𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

The Farm

When Carl wakes up, I excuse myself from his room to give him and his dad a moment to speak alone. Stepping out of the farmhouse, I can't stop the grin that takes over my face.

I did it- I finally found people, a group, to join.

As I quickly jog down the farmhouse steps, my thoughts of happiness are interrupted by a voice behind me.

"What's got you looking so happy?" Maggie's voice breaks through, and I turn to find her sitting on the porch railing, one leg propped up on the banister.

Excitement still coursing through me, I meet Maggie's curious eyes with a cheerful smile. "Oh no big deal, I just became a member of their group," I quip with a playful shrug and Maggie responds with an enthusiastic smile.

"That's great news, I'm happy for you. Carl doin' okay?" Maggie checks, her concern evident as she leans forward.

I nod, ascending the porch steps to join her. "Carl is a strong kid. His stats are stable and I think he'll recover completely," I tell her briefly, my pride and relief evident in my expression as I lean against the railing next to Maggie. The warm morning breeze pleasantly blows through the porch, jostling our hair.

Maggie hops down from the railing and stretches. "That's great Cass, I'm glad he's doin' better. I've got to do some chores, but I hope you have a nice day," Maggie says with a friendly smile, but I stop her before she can leave.

"Wait- please let me help. I want to contribute to earning our keep here," I insist, bringing a smile to Maggie's face.

"Okay doc, let's go," Maggie agrees with a grin, leading me off the porch and into the farmstead, where the sun is steadily rising in the sky.

Over the course of the day, Maggie and I work together on various tasks. We collect eggs, clean the coop, fetch water from the well, tend to the horses and chickens, and care for the garden. In the midst of our labor, we share stories and conversations, getting to know each other.

As we go about our chores, Maggie curiously throws me a question. "So, have a guy or gal waiting back home?" She asks before freezing, looking at me with regret behind her eyes.

If he were alive, he would be with me.

I offer a reassuring smile. "It's okay, we all forget. And no, not anymore." I say thoughtfully, glancing down at the basket of eggs I'm holding, my stomach twisting slightly at my next words.

"I had a fiancé. But he... hurt me. A lot. So I uh- got a restraining order against him and from that moment on, focused on work and not men," I admit awkwardly as Maggie nods with understanding, fishing out the last couple of eggs from the coop.

"I'm glad you knew your worth. Otherwise, you'd be stuck with him at the end of the world," Maggie comments, a note of humor in her voice as she places the eggs in the basket I'm carrying, adding a slight weight to it.

Smiling slightly to myself, relief and gratitude wash over me because she's not treating me like a victim.

"Oh yeah, that would've been awful," I mutter with a slightly bitter laugh, suddenly feeling very appreciative that I left him when I did- a few months before this all happened.

I decide to switch the topic and tease her a bit. "And what about you? Anyone catching your eye?" I nudge her playfully, my curiosity getting the better of me.

A slight blush creeps on her cheeks as she shakes her head, leading me away from the coop.

"No, not yet," She smiles and averts her gaze, her short brown hair falling to shield her face. I'm not entirely convinced, especially after seeing the way Glenn looks at her, but I don't push further, respecting her privacy.