She was a bad liar.
She knew she was a bad liar, but sincerity got her a PhD and a secure job at Life Foundation so far. She couldn't believe when they accepted her application and she was equally happy and agitated to finally meet the famous Mr. Drake in person. The man was a true daemon in scientific circles, rising up like a suddenly lit torch in only three months, and charming his way into fame and success. There was a rumor that he must have sold his soul to the devil to get everything one could ask for; great looks, intellect, charisma. So young as well. Despite all the commotion, Dora was over the Moon to get to know him. And it appeared he was a real nice guy, easy to work with in general, yet strict when needed to be.
Now same man was standing beside her, leaning in her face and the only thing she could feel was fear. The little lump in her throat didn't help her get out the staggering words. She wanted to say no, to deny everything, it didn't happen. No, it wasn't me. No, I don't know.
But the sentences melted in her head and a numbing fog took over, clouding her eyes and making her whole body shake. She focused on one point of the floor, tears coming, teeth chewing her own lips. Mr. Drake noticed every symptom, and he knew.
Between the breath he took and his words the scientist regretted her every decision. She shouldn't have snuggled Eddie into the laboratory, she shouldn't have accepted his plan, she shouldn't have contacted him, she shouldn't have-
Dora looked up to the man, his calm and gentle features. He was a fine young man, with a bright future and a shitton of dead bodies behind him. She was right. Well, maybe she wasn't right in some aspects, but she had a very strong sense of morals. And letting dozens after dozens of people die daily had crossed a line. It seems that line was missing for her boss, but as his lead scientist, she thought she had some say in the matter. Apparently not.
It was sheer bad luck that the guard came when they were at the door at that night, it was sheer bad luck she couldn't make up a good believable excuse, like 'Oh, I just forgot a very important document I need tonight', no, she just made a terrible joke on the spot.
"Science doesn't sleep."
Who even says that.
She was bad at lying so the only hope she had that they'd let the matter die quietly, and anyway, fuck Eddie Brock, why'd he had to sound the ALARM, she told him not to touch anything! And of course one of the symbiotes went missing. She had to pretend that she wasn't involved. She thought that she could last a few days.
When she saw the guard in her office first thing in the morning, and that smug expression on his face, Dora realized that it's over. When they dragged her to Mr. Drake, grabbing her arms a little too forcefully and pushing her into the quarantine chamber a little too eagerly, she still planned to play innocent. The only thing against her was the guard's word, the gatekeepers' word, the entire security camera footage and the truth. She could do this.
When Mr. Drake opened his mouth she knew she lost.
Oh God.
He didn't raise his voice, he was soothing and reasonable as always. A very smart man indeed. He asked for the intruder's name and she shook her head at first. She could only imagine what mentioning Eddie Brock's name would indicate in this situation. She liked her boss calm, she didn't need him to lash out on top of all this. Mr. Drake smiled a bit, and realistic concern filled his speech.
And he was right.
Or at least what he said was reasonable.
If the- the thing attacked Eddie, he could be already dead, a broken body in a dumpster, or a rotting corpse on the sidewalk or, no, better not think further. She sobbed and let his name slip out.
Mr. Drake was surprised. Very surprised. Then he patted her shoulder.
"Good girl," he said, then left the chamber and closed the door on Dora.
She was relieved, then she was terrified. Panic climbed to her chest as she turned around just to see the dark slime climbing out its opened cage. It started to quickly move around, in search for a suitable host as not to die immediately. Dora screamed and backed away as far as she could, practically pressing her whole body to the unbreakable glass.
The blue mass sensed her, the rushed breathing, the restless heartbeat and the warmth she radiated all luring the alien towards her. Now she rushed away, stepping over the symbiote, clashing into the door where Mr. Drake just left. She hit the glass with her fists, yelling, screaming, crying. She saw some blurred figures from the corner of her eyes, but the tears made her vision too out of focus. She shouted for help and banged the wall with all of her strength. It was in vain. She noticed that the symbiote had almost reached her, so she just kicked in its direction in a sad attempt to scare it away. Which was a bad idea, because it lead to the creature launching onto her leg, a bluish dark chaos sliding up her clothes and merging with her jeans.
She felt the alien touch on her skin and she screamed so hard she lost her voice for a moment. She collapsed heaving in the corner, his hands still up on the glass. She was sobbing still when the pain started. In her stomach, then in her lungs, then in her- no, no, no, this is not good. She didn't believe in God but now she was praying for forgiveness, for a way out. There was no answer, only the slight sensation that there was something inside her body, something that didn't belong. The pain grew and she fainted.
When she awoken it was dark, night again. She was extremely hungry and the distant feeling of a new presence in her head made her uncomfortable, made her hug herself and start to shake violently. Strange visions invaded her mind, but any attempt at contact by the symbiote was met by a big wall of NO and a lot of screaming.
Dora didn't want this, Dora just wanted to be home, with her family and drink hot tea on a sunny winter day. The tears started again. She felt words forming in her mind, but they weren't hers so she just shut them off.
She became weak, far more quickly than it was supposedly normal for a human, and to top this off the thing inside her moved occasionally. Curled around his heart, brushed against her liver and hid behind her spine. It was unnerving, it was unnatural. She hated every second of it.
Next time she saw one of her ex-colleagues pass by she would shot up, clinging to the glass and mumbling incomprehensible words. They paid no attention to her.
She felt hot, then cold, then it was gone, only a deep emptiness filling her body, a black void, but the void had two plastic-like white eyes and stared at her from inside out.
After three days health became so poor she couldn't even stand up.
In its defense, the symbiote tried everything to bond with the scientist, but she refused any effort. It tried to push its memories inside her consciousness, memories about family and hosts, real hosts, not just a chunk of meat as a vessel, thrilling conversations through the night, and mutual understanding, but everything was refused. At first, this saddened the alien, thoughts about finally finding someone suitable after a bunch of malnourished half-crazed people, then it was pissed, only if she would listen to us, then it was panicking, panicking more than the woman, because it knew that if this kept up, there would be no recovery. One can do so much only when the host is willing. And with an intellectual species, it's even harder. They have to wish for the bond, agree to it, but if there's only refusal even at the slightest attempt at contact, it's nearly impossible. With a last angry try it slid its hunger through her neurons.
Dora sawthe growing black spots slowly invade his vision, and when she coughed she felt an unsavory liquid fill her chest. She dreadfully realized the signs of near death, something you get accostumed to after so many lost former hosts. She started to tremble.
You are killing me, she yelled, afraid.
I can't help it! a voice yelled back, and they were both surprised. It slipped through her veins and she wished that the disturbing sensation would go away, but it didn't.
Then she was up again, standing on shaking limbs and crawling her way to the glass. She lost it, she was sure she went nuts. Becoming crazy was one of the symptoms in the test subjects. That's why she didn't think twice when she saw a familiar silhouette waltzing over her containment. Out of the blue she remembered the threat Mr. Carlton hissed at her, and the fear shifted in her.
She clawed at the glass, tears flowing out and voice hoarse. She shouted after the disappearing mirage before collapsing to the ground.
"My children! Don't hurt my children! I'll be-"
The pain that took over her body was unbearable, it was in fire and it was trying to tear itself apart in tiny pieces on an atomic level, she felt the alien rummaging her organs, then it spilled out, still in physical contact with her, it run under and over her skin, destroying the cells. She wanted to vomit but the only thing that left her mouth was a bluish goo. They were both suffering, quivering on the floor and she didn't notice when their last shrieks united.