Are We Okay?

"Are We Okay?" is the first episode of season 2 and the ninth episode of the series overall.

Description
''Six months after the finale, the group still thrives. But when a run goes awry, Blake encounters a new set of survivors.''

Flash-forward
The episode opens with darkness and the sound of heavy breathing. It then goes to a shot of a bloody machete, which is soon revealed to be in the hand of a woman, panting heavily and with blood splattered on her face. She stands in a dark room, the orange glow of flames coming in through a window, and looks down at somebody who cannot be seen. She rises her weapon to deliver a killing blow, but is interrupted by someone at the door, who tells her to stop. She turns around and sees Blake, who tells her that "enough people have died. It's time to stop." The woman gestures outside and asks "what about them? More people are dying and it's his fault!" She looks back down at the person on the ground. "Why does he get to live while others don't?"

Present-Day
After the opening credits, the same woman stares down a long stretch of road, her face still. Someone nudges her, calling her Pepper and asking her if she's okay. The person, a man named Dexter, asks her "what're you thinkin'?", to which she says that she wasn't "thinking about anything." They lean against the back of a dark blue car, two more people climbing out the side doors—Simon and Sam. Simon accuses her of being "distracted at the thought of her precious Bryce." She ignores him and reaches into the boot of the car, producing a backpack and a machete. Dexter tells Simon to leave her alone, to which he says that it was "just a joke."

They are parked in front of a fire-station, its windows are blocked up and doors shut. As they approach, Sam asks why they're looking there for fuel, with Simon saying that "it's simple—big-ass fire-truck means fuck tons of fuel." Pepper, smiling, says that "it'll mean fuck tons of deadies if you can't keep your trap shut." Dexter plunges a crowbar into the crack of one of the doors and—after initially struggling to the amusement of the others—tears it open. They stare inside at the darkness within before Sam, holding a metal bat, taps against the wall, making the others jump. When Simon asks why she did that, she replies that "I'd rather have them coming at me now than hiding in the shadows." They wait for a few moments, with nothing coming at them from the darkness. "Alright," Dexter says then. "Let's have a look around."

Cut to a shot of an infected pressing against a fence, it pushes its arms through the holes and reaches out. Suddenly, an arrow shoots through its head and it goes limp, sliding down the fence. Some ways away on the school's field, Blake lowers a now empty bow. Next to him, Joely watches on approvingly. He asks her what she thinks, to which she says that his "posture's a little off, so you might fuck up your joints in thirty years. Otherwise, not bad." He laughs and hands it back to her. She shakes her head and tells him to keep it, but he says that he's "nowhere near as good as you are. You've got the most experience with it, too." She rolls her eyes, but says nothing and takes the bow. As she takes it, Blake pulls her into a kiss, which they hold for a moment, before Tim appears near them and tells them that they're almost ready. Though almost all his wounds have healed, he still has a long scar along his cheek—a memento from Cain's beatings.

Pulling apart, Blake and Joely follow him back to the common room, where most of the group are gathered round a table. Charlie, his hair now a few inches longer, points to a map laid out on the table, saying that "there's a few shops here we haven't looked at, yet." Claire shakes her head and says that "if they've got nothing, we won't have enough time to look somewhere else before dark. I don't know if there's enough food to ration out if you don't find anything." After a moment of thinking, Blake looks up from the map and says "it's a risk we'll have to take. Let's go. The sooner we leave, the more chance we'll have to look around."

The front gates, that have now been boarded up so infected cannot see inside, are being watched by Chloe, who sits on top of a truck that has been pushed up against the fence. Blake approaches the gates with the others behind him and waves up to her. She gives a quick glance past the gates and gives him a thumbs up. He opens the gate a little and passes through, Charlie and Tim following close behind. Claire tells them to be careful and tells them to "bring us some food back," before Maeve pushes past her wearing a backpack, the handle of a bat sticking out from the top. When Claire asks her what she's doing, Maeve tells her she's going with them, stating that she "know[s] what I'm doing, okay?" Blake, seeing this, tells her that he'll "make sure that she's safe. I promise." She looks at him for a moment and he gives a quick nod. She then tells her to be "extra careful. No running off." She then joins the others, who climb into a car, Charlie in the driving seat.

