Day 137. The diner was the quietest Victoria had known. She sat across from Alice, who was halfway through her meal. A faint scent of lemon hung in the air, as it all week. The longer Victoria smelled it, the more artificial it seemed. By now, she was certain it wasn't fresh.

"You missed out again," Alice said, "Last night was the best. We had actual bread. Not that preserved sh*t they keep feeding us. Real f**king bread—hot, steaming, hard crust, soft fluffy insides. It was perfect."

Victoria poked at the tiny onions in her salad. Something about their texture seemed off. Just like the cabbage and tomatoes before. Everything felt unnatural. "Good for you." she said flatly.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Come on, Vic. You can't keep skipping out. You're gonna die an old fool who's never had any fun."

"I have things to do." Victoria said.

"She doesn't need your every second of the day." Alice told her. "And that nursing program? Sure, it's great and all, but what good will it do when it falls apart? We already have twenty-five doctors cleaning and cooking. They're not needed, vic, neither are you. Everything is falling apart. You should have some fun."

Victoria was unaffected by her words. "IF it all falls apart… not when. The farms are doing well. Fresh food is progress. Progress you're not seeing—even though you get stuff two weeks earlier than the rest of us, peasant." The last word playful.

Alice let her fork drop. "Fresh food? Yeah, great. but it's only salads and a few wheats. That's not enough to save us—just pleasures for an inevitable end."

"Maybe not." Victoria replied. "But it's something. A reason to keep trying."

Alice sighed and leaned back. "You're just impossible sometimes."

"And guess who keeps trying to change my mind?" Victoria said, smiling faintly as she looked at Alice.

"Because I care about you." Alice said. "I'm not saying give up on everything. I just think you deserve a break—for once."

Victoria chewed slowly, thinking about Alice's words. Maybe she's right. Maybe I do need a break. I've been working too hard… Maybe it's time.

Still, she said. "I'm fine, Alice. Really."

Alice exhaled in defeat. "All right, all right, I'll stop bugging you now." She gestured toward Victoria's plate. "At least enjoy it while it lasts. Who knows when we'll see something like this again."

Victoria took another bite of her salad. The taste was still strange, unsatisfying. But she chewed, slowly, thoughtfully, as the quietest diner she had ever known remained silent.

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