It was May 13th, 2030.

The day the worst pandemic in human history hit. It started in a small lab in New York City. This lab found a breakthrough in cancer treatment, or so they thought. I was working in the lab that day. For years we had looked into viruses and bacteria to find cures for cancer. We had found one virus that had seemed to be the most effective.

 Influenza A, sub-type H3N1. We had already been working with this strain for a week, but we had much to learn. I had politely excused myself to the bathroom, making sure to decontaminate myself and take off my lab coat, mask, gloves and goggles. Unfortunately, my coworker, Lucas, had dropped the vial that had the virus in it.

 Silence. 

 Everyone had looked toward Lucas in the seconds leading toward lab wide panic. Just as the suffocating silence came, It had ended. Yells of panic roared across the lab. Some stood there, while others ran across the lab in a panic. the sound of roaring footsteps overpowered all other sounds. Lucas pressed his pager, calling in the Hazmat team, letting them know of the spill. A few had ran out of the lab, not decontaminating themselves beforehand. The five minutes before that hazmat got there were agonizing. People were angry at Lucas, some taking it to the point of becoming physical.

 More people were joining in the beating. Pain was all Lucas felt. Kicks, punches, pushes and shoves were getting more painful as the minutes passed buy. The door bust open, revealing the hazmat team. Lucas didn't register the fact the people were getting pushed off him before passing out. 

 I was out of the bathroom by that point. Just as I was at the door, I was not allowed back in.

"You can't go back in. Someone had dropped a vial that held the virus. We think it might be air born. So, you may as well go home." The guy said.

 I did as told, and made the long way to the bus stop. I was so lost in thought, that minutes had passed by. I nearly missed my bus by the time I had got there. I gave the bus driver my ticket and sat down next to my long time friend, Robyn.

"Hi Jackson! It's nice to see you! How have you been?" Robyn asked. She had the prettiest brown eyes, a pretty smile and had an adorable personality.

 Realizing I had nearly forgot to reply, I said, not knowing my statement would happen. "Could be better. Someone had dropped the vial that held our breakthrough on curing cancer, erasing all of the hard work we had done. Let's hope that it doesn't cause a pandemic. How about you?"

 Robyn laughed and replied "I think that might be the reason our hospital got a call saying to expect patients in the isolation ward. Rumors say that New York City might be put in quarantine in seventy-two hours. Where's Lucas?" 

 "He was in the lab last I heard. I hope he didn't get sick from the virus we were working with." I said. Robyn nodded, looking out the window.

We lived on the east side of New York, near the outskirts. Lucas, Brook, Robyn and I are roommates. We did this to pay bills, but now we were working on getting a house. I knew at this rate it would take an hour to get home. I felt myself drifting into sleep.

 Before I knew it, we were home. We got off and went to the apartment. It was 11:30 pm, so we said good night, and fell asleep peacefully, unknowing that this would be our last peaceful sleep foe a long time. I would appreciate this moment for a lifetime.