Claire climbs onto the truck and joins Chloe, who tells her that "she'll be fine." Claire tells her that she knows, but "I can't help it." They watch as they drive off.

At the fire-station, the group finds an abandoned fire-truck and Simon begins to work on siphoning the fuel from it. Dexter tells the others to have a look around, and Sam jokingly asks "who put you in charge?" to which Pepper tells her it was "Bryce, apparently. God knows why. Dex isn't exactly known for his intelligence." After a moment of laughing, they each go looking around as Simon starts siphoning the petrol.

Part Two
Charlie pulls the car up in front of a shop and everyone climbs out. Blake reminds them that they're "mostly here for food, but if you see something we also need, try to bring that with us too." Once inside, they spread out and begin searching the shelves. Though there isn't much left, they still manage to find a good amount of food. Tim remarks that he misses bread, saying that "I miss how soft it was, y'know?" Charlie laughs, joining in and simply saying "ham sandwich." Tim groans and clutches his stomach. Maeve sees something on top of a shelf taller than her. She reaches up, fails to grab what can now be seen as a can of beans, and the tin rolls and falls to the floor. At the sound, she steps backwards, her breath quickening. Someone walks towards her and when she looks up, she sees Frank. He clutches at his throat and stumbles at her, blood pouring from the wound. Maeve falls backwards, letting out a scream.

Dexter finds a door that appears to lead to another garage of some kind. He begins pulling on it, but the door appears to be stuck. At the same time, Pepper opens a door to an office. An infected tumbles from a chair, but she quickly takes it out, stabbing its head. On the desk it was sitting in front of, a note lies folded up. She picks it up, able to see Dexter now using the crowbar to try and get into the next room from a window. Pepper unfolds the note, the handwriting is shaky, but she can just make out enough. "...locked them in. They'll all be dead soon." Her eyes widen and she looks up. She yells at Dexter to stop, but it's too late. He wrenches the door open, this time setting off an alarm. The bells ring loudly as Dexter sees a large group of infected turn towards him. His face drops and Sam pulls him out of the way moments before the infected begin piling in after them. Simon quickly finishes up and rushes up to Dexter and Sam, asking "what the hell did you do?" over the alarm.

At the shop, Maeve, still screaming, realises that the person approaching her isn't Frank, but Blake. She eventually calms down and he offers her a hand, which she takes. When he asks if she's okay, she nods, saying that "I just...I want to not feel useless for once." Blake tells her that she's not useless, but before she can reply, an alarm can be heard in the distance. Charlie and Tim gather round, asking what the noise is, to which Maeve mentions that "isn't there a fire-station nearby?" After a few, silent moments of listening, Blake tells Charlie to "start the car. That alarm's gonna bring God knows how many infected our way."

At the station, the group makes their way back to the front doors, Simon in front with jugs of fuel in his hands. He pushes open the door, but outside is another group of infected, drawn by the sound of the alarm. Simon tries to back away, but one manages to grab him, taking a chunk out of his arm and causing him to drop the jugs. Sam cries out as Pepper takes out the infected woman and Dexter shuts the door again just before a bunch of them reach the doorway. Simon screams, his upper arm bleeding profusely. Not far away, the large group of infected inside is approaching slowly and Sam kills one that gets too close.

Outside, Blake and the others pull up and climb out, seeing the infected gathering at the door. Tim points at them with his knife and asks "how the hell are we getting in there?" Charlie suggests going around, but Blake shakes his head, saying that "it'll be just as bad over there and we don't have time. We have to fight." He breaks into a jog, Charlie sighs and says that he was "afraid he'd say that," and goes after him, Tim and Maeve following suit.

