CLAIRE
The lab felt quieter than usual, even with the machines running.
The steady hum of equipment and the soft clicks from the timers should have been comforting, but today every sound carried weight. Two labeled vials sat beneath the glass hood, one with Aiden's name and one with Lila's. Blood reduced to samples. Lives reduced to numbers. I forced myself to focus, even though nothing about this work felt neutral anymore.
Lila stood near the counter, arms loosely crossed, watching without getting in the way. She didn't rush me or fill the silence with questions. That told me she understood how careful this moment was, and I appreciated it more than I could say.
I started with Aiden's sample.
Under the microscope, the same patterns showed up again. The cells reacted fast
