CAROLINE WAS HELPING put nails in the wood planks for the giant radio tower. Jim saw Kenny and rushed over

"Hey, Kenny" Jim said

"Hey. Jade's all set up in the kitchen, uh, with the batteries, and, uh, I think we've got enough wire and cords now for the cable" Kenny said

"All right, well, we're gonna need more material if we want to get this tower up high enough" Jim said

"Right. I'll send people down to the barn. I think there should be plenty of wood there for them to scavenge" Kenny said

"All right" Jim replied

"Cool" Kenny said. Donna walked up

"Hey, how you doing?" Jim asked but Donna looked like shit. Something bad had happened

"Had a rough morning" Donna replied as she walked past them

"Is, uh.. Is Eric with you? I need him to go on a supply run" Kenny said. Donna turned and looked at them

"Eric's not coming" Donna said before she continued into Colony House

"Caroline! I need Caroline! There's a nail in my finger!" Someone yelled causing her to stop what she was doing. Kenny turned and looked at her

"You'd think people would know how to nail a fucking board" Caroline sighed before walking off

☆♡☆

ONCE CAROLINE HAD FINISHED playing doctor for some of the dumbasses in this town she wanted to check on Donna. It seemed Kenny had a similar idea as they both walked into to see Donna drinking. It was to be expected considering Eric had hung himself last night

"What do you two want?" Donna asked

"I, uh.. I heard what happened. You okay?" Kenny asked

"Not my bathroom the asshole hung himself in. Shouldn't you be out there rounding up supplies or building a spaceship or some shit? You should be playing doctor with all these fucking dumbasses" Donna said

"I'm playing doctor with you.. right now.. a mental doctor" Caroline said causing Donna to chuckle

"Shut the fuck up" She said with a small smile

"If you want someone to talk to-" Kenny was cut off

"Oh, so, now you're sheriff, you're gonna start doling out words of wisdom? One thing I always appreciated about Boyd is he minded his own business" Donna said

"Don't be like that" Caroline said but Kenny just shook it off

"Well, I'm gonna take a few people down to the barn, salvage some more wood for the tower. Maybe if you want to.. Come with us or.. I don't know" Kenny said

"You want wood? We got plenty of wood" Donna said as she set down her drink with a smile. She then walked out leaving the duo confused

"Where are you going?" Kenny asked but Donna didn't respond. They followed after

"Let's get wood!" Donna yelled

"Donna!" Kenny yelled as they went down the stairs

"Come on! I'm saving you a trip!" Donna yelled

"Donna" Caroline said. They went into the kitchen

"Donna! Hey! Hey! Donna!" Kenny yelled as Donna grabbed an axe. Jim immediately backed up

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jim said as they thought she was gonna use it on them

"Holy shit" Caroline said. Kenny was trying to stop her

"Oh, calm the fuck down! I'm not a fuckin' psycho. You said we needed wood? Let's get wood" Donna said before she slammed the axe into the woods floor. She began breaking the wood. They just watched her in shock

"Donna, please" Kenny said

"Better here than any of that half-rotten shit you're gonna pull off the barn" Donna said

"You gonna get her to stop or you want me to?" Jim asked

"Donna, stop! We need- we need this place intact" Kenny said

"For what? Huh? We're all going home, right? We don't need this place anymore. Your glorious tower's gonna get us all home. No need to keep this place standing. It's not a home anymore. It's a fucking tomb! The fuck! Fuck!" Donna screamed as she slammed the axe down and dropped it. Caroline rushed over and hugged Donna tightly. But, Donna pushed her off and walked away. "Fuck off!"

☆♡☆

CAROLINE WAS HELPING Tian-Chen make dinner while Jade ranted as he usually did. RJ was taking a nap upstairs

"Does he ever shut up?" Caroline leaned over and whispered to Tian-Chen. The older woman looked at her before nodding in agreement. The duo giggled before getting back to work

"People just don't understand what it's like. I mean, it's not like you can take a nickel and suddenly make it worth 10 cents! Aw, it doesn't matter. You know why? Because Jade is a genius. Jade'll figure it out. You.. Let me tell you both something, you have no idea how much pressure that is to be the one that everybody just assumes can fix a.. an unfixable problem!" Jade ranted. Tian-Chen and Caroline side eyed one another as they silently communicated their annoyance with Jade. "Oh, and then.. then you've got Mr. Tea Cups sauntering in with his big white horse and his blue eyes and his, 'Oh, don't smoke weed, you degenerate.' Fine, fine. You know what? Fine. You think you can fix this? Go ahead! Fix it! I'm just dying to see how it's done. Ha!"

Tian-Chen had finally had enough. She dropped the spatula, and Caroline grabbed it and took over. Tian-Chen turned and looked at him before she began scolding him

"You so much complain! Complain, complain! Stop complain!" Tian-Chen scolded. The food was ready and Caroline put it on the table

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" Jade said as he sighed

"You need electric?" Tian-Chen asked

"Yeah" Jade replied. Tian-Chen flipped the light switch, turning on the light above the dining table. She then flipped it off, and then on, and then off again. "The problem is you can't plug anything in. I mean, it'd be one thing if it was just, you know, like a pan we could throw on the stove. God knows, whatever's coming up through those wires is still.."

Jade had finally shut up for a moment and Caroline relished in it. Tian-Chen went back to the counter to start cooking the vegetables since they had done the meat dish

"Holy shit. I know how to do it" Jade said

"Good, now shoo" Caroline said making Tian-Chen laugh

(1060 words)
11/06/24

OMG RANDALL ARRIVES IN CHAPTER 11 WE'RE SO CLOSE