Sammie felt sick. Like a pit was in her stomach and she'd throw up.

She felt like she was in a dream . . but there was someone calling her name.

"Sammie. .."

Opening her eyes, she saw darkness. . . but far away, there was a.. . . presence.

"Sammie. . ."

Her heart raced. She didn't know what to do.

'Where am I? . . What the hell is this place?'

"Sammie!"

Suddenly, she gasped and opened her eyes again.

There was a blaring bright light above her. She felt like she was laying down.

Henrik was standing over her seemingly taking her blood pressure.

"There she is" her boss sighed and gently rubbed her forehead, "Sammie, how are you feeling?"

She was. . confused, mostly. 

"Where. . . where am I? What happened?" she tried to sit up but failed.

"Take it easy there, kid" Arin was in the room with them, "Something huge just happened. We need to make sure nothing was done to you"

"Huh?"

Henrik rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Just rest"

"No" she argued and sat up successfully this time, "What happened? Last thing I remember was. . . an explosion? I'm not sure"

"Something like that"

Sammie looked around more and realized she was in a containment room, "Wait. . .  sir. . . please tell me what happened"

Other scientists were in the room as well, monitoring her vitals and scanning her with high-tech devices.

Henrik waved them away, "Leave us. Arin, stay"

The others did as they were told and when they left, Henrik swallowed, "What exactly. . . did you say to the eyeball?"

Her brow furrowed and she somewhat squinted, confused, "What. . .what do you mean?"

"What. . . did you say to it?"

"I . .  I don't know. Nothing much. I was just. . . talking to it. I don't know what- Why? What happened?" she asked for the millionth time.

Without answering, Henrik took her hand gently and helped her out of the bed. Sammie realized she was in a hospital gown and tried to remain as covered up as possible. 

Henrik led her to the glass wall that showed another room that they could see into.

Sammie felt like she'd throw up all over again.

In the room were multiple scientists doing tests and things, all of them very active and busy. But it was what they were testing that was horrific.

In a different and much large tank was something humanoid. A skeleton, mostly. The green eye was in its left eye socket and on its left side of its 'body' were developing muscles. 

"Oh my. . . god"

Arin snorted, "I don't think god had anything to do with this thing"

"Is that. . ." she looked at it closer. It was hard to tell with it so far away, "Is that Sam? The eyeball?"

"Was" Henrik corrected her, "Now it's. . .something else." 

He took her arm and made her look at him, "You didn't record anything. The camera was turned off. I need to know RIGHT NOW, Ms. Smith. . . what the hell did you SAY to it!?"

Sammie couldn't look away from it and the thing must have realized she was watching. the eyeball snapped itself and the skull towards her, its pupil shrunken. It was angry.

Its limbs on the left side twitched and suddenly, its left hand slammed against the tank.

Sammie flinched and a whimper escaped her.

On the other side, Sam locked its eye on her. Excitement coursed through it. 

The scientists around his tank suddenly got busier and louder, though and it irritated him. His pupil shrunk.

Sammie flinched. Sam stared at her, recognizing the action. She was afraid.

She was afraid of him.

Why?

Isn't this what she wanted?

He was giving her what she wanted! Why was she scared!?

He didn't understand and that confusion ANGERED him.

Henrik saw the eyeball's reaction to her and her own fear and steered her away from looking at it, "Arin, block out the glass"

Arin flipped a switch, making the glass window go dark. 

Sammie suddenly hugged herself. She could feel tears creeping down her face, "I. . . . I'm sorry. I didn't think. . . I didn't think it'd actually listen to me"

Henrik lowered his voice to try and be more gentle, "Listen to what?"

Sammie's lips quivered, "I. . . I told it about Jackie and I'd date last night. I was just being stupid. I didn't think . . .I didn't think it'd care or do anything. I . . . I told it I wished it had a body so we could actually communicate and how much easier it would be"

Henrik nodded, "I see"

Arin sighed, "Makes some sense now. What doesn't make a lot of sense is why it's chosen to do what YOU want"

"It's curious" Henrik agreed, "But also. . . this isn't BAD, Sammie"

She sniffled, "It's not?"

He shook his head, "It's not. In fact, it's a breakthrough. You did very well"

Sammie's heart lifted a little at that. At least she wasn't in trouble.

"However" Henrik continued, "It seems that this creature has. . . an obsession over you which is less than ideal" he pat her shoulder, "I'm going to have to ask you to take some time away from it"

"But. . . wouldn't you WANT me around? It'll have more reactions then, wouldn't it?"

