chapter twenty-eight
THE POISONER
T wenty glass test tubes were stacked in the wooden holders scattered around the lab. Some were diluted with water at different rates, some were control samples, and others were extras.
The rats from this morning’s catch dug and scratched at their cages. Each one was separated into its own box.
With clean syringes, I filled each one with a control and three diluted samples in each, plus one fully concentrated sample. Carefully, each rat was injected between the shoulder blades. Two more repetitions were made, recycling the motions. Fifteen rats in total.
My pen quickly moved in confident loops, detailing the observations and injection times. Later, I would check on their progress.
“What if you added less solution B and tested with a larger blood volume?” Dr. Hayes asked.
“We did that already. It doesn’t seem reliable enough to give the same output. I think both solutions are unstable,” I said, watching half the blood cells burst under the microscope. The past few tests had given no reliable answers aside from the blood becoming damaged.
“And you already added a catalyst?” Viktor asked, leaning over my shoulder.
“Yes, this is the sixty percent solution,” I mumbled, dialing the microscope closer to observe the cells.
Several students started to file into the lab carrying books, equipment, and bags—our cue that our lab time was over.
“How about a break?” Dr. Hayes suggested. “You’ve been at this for hours. It is safe to say we can put it down for a while.”
“You’re probably right.” I sighed, leaning away from the viewfinder and flipping my notebook closed. “I need a drink.”
“Lucky for us, I might be able to help with that.” Dr. Hayes laughed.
“So then Jacek and I told the dean the next day that the lab must have had rodents that knocked it over and nearly set the lab ablaze.” Dr. Hayes laughed, pouring himself more bourbon.
“Please tell me he didn’t believe a word you two fools said.” Viktor cradled his glass between his hands as he drank.
“It is surprisingly easy to ignite things.” I shrugged, sipping the honey-colored liquid from my glass.
Dr. Hayes had some liquor hidden in the bottom drawer of his desk.
It was nice to sit around and talk, nowhere to be.
It reminded me of when my father would have people over and I got to listen to all their ramblings about work.
Many times, Dr. Hayes was there, among others.
I missed the laid-back atmosphere, just colleagues conversing instead of socialites talking at each other.
It was less exhausting knowing I could let my guard down with them.
It made me feel warm inside, and that wasn’t just because I was drinking liquor.
“Alina?” Viktor nudged my arm from where he sat next to me. We were in the two chairs in front of the desk, with Dr. Hayes behind it.
“Hmm?” I looked down at his hand on my arm, then at his face.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, just nostalgic. Sometimes memories can be a little much. I get lost in them.” I finished the liquid in my cup.
“Apologies. I sometimes forget.” Dr. Hayes smiled sheepishly. “Sometimes there will be exciting moments, and I think of writing to him before I remember…”
“A few months after he passed,” I started, “I would call for him, making breakfast for us before it dawned on me that I’d made too much for one person.”
“He would be so proud of you, Alina,” Dr. Hayes said.
“I am not so sure. You know how he was. Not very generous with his affection.” I laughed before feeling Viktor’s hand smooth over my shoulder in a comforting gesture.
“Excuse me for my boldness, but how did he pass?” Viktor asked.
Dr. Hayes tensed and looked in my direction. I did not know why everyone danced around the subject, as if I would cry whenever my father was brought up.
“An accident in the lab,” I said simply. “His assistant was clumsy. He died of some sort of exposure.”
“That is unfortunate, especially for an experienced chemist.” Viktor tilted his head. “Did the coroner say what it could have been?”
“No, I did not read the report.”
“I see.” Viktor squeezed my shoulder gently. “Well, do not doubt yourself on the account of ghosts. You have much to be proud of.”
I shrugged and put my glass on the desk, pushing it toward Dr. Hayes with two fingers. He poured me another, and we all shared a silent moment.
“To ghosts and whatever poor soul they choose to haunt,” I muttered, raising my glass lazily before downing the bourbon, relishing the burn in my throat. The men followed suit.
“What is next for your experiment?” Viktor asked. “You have been working without rest.”
“I do not know. I was hoping more questions would reveal themselves to me as I worked.”
“Whatever it is, let me know if you need more time. The new semester will begin in a month,” Dr. Hayes said.
“Right,” I mumbled.
All was going well until we approached the end of the week.
The smell of rot hit my nose the second I entered the King’s College lab.
The cause was no mystery. My rats from the day before had met the same fate they always did.
What happened to me in the greenhouse nursery would repeat for weeks as I tested the blood on rats.
No matter how I changed the formula and dosage, it always ended the same.
My hand rubbed the front of my throat, remembering that burning.
The rat carcasses were bloated, and their eyes looked like they had been liquified before the flies had gotten to them. All subjects that received the blood had met the same fate.
My face twisted as I dumped one of them in the bin while holding a rag over my mouth and nose, an attempt in vain to block out the wretched scent. One cage down, fourteen to go.
As I observed one more closely, I realized even the rats that did not receive any blood were in the same condition. There must be some sort of cross contamination.
The lab was free the entire day today. While I would have liked to say the time was spent being productive, it was not.
I sat in the room and stared at the wall, eyeing the samples or ignoring the pile of metal tools waiting to be cleaned in the sink.
I wasn’t able to finish the rest of the cages in my depression.
My forehead rested in my shaky hands.
Get ahold of yourself!
I pressed the palms of my hands into my eye sockets, seeking some relief from this migraine brought on by my unrest.
“Alina, I got the— oh my .” Viktor barged into the lab, but as soon as the scent hit him, he had to lean against the railing of the observation balcony to steady himself.
“I know, I know ,” I groaned, throwing my hands up. “They all ended like that! I only gave them a drop! Just barely!”
“That is horrid,” he mumbled, going down the steps and over to the cages, covering his mouth with a handkerchief from his jacket.
“I don’t understand. Based on the lethal dose, this should have only made them ill. I was going to test possible antidotes on them to see if they survived the process.” I frowned. “None of this makes sense.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” He sighed. “Maybe it isn’t possible to receive it without the effects taking hold.”
“I’ll keep looking at it. No more rats for now.” I sighed, picking up one of the cages to look closer at the small corpse.
Something was working against me. I did not know what powers were at play, but none of my conclusions or calculations aligned with the outcomes. I did the math myself. I even had Viktor and Dr. Hayes proofread my work. It should have gone as planned. What was I missing?