Shannon, Emma & Daniel - Haywood/Infirmary - Valentina

Shannon was sitting in the infirmary, still in a bit of shock. She lowered her head and absently rubbed at her shoulder. It was feeling sore, probably because of how tense she'd been trying to calm the girl down. After the stabbing and all of the blood, Shannon wasn't sure she wanted to come into this room ever again.

She looked up when Daniel entered the infirmary. He looked around for a moment before making a beeline toward Shannon. "Is everything okay?" he asked. "Where's Emma?"

Shannon leaned back in the chair and pointed toward the beds. Emma sat closer to them, looking at Valentina. "Said she wanted to talk to the girl, but she hasn't mustered the nerve to do it yet, I guess."

Daniel looked toward his sister and nodded. "Alright, is the girl okay?" Shannon shook her head, though she let out a sigh as she did so. Daniel's face turned back to her, concerned. "Are you okay?"

Shannon smiled. "I'll be okay, I just wasn't expecting all of this to happen today."

Daniel moved to sit next to her. "Neither was I."

Shannon leaned on the rest with her good arm. "Do you want to hang out tonight? Play cards or something?" Daniel hesitated at first, but he eventually nodded.

Closer to Valentina, Emma finally stirred from her seat. She got up and approached the bed, her eyes on the handcuff holding Valentina to the post. "You didn't tell me your name," she said.

Jessalyn - House - Floyd

It was amazing how a man could make a woman feel while using no words at all.
The kiss was unexpected and make her eyes open wide in surprise. Then her eyes fluttered closed and she leaned closer. The kiss wasn't hot or exactly passionate. It was sweet and chaste, like a first kiss was supposed to be.
Her heart was pounding in her ears, but when he pulled away she realized there was also pounding at the door.
Floyd immediately leapt into action, pulling out his knife and ordering to stay in the kitchen. She nodded even though she doubted he heard her.

Things happened so quickly. Floyd ran out to kill the walker and the man stayed inside the house. Jess got their water bottle and was about to offer the man water when he pointed his gun at Floyd. Jess backed away behind the corner with her hand over her mouth. As he threatened Floyd she looked around frantically for something she could use as a weapon. They were heading up the stairs when she found a pan. She crept towards the stairs and was about to sneak up and hit the man when she heard the shot.
"Floyd!" she screamed as the two men came tumbling down the stairs. Fortunately she was just out of their path and didn't get hit. Jess threw the pan at the man in a panic and it hit him in the chest right before Floyd stabbed him in the head.

Jess placed a hand on her heart, trying to calm her breathing. She realized the front door was still open so she shut and locked it.
But as she turned around she was in time to see Floyd fall to the floor.
"Floyd!" she cried and ran to him. She saw the blood and started to panic all over again. "No... no! No Floyd!" she cried and hugged him, getting his blood on her borrowed clothes. "No, no, no," she kept repeating the word, unable to stop herself.
This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. Not when they were... were...

Jess ripped the bottom of her shirt, pressing the fabric into his wound. "Tell me what to do. I don't know what to do," she begged. "Please be okay. Please!"
She shook her head in denial. Why was this happening? Just a few mintues ago they had been safe and happy and... and kissing. Why did things always go wrong? whenever she experienced a bit of happiness something horrible happened. It was like she was cursed.
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Katie - Truck - Audrey

Katie was scared. There were these new people now and they seemed like they wanted to help, but they were strangers. What if they were lying?
But when asked for her name she gave it automatically, knowing that even though she annoyed him that Bull would protect her if they tried to hurt her or Lauren.
When they placed Lauren in the truck bed Katie climbed in too along with the woman called Audrey. She was crying, which made Katie feel bad for her. Maybe she had lost her daddy too. It was something new and intriguing to see someone other then her crying.

So Katie moved carefully over to the woman and sat beside her. She patted her arm with her little hand. "My daddy's gone," she said. "He went away." Her eyes brimmed with tears that she wiped away. She didn't need to be crying at the same time as Audrey. It was Audrey's turn. If they were both crying... she didn't know why but she just felt that wouldn't be right.

Anthony/Robert - Haywood

Speeding passed the barely opened gates, Anthony drove into the parking lot. The tires shrieked as the truck came to a sudden stop, the brake discs almost shattering. Anthony quickly got out of the truck, slamming the door behind him as he started down the center of Haywood, his stature showing his fury. Haywood tenants stared at him as he hurried to the mess hall.

Once the double doors were opened, Robert was already sitting on one of the stools, drinking his daily vodka. "Did you succeed?" Robert asked, taking a sip of the drink. Anthony stomped his way to Robert and smacked his glass to the side, having it shatter instantly. He then slammed his fist onto the counter top before Robert. "F*ck you man!" Anthony started, angered by his actions at the farm. "Everything went wrong god dammit. Everything!"

Robert just sat there, listening to Anthony rant and rant. "I saw Elliot get crushed by a building man, by a damn building. Were out here fighting walkers and he dies by getting crushed? What the f*ck! There were three people out in that farm. There was a kid Robert, a kid! We don't kill children man, we don't do that" he continued, backing away a step from Robert as the man stood from his stool. "What of Wilson and Johnson?" Robert asked all normally. "Wilson got shot up Robert, he got shot the hell up! His body was full of bullets man, I didn't even see what happened. As for Johnson, I had to kill him"

"What?! What do you mea-" his question cut off by Anthony's continuous rant. "Henry and...and.....that girl he's always with. They were out there Robert, just watching us. They know. They know you're the one who sent us man. I had to kill Johnson to save my own ass, trying to get them to believe I'm not on your side."

"So you betrayed me, Wilson, Elliot and Johnson?" Robert angered, his loose palm turning into a balled up fist. The man's eye twitched from time to time as his eyes seemed to have darkened. But in response to that, Anthony jumped on Robert's words. "I ain't know those people."

"You didn't know them? Of course you didn't know them, but they've been with us for months. Even if they were strangers, they wer-" Robert said, being cut off yet again. "Then why are you telling me about people I don't know" Anthony shrugged. "That's my men Anthony, your men!"

Anthony stared at him for a second before conjuring up a response. "And who are you exactly?"

Robert looked at him startled by that question. He couldn't believe that Anthony was pushing him and his friends away just like that. He had been loyal to Robert since the creation of Haywood. Yes, they may have been distant from each other, but in Robert's eyes, Anthony was his right hand man. "I'm your brother, just like them" Robert responded.

