Chapter Three

Zaria stepped out into the cool rainy night but the silence after the chaos unsettled her. Everything seemed too different; the streetlights were suddenly too bright. Even worse, within her, she could feel the buzzing getting louder and louder. 

It was nearly midnight but the city wasn’t fully asleep. Cars passed occasionally, flashing like camera bulbs. She could hear a siren wailing in the distance. Even after such a major disaster, life went on. 

Desperate to drown out the sounds, she decided to focus on her steps. But her mind kept replaying her encounter with the gravely injured man and the depth of emotions she had never felt before in her life. 

“Maybe I am exhausted”, she said to herself. 

You’re almost done, Z. One semester left. One more push. Then boards. Then residency. Then maybe you’ll have a life.

This time though, the thought didn’t comfort her the way it used to. Not when her bank account had barely three digits. She stopped at a crosswalk, the red hand blinking across the street. Zaria pressed her palms to her face, trying to rub the tired out of her eyes. She had come too far to fall apart now. 

And that’s when she saw it across the street.

There, stapled to the side of a cracked wooden post, was a sleek black flyer. 

She could've sworn it hadn’t been there earlier. She passed this street every single day. It was her regular route. The same overflowing trash can. The same ‘ROOM FOR RENT’ poster at the corners. But this was new. When the lights changed, Zaria crossed the street, squinting under the dim streetlight. The flyer was glossy, untouched by the rain, with shimmering letters.

WELLNESS TRIAL

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

$2000 Compensation Upon Completion

Apply at The Draeger Institute

Confidential. Advanced. Limited Enrollment. 

Zaria blinked. 

The Draeger Institute.

It sounded familiar. She glanced around instinctively like it could have been a trap. But there was no one nearby. No footsteps. Still, something about the flyer felt almost…curated. Like it had been placed for her to find. 

$2000.

 She plucked the flyer and slipped it into her bag. As she continued walking, Zaria tried to dismiss her spontaneous action. If it wasn’t a scam then maybe it was just good timing. A sign. What could be so wrong about a wellness trial? If she was going to do something for herself, it might as well be in the name of science. 

Right?

**

Zaria trudged up the final flight of stairs to the third floor, her body aching with each step. After a quick fumble with her keys, she pushed her front door. The smell hit her first…the savory smell of garlic soy. Her stomach grumbled in response. 

“God bless you”, she murmured. 

“Welcome home, soldier”, Sienna called from the beanbag across their room. She was dressed in a massive hoodie, chopsticks in one hand and her iPad in the other. She was probably watching one of her trashy reality TV shows. 

Sienna Lewis was the kind of person who made a lasting impression without barely even trying. And she could talk her way out of anything, including late assignments and even minor traffic violations. Zaria often wondered how they ended up as best friends. Sienna, loud and electric. Zaria, quiet and self-contained. Oil and water. And yet, somehow they blended perfectly. 

Zaria dropped her bag with a heavy thud and sat on the desk chair. 

“You okay?” Sienna asked more seriously. 

Zaria hesitated, then nodded. “It was intense. There was an explosion downtown. Gas leak. The ER was full.” She paused. “One of the patients was in really bad shape and I – never mind. It’s fine.”

Sienna gave her a long and sympathetic look but didn’t push. Instead, she reached over and pulled out a white paper bag.

“I figured something dramatic was happening when you didn’t text. So I got us dumplings and lo mein.”

“You’re an angel.”

“Obviously.”

Zaria opened the container and took her first bite. At first, the two girls sat in companionable silence for a moment until she remembered the flyer and took it out of her bag. 

“I found this on the way home.” Sienna arched an eyebrow and took it from her. “I think it’s some kind of wellness trial. Two grand.”

Her best friend scanned the page, her lips twisting into a grin. “The Draeger Institute, sounds bougie. Wait, is this that Draeger? Like Lucien Draeger? Draeger BioTech?”

Zaria blinked at her. “I…don’t know. Maybe?”

“Z, you need to get your head out of those books once in a while. You don’t know Lucien Draeger?”

Zaria shook her head sheepishly. “I mean, come to think of it. I do know Draeger BioTech. I don’t know Lucien.”

“He’s, like, a recluse billionaire. Their company’s been behind half the med tech we use in school and their genetics division is next-level. Draeger wants to cure half the diseases we’ve given up on.”

“Oh”, Zaria said, brows raised. 

“Girl”, Sienna rolled her eyes, already tapping on her iPad. “If we’re about to let a mad billionaire genius poke around in our bloodstreams, we might as well get a good payout. Remember our friendship contract: page six, clause four. All poorly thought-out ideas must be pursued together.”

Zaria giggled. “Fine. But if this ends with us getting microchipped…”

“Then at least we’ll be matching!” Sienna raised her iPad up. It showed her hitting submit on their information on separate tabs.  “Done! We’re officially mystery trial babes. They might not even mind us, Z.”

They smiled at each other and Zaria stood up, suddenly filled with love for her friend. She stooped down to hug her. “I love you, Sienna.”

“Of course you do”, her best friend replied smugly. “But you can love me more after we’re two thousand dollars richer and feeling relaxed.”