(Starter for @magicalmultimuse !) (Continued from this thread.)
The first few days after Diamond settled on the far outskirts of Concord passed quietly enough. After the kids from the nearby truck stop helped him block off the unsafe portions of the house he’d chosen, he spent the rest of that evening unpacking, sorting out temporary accommodations for his brahmin, and scouting out a good location for a longer-term setup for her.
He spent the next morning attempting to sleep off an ill-timed migraine, and by the time he’d recovered from that a light rainfall had started again. He made sure the brahmin’s current grazing area hadn’t gotten too waterlogged and then finished inspecting the house; removing radroach egg cases and other trash, checking for damaged areas, and determining which windows were still intact enough that he might be able to unboard them to let some light in.
Diamond also spent that time thinking.
By the time the second morning dawns clear and passably dry, he has adapted his plans for the next year to suit his newly unplanned living situation… and has made up his mind to have an honest conversation with the kids. He has far less to lose by confiding in them than they might in speaking to him, and trust has to start somewhere.
So he packs up his medical supply bag, planning to make good on his promise to round out any first aid supplies the kids might be short on, and makes his way up the road to the truck stop.