Anthony's eyebrow raised at that answer. "You in Squad?" Anthony asked Robert. "What?" Robert responded, confused by the question. "I said, I didn't know you were a firefighter" Anthony continued. "I wasn't in the fire department" Robert answered. "Then you ain't no brother to me" Anthony said, shaking his head then staring into those dark eyes. After a moment of silence, Anthony desired to end the conversation. "My brother was in Squad" he finished, walking passed Robert and towards the exit.

"Get a hold of yourself Anthony. I did not mean for all that to happen brother, I just want to protect these people. How was I suppose to know Henry and Audrey would be there?" Robert exclaimed in desperation. He was losing all his support here, his last man standing.

Anthony turned around with his traps up in a shrug. "I don't know whatchu know, why don't you go ask your boyfriend"

Robert then started for Anthony as he had started to once again walk away. "Hold up man" he said, rushing to stand in his way. "So that's it huh? After everything we've been through. After all we accomplished you're just gonna turn on me like that? You're gonna go onto Daniel's side now, tell him everything? You're not going to forgive me, but you're going to forgive him for failing to kill that killer?"

Anthony's eyes squinted as he looked confused. "Na, he's just some punk who thinks he can lead these people. He means nothing to me. But he means nothing to you either now does he?" he pointed at Robert. "You've got balls talking about forgiveness" he stated, once again walking passed Robert. "That has nothing to do with forgiveness. I've got people to protect, they're my family Anthony, I have to keep them safe. Everything I do is for them" Robert explained as Anthony started opening the mess hall's double doors. "I forgive Daniel, just like I forgive you right now" Robert lied, he still had hatred for Daniel, but couldn't lose his only supporter.

Anthony suddenly let go of the doors, letting them close in his face as he turned back to face Robert, an obvious frown on his face. He pointed at the man. "You forgive me?" he asked, not really wanting a response, but getting one anyway. "Yeah" Robert answered, Anthony quickly returning. "Look, I'm not surprised you wanna be leader of this place Robert, you've got some stones man," Anthony responded. "I fell in love with this town, what was I suppose to do? Let it fall into the wrong hands yet again?!" Robert replied.

"You were supposed to stick to the plan. You were suppose to be there for those people. You were suppose to be honest, different from Levi. They needed you, I needed you. You're our leader and you bailed on us. But i'm glad you stayed in your little world, everything worked out for you. You leave, you get the opposite. Okay. You leave, you get to bury people."

"You're not the only one whose suffered Anthony. I didn't even know this was how you felt! I didn't even get to say goodbye to my brothers! You had no right to kill them, that was not your decision to make!"

"You know what? You walk around talking about brotherhood, you're all 'I forgive you', 'I forgive Daniel', 'I forgive everyone', but you know? You're full of shit" Anthony finished, both men just staring at each other with complete intensity. "Are we done here Robert? We finished?" The awkward silence answered Anthony's question as he turned and busted through the front doors back into the open Haywood courtyard, leaving Robert in solitude.

Valentina - Haywood - Emma, O'Connor

When the older girl approached Valentina, the younger one grew afraid of what came next, and squeezed herself further into a corner, the handcuff that chained her to the corner bedpost rattling as she did so, like the chains off a rabid dog's collar. Valentina imagined that she would be beaten for what she did - no, she knew it for a fact, and the rifle stock to her face was proof to her that it was inevitable. Valentina thought she saw an evil scowl on the older girl of about 14 years of age as she came closer, but was unsure. She had great difficulty in understanding people now that she had to deal with them outside a confrontation or in brief encounters.

"You didn't tell me your name." The older girl said as she eyed Valentina's handcuffs. The moment she spoke, Valentina cringed a little, as if expecting a blow from her. Valentina thought that the older girl was thinking of ways to hurt her, and that the way she looked at her handcuffs was proof of it.

"It- I- I-" The younger girl struggled with her words, having never used them for months. She seemed on the verge of crying again, as the looming, ominous presence of the older girl was beginning to really promise one form of punishment or another for her transgressions, "I- I for...forgot my... I don't know." Valentina tried her best, but when it came to her name, her mind would not work, and much less her mouth. Then it started returning to her, all of it.

"I... M- My name is Val... Valentina." The younger girl answered the older girl's question, hoping that she would answer correctly and be spared of at least some of the punishment. Tears were beginning to flow down her cheeks again, wetting her face, on which bruises were beginning to form, "Plea-please don't..."

Emma - Haywood Infirmary

Emma came close to the quiet girl, hoping she would respond with her name. When she spoke, Emma's expression softened, and her trembling voice almost made her cry again. "That's a very pretty name, Valentina." She smiled lightly. "I promise you, we aren't going to hurt you, sweetheart." She heard footsteps, and she turned to see O'Connor come into the room. He carried a bottle of water and a small, steaming bowl. He lightly set them down on the table beside the bed, and then turned to Emma, unhooking a ring of keys from his belt. He picked out a small key and hand the ring to Emma, indicating his head at the handcuffs. She grinned gratefully.

"Valentina, I'm going to take the handcuffs off now, and they can stay off, but only if you don't try to hit anyone." She slowly slipped the key into the hole and unlocked the cuffs, slowly removing them from Valentina's small hands. O'Connor took the cuffs and then handed her the bowl and bottle, also flashing her a kind smile, looking at her with compassionate eyes. Emma extended the bowl to the little girl, smelling and seeing that it was creamed corn. "I bet you're really hungry, huh?"

Henry/Audrey - Haywood - Bull/Lauren/Katie/Daniel/Emma/ETC.

Audrey sniffed in, looking down at Katie. "I know that's hard, Sweetheart." Her cheeks had dried, but her nose still ran and her face was red. "My dad went away when I was your age, too." She managed a smile. Her mind flooded with memories of her father's funeral when she was a little girl. She'd felt that she'd become strong since then, but here she was, at twenty years old, being comforted by this little girl.

When they reached Haywood, Henry barely slowed down enough for the gates to open, almost skimming the sides of the SUV. Henry slowed to a halt before jumping out of the car. When they climbed out of the car, Bull picked up Lauren from the back seat, and he followed Henry. "Audrey? What's going on? Who're these people?" A voice came from behind, and Audrey turned to see a guard that she recognized as Alex. All she could do was shake her head, turn, and run after Henry.

"Audrey, go to the mess hall and see if you can't find Daniel!" He ordered. She did so, and ran as fast as she could to the cafeteria. She went into the building, turned and opened the mess hall doors." Audrey froze in her tracks; there, looking angrier than ever, sat Robert. Audrey stared at him for a moment and considered what she should do. She'd just returned from a scouting mission where they'd discovered Robert's treachery. If Daniel was right, Robert was unstable. He probably knew that she'd been with Henry. What would he do? She sat and waited for him to move...

