satisfied nod, she turned to her room.

	She slept better than she had all week.

End