Henrik and Arin shared a look and he glanced back to her, "Are you sure? You seemed pretty scared of it just now"

Sammie shook her head, "I'll. . . I'm fine. I'll uh . ..  do my job as best I can, sir. It doesn't. . scare me"

Henrik didn't look all that convinced, "Well. . . if you're sure. Then fine. You're taking the rest of today off, though. You hear me? Paid leave for today and I won't hear any excuses"

She cracked a small smile, "Yes sir"

Henrik nodded in return, "Good. Now, you go to your room and rest. If you feel anything strange or bad, you let me know immediately, understand?"

"I will" 

The boss pat her head awkwardly and turned to Arin, "Take her to her room, will you?"

"Yes sir" Arin cleared his throat and looked to her, "I'll . . .turn around while you change if you want? Or do you want me to leave? Courtney brought you some sweatpants and a shirt to change into that you had in your room"

Oh thank god.

"That sounds awesome" Sammie nodded, "You can just turn around, please"

"Yes mam"

Sammie was back in her room and alone but she couldn't get the image of the new Sam out of her head. The way it looked. . . so monstrous.

Did it really try and make itself a body. . . for her?

'This job has really developed into something WEIRD'

She had no idea what to think.

Suddenly there was a buzz from her phone, making her jump. She checked it out. A message from Jackie.

'Hey babe. Just texting ya to say I miss you. Hope you're having a good day at work.'

She found it sweet, 'I wish I could tell him'

But she couldn't.

She'd FOR SURE get in trouble if she did.

Instead, she messaged him as if nothing happened, 'I miss you, too lol But it's only been a few hours.'

A few moments later, Jackie texted her back, 'You feeling okay? Last we talked was yesterday morning after I dropped you off at work'

That didn't sound right.

Sammie checked the date and time and sure enough. . . it was approaching evening. . . the NEXT day.

'Why didn't Henrik or Arin tell me?'

'Oh sorry' she messaged him back, 'Time must have gotten away from me' she lied, 'A lot of stuff to do around here'

'I bet. Just remember to stay hydrated and get some rest.' Jackie texted her, 'Will I see you again soon?'

She sure hoped so.

'Maybe tomorrow night?' 

'Let's see. Tomorrow night would be. . . Thursday. . . almost the weekend already'

Jackie sent her a thumbs up, 'Sounds good. I'll treat YOU this time. Have a good day'

Sammie felt horrible for lying to him but she assumed he'd understand if he knew.

That night, she didn't feel like sleeping, really but she forced herself to lay in bed at least. She had the TV on watching a marathon of some comfort show she liked.

In the morning, she felt like shit but that was okay. She had work to do. It was a new day.

A new day with a creature that changed itself. . . for her. Or so she assumed.

Henrik's theory of obsession didn't quite sit well with her. 

Sammie tried to set that thought aside and she left her room to go find her boss. It didn't take long as she found him in the hall.

"Morning, sir"

Henrik glanced up at her from his clipboard, "Ms. Smith. Good morning. Are you sure you're okay with being in the same room as it today?"

Sammie shrugged, "I. . . I think I'll be fine"

Henrik tapped his clipboard with his pen, "Hmm. . . If you're sure. I'll oversee your interaction with it today if you don't mind. However, don't worry. I won't be in the same room. I'll be watching from a two-way mirror"

She nodded, "Oh. . okay"

"Come. Follow me. You saw yesterday we had to move it. Everyone was bustling with excitement yesterday but you'll be alone with it today since it seems to. . . prefer that"

Sammie didn't make any comment and soon they were at the doors. Henrik motioned with his hand, "I'll be in that room on the right. If anything  happens, we have emergency on stand-by. Dr. Hanson will page you every thirty minutes and you need to reply to him as a fail-safe. Understood?"

She nodded, "Yes sir" 

With the rules set in place, Henrik walked to the other door and Sammie took a deep breathe before walking in.

Her reaction was immediate once more. She couldn't help it. Hell, she couldn't even look at it without feeling sort of ill.

Some veins and organs had started developing on the left side. The right side was still a little ways behind but it was getting there. It seemed to be focusing more on the side where the eye was placed.

Speaking of which, the green eye immediately spotted her as she walked in and locked on to her. The eyeball dilated and its left arms twitched.

"Uh. . . hello there" Sammie squeaked out, "I mean. . ..  good morning"

She tried to look at it but it just gave her the heebie jeebies. It looked like a real life Halloween decoration from a serial killer's house.

"So. . . I didn't expect this" Sammie tried to converse, "You didn't have to. . . do this. I didn't mean. . . I mean it's. . . neat but. . . I. . ." she trailed off.

The creature continued to stare at her.

It really threw her off. 