Rob-Haywood- People

Rob took a step back and listened to the two talking. Everyone is so...I need to get something to drown my non-existent sorrows....I need something to do.... Rob sighed and left the room. As he looked upon the people of Haywood he wondered what everyone's life had been before the everyone went to shit. If they still had family...The lucky ones...Rob grimaced and headed towards where he slept, Not where officially slept of course. But where he took naps, or when he was in deep thought. It was a bit of an overhang on one of the buildings. It was a little bit dangerous but he was careful and rather good at climbing. But first.....He would look around. You never know when he would be needed...

But as Rob was walking, He noticed one particular person....He couldn't exactly remember his name...was it...John..Jack......James, ah that was it. He made a small jog and waved to him. He could have important information for all Rob knew. Plus, he couldn't handle the crowd that stirred in the infirmary

Shannon & Bull - Haywood/Infirmary - EVERYONE THERE (You know who you are)

When Henry entered the infirmary, Shannon lifted her head in his direction. He was followed by a rather large man holding...

"What?" Shannon uttered in complete shock. Here eyes widened to the point of almost falling out of her eye sockets as she watched the man with the lumberjack arms carry the woman to a bed.

Bull didn't notice Shannon nor did he even look in her direction. His focus was entirely on Lauren as he dropped her down on a bed, his clothes now stained with blood. Though he had been keeping it in control in the truck, tears began streaming down his face and into his bushy beard. She was such a beautiful and powerful woman. To see her in the state she was in was a mockery of her entire existence. For Lauren to come crashing down after so long was one cruelty Bull couldn't understand. He leaned down on the bed and gripped at the sheets. "Please, god, someone please do something!"

Shannon stared at the man's back, practically drilling a hole through him with her gaze. It took everything in her not to throw herself out the door. "Daniel," she whispered, grabbing for his arm. "Daniel, that man was a raider. He tried to kill James and I..." She trailed off, realizing she couldn't sit here any longer. She burst out of her seat, her exhaustion melting away to make way for flooding adrenaline. "He's a murderer!" she yelled. "You can't let him in here!"

Bull turned around, his eyes red and puffy from crying. He shook his head at this girl, having no idea what she was talking about. "I don't understand-"

"You were with Tyler! I will never ever forget your face! You tried to kill a fourteen year old boy!"

Bull continued to shake his head, but eventually his mouth went agape with realization. She was right. She was that girl who got the slip on him. He watched her silently as she continued to demand that he be locked up. He was too distraught- too tired- to even come up with something to say to this. So Bull only stood there, a silent giant.

Daniel - The Infirmary - Sundry People

As Shannon screamed and the man, Daniel threw himself forward, latching on to her and pulling her back. "Shannon..." He pleaded. He repeated while she ranted. For a third time, Daniel shouted. "Shannon!" She turned to him, still ranting about the man's violent actions. Daniel took Shannon by her good arm, and promptly dragged her out of the infirmary. When they were in the hallway, Daniel pushed her back to the wall. When she didn't stop her angry shouting, Daniel put his hand over her mouth. "Shannon Greene, get a hold of yourself!" He barked sharply. Satisfied, he removed his hand.

"You need to slow down and tell me what you are try to say." He then added. "In a way I can understand you, Shannon."

Riley O'Conner - The Infirmary - Sundry People

As O'Connor watched Emma and the little girl, thoughts raced through his mind. This little girl was so small and sweet... but she'd been stripped of her innocence and was now this reserved little one. She didn't deserve this. Just then, the doors swung open, revealing an urgent Henry and a large man, who carried an unconscious woman. As Henry came to Riley, he explained what happened to the woman as the beast of a man lay his companion on the open hospital bed. It was then that young Shannon began to spit a murderous rage of this man's violent deeds.

Riley looked at the man for a moment... he was definitely capable of doing a great deal of damage, such was obvious by simply looking at him. However, his eyes portrayed a deep grief and sorrow for his companion. Riley met eyes with the man, and his chest caught slightly. Help them, you fool! He screamed at himself. It didn't matter what this man did; he was going to help the woman. He looked around the room; it was very crowed. "I need everyone to join the Mayor and Shannon in the hallway!" He yelled out. "Everyone but Emma." As the others left, Emma stood dutifully waiting for orders. "As obvious, I can't have Brianna help while she's injured, so I need your help." The girl nodded and came to his side.

He went to the bed and examined the woman. Blood had already covered the formerly white sheets of the bed. "That tray over there, bring it here." Emma pulled the rolling cart over, and Riley took a sharp scalpel from the array of tools. He cut through the woman's dampened jeans like butter, exposing her lower thigh. "There's should be a bottle of rubbing alcohol; a brown bottle, white cap." Emma fortunately found the right container. "Gauze, lowest shelf, right drawer." She obeyed, and he soaked the gauze in the alcohol and vigorously cleaned away the blood. This woman had lost a lot of blood, and was continuing to do so. Riley found that he had his tweezers the chest pocket of his red, plaid shirt, which he smeared with blood from his vinyl gloves. He was glad that the woman was asleep, otherwise this would be painful for her.

O'Connor inserted the tweezers in the bullet whole, clasping the claws around the shard of metal. He cautiously pulled the tool out, then dropped the crushed round into the metal bowl on the tray with a clink. "Stitching hook and wire are in the drawer above the gauze." After he quickly sewed the hole, he sat back for a moment, knowing that the beautiful process of mitosis was patching up her skin. He then carefully turned the woman onto her back, examining the cut on her head where she'd hit it. He pulled another gauze pad from the pack and drenched it with the rubbing alcohol.

After cleaning the deep gash, he pulled the round needle through her skin carefully, stitching the gash. When he was finished, he set the needle down and waited for the girl to respond.

Shannon - Haywood - Daniel

Shannon stared at Daniel incredulously and breathed heavily. She pointed behind him and toward the door the infirmary. "That big guy who just walked in was one of Tyler's men." She continued to point, but turned to stare at Daniel. "He attacked James and I before we met you." She looked down and brought her hand back to rub at her sore shoulder. She shook her head, at a loss for what else to say.

"It's his fault I thought Emma was a raider. He had tried to chase us down, and I... He's the reason I shot at Emma, okay? You have to lock him up or something!" Shannon would not back down on this. In the last three weeks, she occasionally thought about the man with the lumberjack arms. His face was stamped into her memory, yet another horrific memory of being on the edge of losing her life. The man that had shot her was dead now and was never coming back. However, this man who tried to kill her without any remorse now stood in the next room, in what should have been a place of safety. "You have to do something about him."

