Page 32 of Obsessed

"You should elevate that foot more." Davrik's voice startles me. He sets a plate beside my workstation, the steam from whatever he's prepared wafting past my nose.

"I'm fine. Look at these spines though—they're almost crystalline in structure." I gesture to the screen without looking up. "I've never seen anything like it."

"The food will get cold." His tone carries that new distance, like he's reading from a script rather than talking to me.

"Just five more minutes." I tap notes into my tablet. "The cellular makeup is fascinating. It's almost as if?—"

"Alice."

The way he says my name still sends shivers down my spine, even when he's being stern. I tear my eyes away from the microscope to find him looming over me, arms crossed.

"You won't heal properly if you don't take care of yourself."

"Says the man who crashed his ship and walked it off." I adjust my position, wincing as my ankle protests the movement.

His jaw tightens. "Just eat something. Please."

The 'please' surprises me. I reach for the plate, and our fingers brush as he steadies it for me. For a moment, that spark between us flares, but he pulls back like I've burned him.

"Thank you," I say softly. "For taking care of me."

He nods stiffly and turns to leave. I watch him go, then turn back to my work, trying to ignore the ache that has nothing to do with my ankle.

I pick at the food Davrik prepared - some kind of protein with local vegetables I'd deemed safe for consumption. The flavors blend surprisingly well, though my mind wanders to the specimen waiting under my microscope rather than savoring each bite.

Over a month ago, I was alone here, talking to myself and my equipment. Now I'm sharing meals with a mysterious blue-skinned courier who kisses like... Focus, Alice.

I tap commands into my terminal, starting the DNA sequencing. The computer churns through data while I finish eating. A series of beeps draws my attention back to the screen.

"That can't be right." I lean forward, scrolling through the results. "Computer, run sequence analysis again, compare against known medicinal compounds."

The machine whirs. New data streams across my display, highlighting matching patterns. My heart races as I process what I'm seeing.

"Cross-reference with known toxins and venoms, all documented species." My fingers drum against the desk while I wait.

The results pop up: No matches found.

"No way." I pull up different angles of the molecular structure, rotating the 3D model. "The anti-inflammatory properties are off the charts, and it's completely non-toxic?"

I run more specific tests, checking against various species' physiological profiles. Human, Kaleidian, Kiphian - the plant shows no adverse reactions with any of them. Instead, it demonstrates powerful healing properties across the board.

"Computer, calculate potential medical applications based on current data."

The list that appears makes me gasp. This little red flower could revolutionize treatment for dozens of conditions. And it's just sitting here in a pit on this backwater planet, waiting to be discovered.

I grab my tablet and start documenting everything. My company needs to know about this immediately. This could change everything - not just for my career, but for countless people across the galaxy.

My ankle throbs, reminding me I should probably take a break. The swelling has gotten worse from sitting in this position too long. I shift, and pain shoots up my leg.

The data on my screen catches my attention again - specifically the anti-inflammatory properties. I glance between my ankle and the remaining flower petal on my workstation.

"This is incredibly stupid," I mutter to myself, picking up the petal. "Probably the dumbest thing I've done since accepting this assignment."

The rational part of my brain screams about protocols, proper testing procedures, and the countless regulations I'm about to violate. But my ankle throbs again, and curiosity wins out.

"For science," I whisper, popping the petal into my mouth before I can talk myself out of it.

It tastes slightly sweet, with an herbal undertone. I swallow, then hold my breath, waiting for... something. Anything.

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