Inside, Pepper and the others are backed up against a wall not far from the door. Simon, still clutching his arm but now slouched on the floor, tells them to "leave [him] and go," but the others ignore him and keep fighting off the infected. Eventually, they begin to become overwhelmed, with Pepper having two infected grab her. She manages to throw one off her and kick the other's legs from under it. She pulls a knife from her side and stabs the one on the floor before grabbing her machete and killing the other. Suddenly, the door opens and light streams in. A bloody Blake is almost grabbed by an infected, but he dodges to the side and kills it. Pepper and the others stare in shock for a moment, before Dexter grabs Simon and picks him up. The others rush out of the door ahead of him. Blake tells them that they "need to turn off this alarm," to which Dexter says that he "can go right ahead, I'll see you in the afterlife, bud." After a few moments of hesitation, Blake shakes his head and follows them outside.

Outside, more infected have gathered and they all run to the car. Dexter, sweating and out of breath, drops Simon and falls himself, twisting or even breaking his ankle. Pepper and Sam stop and help pick him up just as a swarm of infected fall on Simon. They tear at him as he screams and reaches out while his friends look on in horror. Blake and the others finally reach the car and Charlie starts the engine. Blake calls out, telling them that if they "wanna live, get over here!" Hearing this, Pepper tells Sam to "help me get him up." Together, the two drag Dexter to the car as the dead feast on Simon.

Part Three
At the school, Joely sits on top of the truck, the bow laid across her legs. She is soon joined by Chloe, who sits down next to her. They talk for a moment, before Chloe mentions how she admires her bow skills, saying that "I think it's kind of badass. I didn't peg you for a survivalist or anything. Before all this, at least." Joely explains that "my dad was. He forced me to go camping, taught me how to start a fire. Even when I told him I wasn't as bothered as he was." She smiles a little, then says that "it kind of paid off, though." After a moment, Chloe tells her that "it sucks, doesn't it? Not knowing if they're alive or not. I think I'd rather just know for sure." She then looks at the ground and says "maybe not my dad, though." When Joely asks her why not, she opens her mouth to speak, but closes it again and says nothing. Just then, they hear the car and both stand up. Chloe goes down to the gate while Joely watches on.

The car pulls up and everyone piles out. When Joely sees Pepper and Sam carrying Dexter out, she pulls the bow taut and yells at Chloe to stop. Pepper and Sam stop in place and Blake hold out his hands, telling her to stop, and that "they're alright!" Joely lowers the bow a little, but doesn't say anything. Blake tells Chloe to open the gates, but looks at them and asks "do I need to remind you the last time we let random strangers anywhere near us? Who the fuck even are these people?" Pepper then asks "what do think we're gonna do? One of us has a fucked up ankle!" Dexter, cringing from the pain, says that "we're part of a larger group. Just help fix my ankle and we'll reimburse you. Food, water, you name it." After a moment of silence, Blake walks up to the gate, where Chloe stands on the other site, and says "They just lost one of their own. If that ankle doesn't get treated, they'll lose another. We have enough supplies, and these aren't bad people, Chloe, trust me. Open the gate." She looks at him for a moment, then at Joely—who has now fully lowered her bow and is nodding at her. She sighs and tells Blake that "if you turn out to be wrong, this is on you." Blake nods and breathes a sigh of relief as she opens the gate.

Later that night, Dexter sleeps in one of the beds in the common room's repurposed bedrooms. Pepper and Sam sit at each side while Claire places a few pillows under his foot, making him breath in sharply. She concludes that the ankle is just sprained and that "he's one tough guy." Blake then appears in the doorway, saying that he's "sorry about your other friend." Sam shakes her head and says "I haven't even been able to think about it. It all happened so fast. Simon got bit, and then..." She then looks up at Pepper—teary eyed—and asks "what're we gonna tell Clyde?" Pepper shakes her head and shrugs. Blake says "Pepper, was it? How far away is your group? Better yet, where is your group?" She tells them that she and the others come from a campsite in some woods not far from the school. She tells them that "Bryce has traded with other people before, but...not with a group like yours." She looks out of one of the windows, out into the school. "Not with a place this big."