When Bull exited the infirmary with Katie, Shannon instinctively took a step back from him. He gave the pair a look of utter desperation, but Shannon wasn't buying it. "Is that a friend of yours in there? Another raider?" Bull didn't respond, didn't even move his head. Shannon turned on Daniel. "She's one of the people who kidnapped Emma, Daniel. We can't let her stay here. We can't-"

Bull stepped forward at that. "No!" he roared. "You can't do that! She might die!" He was yelling, but his voice choked and strained. "Please!"

Shannon shook her head and looked past Bull, toward the infirmary. She steeled herself before moving around the big man. She got her one hand on the door before Bull grabbed her arm. "Get off me!" she cried out. "Don't hurt me!" Her heart was beating faster now and she couldn't bear to look the lumberjack in the eyes.

Seemingly realizing himself, Bull released Shannon and stepped away from her. He shuffled next to the door and leaned against the wall before sliding down it the ground. He buried his head hand and said, "Please, just let the doctor help her, then we'll never bother you again."

Shannon still had her hand on the door, but she became unsure. She glanced toward Daniel.

Katie - Infirmary - Daniel, Shannon, Bull

Katie didn't know what was going on. Everything happened so fast, everyone was yelling. They were in a place that was supposed to help Lauren, but everyone was upset. One lady especially was very upset. She kept yelling at Bull.
Then she said a name that snapped Katie out of her stupor.
Tyler was her daddy. She was talking about her daddy!
Then she started saying bad things about Bull, calling him names and saying he did things. What did all of this have to do with her daddy? She tugged on Bull's arm, "does she know my daddy?" she asked but he shrugged her off, only paying attention to the lady who was yelling.

Finally the lady said something about them leaving. Bull got upset and Katie finally understood what was happening. They were going to make them leave before Lauren got better.
"No!" she screamed and ran to the woman, grabbing her leg. "No! Lauren can't go away!" she cried. "My daddy went away! Don't make Lauren go away!"
She hiccupped a couple of times and wiped at her eyes, but most tears poured out. "Someone was mean to you. Don't be mean to us! Don't be mean to Lauren! Don't let Lauren go away!"

Why did everyone have to be mean? If someone was mean to you, how did being mean to other people make it better?

Joshua, Mariah, Dave - Woods/Not so abandoned cabin

"You know? I don't like dealing with people I know nothing about. So tell me! Who are you?" Said Mariah as she took a chair and sat in front of Joshua, who looked down for a few seconds and then back at Mariah. "My name's Joshua Morgan. Back when everything was normal I used to own a bar in New Orleans. I was born in Hamburg, Germany but my parents are americans. Father used to work for the Gambino's, a crime family in New York. But he became tired of that life, took his wife and fled to Germany. Thank God those bastards didn't find him. I came to the United States after i finished university. I chose New Orleans because I always loved this city. When the outbreak started I backed some stuff and tried my best to survive. I travelled continously, I never stood in one place for long. That's all you need to know." Said Joshua while looking at Mariah in a serious manner.

"Well what can I say. You definetly have an interestiong story." Mariah didn't get the chance to say much to Joshua as another person entered the cabin with a deer in his back and a Remington 700 rifle in his right hand. "Who the hell is this." Said the man as he dropped the deer and pointed the Remington at Joshua. "Oh God not again!" Said Joshua as he covered his face with his left hand. "Dave please. Put the rifle down. He's okay! Joshua this is Dave, my uncle." Said Mariah as she grabbed Dave's rifle, taking it out of his hands. "Okay my ass. He's not okay. Nobody is. Listen buddy, I need you to leave. Now!" Said Dave as he pulled out a 1911, pointing it at Joshua. "Relax buddy. I wanted to leave anyway." Said Joshua with an upset look on his face as he rised up from his chair, grabbed his backpack from the floor, putting it on his back and then heading for his weapons that were on the table.

After taking his weapons and putting them in their respective places, the kukri in the sheath, the Glock 17 in the leather holster, strapped to his brown cargo pants and the Marlin on his shoulder, Joshua heads for the door. As he exited the cabin and closed the door behind him, Joshua could hear from the outside as the two, Mariah and Dave were arguing inside. He nodded his head in dissaproval as he started to walk away.

Valentina - Haywood Infirmary - Emma, Riley O'Connor

When the older girl promised Valentina that she would not be hurt, she could not bring herself to believe her words at all, seeing only surprises waiting around the corner. That didn't change even when she unlocked the handcuff keeping her leashed to her bed after the younger girl nodded her head curtly, agreeing to the older girl's conditions. When the tight cuff finally came off, Valentina pressed herself ever tighter to her corner as much as her new freedom of movement would allow, sitting there with her legs pressed up against her chest.

All that changed ever so slightly when food and water was brought to her by the doctor. Valentina eyed it as if a hunting tigress. Had the doctor not sedated her, she would have flew at it. The doctor handed the food and water to the older girl, and the older girl held it out to Valentina. "I bet you're really hungry, huh?"

To Valentina, it sounded as if the older girl was mocking her, teasing her. The younger girl stared at it hungrily, her entire body longing for it. Her mouth hung open, but remained dry only because she was dehydrated. For a moment, however, Valentina froze, afraid that there would be consequences for taking the bowl of soup. As if a matter of life and death, she considered the older girl's offer carefully, then finally decided that she would rather take the risk of the soup possibly being laced with either poison or drugs than spend another minute hungry.

When the bowl was finally handed over to Valentina, she was almost pouring it down her throat, caring little about how hot and scalding it was, savouring every single drop even as she was devouring everything quickly. The soup was gone with a minute, and when she was done, she felt nauseous and nearly hurled it all out again, but held it all back, letting only a few drops between the gaps of her fingers clasped over her lips.

It felt like heaven to Valentina - she had even forgotten that there was anyone else in the room as she knelt on her bed, slurping up the little remaining soup miraculously left in the bowl before tipping the bottle of water given to her. It seemed that the danger she had previously felt had evaporated altogether, until she heard shouting and footsteps, and upon hearing it, the girl jumped back into her corner, holding her bottle of water closely like a doll or the world's largest diamond, her working eye leaping from wall to wall while her blind eye following suit, drilling holes into the door, sure that either bandits or biters would come through and hurt her.

And what actually came through did not make her feel any better. Men with guns, one of them holding a badly wounded woman. Valentina practically jumped, and was standing on her bed when there was shouting in the infirmary itself. Suddenly finding her paradise gone, Valentina's survival instincts were rudely awakened after only a few minute's slumber. Fighting against the sedative in her blood, Valentina got off her bed and tried to put as much distance between herself and the crowd that was beginning to form, a hand beginning to search for that seam on her jeans...

