They reached the house with no trouble. It wasn't big at all, four bedrooms, three bath, upstairs-downstairs, laundry room, dining room, kitchen, living room. A large house.. but not for seventy-some humans and Irkens, plus all of their supplies.

Dib looked around when they stepped inside, expecting to see people crammed everywhere but, much to his surprise, people were scarce, some laid out on abandoned couches and sitting on the floor.

"Where is everyone?" he asked, following Zim to one of the upstairs room where Jhon was to set up shop.

"This isn't the only house we are occupying," Skoodge, who had joined them up the stairs, replied.

Jhon looked around the room and made a face, but said nothing, setting his equipment down and sighing as he began unpacking. Dib and Tak set their things near his and turned to leave, but frowned at Zim impeding their way. Eyes narrowed, he watched as Zek stepped in bearing rope.

"What are you doing?" Tak asked warily, shifting closer to Dib.

"We can't just let it roam around," Zim replied as Zek stepped up to Dib and seized his arms. The man didn't resist, not wanting to start trouble. Zek bound his wrists together behind his back and started to lead him from the room but Jhon in turn moved into their path.

"It can stay here with me. I might have use of it."

Zim looked the man up and down a moment, speculating, then nodded. "Very well."

Zek released Dib with rather a look of disgust and they left. Tak glared after them, then looked to Dib, frowning. She was to untie him but Jhon stopped her, shaking his head. She frowned, but understood and sighed.

"Alright Dib, I will be back later. I have to go to help organize."

Dib nodded with a grim smile. "Thank you."

She patted his arm, then left and Dib turned to Jhon.

"Take a seat, make yourself comfortable, tell me about yourself," Jhon said as he continued to unpack and arrange things on the small card table that had been found and brought to the room. Dib took a seat on the bed and sighed.

"Well, when I was very young I had this dog.."

Jhon glanced up at him, brow quirked, and Dib laughed.

"No joke? Tell me about this dog of your's."

Dib chuckled more and shook his head.

"What about yourself? How did you get mixed up in all this?"

The doc took his time answering, tinkering with some items of his as if they required all that much care.

"I was just one of the survivors, hiding out in a basement with a few others. Zim found us and I just took over the job of doctor, since I'm the most qualified."

Dib nodded slowly. "You're a valuable asset to this mission, I assume."

"0h yes, the Irkens.. they know nothing about human medicine. Totally useless."

Dib smiled again.

"You came from that unsuccessful hospital raid, right?" Jhon asked, setting a few things up on a wall shelf.

"Unsuccessful in their opinion.." he grumbled before answering, "Yes, I was trapped in one of the hospitals. They hadn't gotten to me yet. Although.." he trailed off, thinking about his appearance and frowning. Jhon glanced back at him again.

"Don't know how you got that way?"

Dib shook his head. Jhon stepped over, taking a penlight from his pocket and kneeling in front of the man. He shone it in Dib's eyes and made a face.

"The silver's there alright, no doubting that. Lean forward." He rose and looked at the back of Dib's neck, frowning and running a finger over the scar there.

"You sure you're not a Soul?" he asked, stepping back and crossing his arms. Dib frowned, looking up at him.

"I don't think so although.. I'm not sure what being a Soul is like, so how can I tell?"

"Remember the working Souls?"

"Yeah." Dib frowned, reflecting a moment on their fate.

"Are you like them?"

"No."

"Then you're not a Soul." Jhon slid the pen back into his pocket and returned to his work. "Baffles me though, you sure as hell look like one."

Dib sighed again and was to lie down but someone suddenly entered the room, startling him.

"Jhon, we need you."

"What's happened?" he asked, straightening from his work and stepping over to the woman.

"Mark, he's hurt himself! I think he's broken his wrist."

Dib watched as they left the room, returning minutes later with the man Mark, holding his wrist against himself and wincing. Dib quickly moved out of the way, going to stand in a corner, much to the woman's displeasing glare.

Jhon had Mark sit down and began examining his wrist, moving it this way and that and pressing at different places with his thumbs. Mark held his tongue, but his face clearly betrayed pain.

