"Hey! You travelers!" A voice from the direction of the building shouts at us. A perky looking Japanese woman walks over to us in a tattered lab coat waving to get our attention. I slide off of Alberich's back and she stops, "oh my. Is that a Unicorn? I thought they only came to virgins." I could hear Alberich grumble behind me as I step forward toward the woman. "Greetings I am Hunter Gwen, yes Alberich is a unicorn. No, they don't only come to virgins; and he is intelligent. What is your name and what is this place?" The woman upon hearing that Alberich was intelligent became very red and bows deeply in his direction. "I am so sorry I didn't mean to offend you. My name is Atsuko, and this was a facility to make vaccines and find disease cures. In other words we stored many horrible illnesses we ran testing on. Our power started fluctuating a month ago and the others started leaving while I prepared the diseases for sterilization. I would like to join your group as I do not have any where to go, I also can add to your group in a couple ways. First during my internship I worked in an ER and I have surgical training. Second, I do still have a large amount of fully approved vaccines still in cold storage." She looks at a pocket watch, "For about an hour before the power dies completely. So I can make sure everyone is up to date on any shots they need, but I also know the diseases if the symptoms start appearing, Though this will be the last batch of vaccines ever made unless we can remake power plants and all the technology we have lost now. I've seen via a couple of drones that got eaten what most of the cities look like."

I look to Jake who looked like he was stunned, granted I am a bit surprised as well. This was a stroke of luck, while I knew some might protest the concept of vaccines. Given it would subtract one concern from our minds at least temporarily, not having the youngest children getting mumps and measles would be wonderful.

I step closer to Atsuko and bow to her slightly, "welcome to our group. Just so you know we will be traveling the land bridge to the other side of the ocean. So there is potential for injury or even death if you go with us." She smiles, "thank you for being forthright with me. I am not concerned, I know who you are and I am certain you will get us to where ever you are planning to go;" She then looks around me to Alberich and Cheshire who is again sitting on Alberich's rump. "A thousand pardons, but are you subject to horse ailments? And is your friend subject to cat ailments? I have animal vaccines as well, I highly recommend everyone get a malaria and west Nile vaccine though due to how many mosquitoes we may have this year due to all the things that can capture standing water. I also have a stock of basic medicines for diabetes as well as some synthetic thyroid pills that I suggest we take just in case they are needed."

Cheshire leaps off Alberich's back and glides to where we are standing and executes a perfect landing and sits next to me. "Why thank you, as to my horn headed friend he is subject to some of the illnesses that horses are. Giving him a tetanus and a west Nile would be best. I honestly do not know if I am subject to cat aliments as I am technically of gryphon lineage, though I know I can use things designed for cats. Therefore I am willing to try."

Atsuko did her best to cover the shock when she heard Cheshire talking, and bows to him. "Thank you Sir, if you can inform me as to how many shots I need to prepare and ages everyone who can, um.. fit can wait in the entry way. I wouldn't want someone wandering someplace dangerous inside there and being hurt." We inform her of how many people and horses as well as the ages of the people I also inform her that if there were any special writing implements lying around I had a child who was working as a historian. Atsuko let us know that she had run out of food two days ago and despite her complaints I told her Shadow would go with her and handed her some bread stuffed with some grilled venison. One of our guardsmen was becoming quite proficient at shooting a bow from horseback and he had taken down 2 bucks the previous day, while he was scouting ahead. The children had been so excited to have fresh meat, they were getting tired of the dried meat.

The process of administering the vaccines took the rest of the day, most of the children in the group had never received a shot at all before and weren't happy with the concept. Though Jessica decided to talk to the older ones, as in the ones who could understand; about what could happen without them. Apparently she had seen children with chicken pox before we found the group of five she had been with. They had been a group of twenty she had told them, and the fifteen who caught the "red spots" as she called them kept getting sicker and sicker till they had died. The children were then very happy to get the shots if they didn't have to live with that.

My entourage waited till everyone else had been done the horses included and I asked her to go prepare a couple she hadn't for me, Shadow, and the twins. I ask her for smallpox, knowing we'd have to keep away from the smallest children and Calliope for three days after. I was concerned as we would be traveling more than the rest of the people in our group if that might pop up somewhere. I wanted to be prepared just in case.

Tammy had overheard me request smallpox and demanded one as well after telling Harriet how to sedate Calliope if she needed to. "If it were to break out in your city after we are all there you'll need people who can't get infect to help treat people, we can't have everyone get it as I believe there is a limit to how young you can get it." Atsuko nods her head in agreement, "yes. Children under a year can't get it and it is best to not give it to expectant mothers. All it does is introduce a related illness into your system that your body fights off quickly thereby making you immune." Jake who was listening to the exchange comments, "I didn't know that. Most people think it is the small pox virus you are getting, nice to know even if at this point it's useless data."

We had set up sleeping arrangements inside the building till the next day when we would head back out onto the road again. Though my group and I were still sleeping in our tent just because it was easier to separate ourselves in this manner from anyone who couldn't be near us for those few days. Alberich assured us the tent itself could not possibly retain any germs on it's surface so it could still ride in the wagon, he also agreed to let Tammy ride with me till she could rejoin the group of women. Interestingly in that group of women who were rescued, Jake found a young lady who he was interested in. Calliope tried one time in the last few days to find a way to mess with the young lady and Tammy sedated her. It seems what ever was in the powder the herbalist left while putting the girl to sleep made her feel an insane amount of guilt after. Not a bad idea for what it's being used for.

Jose, our guard with the perchance at being an excellent marksmen rides up on one of the spare horses. "Gwen, about a day's walk there is some kind of wooden compound which people guarding it. It is in our path we will have to deal with it before we move on." I sigh, what's that old curse? May your life be always interesting.