Forest stared at Lex as he went on, telling him in so many words that he needed to take it easy. And keep taking it easy going into the next morning. That day had been a haze. He’d gotten nothing done, rendered useless by fever. This new friend of his tending him throughout the day.<br/><br/>“Thank you. It’s good to see people comin’ together again, looking out for one another. I didn’t think I’d have much chance to see it in this lifetime. And I promise I’m not usually such a pessimist.” He was smiling, reminded again that humanity did exist. It wasn’t all that much really. Some might even consider themselves obligated to it since he did take them all in. Forest though didn’t take much for granted anymore.<br/><br/>“We’ll see,” he said in regards to the next day. No reason to argue when the sun hadn’t even risen yet. “Not the first time this has happened. I made it through that and I didn’t have you around to wrestle my fevers away for me.” Just a hope and a prayer that he’d find the strength to keep the farm operating and defended.<br/><br/>Wallis and Mason left Lex to it, staying downstairs when they finished up at the end of the day. They weren’t sure they could be of any assistance aside from assuring the farmer that things had been done. Maybe not exactly how Forest was used to doing it but enough that all would stand to function the next day. Mason was tired after all of it. Wallis handled it better, but of course he had. He used to work construction in the Alabama heat. Made for the end of the world in that sense with his workhorse sort of attitude.<br/><br/>The tasks for the day had stifled some of Mason’s ire at Lex. Only perhaps put it in a dormant state. Wallis tried to speak to him about it while they worked on the fence. Get him to lay off Lex a little bit but that young man knew what he was doing and nothing said could convince Mason otherwise. He was tucked up in the house with Forest, fawning over him as they spoke. Wallis changed the subject to easier things since Mason wasn’t showing any willingness to actually listen to him in regards to Lex who really wasn’t all that obligated to do anything for them. At least not the way he saw it.<br/><br/>Mason kicked his shoes off inside and went into the kitchen, opening various cabinets. He found what he was looking for. No proper southern home was without some sort of stash of liquor and maybe Forest hadn’t drunk himself into a stupor like Mason might have been tempted. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and went to the couch. Wallis raised his brow but didn’t offer to join him. If Forest was laid up again and they had to repeat the day's activities he didn’t want to do so hungover. Mason’s decisions were his own to make, however.