Sat watching from further in the common room, Charlie turns to Tim, Chloe, and Maeve and asks them "should we really be thinking about going somewhere with a random group of strangers?" to which Tim shakes his head and says that "we need food, man. It's as simple as that." Charlie tells him he understands, "but still...I've got a bad feeling.

Part Four
Early the next morning, Dexter is sat up in bed, his foot is still elevated and Pepper and Sam enter the room. Pepper asks how he's feeling, to which he says it "hurts like hell, but I'll be alright." He then asks how soon they can go back, with Sam saying "as soon as possible, but..." she falls silent and Pepper speaks up, "some of them are coming with us. We're hoping Bryce'll trade with them." Dexter raises an eyebrow and asks "what do they got that we don't?" She says "fuel for one thing" then tells him that "that part's not our job. We just need to get them to Bryce, then our debt to these people's clear." After a moment, Dexter nods and asks "when are we going?"

Watching on, Tim sits alone in the common room until he is joined by Claire. She asks what's wrong, and after a moment of hesitation, he confesses that he "knew her before all this. Sam, I mean. We used to go to the same school. Don't think she recognises me now, though." When Claire suggests telling her about it, he shakes his head, saying that "it's not just that she doesn't recognise me...after what I've done, I don't even recognise myself." Claire puts her hand on his shoulder, telling him that "you're one of us, now. Chloe made the right choice when she let you go." He shakes his head, realising that he "never even apologised to you." She smiles and says that "it doesn't matter."

At the gates, Blake and Joely sit looking out. After a moment, he asks her if she thinks he did the right thing by letting Pepper and the others in. She says that she doesn't know, "not yet, anyway. But you've been right about almost everything else so far, and we all know you're doing your best." He looks away from her, asking "is it enough, though? If...if Cain were still here, would he have left them at that fire-station? Every day, I think about what he'd say to me in every situation, and I'd think: Are we okay, now? Are we safe, or are we just prolonging the inevitable?" A worried look on her face, Joely takes his hand and says that "every day, we do what we have to do to keep this place standing. This trade deal is one of those things."—He nods—"This time, though, I'm coming with you." Pepper then approaches and Blake stands up. She tells them that Dexter is awake and that "he says he's ready to leave as soon as possible."

Cut to a montage of Pepper her things into her backpack, while Blake explains that "Sam will be staying behind, since some of you are worried. We're not going to be gone for more than a few days." Blake, Joely, Pepper, Claire, and Dexter leaning on a makeshift crutch all make their way to the car. "If anything, anything goes wrong while we're away, you know the rendezvous point. Make your way there and wait for others." Before he can get in the car, Charlie stops Blake and hands him something wrapped in a blue cloth and says "just in case." He unwraps it, revealing the gun given to him by Trevor Cotton. He looks up and says "I haven't used it since—"

"Then let's hope you don't need to," Charlie tells him. The two hug and Blake clips the pistol to his side, then he climbs in. Chloe, Maeve, Charlie, Tim, and Sam watch as the car drives off.

Deaths

 * Numerous infected
 * Simon Gilbert

Trivia

 * First appearance of Pepper Mayland
 * First appearance of Dexter Saul
 * First appearance of Sam Cooper
 * First (and last) appearance of Simon Gilbert
 * First mention of Bryce Ansem
 * As of this episode, the outbreak has lasted approximately eight months.
 * In this time, Blake, Joely, Maeve, and Chloe have all had birthdays.
 * The rooms that Pepper, Dexter, and Sam sleep in are Frank and Cain's former rooms.