Four years passed and Gwyn's team finally managed to finish their cure for cancer. The small team celebrated their victory as today was the day the medicine was finally approved. Gwyn couldn't wait to share her accomplishment with her friend but didn't want to wake her up in the middle of the night for that. One of the scientists came toward her and gave her a cup of apple juice, disappointing the doctor.

"I wish I could have coffee..."

"But you know the antidote doesn't blend with coffee, it's dangerous!"

"Of course, I know..."

"Still, I can't believe you took the risk." Said another scientist "Taking the medicine and hoping the antidote worked... It was incredibly dangerous."

"I believed in it. And I'm the one who created it, it's normal I serve as a test subject. Now the hardest will be to teach everyone how to use it."

"We'll see tomorrow, I'm sure you can't wait to share your success with your family."

"Mostly to Silvia. She had to take care of Elsa non-stop this year, I feel bad for making her take care of my child."

"We're sorry about what happened with... What was his name again?"

"I don't remember, he was just meant to be Elsa's father anyway. He could leave whenever he wanted." Gwyn finished her cup of apple juice and stood up despite her visible exhaustion "I haven't slept for so long, I'm going to sleep. I'll see you all later, good job everyone."

Everyone left the lab after saying goodbye to each other. Gwyn was supposed to go home but didn't have the energy for that. She instead turned off her phone and found a place in the lab to pass the night, relieved that the cure was finally over.

"Gwyn! Wake up!"

Gwyn was suddenly woken up by one of the scientists in her team. When she looked outside, the doctor saw the sunset and looked at her coworker in confusion.

"Did I sleep all day?"

"Yes! It's horrible! We gave the cure to the hospital but we didn't think they'd use it right away! They've been feeding it to cancer patients all around the country!"

"Is that true!?" Gwyn suddenly stood up, adrenaline rushing in her veins "When was it?"

"This morning, they haven't taken the antidote so... They don't have long to live."

"The cure destroys the cells in three days, the antidote needs a week to take effect..."

"I know, they should have taken it before but misunderstood! But it's not even the worst... The medicine... It was never supposed to be taken without the antidote, now even those who didn't take the med are affected! It's spreading in the air!"

"There's no way... It's like a virus spreading all over the world..."

Gwyn looked at the city from the window, people were visibly sick and falling under their own weight, unable to stand up. The scientist went next to Gwyn, with concern on her face.

"What now? In three days, all of humanity will perish, and it's a best-case scenario. If only they didn't use it, none of that would have happened... Maybe there's still a way to save some of us... Gwyn? Are you listening?"

"I'm the only one."

"What are you saying, Gwyn? The only one?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Yes... I'm the only one that took the antidote before any of that. I'm the only one that can survive."

"Wait, don't say that! You can maybe... I don't know, find a better antidote? You're a genius, you were made to fix those kind of situations and-"

"No, I'm done."

The scientist looked at Gwyn in shock, unable to understand her reaction.

"But you're the only one that can-"

"I have less than three days to save everyone, it's over, it's the end of the world... I'm not spending it stuck in a lab."

Gwyn took her jacket and her car key before leaving the lab in a hurry. Despite the calls from the scientist, she never looked back and hurried back home.

When she arrived home, Gwyn found her friend Silvia with her child in her arms. She looked terrified, only feeling a bit of relief once she saw Gwyn arrive.

"Gwyn! Elsa, she's... She stopped breathing."

Gwyn took her child in her arms without much hope. Just like she thought, there was no way an infant could survive if her medicine was in the air. This was supposed to save lives, and instead, it only brought demise.

"Gwyn... Is she..."

"Yes... But it's not your fault... It's mine."

Silvia didn't understand at first and had to listen to Gwyn's explanation. The doctor explained the best she could, trying her best to not burst into tears in front of her friend.

"Why did I do that... I never should have made this stupid cure."

"You had a lot of pressure, it's really not your fault. Everyone pushed you around so much and-"

"How can you be so calm Silvia!? You understand that you'll die too!?"

"I know..."

Silvia looked out the window, chaos was in the streets. No one could deal with what was happening, making them panic in the streets. She decided to take Gwyn in her arms and wiped her tears in an attempt to comfort her.

"We still have a few days, right? And you finished your cure so... Let's do our road trip!"

"A road trip!?" Gwyn asked, offended by the idea "Do you really think it's the moment?"

"Then when? It's our last time together Gwyn, let's at least enjoy it properly... I know you feel guilty, and that you just saw your daughter dead in your arms but... It's the moment, no one is forcing you to do anything now, you can do everything you want."

Gwyn stopped for a moment. She never cared much about people, even her own daughter, she barely saw her because of her work. She always worked and never found time for her, the only person she ever really cared for was Silvia.

"You're right... Let's use my car."

Silvia tried her best to smile despite how shaken up she was. The two friends took each other in their arms, staying still for a few hours.

The two friends moved around the country, discovering many places. Even if the situation was dire, Gwyn never had so much fun before. It was the first time she felt free and she loved every second of it. The place they visited became emptier, as the medicine was killing the healthy cells of the people around. Even despite that, the two friends still had fun, finding joy in every situation they were in. The only thing keeping them sane was the presence of the other, but even if she never felt as happy before, Gwyn couldn't ignore the degrading health of her friend. It took two days, but Silvia was falling sick, coughing more often, and needing more time to catch up to Gwyn. They still had fun stealing from the empty stores and taking pictures in the weirdest places they could. The two ended up playing around all day, even burning a few fires in this now empty world. It was their way of celebrating life one last time. The two friends sat in front of a river and looked at the moon high in the sky. Silvia was clearly in a bad state but the two friends did their best to ignore it. Gwyn brought a can of soda from the car to her friend and spent what could be their last night together.

"Hey, Gwyn... Thanks for doing that with me."

"I should be the one thanking you! I never had more fun than today! If I knew how great it would have been, I would have done it earlier!"

"That's great... I'm glad you had fun too..."

"Of course, I never realized how much I hated being a scientist until today. So much pressure, so many risks, and when it's over, I don't have anyone to care for..."

Silvia leaned toward Gwyn and held her tightly despite her lack of strength.

"It's not your fault. You did so much for humanity, the least they can do after giving you so much pressure is to forgive you... Gwyn, you've always been a wonderful friend and... I can't imagine my life without you. You're the reason I wanted to be a therapist, I wanted to be able to help you when you needed it... You helped me realize my dream, and I never could ask for more... Gwyn, please... Can you smile one last time?"

Gwyn smiled at her friend, already knowing this was probably her last moment. Silvia squeezed Gwyn in her arms as hard as she could, shaking a bit as she did.

"Gwyn... You made me happy, you saved my life... Thanks... For everything."

Gwyn held her friend as Silvia's arms fell from her back. Her heart stopped and her body completely leaned onto the last survivor of this world. Gwyn cried all the tears of her body, even if there was a chance for humanity to strive again, it didn't matter to her. She lost the only person that mattered to her.

"I love you too, Silvia..."