Second Chances

Chapter 18

I was sitting in my room studying my work and making presentations. It's a good thing I brought my laptop. I didn't even know where to begin or what to present. It's been a while that I wrote this work and Eric's expecting me to glance through it in one night. It's sooo unfair.                       

I was sitting in my room studying my work and making presentations for tomorrow. It's a good thing I brought my laptop. I didn't even know where to begin or how to present. It's been a while that I wrote this work and Eric's expecting me to glance through it in one night.

There's a knock on my door, I didn't even acknowledge it but the person came in anyway-not that I'm expecting anyone-but it happens to be our brilliant doctor.

"Hey, you done?" he asks as he places a cup in front of me.

I didn't answer him, I just grabbed the cup and drank its contents.

"You're welcome"

"Sorry" I said after I swallowed the content of my mouth "Thanks, and no I'm not done, I haven't even started"

He raised his eyebrows, "How come?" he asked "What were you doing?"

"Brainstorming?" I said/asked. He shook his head.

"Move over, lets see" he said as he sat down beside me. "You do know you are presenting your work tomorrow, right?"

I tried-really tried- to cover my work but he took my laptop and began reading through what I've done.

"Hold on, how many pages are here?" he asked as he scanned my work "I thought when you said you haven't done anything; it meant you really haven't done anything" he continued as he looked up at me.

"These are nothing, I just did this from my head" I shrugged.

He looked at me raising both eyebrows and looking at me like i said something crazy "These are from your head?" he asked "What would you have done if you read your work?"

"I wrote the article, remember?" I said rolling my eyes at him. "I still remember some things"        

He was quiet as he kept on reading. I felt conscious as he read my work. I stood up to stretch, I have been sitting all day cooped up in my room.

"These are great" he said suddenly, "you don't even have to add anything to this. this is enough for the presentation"        

"You sure?" i asked "Cos i think it still needs more work" i said

"It is absolutely good, take it from me" he said "Have you eaten anything or stepped  out of this room since you started?"

I didn't answer which was answer enough for him.

"Come on, we are going to the cafeteria" he said standing up.

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i woke up to the phone ringing, i picked it up, only for it to be my wake up call. I put my head back on my warm pillow to relax for a few minutes, only for me to hear a voice telling me to wake up.

"In a few minutes" i mumbled  and snuggled closer to the warmth. My pillow started shaking, and i remembered that Nick slept in my room again.

"Why can't you sleep in your room?" i groaned.

"And miss your grumpy face in the morning, no way" he said chuckling.

"You are wasting money" i said standing up.

He shrugged, and put his arms at the back of his head.

Nice!

He was naked from the waist up, don't know if he has anything on underneath the sheet.

He was smirking when i looked up and i realize its cos i'm staring  at his chest. i looked away and went to the bathroom as fast as i can.

I still hear his laughter as i closed the door.

................................................

I'm sitting in my assigned seat with Eric and Nick by my side, i am totally nervous as i will be the first to be called on stage to present my work. i know i have read it a million times and Eric already knows what it contains, but i cant help but feel anxious.

"Good Morning and welcome back. Today we have someone who hasn't made any presentations yet. Please help me give a warm welcome to Dr. Gale"

I breathe in and out as i make my way to the stage. When i got there, i looked at the host and saw him looking at me weirdly(i know what he's thinking), i just smiled and shook his hand.

I took the microphone and looked to where i was seated to find Nick and Eric giving me a thumbs up, seriously, those two.

"Good Morning everyone, my name is Ashley Gale, and i'm sure most of you who heard the name Gale, thought i was a man, it happens a lot" I chuckled nervously. I looked at Nick and he smiled encouragingly.

"Um, i will be talking about  Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals that are Affecting Reproductive Health" I pointed to my presentation, as i added images to it the previous night while Nick was asleep. 

"Humans are exposed to thousands of chemicals used in several anthropogenic processes." I started " Some of these chemicals are what causes the adverse effects in the reproductive organs, we call them Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, and they can be found everywhere"

"EDCs are have been known to harmfully affect the endocrine system leading to compromised functions of hormones. Long term use of EDCs has damaging effects on the human reproductive health. Now, Hormones are critical to reproduction. They include the sex hormones estrogen in women, androgens (testosterone) in men, and hormones secreted by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in both genders.

EDCs block connections between these hormones and their receptors, or they mimic hormonal activity, thereby tricking a hormone receptor into action. Either way, EDCs interfere with the normal function of hormonal systems."

"Forget about global warming, this is a great, big threat" As i went on, i realized there is nothing to be nervous about. "Exposure to EDCs has been linked to altering reproductive systems. In wild American alligators in Florida, exposure to a DDT-like pesticide caused genital and reproductive malformations. 

In people, EDCs have been linked to undescended testicles and urethra defects in men and endometriosis and fibroids in women. Ovarian cysts have been associated with higher amounts of chemicals such as BPA in the body" I showed some pictures while talking about this.

Then i talked about hormones, the types of hormones, modes of disruptions, symptoms, examples of EDCs, and it's impacts on both male and female reproductive organs.

"When i was in high school, i loved Biology, most especially when talking about reproductive organs. My teacher used to tease me about it all the time cos i was always attentive and always brought him back to the topic(i didn't even know what i wanted to be back then). Ted, a boy from back then used to make fun of me, telling others that i love sex just cos of my love for the topic" i chuckled "Mr Adams, my Biology teacher, told me not to worry about him cos He's not the smartest kid in the toolbox." Some smiled as i said this. 

I went back to my to talking about my work and presented the general toxicity of Environmental Endocrine Disruptions,

"We can talk until the cows turn blue, but what will happen will happen. We just have to take various preventive measures.

Whether or not a chemical's production and use should be banned or substantially reduced depends primarily on its toxicity, persistence, and bio accumulation properties"

"Thank you all" i said.

Happy New year to you all

I am extremely sorry i haven't been able to update for some time.

Please bear with me.

This new year, i will try my best to update frequently.

Love you all