After Bob left, Dr. Caleb finished his notes and came over.
He was completely different from Bob, quiet and mild-mannered. "Hello. I'm Caleb. Rick told me Rock Fortress needs a doctor."
Maggie nodded. "That's right. There are more than a thousand people at Rock Fortress now, but only three doctors. They can barely keep up with the patients.
"On top of that, we're developing medications, so we need people with the right expertise.
"Now that the prison has both you and Bob, you can share the workload between you."
Caleb's eyes lit up. "Rock Fortress is developing medicine?"
"We've actually started trying to produce some already," Glenn said proudly. "Right now, we're making basic wound medicine. Production is still limited, but the higher-ups are gradually expanding it."
"Oh my God! T-that's incredible! Keeping industrial production going in the post-apocalypse is no small feat!" Caleb said excitedly.
Rick listened from the side, looking both impressed and envious.
"When are we leaving?" Caleb asked.
"First thing tomorrow morning," Glenn said. "You can spend today packing your things and saying goodbye to your friends here."
Caleb nodded and looked toward the patients in the ward. "I'll finish treating the most urgent cases and make sure the handover notes are ready. Bob... Bob's skills are reliable."
Glenn and Maggie both noticed the pause and exchanged a glance.
That evening, Glenn and Maggie stayed overnight at the prison.
They had dinner with Rick.
"Glenn, Maggie, how have you two been lately?" Rick asked.
Glenn scooped up some stew and stuffed it into his mouth, so his reply came out slightly muffled. "We're working on a geothermal project right now. By this winter, we should have heating."
"What? Heating?" Rick repeated in disbelief. "You're building a heating system?"
"Not exactly building one, Rick," Maggie explained. "There are hot springs near the base, so there's plenty of geothermal energy. The engineering team plans to channel the hot spring water over and use it for winter heating..."
She noticed Rick's expression and abruptly stopped, suddenly realizing she sounded like she was bragging.
But she wasn't. It was simply the truth.
The shock still hadn't faded from Rick's face as he listened, dipping a piece of bread into the stew. "You've got a good leader."
"Calista really is special," Maggie agreed with a nod. "Her plans are big. Really big. I heard she's planning to take Knoxville in the future."
"Wow! When that happens, there's no way I'm staying here. I just hope Calista lets me go work in Knoxville. Even if it's only as a sheriff."
Rick briefly imagined himself as a sheriff, then set down his bread and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, Glenn, Maggie, what do you think of Dr. Bob? Calista asked me to keep a closer eye on him."
Glenn thought back to meeting Bob and chose his words carefully. "Bob's definitely a good doctor. He seems very experienced.
"But I noticed a metal flask in his pocket. Uh, I don't know if there was water in it, but it looked like... you know, a liquor flask.
"And I was standing pretty close to him. When he talked, I could smell alcohol. I'm not sure whether he'd been drinking or if it was just the alcohol in the infirmary."
Rick closed his eyes and sighed. "Jesus! I knew Calista wouldn't warn me for no reason.
"You know, sometimes I seriously wonder if she can see the future. It's like nothing ever escapes her notice."
"What are you going to do about Bob, Rick?" Glenn asked.
"Nothing for now." Rick opened his eyes. Bob was doing fine at the moment, so he had no reason to warn him. "We need doctors.
"But I'll keep a closer eye on the infirmary's alcohol supply. If Bob... if he actually starts causing problems, then I'll deal with it."
Those words suddenly made the fundamental difference between Rock Fortress and the prison crystal clear to Glenn.
Rock Fortress put safeguards in place before problems happened. The prison waited until something went wrong, then reacted afterward.
If it were Calista, she wouldn't wait to see whether Bob's drinking at the base ever caused trouble. She would call him in and give him a stern warning right away, or even remove him from medical duty beforehand. Better to be short-staffed than keep someone unsuitable in the position.
Rick was still too easygoing.
