The other young man spoke up, leaned back against the cool wall, arms folded over his chest, watching the interaction between Andrea and Star with a growing frown. Her laughter bounced too loudly off the cramped walls, too sharp for the sterile quiet of the room.

“Hey,” He finally said, voice low but firm enough to cut through her flirtation. “Maybe let the guy breathe a little, yeah?”

Andrea glanced over her shoulder from where she was perched on Star’s bunk. She blinked at him, feigning confusion. “What,Yasir? just talking.”

“You're hovering,” Yasir replied flatly.

She smirked, unbothered, and slid down the ladder of Star’s bed like she’d practiced it. With a dramatic sigh, she dropped onto her lower bunk—right under Star—crossing her legs and tossing her hair back like a diva in a soap opera.

“Whatever, Daddy,” she muttered with a grin.

Yasir ignored her tone and turned his gaze to the room instead. “So… anyone actually told what this trial is for?”

Star looked up, like the question had pulled him out of his own thoughts.

Andrea frowned, tilting her head. “I figured it was something to do with pain meds or detox... But they didn’t say, did they?”

The room went still. The middle-aged man on the lower bunk exhaled through his nose, quietly. Star looked around. No one answered.

Andrea laughed, but it was a brittle sound now. “Seriously? None of us know?”

“Could be we’re not here for the drug at all,” Yasir said after a pause, voice quieter now. “Could be we’re the control group.”

“What, like... placebos?” Star asked, brow furrowing.

Yasir nodded. “Wouldn’t be unheard of. Give half the batch nothing, watch what happens.”

The elderly woman let out a soft, wet cough, her oxygen machine hissing in protest. The noise filled the space for a beat too long.

“Well,” the older man said finally, his voice worn and gravelly, “I’d still rather be in here than out there, with everything going on.”

Andrea raised a brow. “What, the attacks?”

He nodded. “Have you seen the news? People getting attacked in the middle of the day. Cops finding bodies with—what was it—’unexplained animal marks.’” he made exaggerated air quotes as he spoke. Clearly he had different ideas on what had been attacking those people. 

Andrea shifted, her smirk fading. “My neighbor got taken out two nights ago.”

Star glanced at her. “What happened?”

“SWAT showed up first,” Andrea said. “Then hazmat.”

The room went completely silent, lending Andrea the space to finish her story. 

“I was peeking through the blinds, right?” she said, voice lower now. “And I saw this little thing running down the hallway of our complex. Like... tiny. Thought it was a chihuahua or something.”

The older man scoffed, “The hell’s a dog got to do with—?”

“No, listen—” Andrea interrupted, suddenly deadly serious. “Ive seen it before- ya know? It was white, one of those small yappy things. Always trying to nip at people and causing issues.But,” she paused looking the room over “But, it was quiet when i saw it this time.Its fur was sticky and covered. All matted up. Looked dead at first. You ever seen roadkill after a rain? That kinda look. But then I saw it was moving. Twitchy. Real jerky.”

She paused.

“And it was... leaking.”

“Leaking?” Star echoed.

Andrea nodded. “This black-green ooze. Thick like oil. But sticky. Was coming outta its mouth and eyes and... other places.”

Yasir’s brow furrowed. “Like it was sick?”

“Like it was rotting,” Andrea whispered. 

No one spoke.

“I thought it died right there,” she went on, voice now barely above a breath. “It slumped over. Just… collapsed in the hall. But then…”

She swallowed.

“Then it barked.”

Star sat upright, tension in his shoulders.

Andrea stared ahead, not looking at anyone now. “It coughed. Like it was choking. And that slime—God—it just spilled out of its mouth like it was vomiting it up.”

Silence.

“Thing was still alive,” she whispered. But she didn't sound convinced. 

The room went ice-cold.

Even the oxygen machine seemed quieter than before.

Yasir’s jaw clenched, his eyes meeting Star’s for a long second. Whatever this trial was... it suddenly felt a lot less isolated.