Like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins

[Samantha McManus]

After some searching around campus, Sam makes her way into the workshop to see if she can find Tosh.

[Toshiro Narumi]

Tosh was at his workstation absorbed in coding something, fingers dancing a rapid jig across the keyboard. He couldn't even hear her coming.

[Samantha McManus]

"You're a hard guy to find lately, Tosh." Sam says as she approaches.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Been busy. Just a sec," he replied absently before squeezing out one last line of code and saving his work.

Looking at her at last, he asked, "What's up?"

[Samantha McManus]

"How... familiar are you with your granddad's happy juice?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Not a whole lot. About how it affects people anyway. I only know what my dad told me and he only ever dealt with animals," he said.

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm sure you heard I was exposed to a fair bit of it."

[Toshiro Narumi]

He looked down at his feet.

"Yeah... I'm... I'm so sorry... " he said guiltily as if it was him and not his grandfather that made the stuff.

[Samantha McManus]

"Look, I just..."

"They were scratching their heads back at Muir because I didn't have any symptoms. Now? I... might."

[Toshiro Narumi]

He gave her a worried look.

"Like what? Are you okay?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I don't know if it's the virus or something else, but sometimes I come out kind of... wolfish?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"It's quite possible it could try to direct your shapeshifting. I mean, that's essentially how my powers work. I could run some tests and see what the virus is up to, but I won't have anything to compare it to. Though we could definitely find out if there's anything worth bothering Doctor McCoy about."

[Samantha McManus]

"I kind of... want to handle this on the down-low if we can."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Then we will, unless absolutely necessary. That work for you?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Just wanted to get that out there. Tereza's stressing enough about the new administration as it is."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I can see how the new draconian rules would make her nervous. They make me nervous and I wasn't in a secret Russian program."

[Samantha McManus]

"Aye, and... frankly?"

"I don't want to get sent back to Muir."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I kinda figured that too, yeah."

"Let's get going then before anyone catches on we're using school equipment for non-class purposes," he said with clear disdain as he stood up, "I swear that rule is going to get someone killed. Seriously, how many times has someone happened to be here to save the day that wouldn't have been under such restrictions?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Okay, what do you need from me? Blood?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Yep," he answered, going to one of the supply cabinets for a blood-draw kit.

"Take a seat. But, full disclosure, I've had little practice drawing blood."

"Or, you know, virology."

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm... fairly durable?" She says as she sits down.

"And I don't know, my options are limited here."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"It's okay. I'm glad to help. I just... don't want you to get your hopes up about how much I can actually do with what I find," he said as he tied off her arm and searched for a good vein.

[Samantha McManus]

"Even a little something is better than nothing, Tosh." She says as he starts to take a sample.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"That it is."

After drawing a second vial, he bandaged the site and untied her arm. "All done with that part."

[Samantha McManus]

"And look, if you get uncomfortable dealing with this, just tell me, please."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I will. Promise."

"Are there any symptoms besides your shifting drifting towards the lupine?" he asked as he began setting up the equipment he'd need.

[Samantha McManus]

"It's present sometimes even when I'm quote-unquote 'human,'" she says as she works.

"I think Tereza noticed it first in my smell."

[Toshiro Narumi]

He nodded, clearly taking mental notes. "And mentally? I know some of grandpa's victims have changes there."

[Samantha McManus]

"That's... hard to say. I'm not exactly the baseline to begin with."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"So, nothing obvious like howling at the moon," he smirked.

He loaded a vial into a machine and asked, "This all might take a while. Do you want to stick around or let me get back to you with what I find?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I can do some homework or something while you're working, if you don't mind me being here."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Not remotely a problem," he smiled.

---

After some time, Tosh pulled back from a microscope and turned to face Sam. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Dealer's choice," she says as she looks up from a textbook.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Well, it'd make more sense with the good first. So..."

"It appears that your body is successfully forming antibodies to the virus. The bad news is even your extremely mutable system is going to need a push to undo what's already been done to your genetic code. And I don't know where to begin to do that myself. However, I doubt Muir would be necessary."

[Samantha McManus]

"...and what has been done to my genes?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"The modified, uh, me-gene appears to be partially bonded to your X-Gene. Luckily it's still at the point that I think it could be mostly if not entirely reversed."

[Samantha McManus]

"...so we know what did it, we're not entirely sure what it did, or how to fix it, but I'm fighting it?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Pretty much, yeah. I still think bringing Doctor McCoy in is the best bet."

[Samantha McManus]

"...well, this might give Tereza less to worry about. That's something."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I promise I'll do everything I can to help keep Muir off the table."