Jason pushed the lid open slowly, releasing a plume of wispy cool air. He could feel the chill on his fingers as he reached inside. His eyes never quite left Laura’s face. She looked nervous, and perhaps a bit curious. Jason grasped the rounded end of a vial and slid it into his palm, before giving the chilly tube a cursory glance: *201U9H.* He slid it back into place. *Not what he was looking for.*
Laura swept her fingers through her hair every few seconds as she waited. Her lips parted, she sighed and hummed but said nothing.
“Just looking for something—” Jason said reassuringly. He glanced at another vial before returning it to the case.
“—GOOD,” he exclaimed as he finally pulled the vial labeled “A1V18L” into his palm.
He placed the vial on the table, taking special care not to damage the delicate mechanized injection-ready cap.
“Did you plan on participating in one trial?” Jason asked, “More?”
The tip of Laura’s ruby-painted thumbnail found its way into her mouth. She nibbled it nervously while staring down at the lengthy tube of yellowish liquid sitting on the table.