Vicious

In the past, Victor is released from the hospital. Meanwhile, Eli has planned his own NDE and has collected three EpiPens, heating pads, and ice. The plan is for Eli to rest in the ice until he dies and then for Victor to use the heating pads and EpiPens to revive him. Before climbing into the ice-filled tub in their dorm, Eli prays, placing his life in God’s hands. Victor acknowledges the prayer by saying “let’s hope He gives it back” (75).

Later, when Victor thinks Eli’s been in the water long enough, he pulls Eli’s corpse from the tub, applies the heating patches, and begins compressions against Eli’s chest, using the EpiPens to try and restart Eli’s heart. The first two EpiPens yield no results. Desperate, Victor applies the third pen, and Eli starts breathing again “somewhere between Victor giving up and reaching for his phone” (78).

At the hotel, Victor reads the news article accompanied by Eli’s picture. It describes how Eli saw the robber enter the bank and followed him after having a bad feeling. The robber, an EO, was killed, but Eli was uninjured. Though Eli’s picture is grainy, Victor recognizes his smile. It’s exactly the same smile Eli used to flash in college “because Eliot Cardale hadn’t aged a day” (83).