When 10K is struck down by Anthrax, he bonds with an old Mennonite woman who takes care of him. Just some 10K loving Hurt/Comfort and Fluffy stuff.

The sores hurt. His whole body hurt. It hurt like Murphy and his horde had trampled him before he was run over by that goddamn cheese wheel. Though, 10K figured it was the Anthrax making him feel like this. Who'd have thought, you go to a Mennonite farm, kill a couple sheep, save some nice Mennonite farmers, and then get damned Anthrax. How in the 7 layers of Zombie Hell did that work anyway?!

That was what 10K wanted to know. There he was, helping the innocent Mennonites (who probably didn't know what Condoms were), and he gets whacked with a major case of Anthrax. Plus, there were minimal antibiotics to treat it with. That was what you got for helping people.

There was a nice old woman, though. She milled around, wiped away sweat, give people comfort, and then redo her rounds around the sick room. The old woman seemed to mill around 10K the most though. She would give him a nice, motherly pat on the shoulder (and sometimes adjust his blanket or pillow) and even helped others take sips of water when they wanted it. 10K's sores, however, were absolutely killing him. He could barely open his eyes, let alone open his mouth wide enough to get a mouthful of water. He did have to admit though, the water sounded absolutely heavenly at this point.

Tommy was simply resting on the warm bed for what seemed like an eternity when the woman returned. She knelt down next to the boy, smiling sweetly as he cracked his eyes open. His mouth was perpetually open. It seemed too swollen everywhere for him to close it. Tommy thought he remembered his Pa telling him that sometimes, when you inhaled Anthrax, it made all the mucous muscles swell up. Maybe that was why he was struggling.

The woman smiled and stroked some of the hair off his forehead before beginning to gently sponge down his lips. She seemed to want to make sure his lips didn't crack. Tommy liked that. He hated split lips. The woman grabbed a small bowl of water and dipped a new cloth in before placing it between Tommy's lips. She then continued to wipe at his face, being careful around the festering sores.

After a moment or two, Tommy got the gist of her motions and gently sucked on the wet cloth. He wanted to moan in happiness. He hadn't realized just how dry and raw his mouth and lips had become. But the woman was helping him and he wasn't even one of her people.

They continued the process a few more times before she placed the cloth in the water again. She then got ready to continue on to the next person, but Tommy grabbed her hand quickly. She looked down in shock, barely masking the surprise at the fact 10K was actually able to move. She just didn't know how persistent and pig-headed Thomas Avery the Second was.

"Thank you," 10K rasped out, trying to adjust his head position a little more. He licked his lips and felt a sudden urge to cough, but bit it back. She'd just finished with him. He didn't want to make her have to work even more.

The old woman smiled brightly and crouched down, her weary bones clicking as she settled in front of Tommy's bed. He pushed his shoulders against the straw mattress, shifting his position, and then struggled to catch his breath after the movement. She stroked through his hair, much like a mother would. tommy felt like he was back home with his mother. He let out a tiny purring noise at the back of his throat and closed his eyes.

"You are very welcome, Child. How are you feeling?" the old woman asked, gently stroking through his shaggy black hair a moment later. He blinked at the sudden exhaustion he felt, but forced a smile. For her benefit, at least, he smiled. Tommy felt like he was choking on air.

"Tired," he breathed out. "chest hurts. Feels like it'll explode." He managed to lift one, limp hand and pressed the palm to his sternum.

The woman clicked as fear suddenly came into Tommy's eyes. He let out a wet cough and then rushed out a sentence.

"M-My friends! Did they leave me?" He felt childish for asking. He was a lone wolf! He was Thomas Avery the Second, Survivalist extraordinaire! But they needed to move on to California and get Murphy to the CDC. For some reason, Tommy was actually afraid he had been left behind. The old woman seemed to notice his fear. She gently shushed him and shook her head soothingly.

"No, child. The woman. The black one, yes? She is running around trying to find more medication, for you. And the one that smells like the drugs? He is delivering the other woman's baby. They did not leave you. The Latino man, however, he seems like he wants to leave." Tommy felt her run her thumb over his temple, the one not covered with a festering sore. Tommy's eyes fluttered like a child's would, but he forced them open a moment later.

Tommy slowly nodded, his breath evening out. Then, his chest suddenly hitched and he was spitting out blood, attempting to catch his breath afterwards. He heard the liquid churning in his lungs. It stayed there as he coughed, but then it all came up. It sprayed out over the pillow and Tommy heard the woman's breathing hitch for a moment. His eyes fluttered in exhaustion, leaving him unable to see the sad, somewhat pitying look the woman had.

