Ink

Dr. Bethany Ross was in the lab when I walked in. Dr. Ross and I never really seemed to get along. Sure we had worked side by side for 5 whole years ,but the years, if anything, just seemed to strengthen her resolve not to like me. I say all that so you understand how strange it was when I walked in to a big smile and a greeting from Dr. Ross
“Hello, Dr. Stephens. I just made the most wonderful discovery, come look.”

Dr. Ross waved me over with an enthusiasm I had rarely seen from her. On the table in front of her was a rat in a cage. It scurried back and forth as if looking for an opening to escape from, and at first glance there was nothing different about it.
“What am I looking at?”, I asked
“A rat”, she said with a smirk
“I see that.”
“Ah, but what you don’t see is that this rat is dead. 100% dead” Dr. Ross said, smiling wide.
I inspected the rat closer. It didn’t look dead. As a matter of fact it looked more alive than ever. It looked and acted like a frightened rat in a cage.
Dr. Ross smirked. This might have been the first normal behavior she exhibited since I entered the room. While we both graduated from the same university, Dr. Ross was at the top of class, and she relished every opportunity to show me how much smarter she was than me.
“You don’t see it, do you?”, she said with that awful half smile.
Swallowing my pride, I said, “I do not, what am I supposed to be looking for?”
“Look right on the neck” pointing, she looked at me, seemingly eager for me to finally see what she sees.
I inspected the neck of the rat, and again I found nothing. Starting to get frustrated I was about to turn towards Dr. Ross. About to exclaim that this must be some sort of joke, and I was not amused, but before I could, I saw it. A little black spot on the back of it’s neck. The spot was bald, and perfectly circular.
“It’s a parasite,” I said in wonder
Dr. Ross was ecstatic, “Yes, a parasite, a parasite with full control over the host body. If not for the mark it leaves on the skin it would be completely undetectable through observation alone.”

I kept quiet for a moment, not wanting to admit how cool her discovery actually was. After a moment though, I came up with a question.
“How does the parasite know how the rat would react to the cage?”

“Observation,” Dr. Ross said, without missing a beat, “this parasite can lie dormant for days or even weeks in order to observe the host brain and once it becomes familiar it destroys the host brain and takes over almost seamlessly.”
“Interesting,” I conceded, “and how does this parasite infect the host”

” Ah, the million dollar question, as far as I can tell a simple touch will do the trick.” Dr Ross grinned wide. ” It’s like a parasitic virus, same organism in different hosts.”

In hindsight, I would note this response as strange. Though Dr. Ross and I graduated at the same time, she had always been somewhat of a genius. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she’s smarter than me, but well, she is.
Surely she would have realized the implications of this intelligent, invisible parasite, and would understand just how dangerous it could be if it got out. But instead of taking preventative measures, she just smiled. A smile of genuine excitement, as if she couldn’t be happier by this development.

Dr. Ross looked away for me for a minute, spying the digital clock on the wall.

“Wow, I have been here all night,” she said, “I really should be heading home”

” Right, of course” I responded, my mind preoccupied “Congratulations on your discovery, Dr. Ross”

I extended my hand and she shook it
“Thank you, very much”, she said with a nod, and she exited the building.
Maybe I’m overthinking it, but as she withdrew her hand, I saw a black dot on the tip of her index finger.
Maybe it was just ink.
God, I hope it was just ink.