Then the doctor started shouting, and the crowd began clearing away, leaving only the doctor, the older girl to attend to the wounded woman, who meant another source of danger as Valentina knew what it meant. After locating the tiny hole in her jeans, Valentina dug into it with her fingers, fishing out a blade of sorts, small enough that it fits her hand just about, but dangerous all the same despite being home-made. This time, she made no effort to hide it as even she knew that there was no longer a need to, with the older girl and doctor proving themselves to be a source of food and water, not harm and death, at least not yet.

Emma Crowe - Haywood - Peoplez of Coolness

Emma listened through the crack in the door; slowly piecing everything together. "Does she know my daddy?"... It couldn't be... Emma's eyes widened when she pieced the puzzle together. Tyler was this little girl's dad... Shannon kept on with her crazed rage, spewing accusation against the lumberjack guy. This, however, made Emma angry. Without thinking, she busted open the doors and stormed into the hallway with a loud shout. "What would you people know?" She was satisfied when everyone went quiet.

"Look at this little girl!" The girl clung to the lumberjack as everyone's attention turned to her. "Pay attention! If you would stop and listen, then I wouldn't be the only one who realized that Tyler is her father!" She stared accusingly at each of them, especially at Daniel. "Now look at this guy!" She pointed up at the large man. "Can't you see that he's protecting this little girl from the horrors that are around? Can't you see that he's trying protect her from what she could have become?" She glanced at Shannon. "We should be thanking him for protecting this little girl!"

"Emma, we're trying to-"

"No, Daniel, you don't get it! I was held captive by Tyler's men! I was the one that almost starved to death because of this guy's friends." She shot a glare to her brother. "Not you!" She jabbed her hand at her chest and pointed at herself. "I was the one who was raped by the raiders, and they are the reasons I don't sleep at night!" She stood upright, breathing slowly. "If I can look past all of that, then you sure as heck can, too!" At this point, Emma was well past holding back her tears. "Thank you, sir, for being so compassionate and loving to take it upon yourself to guide this beautiful little one." She breathed in a sob, hoping no one was going to cut in.

"Now maybe its just me, but I think we have enough problems already. Let's not make another one..." At that, she turned around and walked back in to the infirmary.

Bull - Haywood/Infirmary Door - Shannon/Daniel/Katie

Bull stared at Emma, dumbfounded. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why this girl was speaking up for him. It boggled him that she was even there when he had last seen her locked in one of the cells. She had seen him there with her own eyes, which was even more evidence than that blonde girl had. Yet here she was, voting for him to stay. He wanted to to be happy, to feel grateful for her words, but he could not wrap his head around her actions. She had been kidnapped by his brothers, men who he knew would have done a lot more than rape her if they had had the chance.

Bull just didn't understand, because he just didn't feel very sorry for her.

When Emma walked back into the infirmary, Bull was the first to speak up. "Do you think I wanted to come here?" he asked, wiping at his wet eyes. "Come waltzin' on in, disturbin' you? My Lauren needs help and you're the only ones offering. I would do anything for her."

The blonde girl stepped forward. "Okay, she should get the medical help she needs. But are you really willing to do anything for her?"

Bull nodded profusely. "Yes. Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Bull-"

"Well then, Bull, you should be locked up for your stay here." Bull didn't respond, for he knew he had no room for negotiation. The girl continued, "We'll take care of the girl and your friend." She then turned on the man named Daniel. "The people here are going to hold a bigger grudge than I do. Tyler stole their wives and daughters away. Killed them. You let this guy walk around and it will cause problems. You're running this community now and that's what I think is best for the community."

---

Rudy - Outpost - Matt

Rudy considered what Matt said for a long moment while he meticulously chewed his food. Eventually, Rudy gave Matt a sly smile. "Maybe one day." With that, he got up from his seat, having finished most of his meal. "Have fun at that council meeting."

***

Rudy later found Elliot holed up in his cabin. His brother, Richard, answered the door and told Rudy that Elliot wasn't feeling well. Rudy rolled his eyes at that. "He's probably just being a big fuckin' baby. I want to ask him how the wall went." When Richard only stared at him, Rudy shrugged. "What?"

Richard sighed. "Someone started a fight with him over being deaf. Said he shouldn't be on the wall. Said he shouldn't be responsible for anything important." Richard's tone had adopted an air of irritation. Rudy looked into the man's blue eyes and couldn't believe how tired they looked. Elliot and his brother had gotten nothing but grief since they arrived in Outpost and Rudy was getting pretty fucking tired of it.

"Let me see him" he said. Richard hesitated, but eventually let him in. Rudy made a beeline for Elliot's room and found the boy laying face up on his bed. Elliot didn't hear him come in, obviously, so Rudy knocked harshly on the wall so Elliot would feel the vibrations. The boy sat up and stared at him. "Hey," Rudy said with a wave. Elliot quickly got up and closed the door behind Rudy, though Rudy wasn't sure why they needed privacy when they didn't need to talk out loud.

Immediately, Elliot broke into a series of signs that Rudy could barely discern. "Woah, woah," he said, holding up his hands. "You need to go slower, dude. You know I can't go that fucking fast."

Elliot nodded and sat down on his bed. "I... was on the wall... and everything was fine. Myriah told Blake that the wall needed good eyesight... not hearing." Elliot paused to make sure Rudy was getting all of this. Rudy nodded and gestured for him to continue. "So Blake didn't care, but some of the guys found it kind of weird. Joe was really annoyed... I could tell. He was being short with me all day. He eventually started a fight with me and got in my face... he wanted me to read his lips clearly. He said that you needed hearing on the wall... that if one of the guys called out, how would I hear them?"

"But you can still see," Rudy said, interrupting. "If people on the wall are reacting, then you can still see them."

Elliot nodded impatiently. "I know. I tried to say that, but he can't be bothered to try and figure out what I'm saying. They know I'm not comfortable with speaking." Elliot then hung his head. "Blake said he couldn't have fighting on the walls. Said it was best if I don't try anymore." Elliot let out an irritated noise and fell back onto his bed. "Hearing people suck."

Rudy's expression turned sour. "I'm hearing. Your brother is hearing."

Elliot glared at him. "It's not about you. If that comment annoys you then you don't get it." Elliot's signing cut into the air like knives. Rudy knew that starting a fight over this would not end well.

"I'm sorry, man. I'll talk to Myriah about it, but it's not going to be easy to change people's minds."

"It will be impossible. It always has been. Long before the biters arrived." Then Elliot sighed and closed his eyes. Rudy shook his head and let himself out.