That night, Glenn and Maggie slept in the cell where they used to stay. The beds were still bare and uncomfortable, but being back in such familiar surroundings stirred a lot of emotions in both of them.
Glenn lay awake, tossing and turning.
"What are you thinking about, Glenn?" Maggie asked softly, feeling him shift restlessly beside her.
"I was wondering what we'd be like now if we'd never left the prison for Rock Fortress," Glenn said honestly.
"We'd probably still be struggling, worrying every day about whether we had enough medicine, enough fuel, whether the walls were strong enough. We wouldn't be thinking about heating for the winter, much less what things might look like five years from now."
"But we did go to Rock Fortress, Glenn." Maggie turned to face him. "And we're already helping build something that truly matters. Some things don't have a 'what if.'"
Glenn took her hand and nodded. Maggie rested against his shoulder.
"Go to sleep. We've still got a long drive tomorrow."
Even so, it took Glenn a long time to fall asleep.
He listened as Maggie's breathing gradually became slow and steady. He listened to the voices of the prison's night watch outside, but sleep wouldn't come.
Those sounds had once been part of Glenn's everyday life. Now they felt unfamiliar and far away.
He no longer belonged here.
The next morning, the three of them ate breakfast and prepared to head back.
Dr. Caleb was already packed.
He didn't have much luggage, just a backpack containing a few clothes and some personal belongings.
Bob came to see him off as well. He looked genuinely reluctant to part and patted Caleb on the shoulder. "Caleb, Rock Fortress is a good place. Good luck!"
"I will," Caleb said earnestly. "You take care too, Bob. Don't... don't push yourself too hard."
The two embraced. Glenn noticed Caleb quickly pat Bob on the back while they hugged and whisper something to him before letting go.
A brief flash of irritation crossed Bob's face, but he quickly hid it.
Rick and the others stood at the prison gates, waving goodbye.
The vehicle drove out through the gates and headed back along the same route they had taken in.
Dr. Caleb sat in the back seat, looking over his shoulder at the prison walls as they grew smaller and smaller, until they finally disappeared around a bend in the mountain road.
"How are you feeling, Caleb?" Glenn asked, watching him through the rearview mirror.
"I'm okay," Caleb admitted. "Every camp I stayed in before this is gone now. Walkers, raiders, harsh winters...
"There are too many things that can go wrong in the post-apocalypse. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.
"The prison is the biggest and safest camp I've ever lived in. I'm a little sad to leave, but I'm looking forward to what's next too.
"Rick told me Rock Fortress is a pretty large base, with well-developed industry, agriculture, and livestock farming.
"I really hope we get to see it soon!"
"It won't be long. Rock Fortress isn't that far away. As long as nothing unexpected happens, we'll be there tomorrow," Maggie said with a smile. "We have several medical stations, and the equipment is better than what the prison has. I wonder which one you'll be assigned to."
"What's the difference between them?" Caleb asked curiously.
"Not much, really," Maggie said. "There's one in the industrial park, one in the agricultural residential area, and one in the administrative center.
"The administrative center, which is Rock Fortress Headquarters, has the most complete equipment. But we don't usually need most of it for everyday cases. Medicine is enough for those."
The vehicle moved steadily along the mountain road as sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting patches of light across the interior.
Glenn switched on the radio and tuned it to Rock Fortress's frequency. "Rock Fortress, this is Glenn. Mission complete. We're on our way back. Dr. Caleb is with us. Estimated arrival at the base is tomorrow afternoon."
A reply came over the radio. "Copy that. Safe travels! The Commander is waiting for you."
At the word "Commander," Caleb straightened slightly in his seat. "Commander Calista? Rick said she's quite young, but she's a natural-born leader."
"She definitely is!" Maggie agreed wholeheartedly. "And Calista is very professional. She'll give you the resources and support you need so you can focus on what you do best."
Caleb looked out at the trees rushing past the window.
He said nothing, but his eyes were filled with anticipation.
...
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