"It's not broken. Fractured, possibly, or maybe a bad sprain. What were you doing?" The doctor stepped over to his bag and began rooting around.

"I was just trying to lift a box, but it fell and I caught it wrong."

"Well don't do it again, our supplies are too precious for this shit," Jhon replied, taking a roll of white bandage to the man and wrapping his wrist. "I have nothing for pain. You're going to have to deal with it."

Mark nodded, thanked him, and left, but not without a venomous glare at Dib.

Jhon looked at Dib, making a face, and the two shared in a small laugh after the door was closed.

"You're quite the asset," Dib smiled, reclaiming his seat on the bed.

"Apparently. That man's an idiot though. Always coming to me with something stupid. Plus his wife thinks he's just the king puppy shits."

Dib laughed again, enjoying the feeling he'd not had in so long. "Women," he said between chuckles. "Always something else, huh?"

"Yeah something else.." Jhon smiled and turned back to his organizing.

"I've never been involved with one, so I guess I can't say much."

Jhon glanced back at him. "It's not so bad."

Dib tilted his head, sensing something under the surface.

"You would know..?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah." Jhon paused and Dib looked at his hands for the first time. A dulled silver band clung around his left ring finger and Dib frowned, new understanding dawning for him. They remained in silence for awhile after that, Jhon finishing his organizing and then taking to staring out the window.

"Hey," Dib said quietly. He was favored with a curious glance. "I miss my family."

Jhon smiled, turning to lean against the wall.

"I do too."

Dib nodded, then looked up as Tak peeked in.

"Brought food," she said, slipping into the room and locking the door behind her. She set a plate and a small box down on the bed.

"I'm sorry Dib, they wouldn't let me bring you anything."

Dib frowned, watching as she opened the box. Inside was a full meal of beef, boiled baby carrots, and unskinned potatoes. She took a fork from her pocket and handed it to him.

"I hope they don't notice," she grumbled, sitting beside him and passing a fork to Jhon.

He sat down with his plate and the two began to eat as if they hadn't seen food in days, Dib especially.

When they finished, Dib closed the box again and hid it under the bed along with the fork.

"Thank you Tak," Jhon said, cleaning his plate entirely and handing it back to her. She rose, smiling, and left to help with the dishes.

They continued to eat that way for the next couple weeks. Except for the ones who came in for medical assistance, and the times when Dib had to sneak out to the bathroom, he was mostly forgotten about. Those who did remember and realize his presence at the house never bothered to ask what he was eating, assuming he was just being fed from Jhon's plate.

Jhon had untied him, only binding him when someone came to visit. He slept in the medical room, Tak having brought a cot into the room, claiming it was Jhon's orders. Mostly, it was whatever Jhon says goes.

Dib didn't quite realize but he had picked up a lot of knowledge from watching Jhon work, and as he was always one to question, he had gained a great deal of medical know-how from the man.

It would come in handy one day.

Jhon and Dib were awoken in the night by a fevered knocking at the door. Jhon jumped up to answer while Dib moved into his corner.

"What? What's happened?" Jhon asked as he opened the door, unfazed by his sudden transition from sleep to action.

"We found this man outside," Zim growled as himself and Zek carried a man inside. Tak followed behind closely. "He was collapsed on the front steps, begging to be let inside."

Jhon took his pen light from his pocket and began looking the young man over as he was laid on the bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked the writhing man, unable to locate any visible wounds. The man reached into his jacket slowly and drew a gun, swinging it at the doctor and firing.

Dib jumped at the sound, unable to see much more than the moonlight allowed. He stepped forward uneasily, not knowing what to do.

The light fell to the ground, spilling under the bed and casting an eerie glow from underneath it. Zim snatched for the gun, darting forward but recoiling back again with a grunt as it was fired again.

The man swung the gun towards Dib but before he could squeeze the trigger a mechanical leg shot from Zek's PAK, stabbing deep into his chest. The man's eyes widened and he tried to gasp, but no air would save him and he fell limply against the bed, the gun falling to the floor beside him. Zek stepped back, retracting the leg and looking grimly at the blood dripping from it. He turned to Zim, kneeling beside him as Tak and Dib rushed to Jhon's side.

