"Back at it again boss?"

  "Yes, Mick, back at it again," I replied. It was a long day and what I needed most was a drink. "The regular if you will. What's for dinner?"

  Mick, the man who tended the bar chuckled, "Ha! What else do you suppose we're going to serve?"

  "Ah, so stew. Again. Are you really fresh out of other ingredients?"

  "Aye, for the moment. Don't worry we'll be back to our regular menu after we get some good fresh meat from outside. That sickness befalling the cows around these parts has sure gotten everyone's underpants in a twist. Trust me, I'm not happy about it either, but the farmers can only do so much to prevent their healthy animals from dying too."

  I sighed, "Yeah."

  "Besides, it's not like you don't understand. I'd say you know it the most, saying as you say and doing as you do. I won't forget what you did for my daughter."

  "It was my pleasure, really. I ought to thank you for room and board. Until I make some real money, that is. I promise, when I get a steady income, I'll pay you back everything I owe you."

  "Bah! Keep it. A life is priceless. And so is a friend like you."

  I kept my grin from growing too wide and shook my head, "Thanks."

  "Here you go." Mick handed me a mug of liquid. It was a very weak kind of alcohol. Something the townsfolk drink all the time, even the kids to some extent, which couldn't have been good for them in the long run. I couldn't say how bad, since I couldn't even begin to guess what the alcohol content was. I only knew it was one because of the familiar taste and because Mick said so. He had real alcohol you expect from a bar, wine and slightly stronger spirits, but I didn't need those. I just needed something to keep from being dehydrated all the time. I had a hard enough time drinking regular water back home.

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  I brought the mug to my lips and drank and I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor this time.

  "Wait, is this--is this what I think it is!?"

  Mick smiled wide, "Aye. It's exactly what you've been wanting for a long time now."

  "Lord above!" I drank deeper, quaffing the contents of the mug until it was empty. It was the most satisfying drink I had in my life. Not really, but it felt like that. After having nothing but slightly off-tasting water for days, it was nice to have good old regular water. "This is hands down, the best water I've ever had."

  "You know, it's a bit strange to hear you say that. Most people say that after having an ale. Or mead. Or literally anything but what I gave you just now."

  "You don't understand, water is life!"

  I wasn't a beer drinker. Or an alcohol drinker. Personally, I'm a cola kind of guy, but it's bad for your health because of the sugars and other ingredients, but in the absence of that I'd have juice. But the number one thing I always prioritized, was drinking at least a few cups of water a day. There's a lot good reasons for it, but for me, I hate feeling like my mucous membranes are dry when I wake up in the morning.

  "Whatever you say. But it's far easier to sell someone a nice drink than a cup of that stuff. Takes less effort too."

  "I know, but I really appreciate you doing this for me. It eases my conscience a lot."

  I've never liked a single alcohol of all that I've tried. The flavor sucks. I understand that people like it for its effects, but you can't convince me that a beer tastes better than a soda. A glass of sweet wine is tolerable but it'll still have something in its flavor I don't prefer. And anything like vodka was like squirting hand sanitizer on my tongue. Gross.

  But I can be convinced to try a drink I've never had before, I just won't pay for it twice. That's the part of my conscious that holds me back form wasting money on something I'm not likely to enjoy. Like I said, I'm a cola kind of guy.

  So that was one reason I had asked Mick to build a setup to collect water. The other was the fact that I didn't trust the natural water sources around here. I needed something clean. If I tried drinking river water or worse, either I'd end up eating small bits of sediment that may or may not collect into some kind of stone somewhere in my body, or give me a nasty case of diarrhea by parasite or bacteria. And in a world like this where no one's heard of an antibiotic, that's not a risk I'm willing to take. Especially while alone.

  I'm just glad they know how to boil water. If only I could find something like a plastic tarp, then I'd really be cooking with fire.