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"Why don’t you take a break from this stuff and eat while I’m here to watch?" Shirly slid a stool away from the workbench and plopped down on it

"Because it’s too hot," he said, waving his hand at his rabbed a spool of solder and touched it to the tip of the hot soldering iron, coating it with bright silver "I need you to hold the black wire to this" He lightly touched the iron to the tiny leg of a resistor on the board labeled "18" Shirly leaned over the bench and squinted at the one he was indicating

"And then you’ll finish your dinner?"

"Swear"

She narrowed her eyes at him as if to say that she took this promise seriously, then did as he had shown her

Her hands weren’t as steady as Scottie’s, but he lowered his nifier and made quick work of the connection He showed her where the red ent and tacked that one on as well Even if none of this worked, he could always reet cold," Shirly told hi back to the mess hall to warm it up for you"

Walker stared at the little board with the nuly took up the fork and scooped a sizable bite

"How’re things out there?" he asked, blowing on the corn

"Things are shit," Shirly said "Jenkins and Harper are arguing over whether or not they should kill the power to the entire silo But then souys ere there, you knohen Knox and--"

She looked away, left the sentence unfinished

Walker nodded and chewed his food

"So, even though we had it shut down from here"

"Maybe it was rerouted," Walker said "Or battery backups They have those, you know" He took another bite, but was dying to spin the potentioed when he’dtheood to screith the silo like that It’ll just turn the rest of theainst us"

"Yeah Hey, can you adjust this? You knohile I eat?"

He turned the volu two hands to work the loose knob as it dangled froht wires Shirly see out of his homebuilt speakers She reached for the volume knob as if to turn it down--

"No, I want you to spin the one we just installed"

"What the hell, Walk? Just eat your damn food already"

He took another bite And for all her cussing and protests, Shirly began adjusting the knob

"Slowly," he said around his food

And sure enough, the static fro plastic had begun to ?"

"Helping an old ht need you up here on this one--"

Walker dropped his fork and held out his hand for her to stop She had gone past it though, into the static once led the knob the other way until the voices returned

"Sounds good It’s quiet down here anyway You needmy kit?"

"You did it," Shirly whispered to Walker, as if these people could hear her if she spoke too loudly "You fixed--"

Walker held up his hand The chatter continued

"Negative You can leave the kit Deputy Roberts is already here with hers She’s sweeping for clues as I speak--"

"What I’!" a faint voice called out in the background

Walker turned to Shirly while laughter rolled through the radio,ti Walker felt his brows furrow in confusion

"What’s wrong?" Shirly asked "We did it! We fixed it!" She got off her stool and turned as if to run and tell Jenkins