"Poor child," she whispered, whipping the blood away from Tommy's red lips. He slipped into unconsciousness quickly, his breaths coming quickly and shallowly, leaving his face rosy and pinched.

"How's our guy?" Roberta asked as she knelt down on the other side of the woman. She placed a hand on the top of the boy's head, at the crown, and gently rubbed it. That was all that she could do while they waited on him to get better. Or... Or until he received mercy. They could move him, but they had medication right now.

"He is scared," the old woman pronounced slowly.

Roberta threw her a surprised look, but then felt understanding zing through her. 10K had any number of reasons to be scared. Damn, the kid was probably dying from Anthrax!

"He asked for you. All of you. He was afraid you had left him behind," she explained, emphasizing with her hands as she gestured to the boy. "One of first things he asks. He says 'My friends. Did they leave me?' He was worried. I know a worried child. I raised four children."

Roberta's heart wrenched for a moment as she looked at the teen with serious eyes. They would have to get him through this. She scratched at his scalp, watching as the boy relaxed and attempted to push his head into her hand. She had to stop when she felt another pustule. Instead, Warren wiped some of his hair off his sweaty scalp.

"We'd never leave him. Believe it or not, he holds us together. He's strong and fierce. Can kill a zombie with a rubber band and a paper clip," Roberta said with a fond smile. She glanced up at the old woman and sighed again before focusing on 10K.

"He reminds all of us of someone that we left behind. Our childhood. He's so innocent, yet he's got this knowledge of the world. We'd never leave our guy, not if we can help it. He's probably most of the reason we got so far. Most of us would be dead from stupid mistakes without his sharpshooting skills." Roberta was mumbling it as she continued to try and get some of the sweat off the teen's forehead. His chest heaved up and down rapidly, hitching whenever he spit up more blood. Her heart kept wrenching when she looked down at him.

"We have those people here as well," the old woman replied as she wiped more blood off 10K's lips. The boy didn't even flinch anymore.

Roberta nodded as she patted the teen's shoulder. She stood when she saw Vasquez. She'd be back. They'd always come back for 10K.

"I'll be right back," she promised the both of them. She swiped one hand through the teen's sweaty hair before leaving.

When Roberta left, the old woman clicked her tongue. She could feel the boy's fever from where she was sitting. He had to be sweltering. Just how high would his fever get before his brain turned to mush? The woman looked up at their 'leader' and shook her head.

"They need to be here. He is very sick. His fever, it is the highest I have seen. He is fighting, but is sick." The woman continued to try and cool 10K down, but the cool cloth did very little to help. She placed a very cool cloth on his forehead in the end.

Tommy attempted to tip it off immediately. The woman, however, placed her wrinkly hand on the cloth, keeping it in its spot. After a moment 10K began to calm, but the woman still didn't feel right about this.

"There we go," she whispered and stroked his cheek, making sure to avoid any sores. He tipped his head into her palm, but remained asleep. The blissful sleep would help him, she knew.

"Fritz, what do we do? More people are sick."

Fritz looked at her, desperation in his eyes.

"We continue the way we are. Then, when this has passed, we continue our way of life." Fritz placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before looking down at the boy. He had saved some of their people. A man like that deserved as much help as they could offer.

The woman returned to 10K, who was beginning to twitch and shift in his sleep. She smoothed another hand over his hair and began to sing, hoping to ease the boy. No one deserved to be suffering in their final times.

The boy looked like her own son. He had gone off with a wife- a pretty little Native American girl- and left the community almost twenty years ago. Last she had heard, they had a son and were raising him to survive. She wondered if the boy knew her son. She shook off the thought when 10K's eyes fluttered open- just for a moment- before sliding back down. She could tell he was mostly aware, however.

"Hello again," she whispered soothingly. She pulled the blankets up to his shoulders and patted his cheek. "Your friend, the black one? She was here a moment ago. She said she will be back."

Tommy's eyes fluttered and he blinked sluggishly. No words or recognition appeared, but he seemed to understand. He coughed harshly, more goopy blood appearing from his mouth. After just another quick moment, the boy let out a sigh and fell back into his restless sleep.

The woman smiled. That was just like her own Thomas.