"Jhon?" Tak knelt beside him and pressed a hand against his chest. Dib stood over her, staring down silently. He knew the doctor was dead. The bullet had struck dead-center the man's head.

"Damnit!" Tak snarled, bowing her head and clenching her fists.

"Tak," Zek called quietly. The two glanced at where he crouched beside Zim. Dib picked up the light as Tak moved over to him.

Zim clenched his hand against his side, shivering and shifting with pain. Dib turned the small beam of light on him and took kneel next to the alien.

"Get away from me, fucking creature!" Zim spat at Dib.

"Hang the drapes," Dib ordered Tak. She nodded and quickly lifted a heavy black blanket to the window, hanging it over the abandoned curtain rod and securing it with tacks against the sides of the wall.

"Candles," he ordered next and Zek helped light some, setting them on the shelves. Dib clicked the light off in the glow of the candles and rose.

"Help me move him to the cot."

Together with Tak and Zek, Dib gently lifted the invader and laid him on the cot. Zek looked at him suspiciously, but didn't object.

"Stay away from me!" Zim hissed, baring his teeth at Dib.

"Zek, get that man out of here," Dib ordered and Zek hesitated, then turned and left the room to fetch a blanket to carry the body in.

"Hold still Zim," Tak said, watching closely as Dib took a knife from the desk and began cutting away the invader's uniform. Zim growled but did as told, watching closely every move the man made.

"Get me a bowl of hot water and the tools." Dib set the knife down and clicked on the light to look closer at the wound. It wasn't bad, considering, and the point-blank range had actually helped the alien more than hurt. Tak gathered the things he asked, along with a cloth he forgot to request. She poured water into the bowl from a bottle and heated it over several flames, ignoring the burning warmth through her gloves as the metal heated. She held the bowl, watching as Dib dipped the cloth in, wrung it out good, and then folded it and pressed it against the wound.

Zim hissed through his teeth, eyes closing, hands clenching. Dib left the cloth there to soak the blood and picked up the bag, withdrawing a syringe and finding the appropriate bottle. He filled the syringe and leaned over Zim again.

The Irken looked at him and snarled, striking out and knocking the bowl from Tak's hands as he did so. She leaned away from the flying water, falling to her side as she narrowly missed being splashed. Dib narrowed his eyes and grabbed the alien's arm, forcing it against the bed and holding it there. The Irken tested Dib's long-unused muscles, but the man managed to hold firm as Tak pinned his other arm and he gave the injection.

"Zim, calm the hell down," Tak growled as she was fought against.

"This will quiet him," Dib said, tossing the spent needle aside and clicking open the box of tools. He took the pair of needle-nosed tongs and waited, watching as Zim began to slow and finally relaxed against the cot, panting softly and watching through slatted eyes.

"Keep an eye on him, I only gave a moderate dose."

Tak nodded and laid hands on Zim's arms as Dib began his work.

It took an hour, but he managed to extract the bullet lodged against the muscles of Zim's back. He had gotten lucky; it missed most everything important by a hair's breadth.

"Alright," Dib said as he finished the last of the stitching. "I think he's okay."

"He's an Irken; we heal fast if given the chance." Tak stepped back and crossed her arms. Dib glanced at where Jhon had laid and sighed softly. Zek had silently removed both bodies, but the blood was still there.

"Watch him, I will be right back," Dib said, stepping from the room quickly.

"Dib wait, you can't—" He didn't wait to hear the rest, running down the hall, following the blood droplets. He nearly ran into Zek rounding a corner.

"Where are the bodies?" he panted.

"Basement. They are going to burn them in the furnace."

Dib ran to the basement, flinging open the door and taking the steps two at a time. He burst in on the furnace room where one body had already been placed inside.

Going to the one on the floor, he knelt and slowly peeled back the blanket, frowning at the bloody face. Unfolding the blanket more, he lifted the doctor's hand and dipped his head to touch his cheek against the cooling skin, much to the bafflement of the two humans standing by to burn the body.

