"Wha ... who are you?" said the large anthropomorphic rodent, her eyes almost as wide as Josh's. Then her eyes slowly narrowed as she began to understand the situation. "Oh … yeah … the new roommate."
She quickly walked in the apartment, closed the door behind her, then walked into living room. Josh could only turn and stare silently at the creature, dumbfounded.
"So yeah ... this ... well, I guess I better explain. We were developing an experimental retrovirus at work. Well, they owe me hazard pay. Because there was an onsite accident and I got covered in... I don't even know."
She sighed and her large dish-like ears dropped a little.
"They said I would be fine and could finish working my shift. But before lunch I had already started to grow hair all over my body. And by the time they got someone to examine me I had grown a tail."
She wrapped her fleshy pink tail around her leg nervously.
"So at this point they are talking about tests and preventing media exposure and ... I don't know, I just panicked. Maybe it was some sort of animal instinct but I felt trapped like a ... don't you dare say it, " she said, glaring at Josh for a moment. "I just ... ran ... ran faster than I have in my entire life ... I guess that's one good thing. I'm so much faster and flexible now. They couldn't catch me even if they had wanted to. That's why I came here ... if I go back to my old apartment they will find me."
She sniffed the air for a moment then looked back at Josh.
"Look, just pretend I'm not even here. Nobody is gonna be looking for me at your place. And it is your place. The apartment is in your name. That's why I needed a roommate, " she said. "And I really doubt this is as contagious as they said..."