Run to the hills (they’re alive with the sound)!

Is The Walking Dead pretty intense?
he casually asked.

Umm...
I thought carefully, trying to ascertain the question in the context of last night's Presidential debate.
Yes. It's pretty intense. Why?

It just seems like it would be pretty intense.
he said.
Does it have a bad ending?

I don't know.
I said.
I haven't seen the ending.

Are there a lot of doctors in it?
he asked.

Well...
I responded, memory stumbling.
Yeah. I think there's some doctors in it. Or some people trying to find solutions to the...problems.

Oh.
he said.
What's the problem about? Are a bunch of people sick, and that's why there's doctors?

Yeah.
I said.
A bunch of people got badly infected with a virus, and the people who were left came from very different backgrounds and didn't always get along, but they had to try and figure out how to get along with each other so they could help each other and try to maybe help others. It's kind of about people learning to get along with each other.

Oh.
he said.
Is that kind of virus real?

No, not necessarily,
I said.
Not that kind, but there are definitely bad viruses out there, and sometimes bad people are trying to figure out how to weaponize viruses, and good people, like a lot of scientists and doctors, are trying to figure out how to help cure viruses and other types of infections and illnesses. Are you interested in becoming a doctor?

No.
he said.
I just thought there must be a lot of doctors because of all the blood and stuff.

What blood?
I asked.
And just out of curiosity, what do you know about The Walking Dead?

I saw it at Powell's Books,
he explained.
There was a book on the shelf with a picture of a person with blood on their face and they were smashing through a window and it said ‘The Walking Dead.’

Definitely something for a doctor to help out with,
I said.
And hey! We haven't seen The Sound of Music in a long time...let's watch it soon!

Okay.
he said.
Daddy?

Yeah?
I said.

What's Breaking Bad about?*

____

*he did not say this. I was trying to write an ending and decided to unapologetically fictionalize this line in. It doesn't really work, does it?