Operation Bite Mark sat around their campfire. Warren and Garnett were sitting on the dirt next to each other. Mack and Addy were leaning against a log. Murphy sat away from the rest as if he was too good for them, though the same could be said about Cassandra who kept a fair distance between her and the others. Doc was sitting next to this new guy who apparently told Doc his name was Ten Thousand, like the number. The rest of the group was wary of him. He looked young, probably in his early twenties. They were all holding plastic spoons and dented pie tins as they were sharing a giant can of stew.

Addy grumbled. She was nervous like everyone else, but for some reason, she liked the new guy. He almost reminded her of her younger brother. Almost. She couldn't take the tension in the air, so she decided to break the ice. She asked the young man, "So.. Doc here says your name is Ten Thousand, That true?"

The young man nodded, "Yeah."

She tried again, "Uh… why? Were you given that name or make it yourself?"

Ten Thousand said, "I made it myself. It's how many zombies I'll kill."

Warren, now confused, asked, "How do you know when you get to ten thousand."

He shrugged, "I count. I'm on 1,067."

The conversation fell silent again. They continued eating what little food they managed to scavenge. Addy sighed in annoyance. She tried again, "So Ten Thousand, can I call you 10K?"

He nodded.

"And you've met everyone else?"

He nodded again. He had been introduced whenever they were first setting up camp. However, he stayed as close to this Doc person as much as possible; though he didn't really trust Doc that much either.

Doc finally picked up Addy's vibe and wanted more conversation out of 10K. He said, "Well, 10K, you've met everyone. Tell us a little about yourself, hmm?"

Surprisingly, 10K shook his head 'no'.

Doc wasn't about to give up. He said, "No? You know what, that's fair. But you can trust us, bud! Here, I'll go first. Uh, my favorite color is blue. What's yours, man?"

They could see the smile tugging on 10K's lips, though he tried to hide it. He answered quietly and touched his scarf, "Red."

Addy and Doc shared a grin. Addy joined, "I like cats. Are you a dog person or a cat person?"

He was full grinning now, "Dog."

The others joined in.

"My favorite season is summer. What's yours?"

"Fall."

"My favorite food is tacos. Yours?"

"Pizza."

By then, they were all smiling. Doc said, "I'm 51. How old are you?"

At this, 10K's smile dropped. Instead, confusion showed on his face. He just shrugged.

Garnett took this one. He leaned forward and suggested, "That's okay. Let's start with your birthday. When is it?"

10K shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to so much attention, given that he hadn't talked to another human being in three years, or what he was guessing to be three years. He had lost track of time and dates a long time ago. Doc thought he may be uncomfortable not knowing anyone else's, so he said, "Mine's April 20th,1965."

It must have worked because he said softly, "July 4th, 2000."

The group quieted to silence. The others shifted worried glances to each other.

Warren broke the silence, "Are you serious?"

When the young man- no the kid- nodded, their hearts sank. Doc slowly asked, "You're sixteen?"

10K shrugged, "Is it 2016?"

Doc nodded. 10K replied, "Then I guess I am."

Addy, much like the others, was lost for words. Even Murphy didn't know what to say. Doc shook his head, "Damn, kid. You were like, what, thirteen when the apocalypse started?"

10K nodded again.

Doc swore again, "Damn."

Addy learned into Mack. No wonder she felt so attached. He was the same age as her little brother when it all happened. When she lost her entire family.

That was the first time they realized how young 10K is.