Athens

In the following hours, Owen sticks close to Richard, helping the man to gradually put more weight on his legs, and regain a little of his balance.
He remembers how, in his previous life as a bored Uni dropout only finding relief in long runs at ungodly hours, he once suffered a serious injury, forcing him in bed for six weeks. He remembers how hard getting back up on his feet had been, then.
If Richard is to come out there with us, he needs to walk.

He resented the pressure Kane put on the older man, ignoring he just woke up. And he resented the man's power games on Billie-Faye.

The rest of the times, he tries to drop in on her to make sure she doesn't do something stupid that could somehow prevent Shayna's plan to get her out there with us, away from the nasty habits she has fallen into. Even if it's just brief visits to say hi, first with the excuse of retrieving his hoodie from her, then just... to be nice.

He tries to stay away from Kane and his provocations, as well as from his close henchmen.

At some point in the days that follow, he regroups with the others to ask audience with Loucilla, to hear straight from the horse's mouth about her missing riders, without Kane's dose of poison and innuendos...

Richard wobbles around with his "adopted son" Owen, as best he can and eventually makes some headway. He's surprised at how patient Owen is, a quality in short supply in one so young, and because of his help, he grows stronger faster. His muscles start to show some definition, and his balance improves dramatically, so much so that he throws away the proverbial crutches and starts walking at a decent pace with no limp.

He lies low in the meantime wanting no trouble with anyone while he walks the road to recovery. He attempts to spend time with Billi-Faye if possible and talk to her. Keep her away from that bastard Kane and other temptations. Like Owen, he too is anxious for an audience with Loucilla for an unvarnished recounting of the events.

Shayna does the rounds, visiting all of the people she knows are combating illnesses and injuries.

There is more to that than just being a good Samaritan. She's also gathering information on Kane and Loucilla - she quietly mentions to each of them that they're being sent out on the road, and asks what to expect Loucilla to require of them.

The last part of that is to engender some backers, who might object if their favorite doctor is sent on a wasteful or sacrificial duty.

Richard has to think about that question. Not the part about how he feels physically. No, it was the part about feeling like his old self. The problem with that was he didn't know who the old Richard was anymore. He had lost him somewhere along the way. Between struggling to stay alive and avoid the temptations of the flesh, because surely, he'd be dead tomorrow, he had become this almost empty shell that he no longer recognized. And the problem with that was he didn't seem to care. He tried to make a connection with Billie-Faye and maybe he had, but look at who she was. Not exactly a class act and that was being kind.

Loucilla was nice. Genuine. A breeze of crisp clean air that he drank of deeply. She looked like home. Normal. Or maybe that's what Richard projected onto her. Anyway, he was glad to meet her.

"I'm alive and I wish I could say I was grateful, but I'm not sure I am." He felt he could be honest with her, and she wouldn't take offence. "My old self. No. No I don't think so." His gaze dropped from her face then. "Thank you for asking and for what you do here, and letting us stay and helping me heal."

Shayna eyes Loucilla with some suspicion, unguarded by propriety. After a moment, she shakes her head and smiles a little. "Men aren't nearly as useful as they pretend to be."

She rubs her hands together. "Outside, of course, but for what exactly will we be searching for?"

The camp at Athens wasn't only full of fucking pricks who needed their balls mashed to hamburger with a sledgehammer, but it sure seemed to have its fair share of men bent on taking advantage of their size and strength, and of the value they brought to the settlement of survivors because of those very same things. There were always worse out there, like the bastards Billie-Faye and the others had run into before. Slavers, rapists, sadists -- the end of the goddamned world sure didn't seem to bring out the best in people.

Richard had trouble finding Billie-Faye over those two days when he got a lot better; Owen on the other hand knew where to look and pulled her out of two different situations that likely would have gone way sideways for the woman. After that, she spent a little time checking in on Tracy, but the kid had gotten in deep with the dickheads Billie found herself mixed up with, and that just made things... weird.

Shanya Billie avoided out of course, lately. Beaver didn't exactly approve of her methods for getting drugs and booze. The former stripper could feel the weight of the other woman's eyes on her.

