Dan woke up to a slightly orange shine coming through the un-covered window. Under his back he felt the soft warm mattress that he had been assigned, it was a large improvement compared to his sleeping bag. Last night Jackson had taken Dan to his new room, it was on the second floor of the complex. It seemed like the majority of the bedrooms were on this floor too.

It wasn't big or fancy, but it was warm, comfortable and most importantly it was a roof to cover his head. One small dresser stood in the corner with a lamp positioned on top of it. Dan was laid on a single bed that luckily came with a soft pillow and a thick blanket for cold nights.

Just as Dan finished assessing the new room, a knock on the door pulled his attention towards it. He sat up fully and swung his long legs over the side of his bed just as it started to swing open. After a few seconds a slightly familiar, blue haired girl poked their head around the door.

"Oh good, you're awake!" She smiled in relief, "I was worried that Saffy sent me to give you a wake up call."

"No, no, I'm up." Dan stood up from his place on the bed, "Katie, right?"

"That's right, now come on. We have a lot of work to do this morning." Katie ordered, yet still that hint of kindness in her voice.

She turned around and headed out of the door, Dan quickly pulled on his shoes and jacket from off the floor and followed her out. Patiently, she stood outside of his room waiting for him to come out. Without another word, she began to walk and Dan followed. She took him down the ground floor, and Dan recognised the corridor as the one outside of Carlton’s room. The room he had been kept in while he was being treated.

They were heading in the opposite direction to where the courtyard was. Katie was leading him towards the back of the building, where Dan guessed that this was where her farm was. Now that he thought about it, Katie did look a lot like a farmer.

Her blue hair was styled in two french braids, her body was protected by a pair of slim fitted dungarees with a long sleeved, stripy t-shirt underneath and on her feet was a pair of Doc Martin boots.

Katie then stopped them both as they came to a large, metal door and typed in a quick, simple looking password. The door clicked loudly as she pushed a handle down quickly. Her hands pushed it open slowly and then hesitated suddenly.

She turned back to him, her once kind expression, now serious and flat. She bit her lip with concern. That was before finally opening her mouth.

"How much experience have you had with over excited cows?" Katie asked, with no hint of amusement in her voice.

"Pardon?" Dan asked, confusion filling his voice.

But before Katie could respond she opened the door and lightly pushed Dan through it, making him stumble over his own feet slightly. Just before Dan started to fall forward, he was stopped by something big and hard. He hooked his arm over it quickly to stable himself.

Roughly, he stood himself up and tried to dust himself off. But Dan noticed the object he had grabbed onto was huge, black and white and looking at him with big, brown eyes. His heart leaped into his throat and he tried to move backwards. Before he could move a muscle, the thing ‘mooed’ and Dan felt a huge weight crash on top of him.

He was now on the floor, his lower body being crushed by an over sized cow. It's wide body was rolling back and forth over Dan's legs. All the wind had been knocked out of him as he was laid underneath, as Katie had called it, an over excited cow.

Katie however, stood at the now closed metal door, laughing so hysterically that she was doubled over.

" I did tell you!" She gasped in between laughs, "Gabriel is very loveable."

"Can you," Dan breathed, "Please, get her off me!"

Katie straightened her body up a little bit, still laughing. She wiped underneath her eyes before walking over to the playful animal. She blew a little tune through her lips and the cow automatically stopped and stood up.

Katie took a seat on top of a small bench, and the cow immediately trotted over to her, leaving Dan laid on the floor, slowly regaining his breath. Gabriel the cow put her head into Katie's hands and began getting her nose stroked.

"She is as trainable as a dog! Used to be a show cow, I presume." Katie explained as the cow cuddled up to her.

"She is impressively responsive." Dan nodded.

"Don't be fooled by the cuddliness, if she doesn't get her nose rubs, we don't get our milk. That's her game, see, if i tried to milk her without giving her attention she would make it awful hard for me." Katie complained, but her voice still had a loving tone as she rubbed the cow.

"Clever." Dan was impressed.

"Yes, well that is enough for this morning." Katie tapped the cow's head lightly, "We've got work to do."

The two worked with the cow, Katie showing Dan how to milk her properly and carefully. Then after mucking out her pen, Dan was introduced to the chicken coop and how to collect the eggs.

As the early afternoon crept in, Dan and Katie found themselves sitting down and relaxing. Their backs rested on a pile of hay, Gabriel was side by side with Katie, her head resting on Katie's stomach.

"It's kind of relaxing out here," Dan commented, "Once all the work is done."

"Saffy likes it out here too, she gives herself farm shifts with me sometimes." Katie nodded her eyes, trained on the sky, "You wouldn't think the world had come to such destruction."

"I was only out there a few days ago and now I'm here, thanks to Sapphire." Dan agreed, "What's her deal anyway?"

Dan propped himself on his elbow turning to the side to look at Katie with curious eyes.

"Saffy seems mean, but she's not. After saving Gabriel and I, she was strict at first. But once she learns to trust you, you're her family." Katie sighed, "We all have had it rough, but I think Saffy’s story is the worst one I have ever heard. Probably, the worst thing I could ever think of."

Dan was now intrigued by the saddened tone in her voice. Sapphire's story sounds, without even hearing it, like a traumatizing experience. He was eager to hear more.

"So, what happened?" Dan asked, almost jumping out of his seat to hear.

"Oh no," Katie protested, "Saffy's story can only be told by Saffy. She will tell you eventually, if she likes you enough. Only very few of us know the truth."

Dan's excitement lowered so much at the words that had left Katie's mouth. He was so eager to hear it, so enthusiastic to hear and sympathise with other people's stories of survival. But he would have to wait.

Just as Dan opened his mouth to beg for the teasing story, the metal door clicked open and a familiar black haired quiff poked around.

"Morning guys," Jackson greeted, "The perimeter check has been done and the chief is called everyone for lunch. Looks like you got everything done out here."

"Yeah, it took less time with a helping pair of hands." Katie stood up, nudging Dan playfully.

"He's a good worker then, I'm guessing." Jackson smiled at Katie as though she was a long time friend.

"He is a star, an excellent worker!" Katie replied as Dan stood up too.

"Great! The Chief will be more than pleased."

As Katie and Jackson walked ahead of Dan, smiles hanging from both of their faces, he noticed a sense of peace that he had never experienced on the outside. Everyone around here felt safe and sound, and that was a calming feeling.

So, as his two new acquaintances talked about him as though he was not there, Dan knew this was the place to be. And he was coming up with plans to impress Sapphire even more.