Maggie had already gone back, but Jason still couldn't figure out what was on her mind. It seemed it would take some time to truly understand her.
"What did she just say to you?" Rick walked over, eating from a bowl.
"She—wait a minute!"
Jason was about to answer when he noticed Rick munching away. He immediately glared at him and snapped, "You sneaky bastard! You started dinner without even calling me?"
They had found some frozen beef on the road—it tasted way better than the usual beef jerky.
"You didn't ask me."
As the old saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Rick had clearly picked up some of Jason's sarcasm, and his response nearly made Jason explode.
"Get lost. You're picking up all my bad habits and none of the good ones."
Jason rolled his eyes and shoved Rick aside while grumbling. He hadn't eaten all day and was starving.
Jenner, the team's doctor, had been putting in a lot of effort. Every day, he made a small batch of nutritional supplements, mixing them with glucose and giving a little to everyone—kids and adults alike—to help boost immunity and overall health.
"Doctors really are something else. Always coming up with new ways to help us," Andrea said, standing beside Jenner as he prepared the mix. She was amazed. Things that were usually consumed separately were now blended into one practical concoction.
"We don't have much choice," Jenner replied with a sigh. "We're missing plant-based nutrients. We can't just eat meat every day—we need fruits and vegetables, and we're completely out. This is the only way to keep things balanced."
A proper diet needs both meat and vegetables. Just eating meat adds energy and fat but doesn't build the kind of strength and health they needed to survive.
"That's an issue," Rick agreed, "but we could trade with the farm. We've got enough supplies to exchange for fresh produce. I don't think Hershel would turn us down."
That idea had already come up in one of their meetings, and it seemed like the best course of action.
Later that night, Jason was supposed to take the watch, but Shane volunteered to take over instead. Everyone had noticed how exhausted Jason was, and they all encouraged him to get some real rest.
He finally slept deeply. After days of being on edge, Jason relaxed completely for the first time in a while and slept until he woke up naturally.
When he finally opened his eyes, it was already past ten in the morning. Crawling out of his tent, he saw Lori and a few others washing clothes nearby. He raised his hand in greeting, grinning. "Good morning—well, actually, good afternoon."
Lori stood, drying her hands on her pants, and smiled. "Sleep well? You looked so peaceful this morning, we didn't want to wake you. There's food by the fire—I saved you some."
The women couldn't do the heavy lifting, but when it came to laundry, cooking, and childcare, they were the backbone of camp life.
"Perfect. I'm starving."
Jason patted his empty stomach and walked over to the fire. As he lifted the pot lid, a delicious aroma hit him.
"The farm gave us a chicken," Carol explained as she passed by, holding Sophia's hand. "We traded some jerky for fresh vegetables too."
"No wonder it smells so good," Jason said. "They stewed it just right."
After days of eating mostly beef and fish, this was the first time Jason had eaten chicken since arriving in this world. Whether it was intentional or not, the entire chicken was in the pot, surrounded by a rich broth. Without thinking too hard about it, Jason dug in—tearing into the meat and sipping the flavorful soup.
Under a tree in the distance, Shane nudged Rick with his elbow, both of them watching Jason.
"Look at him go," Shane whispered with a grin. "He must've been really wiped out these last few days. He's the one always on the move."
Rick nodded, smiling. "He's the perfect example of 'the more capable you are, the more work you'll do.' But we can't lean on him forever. He'll burn out if we're not careful."