Delko (Adam Rodriguez) has a check up with his doctor who gives him the all-clear to return to work. There he bumps into Alexx (Khandi Alexander) who is called to an emergency. An unconscious woman is rushed in with respiratory failure. Lauren's boyfriend, Ethan (Bobby Campo) describes her as mumbling and complaining of her head hurting. Lauren dies and Alexx suspects she was poisoned. They need Horatio (David Caruso). Delko believes Ethan killed her and he was fooled by him having an engagement ring and wouldn't look him in the eye. There could be lots of reasons for that and doesn't mean he's a killer.
Alexx has sent Lauren's blood and tissues to the lab. Walter (Omar Benson Miller) says that poisons are absorbed by touch and are hard to trace. Ethan explains their whereabouts and eating at a restaurant and he begins to cough. It's so obvious something's going on with him, that he's not well, yet Delko in his rush to find him guilty before the evidence is in, doesn't pick up on this. So yes, it was time to leave the lab, but not that it was for good! How did passing out before him, seem even remotely akin to a confession. On the contrary, Delko was the "idiot" here. Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) wouldn't have made prejudgements.
Delko analyzes samples from Lauren and finds the presence of E-Coli. Horatio tells us that E-Coli is a poison. Alexx believes it to be a newer and deadlier strain. The health agencies will be too slow off the mark so Horatio needs them to investigate and find the source of the outbreak. Natalia (Eva LaRue) constructs a DNA fingerprint to find the strain of the E-Coli. Horatio tells them they need to treat this like any other murder. They have no time for the usual channels, such as warrants and it was good to see Horatio not let his team get bogged down with all the red tape an investigation of this nature would require. He expedites everything by telling them to act first and consequences be damned when lives are at stake.
Calleigh (Emily Procter) welcomes back Delko, as if this was the right time and place for that. Delko finds the restaurant from the receipt in Ethan's wallet and Calleigh discovers that Lauren ate a salad but it's not kept for more than a day. The E-Coli begins from the grower, Aunt Sally's Farm. The chef passes the buck to the grower and so the cycle of blame continued down the food chain.
Ryan (Jonathan Togo) accompanies Walter and Jesse to the farm in a Three Musketeers type scenario. Making Delko the odd one out. This could have been the start of a beautiful friendship between the three, had it lasted! With more funny comments. These three really gel together. They don't have a warrant to search the farm, but Ryan interjects that they have badges and these "rural types" aren't that well educated. Seth (Jack Conley) won't let them run tests on the farm until they have a warrant and Ryan tells him they're investigating a homicide. Walter comments that these "rural types" can read their Constitution after all! Jesse solves the problem as they have probable cause to check his employees Green cards.
Ryan and Walter return to the lab to check the samples of leaves, soil and stalks. They shine a UV light on the card window and if it glows then it's positive for E-Coli. The tests prove to be negative. Horatio wants them to check the transporting truck as E-Coli is found on the outside of the plant. This was enough to put you off salads and burgers for life! Wayons (Lance Barber) the truck driver makes a run for it when he sees Tripp (Rex Linn) who has to give chase, in another funny moment. Tripp says he didn't chase him until he started running.
Horatio finds the truck is positive for E-Coli, Wayons reluctantly telling him that all the farmers work for a bigger company: Bixton Organic Food. Calleigh comments their food is not organic, well it wouldn't be seeing as it's a big company, they go for all the shortcuts and cost effective production. Walter says E-Coli is spread from faeces, in small amounts of diluted water.
Mackey (Steven Culp) the CEO, is questioned by Horatio with his lawyer present. Well, hardly questioned, the lawyer did all the talking; who shows Horatio Wayons' contract, they're not liable for any negligence. Under Florida there can be no disparagement of agricultural products. Horatio sends the team back to the farm.
Ryan, such a party pooper, tells them what they find will be inadmissible but Jesse explains what they do find will go to the Health Department. Must Jesse always tell them everything, ha. Walter suggests they search for the well. Ryan warning, "don't get caught." Ryan finds the well, whilst Jesse is held at gun point by another farmer, Webb (Charles Parnell). He's been the subject of "drift" whereby patented seeds blew onto his land and crop and he was accused of stealing. Jesse didn't know seeds could be the subject of patents.
Walter filled the well with all of his cards which show positive for E-coli. It's used for irrigation, but it's not the source of the outbreak. Ryan meanwhile, sitting there attempting to clean his boots. They wonder how faeces is getting into the water and it doesn't take them long to find the land over the hill is being used for farming cattle. The cattle were really quiet, they had to get close to hear them. That picture on the hill was so CGI!
Corn fed beef is not so good and it causes E-Coli as the cows digestive system isn't made to ingest corn, Dr Miller (Caroline Aaron) tells Horatio. Horatio believes this proves the case against Bixton but the doctor tells him it doesn't as there's nothing leading to the conclusion the DNA fingerprint from the manure matches the E-Coli strain on the farm. Delko is enraged at her inferring that the disparagement laws are more important than the people. Horatio knows she's a former VP of Bixton subsidiary and gathers the investigation won't be influenced by this.
Calleigh again tells Delko she's glad he's okay and he doesn't feel the same about this job, he saw Lauren die (and he didn't even call her by her name either.) Alexx concludes Ethan isn't suffering from E-Coli, his symptoms are different to Lauren's. He's only alive due to the respirator. She gives them his biopsies and blood for testing. Walter only knows neuro toxins can display Ethan's symptoms, but there are many of them, as Jesse says. Ethan ate a veggie burger and corn. There was genetically engineered corn on Webb's land and Jesse retrieves a sample in a bid for Webb to get his own back on Bixton. Natalia analyzes the corn, watched by Delko, then Calleigh and finally Walter, all asking, "She done yet?"
Natalia discovers a bacterial gene was added to the corn, resulting in Botulism bacteria, which transferred to the bacteria added to the corn to begin with. Calleigh says there's an anti-toxin for this. Horatio wants to talk to Mackey alone and promises there won't be any charges brought against him. He asks how much a man's life is worth, Ethan's life. Alexx informs them Ethan is brain dead and so the anti-toxin can't be used on him. His life support is turned off. Mackey says there was only less than 1% risk of botulism. Horatio contacted the FDA and they're closing the farm down. So much for Mackey arguing that they feed millions through these farming methods, irrespective of that, people are still starving so they're methods are still not good enough or even safe enough.
Horatio records their conversation surreptitiously and tells them Ethan's parents have enough for a civil case, as Mackey confessed. "See you in court." Calleigh realizes Delko is leaving as she says "CSIs not the only game in town." She cries, but why, not as if he's leaving the State or the country. No can't say he ever really left the show either!
Jesse surfs at the beach, whilst clearing the litter too. Calleigh and Natalia help out at the community gardens and Walter and Ryan help to tear down the corn. Horatio leaves a note on Delko's car: "I'll always be here. H."
Probably a first for CSI:Miami where they're not able to do anything against big business and corporation dollars; as Bixton gets away scot free. Paying out in a civil suit won't really affect them in the long run. As for closing down the farm, Bixton or any of its subsidiaries will just start again somewhere else.
Food for thought, though the story here was fictional. It's premise wasn't. Seeds can be patented, only last year there were articles about corporations who sell GM (Genetically Modified) seeds claiming, for example, they could feed Africa with the use of their patented seeds. Enough to send shivers down your spine, but also to make people aware of what can and does go into our food.
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