---

Loucilla is most of the way through her spiel when Billie-Faye staggers in from the back, dragging her axe scraping on the ground behind her. She's dressed for an outing -- half worn-out high top navy blue Converse, jean shorts and a tight long-sleeve Motorhead tee that covers many of her colorful tattoos and emphasizes her chest enticingly. She's tied her messy blonde hair into a pair of pigtails and mascara stains her cheeks -- one of which has a bruise and a rising red welt.

"Sorry I'm late," she announces, slinging her back to the floor and sinking down to sit cross-legged next to it. Her eyes meet each of the others', then she lifts her eyebrows at Loucilla.

"Like Shayna Dawn says... what's the deal?"

Richard responds with a lackluster "Yeah, I am alive."

When Billi-Fae makes an entrance, his eyes light up. But the cursory glance he gets from the woman sinks him right back down into the doldrums as he listens to Loucilla describe their assignment.

He nods to Loucilla, glad that she recognises Kane for what he is.
"We can try... It's a good thing you found us when you did. And you have our thanks. We'd all be dead... Might be the same for the Bethlehem survivors. "

Then he frowns , a nagging question surfacing in his mind. "But... What if the pregnant girl or her group don't want to follow us here? We're not some sort of... cops, or soldiers, taking prisoners... Maybe Kane thinks he is..."

He looks up, "What then?"

Shayna is relieved that Billie-Faye is wearing pants. She worries about the girl, and half hops between thoughts that she's so much of a survivor that she'll do anything, which is remarkable, and that's she's breaking down, which is awful.

But when Loucilla tells them pieces of the plan, she is snapped back to reality. "Bethlehem. Stable? What are you getting at woman? What exactly have you got planned for this young woman and her baby? I don't mind going to fetch folk, that's right enough, but if we're just adding warm bodies to whatever sordid business you got keeping a smile on Kane's mouth breathing face, we gonna have words, sugah!"

"We will ask, of course..." he says, satisfied with Loucilla's answer.

Maybe she is managing to keep that Kane in check... hope she'll stay in control for a bit longer. God knows what Kane would turn this place into, had he the opportunity...

Sitting on the floor looking bored, Billie has now stretched her legs out in front of her. Her hands are behind her, propping herself up as the others talk. Talk talk talk.

She remembers Will. Remembers them sending him on his way.

"So what happened to Will?" she asks, blowing a strand of blonde hair from, her face.

Shayna wonders about the boat. It was such a great idea, but the lake had had sooooo many Walkers floating in it. They had to be exposed to whatever pathogens survived the water that they drank. They hadn't turned, despite her worst fears that she'd kept to herself for a while. Until her and Martin had discussed it. Her stomach lurches with worry for the one-time teacher.

"Fair enough, we can extend the offer. I suppose we're not very threatening as far as recruitment scout options go."

"It's all very noble, and sure, if they don't want our help we won't press it. Some people don't want to be saved." Was Richard referring to himself? He wasn't sure if merely plodding along, trying to make it from day to day, was any kind of life. But it was early days yet in this place. He'd give it a whirl.

"I'm ready to go whenever." Doing something beat sticking around here moping and doing nothing.

Billie says nothing more, instead laying back to get rid of the spins that are currently fucking with her head. Thinking about Eva and Selena, and about the jackasses they were running from... and then about the men that Tracy has fallen in with...

"Too much talk. Tell me when we're actually goin," she says to the others, resting her eyes -- and everything else -- until then.

Owen smiles at the exchange between Shayna and Loucilla. They're not wrong...

Silently admiring Richard for his readiness to leave despite his condition, he nods in assent.
"We can go, yes."

He glances at Billie-Faye, seeing her fatigue -from what? drug abuse? Life itself??- but remembering the fierce, uncanny energy he has seen her displaying under duress, when she fought through a horde of walkers like some Viking warrior, saving their skin.

Let her rest now... maybe we'll see that Billie-Faye again... some day, away from this place.