---

Myriah - Outpost/Council Room - Matt/Council

Myriah smiled at each and every member of the council as they entered the deliberation room. She told them pleasantly that Macy had prepared snacks for the meeting, but that they were all out of coffee. They had recently run out and Myriah figured that Reggie's team would have to find some more quickly before a revolution started. She then walked over to the snack table and grabbed a cookie. It was rather plain, as Macy didn't have much to work with, but the woman was always baking for her, accosting Myriah at every opportunity to try her new recipes. Macy had tried to make due with the limited resources they had, but her first creations had been notoriously unpleasant.

Myriah nibbled at the cookie and sat down at her table. She eyed her notes and neatly arranged them at the table's corner. When everyone else was settled, Myriah began the meeting. "Welcome, everyone." she said in the warmest tone she could muster. "We haven't had a meeting in a while, have we? Well, Reggie felt that there were some recent issues that needed to be discussed, so we decided a meeting was long overdue." She smiled at each council member in turn. They were a mixed bag, comprised of different genders, races, and backgrounds. Yet despite their differences, here they all sat, all working toward the betterment of a single community. "Reggie would like to open the floor."

Reggie nodded graciously. "Thank you, Myriah. I want to bring the council's attention to some troubling news. Recently, we have found large groups of biters on the outskirts of the marshland. While this isn't particularly unusual, they tend to be roaming in herds toward the cities. These herds will cut through the forest and will likely hit Outpost before long. The marsh will spread a bunch of them out, but we need to prepare for an attack."

A male council member, Derick, raised his hand. "But what about the plans to expand the wall? We were going to start construction this week."

Reggie's expression was grim. "I don't think that's a good idea now. We will have to postpone the construction." A few of the council members shook their heads. The overcrowding problem in Outpost was becoming a major issue. "In fact, what we need to be focusing on is recruiting more people into the scout team. We need a real fighting force for these biter threats. We've managed to scrape through for this long, but we can't do it much longer. We don't know how the winter will effect things."

The room was silent for a moment. Eventually Rhonda spoke up, saying, "Outpost needs to focus on expansion. I know not everyone here was around before the wall, but we truly only started to live once it went up. Making our home secure and comfortable should be our top priority."

"I don't disagree," Reggie said. "Construction is very important, but we need to face facts. What if another group attacked us? There would be no way we could protect ourselves from other people. With guns. If we can't protect ourselves then we will have no home to expand upon." Reggie stared at Rhonda, but she couldn't think of a thing to say. Reggie continued, "After tomorrow's scouting, we're starting extended training sessions. At the meeting this evening, I want us to tell our people what I've told you now. We need new recruits and we need soldiers."

After a few moments of silence, Myriah spoke up. "Thank you, Reggie. We're going to be putting this to a vote, and then we can open the floor for anyone else to speak, as usual." Myriah cleared her throat. "Whoever is in favor of postponing the construction efforts in order to focus on our scouts, say aye."

Reggie was the first to raise his hand. "Aye." Other hands started to raise and Myriah waited patiently for everyone to vote. She personally didn't plan on raising her hand.

Katie - Outside Infirmary - Out of Control

Everyone was yelling. She hated yelling. She hated confrontation. If only her daddy was here...

Another girl came out and started yelling too. She started yelling about Katie's daddy, about her daddy's men, about how she had been hurt.
But how could that be true? Her daddy wouldn't have let anyone be hurt. He must not have known about it. Yeah, that was it. He hadn't known.

But before Katie could tell her that all of the sudden they were talking about locking Bull away.
The little seven year old girl panicked.
"NO!" she screamed, grabbing on to Bull. "NO! Don't take Bull away!"
If they took Bull away, she would be all alone. Lauren was still hurt. Everyone else was a stranger, and strangers scared her.
Someone grabbed her around her waist and pulled her away from Bull. Katie continued to scream and cry, clinging to his clothes until they pulled out of her hand. She thrashed and screamed like someone was killing her. Her little face got red and she started to hyperventilate in her panic. People started to gather at the end of the hall, looking at them and murmuring to each other.

Floyd - House - Jess

Everything was going grey, or so it seemed. The colors around just faded like old wounds. The light dimmed as his eyes grew weary. His hands went numb for a second, but returned to feel the uneasiness of the blood. He couldn't turn his neck to look at his side, only stared up into the ceiling as the motionless fan seemed to turn on its own. He tried to breath but it proved difficult. His chest felt heavy and so did all his other body parts.

Suddenly, a voice called to him. "Floyd" it shouted, the echo growing louder as the voice neared. A shadow covered up the remaining light, taking Floyd's eyes away from the fan above. He turned to the figure as it repeated the word no over and over, like a short harmony. The voice was sweet at times, but the worried tone worried Floyd. For a second he had no idea what had just occurred, instead was living in his own world.

But as the figure embraced him, his eyes truly opened to reality. Jess was on her knees trying to prevent any further blood loss using the bottom of her shirt. Floyd turned his neck so he could see the wound. He noticed that not only was he bleeding from the front of his stomach, but also from the opposite side. This meant that the bullet penetrated him all the way, going straight across the side of his abdomen. During this time Jess continued to worry for him, asking him for directions on what to do. The girl was lost in the moment. She was also not prepared to aid a man with any kind of medical support.

Floyd had never been shot before, but he had been stabbed once or twice so knew exactly how to cauterize the wound. He placed his left hand on the hole in his side and pressed hard into it, preventing the blood flow. His right hand held onto Jess' wrist, pulling the girls attention.

"Listen to me, listen to me. First I need ya to calm down. Calm down Jess, calm down" he said, his hand reaching up to her cheek. He used his thumb to wipe away some of her tears. "Okay. Now, go get the lighter from my bag and my knife" he started, pressing on his wound as she did those things. Once she returned he continued the process. "Heat up the knife" he ordered, his speech not impaired by the inflicting pain he felt. For some reason, the pain made him speak faster though as if he was running out of time. He then rolled up his shirt and put the edge of it and every piece of it he could fit into his mouth. He nodded to Jess to proceed; he was certain she knew what to do. She would have to do it to both sides of his body due to the bullets complete penetration.

---

Robert - Haywood Mess Hall - Audrey

As the young woman sat in the stool motionless in fear, Robert did not even acknowledge her presence. He just sat there, ticking his fingers on the counter with ease. But even with that, his facial expression did not hide his feelings. One could see the rage he was holding inside, the monstrous fury that would make any person abandon sanity. But the awkward silence grew too still, Robert turned to face Audrey.

"I was just radioed in. I was informed that three possible raider affiliated persons have entered our facility. I was informed that both you and Henry were the ones to bring them in. At first I was relieved that we caught the three monsters, but before you entered, I was also told they were not detained. Instead, one of them is now being given medical care" Robert started, his eyes growing even darker as his words progressed.

