Chapter 4: Interlude
After everybody had been seen by the doctor and given a semi-clean bill of health, "exhaustion and minor malnutrition all around," was the doctor's only find, they sat down to fill in the questionnaire handed to them by Pete. "Just answer honestly and what your comfortable answering. When your done we'll put together a portfolio of groups that are looking for new members and we think would fit best." "How many groups are in your network?", Rick asked as he took the paper. "Well last count I had was approximately 300 or so, but that number could have gone up since I last did a count." "300 groups!?" Carl yelped, Pete chuckled, "You gotta remember kid, we stretch from the West Coast to the East Coast and up into Southern Canada and in to Mexico as well. Considering the amount of area we cover 300 isn't that many." "Oh. I guess when you put it that way.", Carl said dejectedly. "Now don't get me wrong, Kid, each group is fairly good sized. I figure we got about 14,000 people in-network and that doesn't include the pilots and crews of my group. So overall about 15,000 people that we take care of." "Are there really only that many people left?", Asked Glenn softly. "More than that probably, those are just the ones we are in contact with, the ones that have places that they have settled and fortified. I reckon there are probably three times as many, if not more, that are constantly on the move because they haven't found somewhere safe yet or are holed up in such remote places we haven't found them yet." "That comes out to approximately 1 in 5450 of the US population has survived this plague.", Eugene monotoned in the shocked silence that followed. "Eugene," Rosita said, "Not the right time." "Oh, Sorry." Eugene said tonelessly. Pete studied Eugene for a few seconds before asking, "What end of the scale are you on, Son?" "Scale, what scale are you talking about?" Ford asked. "I am high functioning." Pete nodded at the answer while Ford continued to ask what scale they were talking about. "Eugene here is Autistic, aren't you, Son?" "Autistic! He ain't autistic! He talks and everything!" Ford said. "There are different levels of Autism, the most extreme cases are non-verbal, but more mild cases or those on he extreme other end of the spectrum are verbal. The biggest clue is that they have few social skills and don't always understand social cues. Resulting in them saying or doing something inappropriate with no idea that it IS inappropriate in that particular setting." Rick explained. "I'm jus' surprised ya didn't figure it out sooner, I recognized it the first couple a' hours after meetin' him," Daryl stated, with a shrug before finishing the questions they all had been given, while Ford sputtered indignantly and the others stifled their amusement.
After the revelation of Eugene's disorder everyone finished the questions and handed them back to Pete. "While we go through these and get things organized why don't you folks get some sleep," He said motioning to the cots on the other side of the hanger. "Thank you," Rick said as Glenn and Maggie pushed a couple together so they both would fit and one of the Angels brought a folding crib for Judith. Everyone was asleep not long after laying down.
With Alexa and Group: Present Day:
"Sam! Can you help me and Lara get the animals settled and secured before the storm gets here!" Liz called up the ladder. "Can't right now Liz. I gotta help Dustin get this leak patched while it's halfway dry, otherwise we might be bunking with you and Alexa tonight", he answered from the half-story roof. "Seren should be around somewhere or Alexa." "Last I saw of Alexa she was heading toward the smokehouse," Dustin yelled down as he lifted the pulley with the supplies needed to temp patch the roof. Liz nodded in acknowledgment as she headed toward the smokehouse located near the goat shelter.
"Alexa, you in here?" She called as she stuck her head in the smokehouse. "In the back!" Liz made her way to the backside of the building where Alexa was butchering a large elk that had been hung to drain a few of days before. The sound of the meaty thunks from her blade as she separated the meat from the bones, readying it for drying, guiding her. "The tower just told us we got a storm rolling in in a few hours. Sam and Dustin are trying to patch the leak in the roof before it gets here. Lara is taking care of the chickens getting them secured, I could use some help with the goats." "Alright, let me finish this haunch and I'll be right out." She paused her swing for a second, "How's Jozie?" Liz sighed, "Getting better, she should be up and about in a couple of days." Alexa finished the swing with a grunt, "Good, I'll be out in a couple minutes to help with the goats." Liz nodded before turning to round the building toward the goat pens. She paused at the corner, "You know it's not her fault, right? Jake knew better than to go out alone. He knew the rules and the reasons for them, he chose to go after her." Alexa sighed as she dropped the butcher blade on the work table and dropped her head into her bloody hands. "I know! I know, you and Sam have been telling me that for the last week, Okay! But I can't help but think if she wouldn'a stormed off throwing a tantrum, he wouldn'a had to go after her and he wouldn'a gotten killed." Liz came back and put a hand on her shoulder. "There wasn't anything any of us could have done. We didn't even know he was gone "til we got his distress call. By that time he was already dead." Alexa dropped her hands and turned toward Liz revealing the deep bruising under her eyes from lack of sleep and bloody smears from her hands. "I know that here," she said pointing to her head, "But here keeps telling me differently," motioning toward her chest. The wind gusted and rattled the sides of the smokehouse. "Come on, lets get the goats in and make sure Lara doesn't need help with the chickens. Then Dustin and Sam could probably use some help getting the roof patched." Liz said turning to walk out of the shed. Alexa cleaned up the butchering shed and washed off the worst of the blood, then followed Liz out to herd the goats into their enclosure and secure them. By the time they made it back to where the ladders were leaned up against the house Sam and Dustin were on their way down. "Get it patched?" Alexa asked. Sam shook his head, "Too wet, had to just put a tarp over it and secure it for now. We're not gonna be able to patch it til it dries out some." "So, not til summer gets here, huh?" Liz said. "Pretty much." Dustin answered. Lara met them at the front door. "All locked up and secure?" "Yep! All the chickens are secured." "The greenhouses are secured as well," Seren said.
The rain started coming down heavier and the wind picked up as they all filed into the mud room and shucked their rain gear and boots. "Brrr, its going to be cold tonight," Lara exclaimed as she climbed the stairs to the top floor. "Yeah, we should all probably sleep on the top floor tonight, conserve firewood," Sam suggested. "I totally agree with that! Besides, our sleeping area is currently a little damp, right?" Dustin said as he nudged Seren who nodded in agreement. Liz snorted at their antics as she followed them. Alexa had a small smile on her face and shook her head as she double checked the doors and windows on the ground floor before closing and securing the sliding door at the bottom of the stairs before following the others upstairs.