Lior stood outside Dr. Harrison's office . The hallway was quiet except for the hum of the ventilation system and distant footsteps from other floors. She'd been to plenty of professor interviews before, but this one felt different.
She knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Said a voice.
Dr. Harrison's office looked exactly like she'd expected. Books crammed into every available space, medical journals stacked precariously on his desk, and the obligatory skeleton that every medical professor seemed to own. The afternoon sun filtered through blinds that had seen better days.
"Miss Atheria, welcome! Please, have a seat." Dr. Harrison gestured to one of two leather chairs."Would you like some coffee? I always have a pot going."
"Thank you, that would be nice."
He moved to a side table where a coffee maker sat next to a collection of mismatched mugs. "I have to warn you, I make it pretty strong. Twenty years of all-nighters during residency ruined me for normal coffee."
"Strong is perfect. I practically lived on coffee during my MCAT prep."
"Ah yes, the MCAT. I don't miss those days." He handed her a mug with 'World's Okayest Doctor' printed on it and settled behind his desk with his cup. "Though I suppose the current generation has it worse with all the additional requirements. In my day, we just had to know medicine."
Lior took a sip of the coffee. It was indeed strong, with a slightly bitter aftertaste that suggested the pot had been sitting for a while.
"So," Harrison began, shuffling through some documents, "I've reviewed your transcript. You have impressive work. Dr Patterson speaks highly of you."
"Thank you. I've really enjoyed her classes."
"She mentioned you have a particular interest in oncology research. Can you tell me more about that?"
This was familiar territory. Lior relaxed slightly, settling into the rhythm of a normal academic interview. "My interest really began during my second year when we studied cellular mutations. The way cancer cells develop resistance to treatments fascinated me."
Harrison nodded, making notes. "Interesting approach. Have you read the recent paper by Chen et al. on predictive modeling in tumor evolution?"
"Yes, though I thought their sample size was too limited to draw broad conclusions. They only looked at lung cancer patients from a single demographic."
"Good catch. Critical thinking is essential in research." He leaned back in his chair, which squeaked protestingly. "Tell me, what do you see as the biggest challenge in oncology research today?"
They discussed research challenges for several minutes. Harrison asked thoughtful questions about her coursework, her laboratory experience, and her thoughts on various treatment protocols. It was exactly the kind of interview she'd prepared for. Maybe Lucien had been wrong about this being a trap. Maybe Ethan Cross had simply mentioned a legitimate opportunity.
"More coffee?" Harrison offered, noticing her mug was nearly empty.
"I'm fine, thank you."
He glanced at his watch and frowned. "Excuse me for just a moment. I need to check on something. Please, make yourself comfortable."
Harrison left the office, closing the door behind him. Lior could hear his footsteps receding down the hallway. She took the opportunity to look around more carefully. The office told the story of a long academic career. Photos with graduating students, conference badges from medical symposiums, a few awards that looked impressive but were partially hidden behind stacks of journals. Nothing seemed out of place or suspicious.
Her arm felt heavy when she reached for her coffee mug to take another sip. Probably just nerves. She'd been tense all day, knowing this might be more than just an interview. The coffee was cooler now but she drank it anyway, needing something to do with her hands.
Harrison returned after about five minutes, looking slightly flustered. "Sorry about that. There was a mix-up with some lab schedules. Where were we?"
"We were discussing research challenges."
"Right, yes." He moved to the window instead of returning to his desk, gazing out at the campus. "You know, I've been at this institution for over two decades. I've seen many brilliant students come through these doors."
Lior waited for him to continue, but he seemed lost in thought. The silence stretched uncomfortably.
"It must be rewarding," she finally said, "watching students develop into researchers."
"Sometimes." He turned from the window. "Sometimes it's frustrating. The bureaucracy, the politics, the constant scramble for funding. Did you know the average NIH grant application has a less than 20% success rate?"
"I've heard it's very competitive."
"Competitive doesn't describe it." He returned to his desk but remained standing. "That's why private funding has become so important. Pharmaceutical companies, private foundations and individual donors."
The room seemed warmer than it had been. Lior shifted in her chair, feeling oddly sluggish. Too much caffeine on an empty stomach, probably. She should have eaten lunch.
"Are you feeling alright?" Harrison asked. "You look a bit pale."
"I'm fine. Just didn't eat much today."
"The life of a medical student." He smiled sympathetically. "Let me get you some water."
He poured from a pitcher on his desk. As he handed her the glass, Lior reached for it but her depth perception seemed off. Her fingers knocked against the glass, sending it tumbling. Water spread across his desk, soaking into papers and threatening to drip onto the floor.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She tried to stand to help clean up but her legs felt unsteady.
"Don't worry about it, happens all the time." Harrison grabbed some paper towels from a drawer. "These old desks have seen worse. I once spilled an entire pot of coffee on my grant application the night before it was due."
Lior sank back into the chair. Something was wrong. The sluggish feeling was getting worse, not better. Her thoughts seemed to be moving through molasses.
Harrison finished mopping up the water and looked at her with what might have been concern. Or maybe guilt. It was hard to tell through her increasingly blurry vision.
"Miss Atheria, I think you should know that this isn't really about the research position. Always be careful. "
The words took too long to process. She tried to respond but her tongue felt thick and uncooperative.
"I'm genuinely sorry about this," he continued. "You seem like a lovely young woman. But sometimes we all have to do things we're not proud of."
The door opened. Two men in hospital scrubs entered. They looked like they belonged there. Nobody would look twice at them in the hallways.
"Is she ready?" one of them asked.
Harrison nodded yes.
"Her phone?"
"Leave it behind, they might trace it."
Lior tried to stand but her body wouldn't cooperate. Lucien had been right.But what if he didn't know they would drug her?Panic rose like bile in her throat. Her mind was awake now, trapped inside a body that refused to obey.