In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Liana and the others paced anxiously around the radio station.
Their footsteps were a chaotic jumble, their breathing uneven. Now and then, Jon's questions could be heard among them.
"How long has it been? God, why haven't we gotten any definite news yet?"
"How is Mrs. Nikita doing? Has she had the baby? Is our prince healthy? Why hasn't home sent word after all this time?"
Just as Jon muttered those words, Liana, who was pacing nearby, gave an irritated snort and quietly snapped at him.
"Hey, you fat guy from the kitchen, stop running your mouth. God, do you think we aren't worried enough already?"
"She's giving birth! God, since when was childbirth that easy or that fast? I've given birth myself, damn it! You think she just spreads her legs, the kid slides out, and that's that?"
With that, Liana shot Jon a fierce glare.
She hadn't been in the Alliance long, and she had spent most of that time opening up the Golden Road.
So aside from the field personnel who regularly dealt with her, support staff like Jon didn't know Liana very well.
Liana had heard Jon's name, but at least so far, she hadn't committed him to memory.
Even just now, she hadn't remembered his name, so she could only call him that fat guy.
Jon opened his mouth, momentarily stunned by her words.
That fat guy-
Fat guy?
Fatty!
It's been ages since anyone called me that!
Pretty amusing, though.
Jon wasn't angry. After the apocalypse had stripped him of his identity as a capitalist and a self-made tycoon, his bad temper had vanished along with his former wealth.
Now, all that remained in his heart was a determination to survive and hope for the future.
So he