She took his hand, squeezing it gently. Tommy laid there, holding the hand loosely and latching onto the comfort she provided. Very gently, the old woman bathed his face with a cloth before continuing to his neck. There was nothing she could do but provide him comfort. No one should die alone.

They sat like that for a while, the woman providing comfort. She hadn't moved on to another, wanting to sit with a boy she felt kinship with. He slept on, his fever continuing to climb and climb as she attempted to combat it. The boy's eyes slid open again after another moment.

"Hello again," the woman proclaimed happily as she bathed down his chest. There were now pustules showing there as well. She wanted to cry for the young man.

"Hi," Tommy breathed out sluggishly. His eyes kept dipping down as he fought against the exhaustion attempting to claim him. "I-If I die, can you do something for me?" He felt like his body was already failing. There weren't anymore meds, he knew. Roberta would have already given it to them if it had been found. He needed to make sure that his friends knew something.

"You can tell them yourself, yes?" she asked as she pulled his shirt over his head. She had a full washcloth that she could dip in water and rest on the pustules. Tommy's eyes fluttered and he shook his head. He was going to die, and so was everyone else.

"My name is Tommy. I-I never gave them my name," he mumbled as his lungs began to churn again. It was like the feeling when you were trying to hold back diarrhea. His lungs felt like they were going to fill with fluid. Tommy licked his lips.

"Th-There's a cabin two miles west of the California lab. My cabin. Old one. they should use it if I turn." Fear then took over his eyes, perhaps for one of the first times since he was trained by his Pa.

"Don't le-" Tommy cut off with a wild cough and curled up on his side. He hacked up blood, it landing on the pillow again. His eyes tried to slip shut, but he forced them open.

"Don't let me turn," he wheezed before quickly passing out. His body went limp and he was out immediately.

The woman grabbed at his neck, rolling him over to check if he were alive. After feeling the gentle, but faint beating of his heart, she knew he was getting ready to go. She glanced up at Fritz, who made a sign in their religion.

"Let him go in peace. Then we will help him cross over."

The woman knew who was coming and why they were there before they even spoke. The man and the woman were there in the room before she knew it and the man grabbed the boy. The teen was hung off his shoulder like meat, but the woman knew that it was the only way he could be carried. But Thomas began to cough and hack on the way, blood spattering and dripping on the man's Kevlar vest. She winced, but stayed where she was.

"Go in peace. Grace to you," Fritz whispered, everyone echoing his words. The old woman stared as the three left.

"Grace to you," she whispered before returning to her duties. No one should die alone.

In the back of the truck, Addy sat and stroked at 10K's shoulder, trying to nudge the teenager awake. He was fighting it, his body not yet strong enough to really wake up. But the boy needed another dose of the life-saving Cipro. Addy also had a little... present. She continued to rub and shake, glancing up to Doc when he wasn't really reacting.

Doc shrugged. He'd never dealt with Anthrax. Hell, he wasn't even a doctor! He sat on the edge of the tailgate as they waited.

Slowly, after even more prompting, 10K's eyes slid open. He let out an ungrateful moan when the sunlight hit his eyes. Addy smiled.

"Well, would ya look at that," she said, glancing up at the others. Even Vasquez looked relieved that 10K had awoken.

"Welcome back, kid!" Doc proclaimed happily, passing a full Cipro pill to Addy.

Addy pressed it to 10K's lips, but the boy's nose wrinkled and he tipped his head away from the pill. Addy huffed, but he opened his mouth to speak before he took the pill.

"Di- Did she have the baby?" he whispered as he looked around. His eyes blinked heavily as he attempted to clear the sleep.

"Yeah, kid. She had her baby. Take the pill."

10K raised his eyebrows at the pill, but allowed Addy to press it into his mouth. Gently, she was able to get him to swallow some water. It happened with a severe wince due to the pustules upon his face and chin, but the pill went down well.

"Present for ya. There are girls still out there, and you will not die a virgin. I promise. When you do, don't be stupid," Addy proclaimed as she passed over a package. 10K took it carefully and glanced at it.

"Billy Boy Brand Condoms?" he questioned with a raise of the eyebrow, though it seemed halfhearted.

"Don't be stupid, kid. Like that guy. I just don't understand how that happened." Vasquez shook his head as he glanced back at Murphy, Lucy, and Warren. 10K didn't watch, however.

Addy slid next to him and placed his head on her shoulder. His eyes immediately slid shut and he began to drift as he heard one last comment.

"You gotta understand... There was pie."