"People as individuals are wonderful. I had a neighbor who couldn't stand groups of people but when it came to one on one interactions? You couldn't have met a lovier or more generous man." The smile is gentle as he followed her gaze to her hands and understands the worry. Doc very well knows he shouldn't be so open to people or so open to strangers when he has so much at stake. A gun can only do so much. "They're incredibly bossy to say the least, that's why I set up shop here."
Doc nodded, hands crossing his chest, sleeves riding up to show faint white scars from the last few years of traveling and tending the sick, "Topher is an amazing man and he does manage to slip out of the Chet territory. If you run into him, don't be afraid. Good people are everywhere and need to be everywhere. But he can only do so much and there are so many people outside the Chets."
From what Doc heard, a number of the original population of Cascade Locks had the flu right after the pulse. He worried about that, too. Soap could only do so much and antibiotics and silver nitrate could do only so much. "She's three years old and her birthday is coming up in December. I don't think she quite realizes what that means for lack of parties and sweets." Doc nodded slowly, "I raided more stores for babyfood and formula than I did for anything else those first few months. We were lucky, we stumbled upon a caravan of doctors, nurses, survivalists -- it was the brain child of a doctor and CEO who adapted to the barter system very quickly. It was relatively stable and good 'income'."