I barely noticed the passing of hours as I sat mired in my work, running simulations and decoding results. The enzyme issue was more complex than I had initially thought, and growing pressure gnawed at the edge of my focus.
My colleagues and I had made a razor thin wedge of progress, but it was still not enough. Not yet.
When I finally looked up from the statistics, my head was pounding, and the weight of the day rested heavy in my bones.
The numbers on the screen blurred together, and I shut my eyes, taking slow breaths. Maybe Calvin had been correct, I needed to get a break before I burned out.
My phone buzzed as I was about to shut down the system for the night. The office was quiet, with the occasional hum of the air conditioning and the gentle tapping of my fingers on the keyboard.
I glanced at the screen and already knew who it was before I read the message.
Calvin: Still working, I suppose?
I sighed and picked up my phone to reply.
Me: You guessed right.
