A/N: I unpublished to fix a few things. There is new content in both chapters but especially Chapter 2. Sorry for any inconvenience! ❤🍫🫖❤

Saint was bored with winter. It was really that simple. The excitement of the holidays had passed. Granted, they had a wonderful time. Tul had even found LED lights for the tree that he could connect to the little solar chargers. Miri had been so excited about the decorations, lights and presents. For the three men, it had been a touch of the past that brought fond memories.

Now, it was just the winter doldrums. Saint looked around the cabin. Max and Miri were practicing writing the letter M. Tul was working on sour dough bread to go with the stew for dinner. It was homey. Family.

But Saint was still edgy. Still bored. His eye fell on the bookcase. At least his mind could go else where.

Over the next several weeks, Saint read voraciously. Adventure, history, drama - he read it all. Consequently, he was running out of new material.

That was why Saint had picked up the first aid book Max had found. 'It can't hurt to know some first aid.' he reasoned. What he didn't expect was the pull to learn more. There was something about the information that clicked with Saint. It flowed into his mind and stayed far easier than he imagined it would.

As the winter snows finally began to melt off, Saint couldn't wait to start scavenging. He started at the library and discovered herbal medicine. He started keeping notebooks on herbs, and their properties. By mid-spring, he was clearing land for an herb garden.

Max and Tul had watched with pride as Saint's knowledge expanded. It had paid off when Max and Miri had come down with nasty coughs. It had taken a few tries but he'd found an herbal cough remedy that had worked. Less coughing meant more rest and less chance of the illness moving into their lungs. Saint had been both relieved and proud as punch. Tul couldn't thank him enough.

Saint was hooked. Healing would be his niche in this new world.
~~~~~

"Okay, what's today's plan?" Saint was spreading his favorite blackberry jam on toast to go with his black coffee. "Mmmm, you should have been cooking seriously a long time ago, Tul." he said around a mouth full.

"Glad you like it." Tul grinned. "No baking today so what do we want to do?" He looked over at his husband of two months.

"Let's go to town. Hunting season is coming and we need more ammo. Just to make sure." Max replied eating his oatmeal with some of the few strawberries they'd managed to harvest. Damn rabbits.

Miri had answered around a mouthful of oatmeal. "Town. Mowe cwayons."

"Might as well start stocking up for this winter. Clothes for Miri and school books. Take back our library books and get more." Tul was serious about the library remaining intact. They had a few books from the library that were vital to them. Gardening, seed saving, hunting, preserving food - those they kept at the cabin. Everything else was borrowed and returned.

Saint had watched the conversation while sipping his coffee and licking the last bits of jam from his lip. He loved his family. Watching them was just a feel good moment.

"I want to go to town too. I want some medical supplies and we need vitamins. I also want to look into beekeeping. There are huge benefits for the orchard and garden plus honey is great for a lot of different problems. Sore throats, wounds, colds... good stuff." Saint finished off his last swallow of coffee. "I'll get the bags ready while you guys finish up." A quick wash of his breakfast dishes and he was out the door.

Max looked at Tul. "Bees? Where are we going to find bees?"

Tul laughed and got up from the table. "Maybe we can get wild ones to move in? Give them pool access and covered parking?" Max laughed.

Tul smiled, "Jokes aside, Saint will figure it out. I've never seen him so determined as he is about all this. Maybe we can just find a wild hive and somehow take honey from it. Plus, there has to be people who had honey in town..."

Max got up, kissed Tul and smiled as he washed their remaining dishes. Tul was a 'fixer' by nature. Give him a problem and he'd come up with twenty possible ways to solve it He glanced over as Tul braided Miri's hair. It was going to be a great day.

~~~~~

Saint had already loaded up their scavenger bags and was calming lounging in the front passenger seat writing a list of the medical supplies he was hoping to find.

He casually stuck his head out the window. "I got shotgun!" then went back to his list.

He could hear Tul telling Miri,"That just means I get to sit with my favorite girl." Saint grinned.

Soon, Miri was in her carseat and everyone else was buckled in. Max handed Saint a holstered pistol with the safety set. Max and Tul were already wearing theirs. Max even carried his shillelagh whenever they went down the mountain.

"Is this really necessary?" Saint had asked once. Max had said "Let's take a walk." By the time they got back, Saint knew all about the scars encircling Max's hand and been reminded of his own experiences. He hadn't objected since.

~~~~~

Saint had taught Miri 'The Wheels on the Bus' song except they sang it as 'The Wheels on the Car'. Currently, she was singing loudly.

The wabbits in the caw go hohophop, hophophop, hophophop!

The wabbits in the caw go hophophop all awound the town.

Unicorn was enthusiastically hopping along to Miri's song.

"We are going to have to work on her r's, brother." Saint whispered. Max nodded. "Tul's going to see if he can find any information on that." Saint nodded back. "Good."

~~~~~

Max had stopped on Main Street. First stop for everyone was the library. Saint returned his books to their proper places, took a few more and headed out for the pharmacy.

His brother thought he was nuts but he always spent some time putting medicines and medical supplies back on the shelves. It made it easier to find what he needed and satisfied his need for order. Win win.

He was about done when he heard engines on Main Street. Engines? He peeked out of the pharmacy doors to see two trucks with campers and a small RV.

'Time to find Max and Tul.' he thought to himself. 'Oh, this is not good.' He checked the back door. All clear. He ran down the back alley to the library. Months ago, they had managed to open the library's back door. Saint snuck inside. No sign of Tul and Miri. He rushed to the front windows and froze.

Max, Tul and Miri had been going to the SUV when the vehicles arrived. They were caught in the open.

~~~~~

"Okay, Saint. Now what?" He watched and waited. Max and Tul were side by side with Miri tucked in behind Max.

Oddly enough, the people getting out of the trucks and RV were waving Hi like they had arrived just in time for a BBQ. Saint was rather stunned. Max and Tul's faces hadn't changed a bit. They were ready for anything.

"Hey! My name's Stan. We don't want any trouble. Just passing through. We're headed to a town about a hundred miles south of here. Stopped for some supplies if any are to be had." Stan seemed completely oblivious to the danger he was in. He and the three other people with him, didn't seem to be armed. They didn't even seem to be concerned with meeting two men obviously carrying weapons. 'They got people in the campers with guns or are they just crazy?' Saint wondered.

Stan pulled off his cowboy hat and scratched his head as a woman whispered something in his ear. "Oh good idea, Lecia! Hey, you guys got a doctor?"

Now that peaked Saint's attention.

"Found a guy on the highway. He was in bad shape when we found him but he's getting worse. We've done all we know how to do."

Before Max or Tul could say anything, Saint walked down the steps of the library. "I'm not a trained healer but I'll take a look at him."

~♡~♡~♡~

Thanks for joining me for my second story! I hope you enjoy it! Take Care and Stay Safe! 😊❤😊

❤🍫🫖❤

PS: PLEASE remember, I'm not a doctor. I don't claim efficacy for any of the remedies in my story. Thanks!