Here's Nisa

Fatal Attraction [1/3]

"Alright everyone, quiet down," Dr. Yuri Knox said, briskly walking into the lecture hall a few minutes late. The chatter in the room began to die down as he placed his brief case on the podium and pulled out his laptop.

Nisa sat in the front row, tapping her purple glitter pen, watching as the dark haired, thirty-something man opened his laptop and plugged it in to the projector. It was her junior year as a Biology major at Duke University and she was thriving. It was lost on her why people always said "High school will be the best time of your life" - Nisa thought college was a thousand times better.

"Shit," Dr. Knox muttered under his breath. He took out a power cord from his brief case and set it down before clipping the mic on to his button-up shirt.

"So, guys, while I'm getting set up," Dr. Knox said, as he began looking around for the power socket, "I just wanted to, uh... address the many emails I've received about the appearance of us, uh, being a little behind schedule. This happens, uh, occasionally when I teach this course - I guess I talk too much but, uh, I don't think, uh..." he scratched his head. "I don't think it will be that much of a problem in the long run, the next couple of lectures go by relatively quick, so you'll be all caught up for the first exam."

As he finished his sentence, he found the socket but it appeared as though his cord wasn't going to reach.

"Do you need a charger?" Nisa asked, smiling sweetly. Dr. Knox trained his eyes on her.

"Well I have this one here, but it just doesn't reach long enough to uh..."

"You can use mine," she said, pulling it out of her backpack and holding it out to him.

"Oh, yes please," he walked over to her and took the charger from her outstretched hand. "Thanks, thank you," he paused for her name.

"Nisa," Nisa said, batting her eyelashes - Dr. Knox was very attractive.

"Thanks Nisa," he smiled.

Once back at the podium, he plugged his laptop in.

"Alright, today's lecture is about the acquired immune system," he said, pulling up his slides.

---

Although she definitely didn't need to, that afternoon Nisa went to Dr. Knox's office hours. Anatomy and Physiology was one of her favorite subjects - it came naturally to her, but any chance she got to interact with the handsome assistant professor she was going to take advantage of.

"CD8 cells recognize cells with major histocompatibility complex I and CD4 cells recognize cells with major histocompatibility complex II," Dr. Knox, who was kneeling next to a very perplexed looking student, explained.

"But aren't our own cells MHC I?" the girl asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm still not getting it."

Dr. Knox opened his mouth to answer but Nisa interrupted. "CD8 cells attack "self" cells when they recognize MHC I cells that are infected by antigens. So yes, CD8 cells do attack our own cells. But as long as you're immunocompetent, it will only happen when your own cells are infected."

Dr. Knox looked up to see her standing in the doorway. He smiled, recognizing her from that morning's lecture. "Nisa... that's exactly right," he said. He turned back to the student.