Eric was practically giddy with excitement. He had felt a rush from the moment he took the air out of Dr. Raj’s tire that morning to make sure the doctor couldn’t easily leave the lab before Eric had a chance to follow through with his plan. This was it. His dream was coming true. 

Still, he was very much on edge, acutely aware that even now Dr. Raj was likely playing him in order to protect his daughter. Eric was proud of himself for coming up with that threat on the fly. He had cloned Anika’s number while Dr. Raj was asleep, creating an imaginary conversation with her on the doctor’s phone. In all likelihood, she was probably fast asleep at her apartment. 

She was too much of a variable to bring to the lab, but Eric wished she really was on her way. It would be a lot easier to inoculate her without having to travel so far. He had no ill will toward Anika or the doctor. He found them both incredibly brilliant and refreshing, and genuinely wanted them to be a part of his new world. 

Their new world. 

The first family, as it were. He allowed himself this funny little thought, because why not. This whole experience might well bring them all close together, and surviving in the new world meant building alliances.

“We have to decontaminate before we go in,” Dr. Raj pointed out, indicating the showers. Eric noticed just how much blood was coating the doctor’s body. Edward’s blood. The unfortunate man was just supposed to sleep like Dev had. Eric had intended to slip the zolpidem into Edward’s coffee later, but Edward had sped up the process. Eric realized it was likely Edward had gone downstairs because Eric had used the keycard in the elevator to go get Dr. Raj’s meds. Ah well, he couldn’t hack everything, and it didn’t matter now. 

This would be the tricky part. 

“It’s not like we’ll use the lab or the suits again. Let’s skip that step,” Eric suggested. 

Dr. Raj hesitated a moment before nodding. They started the process of checking the suits for leaks. Eric kept the taser and the knife nearby, checking repeatedly on Dr. Raj to make sure he wasn’t going to attempt anything. He then signaled for Dr. Raj to put his suit on, which the man did after applying several layers of gloves and taping them on his wrists to seal them. 

Dr. Raj placed on the headset so that he would be able to communicate with Eric. After a brief moment of panic, wondering if the doctor would attempt to call out, Eric did the same thing, before slipping into his suit and awkwardly zipping it up. He felt like he was a child, clumsily traipsing around in a giant bubble of air and plastic as Dr. Raj expertly attached Eric’s air hose to his suit.

Eric snatched up the knife, which was more difficult to wield with three pairs of gloves on. He figured it would be safer to bring into the lab than the taser, easier to wield at any rate. His heart was whooshing in his chest as they made their way through the inner doors, after Dr. Raj punched in the code, and walked directly into the lab. 

“Can you hear me alright?” asked Dr. Raj over the radio, the woosh of air extremely loud around him. 

“Yes,” Eric replied, before quickly positioning himself on the doctor’s left to block his access to the panic button on the wall. 

“It will take a few minutes for the samples to thaw,” said the doctor. “It may be more prudent to keep the virus frozen for now…”

“Let’s not try anything, doctor,” Eric warned. 

“I-I simply meant that if you intend to wait to release the virus until the vaccine has had a chance to work-” Dr. Raj started.

“We both know this virus will last just fine for weeks unfrozen before it’s time to release it. Get to it, doctor.”

“Right,” Dr. Raj muttered, leading the way to the freezers. He pulled out what Eric assumed was the vaccine first, then walked over and pulled out the box containing the cryovials of the virus. Dr. Raj carried both boxes to the biosafety cabinet and set them down. He then filled two containers with water, presumably warm, and placed the samples inside the water in their vials.

There was a chirp from the corner, and Eric looked over to see the cages where Eeyore was currently being kept. Eric took a curious step toward the cages, before glancing back at Dr. Raj, who was readying some syringes, presumably for the vaccine. Eric’s gaze swept over the panic button, then back to the doctor who seemed very intent on his work. Then his feet were carrying him right to the cage, curiosity getting the best of him as he looked in at the little monkey who peered back at him with doleful eyes. 

“He’s quite something, isn’t he?” Dr. Raj asked over the radio. Eric turned to the doctor, who was still seated at the biosafety cabinet, staring in deep concentration at his samples. 

“He’s incredible,” Eric said, staring at Dr. Raj as he spoke. Eric walked over to the biosafety cabinet, looking down at the virus warming in the water. “What we are about to do, doctor, cannot be put into words. The whole world is about to change.” Eric continued to squeeze the knife in his hand, feeling confident he wouldn’t have to use it now. They were so close. 

He smiled at Dr. Raj, who gave him a strange look in return, before the doctor’s hand suddenly swung forward, impacting the plastic mask of Eric’s suit. A moment later, there was an agonizing burning sensation, and Eric screamed as his throat, nose, and eyes seared in pain. He thrashed about in a wild attempt to put distance between himself and the pain, but it was no use. It was inside the suit, somehow, ripping through his throat, his lungs, causing him to hack and cough. He couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe. 

He crashed violently into something hard, his hand swung out, making impact, and he could just hear the doctor cry out as he tumbled to the ground. Panic engulfed Eric as his throat seared, on fire, struggling to breathe air in. A moment later, he collapsed on the floor and died.