"Did you know that our medical supplies have decreased drastically in the last three weeks. And as you know, it has become more difficult to find what we need out there during our scavenging runs. Which brings me to my next point. What exactly were you doing outside of the city walls when my men were doing their scheduled runs? You and Henry were originally scheduled for guard duty am I right? Don't answer that" he continued as he took a couple of steps towards her, not standing about three or five feet away.

"I know exactly where you were. Both you and Henry. Let me guess, Daniel sent y'all to watch over my men, see what they were up to. Well since you already know, there is no point in denying it now is there?" Bruce asked, not waiting nor wanting a response. "I ordered my men to take that farm so that Haywood may have a stable food supply. Like our medicine, our food has also decreased. I've warned Daniel to tell the people that the rations require lowering, but he is deaf to wise word. The man does not see things the way I see them. He is a fool that requires teaching. I sent my men out there to kill those farmers in order to prevent having three more mouths to feed. That could have been your food given to a mere farmer. You'd of starved to near death before you'd be able to see another ration of bread. But I don't understand. I do not get what you people see in that Daniel. The man is more concerned for a little thief than his own sister, than his own people. The mayor's duty is to serve us, not the enemy. He allows a raider - the same people that have brought us hell - to live? Three weeks ago we went on a mission to end the life of these raiders! You were there Audrey, your friends and brothers were killed by those monsters. But now you stand beside the man who wishes to aid them? Have you no shame?!" he yelled, his voice as invigorating as a demon.

Robert stepped up to stand right before Audrey, his hand on the counter next to her right shoulder. "If you've not noticed, you are the only woman left in our barracks. Before Daniel took in all these new people, you were the only woman not traded to Tyler and his men. Do you know why? Do you know why you were excluded in the trades? Let me tell you why" he said, pausing for a second before continuing.

"One of my men. A man who I saw as my brother had passionate feeling for you. He never told you because he feared to anger Henry and destroy your relationship with the man. But deep down he told me he desired you. Therefore, I stepped in for him, for my brother. I told Eli to prevent Levi from selling you off to Tyler. He and I were the reason you stayed safe this entire time, not Daniel. He has no idea what any of us have been through, yet he is now our leader? After the death of our leaders, I was the most reliable choice, I was the right choice. But of course, these people desire the hero rather than the person who's saved them from the shadows. You know the truth. You know what happened in those ruins. Daniel chose one person and in the process lost six. He gave up the lives of six of our brothers to save his sister. He is here to fulfill his own selfish desires, not the ones best for Haywood. You've been here long enough to know I am the suitable choice. You know I would dedicate my life for these people, yet you stand by the "hero". Has he not taken enough from me? First my reputation, my rank. Secondly, he's taken my desires, my long lasting want to become your leader. He has taken many of my men, not only their lives, but also their mind. My best man, the one that spoke of you greatly, just left my side to join his. He killed off one of his own men just to prevent his further affiliation with I. But I don't see him as a murder. He is a survivor that man, that Anthony. He makes the right choice at the right time. It is true, I am failing this community. I am falling to my own helpless desire. I have nobody backing me up in this. I have not one. All I am trying to do is protect everyone here in Haywood. Every decision I make is to ensure our survival. Daniel on the other hand has prevent us from doing so. The man has just accepted a thief into our town. He is currently giving a raider medical treatment, wasting it on a murderer rather than saving it for our own people. He feeds these animals! Treats them like tenants! They are the enemy, the must be locked away in the pits of hell for eternity!!" he angered, his fist ramming the tabletop.

"What do you see in that man that I am so blind to capture?! Have I not done enough to earn my place as your leader?! He is a fraud, hiding behind the lies I failed to reveal! If I tell these people the truth, they will turn to me for guidance, but if I do so their fear will rise into the heavens. Can't you see Audrey, I kill myself for these people. I suffer for their sake, for their survival. Speak to them and tell them of my grace. Tell them that I am the right person to lead them. I'm asking for you aid at this moment. Help me like I helped you."

Jessalyn - House - FLoyd

Jess nearly cried with relief when Floyd finally spoke. But as he started telling her what to do she got a horrible feeling about what he wanted her to do.
She went and got the lighter and knife, then started to heat up the knife like he said. Her hands started to shake with fear.
She couldn't do this. There was no way she could do this.
But if she didn't, Floyd might... might...

No. He wouldn't. He couldn't.
She had to do this.

Once the knife was red hot she pressed a hand to his cheek. "I'm so sorry," she said. Tears leaked down her cheeks as she brushed his hair away from his face. Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his lips before looking at the where the bullet had entered.

Looking upward and breathing deepling, sending a prayer to whatever god was listening.
Then, closing her eyes, she pressed the hot knife against his flesh.

His muffled scream of pain made her squeeze her eyes shut tighter as she started to cry harder.
When she opened her eyes it was to see that she had sealed it, but not enough. The moment he moved it would pull loose.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed as she pressed it to his skin again. The sounds of sizzling flesh, the smell of it burning, was enough to make her want to vomit.
And she still had to do the other side.

By the time she had finished one side she was shaking, pale and ready to collapse. She wiped her face and took a shuddering breath.
She needed to do the other side.
"I'm... going to d-d-do the other s-side," she told him. "I'm s-sorry."

Taking a deep breath, she heated the blade again and did the other side. It didn't take as long, but it seemed to take hours to her.
When it was finally done, she dropped the knife and covered her face with her hands for a moment, trying to breathe.
She poured some water from the bottle onto the scraps of cloth she had torn from her shirt and laid it over the burn areas but didn't press on them.
She helped Floyd drink some water, then scooted down so she could lay beside him, holding his hand as he rested.

Daniel - Haywood - You Know Who You Are

As the little girl clung to Bull for dear life, Daniel's soul seemed to sink. Alas, he allowed Henry to drag her away. "Bull, I'm sorry, but we've got no other choice." He walked closer to the man. "I'll do what I can for your friends, I promise you." He nodded to Alex, the youngest of the militia guards. "Take him up to my office; have a guard at the door at all times." The boy nodded and led the largely over sized man towards the stairs.

