Lucas’s POV
The lab was quiet at night. Not silent—but purposefully still. Just the way I liked it.
Above me, the overhead light buzzed faintly, casting a sterile bluish tint over metal trays and clinical tools. Glass vials lined the shelf like obedient soldiers. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic and blood—two of my oldest companions.
I leaned over Alicia’s latest report. The printout was still warm, the numbers still disappointing.
Cholesterol had dropped, slightly. Hemoglobin was holding. But the triglycerides were still high. Iron content—average. Nothing dangerous. But nothing desirable, either.
I exhaled sharply through my nose, then picked up the slide tray next to me and snapped it under the microscope. A small smear of her blood, sealed and preserved. I adjusted the lens and peered in.
Still cloudy.