"Go well, sir," Dib breathed, then removed the doctor's ring and laid his hand against his side again. He wrapped the bloody blanket around him again and rose, clutching the ring in his palm.

He didn't look up as he turned and walked back upstairs, ignoring the glares and curious looks alike from everyone.

"Dib," Tak met him in the hall, having come to seek him out. He glanced up at her, meeting her eye a moment and then looking back down at his hand, slowly uncurling his fingers. She, too, looked down at the silver band and sighed softly.

"Zim needs you," she said, recognizing Dib's medical skill and knowing she couldn't come close to helping.

They returned to the room upstairs to be greeted by Zim's complaining form, attempting to move from the cot.

"Lay the hell down," Dib said, stepping over to him and crossing his arms. Zim glared up at him but slowly did as told.

"Since when do I take orders from you, Dib-shit?"

"Since you decided to get shot."

Tak covered a smile, coughing into her hand and turning away. Dib glanced again at the blood and spilt water, then looked up at Tak firmly.

"Get someone in here to clean this up."

She nodded and left the room. Dib began stripping the sheets off the bed, balling them up so that the blood was on the inside and tossing them into the hallway. He did the same with the blanket and just threw the whole pillow out. The blood hadn't soaked through to the mattress, but the smell was terrible. Even Zim's antennae twitched at the sharp metallic scent stirred up by Dib's activities.

Two humans came with what cleaning supplies they had managed to find during the stay at the house and, hesitant under Dib's orders, began cleaning up the floor. Dib watched from the corner, only instead of hiding out of the way, he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching sternly.

They finished up quickly and left, casting confused looks at Dib, Zim, and Tak. Dib raised his chin challengingly and they said nothing, gathering the bloody things and toting them down to the furnace room.

"How are you feeling?" Dib asked, shifting to Zim and glaring down at him.

"Fine," he growled back. Dib nodded and looked out at a passing human.

"You, bring us some food!" he ordered. They paused and opened their mouth for a sharp reply, but their eyes befell Zim and they hurried on to do as told. No one would question Dib so long as Zim was there.

Tak sat on the bed and watched, secretly transfixed by Dib's sudden new attitude. It seemed he was waiting for his moment of authority, and was using it well. She didn't oppose. Now that Zim was in no position to threaten, let the humans and Irkens alike know about Dib. They wouldn't believe him to be human no matter what they were told, but maybe they would be convinced to work with him.

The man brought two plates of food, handing one to Tak and the other to Dib. He started to leave, but Dib cocked his head and growled.

"Why didn't you bring Zim some food?" he asked deliberately. The man turned and started to reply, but Tak shot him a look and he left the room with a silent sigh, returning minutes later with another plate. Dib snatched it from him and sent him out with a nod. The man lingered a questioning look by Zim, then left quickly, likely going to gossip to the other's what had happened.

Dib set his plate on the table and pulled a chair over. He prodded Zim's arm to arouse him from his fleeting nap and handed him the plate. He then took up his own and turned to Tak.

"So you guys eat food now?"

"Well," she set her fork down. "We can't find any type of sweet or sugar that we typically eat, so we have to compensate somehow.. Can't go without eating." She poked at her vegetables with the fork and continued eating, doing so without looking at the food. Dib watched her struggle with the food, obviously sickened by it. He pondered at what that would be like as he ate his own.

Zim downed his quickly and without thought, then held out the plate for Dib to take. Dib glanced at him, brow raised.

"Your arm's not broken," he said, taking another savoring bite of the measly portion of unknown meat (and by unknown, he really didn't want to know).

Zim narrowed his eyes, but shifted, reaching to set it on the table and then settling back down to the bed. He glared at the ceiling, willing himself healed so he could murder Dib.

The human finished off his meal and stacked his plate, along with Tak's. He called on the next being to pass the room to take them to the kitchen, which they did begrudgingly under the glower of Tak.

They lived the next two days like this, all under Dib's orders. Until day three.