Sammie remembered her first day at Iris when Arin brought her to the eyeball. At the time just a lone eyeball wasn't scary at all. Sure it was odd but nothing menacing.

This, however. . . this was frightening paired with the knowing obsession it seemed to have over her. It was unsettling.

And Sam seemed to take notice.

It slowly lifted its hand in the tank. 

Sammie watched as it did so. It just. . . laid its hand on the glass. Was it trying to comfort her? Set her at ease? Or did it simply want to touch her?

Sammie felt a shiver run down her spine and her eyes wandered away from it again. She sat down in a chair and took out her notepad and set the camera to record.

"So uh . . you want to try and communicate today?" Sammie asked it, "You could tap on the glass for yes and do nothing for no . .. . Let's see. . . . Do you feel anything?"

She found herself just staring at its hand, pink muscle and tissue slightly twitching every once in a while.

But it did nothing. Sammie swallowed, "Okay. . ..  Are you comfortable? Are you happy?"

Again, there was no movement.

"Are you angry?"

Its finger ever so lightly tapped the glass.

"I'm. . .I'm sorry. Why are you angry? Are you mad at me?"

Nothing.

"Are you mad at one of the other people here?"

Its finger touched the inside of the tank again.

"Why are you angry with them? Did they do something you didn't  . . .like?" Sammie just so happened to finally look up at the skull only to find it was looking away from her and to the right.

At a mirrored wall. Where Henrik was watching in another room.

Sammie swallowed nervously, "Can you. . . see him?"

It's finger tapped the glass.

Sammie looked at the mirror, wondering what Henrik wanted her to do about that.

Suddenly her pager went off and she checked it. It was Arin.

'Are you alright? Henrik says to keep asking questions if you can'

Sammie just nodded and they seemed to get her message.

Sammie took a breathe and asked the next question.

After her last one, though, it seemed to refuse to communicate any further for the day. It was mad and Sammie assumed it was because it knew they weren't alone and Henrik and Arin were watching them.

Soon, she got a message to end things for the day and Sammie stood up.

"I uh. . I gotta go for the day. Um . .  Please don't be mad. We're all just curious about you is all"

The skull slowly turned back with the eye to look at her again. Sammie felt herself shrink and she looked away, "Well uh. . .I'll see you later. Bye"

With that, she left the room, leaving it behind.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Henrik and Arin came out of the room and walked up to her.

"You did well" Henrik told her, "What do you make of its answers?"

Sammie thought about it for a moment, "It doesn't like you. It knew you were there. Watching."

"And we've learned something new about it" Henrik nodded, "That it can sense others outside the walls. It doesn't need to see anyone physically. It already knew."

"Perhaps it was using some sort of heat vision?" Arin asked.

Henrik shook his head, "No. This was something deeper. What do you think, Ms. Smith?"

Sammie nodded, "It. . .. I think there's a LOT about it that we don't know. I think we're severely underestimating it and what it can do"

Henrik nodded, "I agree. . . you did good today, Sammie. I am ordering you to take the day off tomorrow and have an extended weekend. You deserve it"

"I. . are you sure?"

Arin snorted, "Kid, just take it."

"I mean. . . of course I'm grateful. Thank you, sir. But if you need me, please just ask"

"Don't worry, I will" Henrik smirked, "I have no issues with that. Now go see your boyfriend. I'm sure he's very worried about you"

She wanted to know how he knew these things but then again, maybe she didn't want to know.

When she got home to her apartment, she texted Jackie that she was home and it didn't even take five minutes before he was on her balcony with some flowers in his hand.

Sammie gasped and opened the door, "Jackie! Where'd you get those?!"

Jackie grinned, "I might have grabbed them from an old lady's balcony. I'm sure it's fine, thought"

She laughed and slapped his arm, "Oh my god!" she took them regardless and put them in a vase on her counter, "In any regard, they're beautiful. You didn't have to get me anything"

Jackie just shrugged, "I was wondering. . .  if you're up for it. Would you wanna go out tonight?"

Sammie was sort of tired but. . . fuck it.

"Yeah, I'd be up for it. Take me somewhere, hero"

With that, Jackie's eyes lit up and he swooped her off her feet in his arms, "Hold on tight"

Meanwhile back at Iris.

Sam stared off at a wall lost in thought.

Its brain was developing and even though it was already smart, it was getting stronger.

The eye locked on to Sammie. 

It could see her. 

She seemed so different than she had earlier today around him.

She was laughing with someone. Chatting happily with them and holding their hand.

Sam locked on to this other person. He seemed familiar to Sam. He recognized him.

Sammie was so happy with this man.

Why wasn't she happy with Sam?

He was going to fix that.