BREAKFAST WITH STRANGERS

Date: 10.9.2224

Location: Red Rocket Truck Stop, Lafayette Outskirts

Morning settled gently over the Red Rocket.

The smell of coffee substitute drifted through the garage while Pinball zipped around the Dean children, still talking about yesterday's victory in Atomic Garden.

Then someone stumbled into the yard.

A man.

Thin.

Dirty.

Hungry.

His clothes were torn from fresh fighting.

He stopped the moment he saw us.

"My name's Chuck," he said cautiously. "I... I was hiding in one of the warehouses."

He pointed back toward the city.

"Feral ghouls chased me in there yesterday."

His hands trembled.

"I stayed hidden all night."

"This morning... they were all dead."

He looked directly at me.

"So I figured somebody cleared them out."

His eyes shifted.

Then he noticed Jean Dean.

His entire posture changed.

"...Oh."

Jean noticed immediately.

Chuck took one cautious step backward.

"I... don't really deal with ghouls."

Silence settled across the yard.

Jean lowered his eyes just a little.

Not angry.

Just tired.

"I understand," Jean said quietly.

"We hear that more than you'd think."

I stepped forward.

"Easy."

"We've got enough trouble already."

"Nobody here is looking to hurt you."

Chuck swallowed.

"I ain't saying he's dangerous..."

He glanced toward Jean again.

"...I'm saying I don't know."

Before anyone answered, Clancy walked over.

"The man you're afraid of gave us food & Shelter."

"He protected us."

"I didn't trust him either."

Chuck looked surprised.

"You didn't?"

Clancy shook his head.

"No."

"I was wrong."

He looked Chuck straight in the eye.

"If Jean Dean wanted you dead..."

"...you wouldn't be standing here talking."

Chuck looked back toward Jean.

His shoulders relaxed.

"Ain't never thought about it like that."

Larry suddenly stepped between everyone.

"I got this."

He wandered over to Jean.

"Hey... Mind helping me feed our guest?"

Jean folded his arms.

"Larry..."

"When are you planning on paying me what you already owe?"

Larry smiled.

"I'll look out for you."

"I promise."

"Just help me help him."

Jean glanced toward Chuck.

"He doesn't even want to deal with us."

Larry shrugged.

"He will... Just give me something."

Jean sighed before opening the old refrigerator.

After a moment he returned holding two enormous boiled mirelurk eggs.

Chuck's eyes widened.

"Those things are HUGE."

Jean nodded.

"They're filling."

"Seven caps."

Chuck dug through every pocket he had.

"...I only got four."

Before Jean could answer...

Larry quietly reached over...

...picked up one egg...

...and turned toward Chuck.

"I'll sell you one."

"Three caps. I'll cover the difference."

Chuck blinked.

"I still don't know how I feel about all this..."

"But... thank you."

He shoved three caps into Larry's hand, grabbed the egg, thanked everyone, and hurried down the road before anything could change his mind.

Larry jingled the caps proudly.

"Business completed."

Jean stared at him for several seconds.

Looks at the three caps.

Then quietly says,

"You still owe..."

Larry smiles.

"Yeah."

"...but today you got three back."

Then laughed.

"Swindler..."

"You've done it again."

He shook his head.

"You know..."

"I see your heart."

"You're not nearly as crazy as I thought."

He pushed the caps back toward Larry.

"Keep them."

Pinball immediately made a loud cash-register sound.

CHA-CHING!

"Financial assessment..."

"Larry Breaux has successfully escaped consequences..."

"...Again."

Everyone laughed.

Even Jean.

Larry puffed out his chest.

"See?"

"I provide value."

I simply shook my head.

Larry rubbed his stomach.

"So..."

"What's for breakfast?"

Jean smiled.

"You."

Larry's eyes nearly jumped out of his head.

"THAT'S NOT NICE, DEAN!"

Jean pointed toward the stove.

"No."

"It's your turn to cook."

"Either make breakfast..."

"...or get out."

Larry grumbled all the way to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, instant pancakes covered the table.

Pinball floated over excitedly.

"I'll take two!"

Jean laughed.

"That machine gets funnier every day."

While everyone ate, I noticed Clancy sitting quietly.

I walked over.

"You alright?"

He stared at his plate.

"...No."

"I need some time."

"This place..."

"It's a lot."

I nodded.

"No."

"You need to stay with it."

"You've survived enemies before."

"Now survive the truth."

"How'd you become a lieutenant?"

Clancy sighed.

"The Enclave..."

"...was a different world."

"That's all I want to say."

I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Fair enough."

"Eat your pancakes."

"We've got enough dying ahead of us."

Across the room Larry called out—

"After this meal you're either gonna be full..."

"...or you're gonna need an outhouse."

"Maybe both."

"But you'll definitely have enough energy to fight a Mirelurk."

Even Clancy managed to laugh.

Jean looked around his little truck stop.

Humans.

Ghouls.

A robot.

A swindler.

Children.

Breakfast.

For a brief moment...

The world almost felt normal.

Before we left, I looked toward the road where Chuck had disappeared.

"Fear brought Chuck to our door. Kindness sent him down the road."

Jean watched the road until Chuck disappeared beyond the warehouses.

Then he closed the Red Rocket door and went back inside.

Breakfast was over.

Life wasn't.

— Big Chief Mike Marcel