“Where did you get this fluid?” he asked, looking closely at the cap seal.

“From my home,” I said, keeping my hands flat on the counter.

“I need an official laboratory report on its contents as soon as possible.”

“It normally takes three business days for a complete panel,” Doctor Aris said, turning toward the door marked Lab Personnel Only.

“We’ll run the preliminary screen this morning and call you when the full analysis is ready.”

He walked behind the thick glass partition, dipped a white strip into the sample, and watched the color change under the overhead lights.