As they followed the test subject, Wheatley came up with an idea to distract GLaDOS again.
"I'll drop some eggs into the door mechanism," he said. "Hopefully, it will break the door and she will have to go take care of it. Then I will get a chance to talk to her."
Neither Nora or Rattmann said anything for a minute. What a dumb idea it was!
"Well? What do you think?" Wheatley asked.
"Where will you get the eggs?" Nora asked.
"Okay, hear me out. We'll disguise Rattmann's hair to look like a nest," Wheatley said. "Then we just wait for a bird to lay eggs."
"I'm not in favor of that idea at all," Rattmann mumbled. He looked around and spotted a nest between two horizontal pipes. He climbed up to the pipes and snatched the nest. "Let's get out of here before the mother spots us. Quick, carry these on your handle and drop them into the next door mechanism."
He set the nest on Wheatley's bottom handle and Wheatley hurried ahead.
"By the way," Rattmann said as he and Nora took their time to follow, "I heard what you said to Wheatley when I was carrying you both in that sheet. I didn't know you constructs could feel love."
Nora looked away in embarrassment. "Oh," she said.
"I don't know why you love him, but I think it's sweet that there's any love in this cold place."
"He's just nice to be around," Nora said quietly.
"Well, maybe for you, but I find him to be a little annoying."
"You just need to be around him more."
"I'd be fine with the contrary."
"Ah! Bird! Bird! Bird! Bird!" Wheatley came rushing toward them with a bird flying around him. Rattmann grabbed the bird's leg and pulled it away from Wheatley.
"Blimey! Thanks, mate!" Wheatley said.
"Get back to her!" Rattmann said as he struggled with the bird that was now attacking him.
"Oh, right." Wheatley hurried back to the test subject.
"Rattmann?" Nora asked. "Are you okay?"
Rattmann managed to grab the bird and it become limp in his clenched fist. He looked at it and realized that he had accidentally broken its neck. He stared at it a little longer before releasing his grip on it. It made a wet, fleshy sound as it hit the floor.
"R-Rattmann?" Nora said timidly.
"Please," he said, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. He managed to keep a steady voice, though. "Please, call me Doug. Don't call me by my last name anymore. I don't want to be a rat."
"Come on!" Wheatley called.
They caught up with Wheatley and they went on.
"Any ideas on how to help her escape?" Rattmann asked, wiping his eyes on his filthy sleeve.
"I haven't a clue," Wheatley said. "But I am thinking."
"Don't just try to open a panel and call her over to you," Nora said. "That would be like inviting GLaDOS to smack you with the panels."
"Give me some credit, love," Wheatley said, rolling his eye. "I can come up with a better plan than that."