At the open doors of the building, tenants of Haywood began to gather around, watching the scene. Daniel turned to address them. "People... please I'd like you to spread the word around; everyone needs to meet in the center courtyard in half an hour at five, P.M. Questions will be answered there."

~~~
(5:00 PM)

As the crowd built up, Daniel climbed into the back of his truck, standing high over everyone so he could see the crowd. "Everyone, please. I beg your attention for just a moment." When everyone was silent, he nodded. "Word has been spreading around, and I think we all know what's on everyone's mind."

"Yes we are having a food shortage since the past few weeks. We've had new arrivals; that, plus the women rescued from the Catacombs." The mood of the crowd fell grim as the event was mentioned. "And we're all happy to have these new members of our growing family here." He looked into the eyes of multiple citizens. "This is how it should be; we as humans should be banding together to help each other survive." A few murmurs of agreement arose from the crowd.

"But it's a fact, my friends... We're running low in the area of supplies." Daniel stepped closer the edge of the tailgate. "Especially food."

"Mr. Mayor, what are we supposed to do?" A voice came loudly from the crowd; Mr. Charleston.

"Mr. Charleston, that is what I've asked you here for." He said. "I, as well as others, think we would be right in slightly shortening the rations." A few murmurs came from the people again. After objections were settled, proposals made and declined, and the general public put into a rather disappointed mood, the decision was made to shorten the rations.

Matt-Outpost- Council

Matt gave a thumbs up towards Rudy has he started to head off, "Now" Matt sighed "The council...." This was going to be interesting.

---

Matt Silently watched as Myriah sad hello to everyone, he was fiddling with a card. He had found it a while ago...It was an ace of diamonds, he was rather close to getting a full deck. He slowly turned his head toward all the council. Matt listened as Reggie started to talk, Matt tilted his head as Reggie mention that a group of biters were going to wash over the outpost. Matt almost said and? but he restrained himself. He frowned as Reggie said that we should try to recruit more into our scouting force. His frowned deepened as he said that they should delay the expansion. Matt looked at everyone, a few spoke in disagreement but no one said anything too much. As Myriah put the thing to the vote Matt didn't raiser his hand.

"Now, Hang on...With the way things are going I don't think we can afford to delay the expansion. I don't know what you hear Reggie but Moral is low. This place is over-crowded and people are getting very tired of the way things are going. Heck, some people are getting a bit tired of the council. Sure you can say shit about it's for the best of the outpost. But trust me here, It's really not. If we don't expand very soon I fear for the whole moral. People will start getting very irritated, and they might get some ideas.However....." Matt gave a small smile to the council, who were watching him.

"We can increase the force, If this horde does come over us, then we will need to protect everyone. So we can get a few more people, Including the three people that you have talked to Reggie.People can go in, but we must go according to what we had planned."

Rob-Haywood-Lot's of people

As Rob waved to James, He looked behind him and saw a rather interesting scene. "Oh sorry, I Still need to talk to you, just in a while" Rob walked away before he could talk. People were shouting,the place he had left not that long ago was now full. some people moved out. Rob squinted as he saw a small figure. It couldn't be....no....Could it? Rob was more surprised then most when he saw a little girl who had to be around 6-8. Rob was quite amazed, the fact that children so small could still live made him smile a little. He decided to keep watching the scene. People kept talking and talking. Rob watched, he was quite obviously watching. He really wondered what was with people and getting so angry.

Myriah - Outpost/Council Room - Matt & Council Members

There was a bigger verbal reaction to Matt than Reggie ever got. He didn't have the same kind of pull that the older man had. Many council members began to speak at once, some in agreement but many unsure about what Matt was saying. No one really wanted to admit that they had a problem.

"We need to speak one at a time," Myriah eventually said, raising her hands. The room quieted down and Myriah nodded. "I agree that the expansion should be our top priority. Our community has expanded beyond what we could have even imagined and that is a wonderful thing. To ensure our future growth, the expansion can't be delayed."

Randy rose his hand. "I've thought about it and I think Reggie's right," he said. "We can always expand later, but we can never predict an attack. We came out here to avoid bandits but what if they got the same idea? Being secluded like we are, maybe we're even more open for attack."

"Are you kidding me?" asked Isaac. "It's been half a year and we haven't had a single bandit attack, why are we suddenly worried about one now? We've had a few bad people, but nothing to warrant this kind of worrying?"

Reggie had apparently heard enough. He smacked his hand down on the table. "That's the problem, we don't know what will happen! The winter shouldn't be a big problem, but it may just bring the kind of people we don't want into our neck of the woods. We just don't know." A few people looked unconvinced, so Reggie continued. "Need I remind you all of the mutiny none of you saw coming?" The room fell utterly silent to this. It was hard to miss the man's use of 'you'.

Myriah attempted to clear the air. "Well then, I think we've all said our thoughts on the matter. Would anyone like to change their vote?" No one spoke, leading Myriah to share a sympathetic look with Matt. "At seven votes to four, we will be postponing the construction and focusing on our scouts. Reggie will be handling the recruitment plans, but I'm going to need you to speak to your builders, Derick." She looked toward Reggie, who nodded.

"With the construction plans postponed indefinitely, it would be in their best interests to consider joining the scouts." Reggie stared at Derick until he man eventually nodded.

Myriah laced her hands together. "I have a small matter of my own I'd wish to bring up. As you are all aware, one young man in our community is deaf. He wished to join Reggie's scouts, but we weren't able to allow that. However, I felt that he could still have a job on our walls. Unfortunately, the men found it uncomfortable working with Elliot and some disagreements happened." Myriah paused to allow everyone to think on this. "I won't put this to a vote, but I believe we should all put forth an effort to learn American SIgn Language. Both Elliot and his brother could do lessons."

"He's such a nice boy," said Rhonda. "But he's just one boy. It's quite the effort for all of us to learn a new language."

"My first language is French, but I don't expect everyone to learn it," said Sarah.

"I don't think I can learn sign language with my arthritis-"

"If he wants to do something, maybe we could put him on the council-"

"Would that even be wise? He's deaf, first of all-"

"His brother could interpret-"

"Well, I would find that distracting, personally."

Myriah raised her hands again in order to get everyone's attention. This discussion was quickly spiralling out of control. "Like I said, we won't have a vote, but Richard is more than willing to teach. I'll announce it at the meeting later and we'll see how it goes." Taking a breath, Myriah continued, "But that's all I had to say. Does anyone else have something they want to discuss?" She looked toward Matt expectantly. "Anything?"

---

Shannon - Haywood - Daniel & James & Others

She stood off to the side, feeling more tired than she had in weeks. She had nothing to say during the discussion. She had found James earlier and brought him to the meeting, but she found him just as quiet as she was. When all was said and done, she turned to the boy and said, "I'm going to talk to Daniel. Me and him were supposed to hang out later. I'm sure we could all use a break after the day we've had."

Leaving James with a smile, Shannon caught Daniel before someone else could grab his attention. "Hey, you still up for cards or something?" she asked. She rubbed at her shoulder and gave Daniel a pained look. "I know today's been a bit crazy, but it would be nice, I think."