The kitchen was almost full by the time we walked in.
The guys had already brought in one of the wooden tables that were taken from the now temporary laboratory and connected it to the one already here.
It made the room feel really crowded, more cramped than usual, leaving barely enough space to squeeze between the chairs and wall.
Carol, Jenny, with the addition of Miranda, were already in the middle of serving everyone their meals, moving like clockwork.
I was pleasantly surprised by tonight's meal.
It was nothing special by the old world standards, mind you, but we don't use the old world standards nowadays, do we? That would be an unfair comparison.
They had put together a spread of braised beef with thick cuts of onions, carrots, and wild mushrooms alongside bowls of creamy mashed potatoes and delicious-looking stacks of fresh cornbread.
The rich, savory smell completely covered the whole room.
Next to me, Dr. Jenner was standing frozen.
He was staring longingly at the steaming pots, his eyes wide as he secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
I couldn't fault the man, though. Dude probably hadn't had a proper home-cooked meal since the outbreak months ago.
Even though he had non-perishable emergency rations, they couldn't compare to genuine home-cooked meals.
"Let's go sit," I said, breaking him out of his daze.
I clapped Jenner on the back before heading toward the front of the room.
I took my usual place, sitting down at the head of the long, joined table.
Maggie was already there, sitting close to me, her presence a comfort after the hours on the road.
Jenner moved tentatively, finding a spot in the middle of the table flanked by the rest of our people.
The kids—Carl, Duane, Sophia, and the rest—started watching him with curiosity, their eyes darting up and down, no doubt wondering who this new guy was and where he came from.
Soon enough, everyone was served and we were ready to eat.
But before that, I had an introduction to make.
I slowly stood up, deliberately letting the chair legs scrape against the floorboards enough to catch the room's attention.
It worked, because the chatter quickly died down and everyone turned their attention toward me.
"Everyone," I began, gesturing toward the middle of the row. "Meet Edwin Jenner. He's the virologist I found inside the CDC. He's going to be a part of our family from now on."
The announcement was met with a wave of welcoming nods, low murmurs of approval, and a few friendly waves from the guys.
Jenner looked around the crowded, lively room, a bit overwhelmed by the sudden attention but offering a small, genuine smile.
"Nice to meet you all," Jenner said, his voice a little rough but clear enough for everyone to hear.
With the introductions officially out of the way, I sat back down and everyone began to eat.
The casual, noisy atmosphere of the farm returned in full force.
Forks scraped against the ceramic plates, everyone talking with each other about the day's chores, kids snickering over some jokes.
Jenner didn't waste any time. The moment his plate hit the table, he went ham on it.
The man practically wolfed down two heavy servings of the braised beef and potatoes before he finally slowed down, leaning back in his chair with a look of pure, exhausted contentment.
It was the first time I'd seen the tension leave his shoulders all day.
Guess he deserved that after all.
After the dinner affair was finished and the kitchen girls started clearing the tables, I stood up and gestured for Jenner to follow.
It was dark outside now.
The cold night air of late October hit us as soon as we got in the hallway.
I took him over to his quarters, guiding him to one of the shared rooms that we had refurbished with the newly acquired beds from the CDC—hell of a lot better than what we had before.
"Get some rest, Doc," I said.
I wished him a good night, turned around, and went straight to my room.
The room was quiet when I walked in.
Maggie was already in bed waiting for me, sheets pulled up to her shoulders as she stared at the ceiling.
"Hey," she said as soon as she saw me.
"Hey yourself," I replied before I quickly took off my clothes and joined her in bed, sliding under the warm blankets immediately afterward.
Maggie shifted closer to me, resting her head against my chest.
I couldn't help but feel the tension in her body, though I stayed quiet, opting not to pressure her.
Lo and behold, after a few quiet moments, she opened up to me about her insecurities.
Her voice was barely a whisper in the dark.
She started talking about how she feels like the old world is never coming back, no matter what we do.
She told me about the fields inspection earlier today and how her father firmly believes this nightmare is some sort of God's test meant to try their faith.
But she admitted straight out that she just doesn't believe the same things anymore—the prayers, the constant optimism, it all just felt empty to her now.
I kept quiet, listening to her until she ran out of words.
Then I wrapped my arms around her protectively, hugging her closer and comforting her gently.
"We don't know that for sure, Maggie," I said softly, keeping my voice low and steady.
"We don't know if this is a man-made disaster or a freak accident. Nobody does."
I felt guilty lying, but she needed to hear that.
"But as long as we stay alive, we're bound to find a way through this. I brought back a man today who actually understands the science behind it. We're gonna find a way to cure this, or at the very least find a way to immunize ourselves to it so we can build something permanent."
Maggie didn't say anything right away.
She just lay there listening to my voice, letting the words sink in slowly.
The tight knots in her shoulders started to loosen.
She relaxed a little after hearing that, and wrapped her arms around me.
With the heavy anxiety finally starting to drain out of her.
The exhaustion of the long day finally catching up to both of us, and we soon fell asleep after that.
(To be continued...)