"The bad dream is over, friend Neville"
This line makes me wonder if they were friends at one time before the plague?
While the book is vastly different, they were in fact neighbors.
shareMatthias was a reporter, he was reporting almost daily on the war between Russia and China that sparked the bioweapon release.
I'm guessing Neville was well known on TV as working on a possible inoculation against the disease.
You might say, "Nothing personal, friend" just before refusing them a mortgage. It wouldn't mean you really were friends.
The restitution of life is no great feat. A variety of deaths may well enter into your punishment