Description

Panel One: A wide view of the inside of a gymnasium, the size of a basketball court with hoops at either end. One end has a small curtained stage for assemblies and events. There's an elevated track running along the upper edge of the room, with more basketball hoops hanging from it at intervals. There are several students in the gym. In the back, a pair of girls with a soccer ball are talking, and a boy is running towards them. In the foreground, two pairs of boys are having a free throw contest. The students are all wearing different types of gym-appropriate clothing, from sweats and t-shirts to sporty athletic wear. Dr. King explains, from off-panel, "And of course we have the gyms. Field crews need to be in good physical condition to handle life on the road outside. We even have sports teams, if you're interested."

Panel Two: A wide panel mainly focused on the people in it. They are in an interior cloister garden filled with a jumble of various flowers. It's bright and cheerful. Sprigs of lavender stick up in the extreme foreground. In the far back, we can see wooden pillars for an arbor and some shaded benches. Nearer to us, the edge of a white stone fountain. On the far right of the panel, from behind, are Dr. King and Cal, walking towards the back. Behind the pair and in the foreground, near to us, a black woman in a beekeeper suit is turned to face the left side of the frame. She's wearing a veiled beekeeper hat, and has a striped kerchief (like a bee!) covering her hair under it. She's smiling and waving at someone off-panel. Dr. King is saying, "Isn't it nice? The gardens aren't just decorative." Before Dr. King continues, the beekeeper says, with smaller text to indicate that she's separate from the interaction going on in the background, "See you later, DJ!" Cal's head is turned slightly, and he looks surprised. "DJ?" he thinks. Dr. King continues, "We have medicinal plants and food, too."

Panel Three: A tall, narrow shot of the garden, facing a shaded, columned walkway along the left side. The far side of the walkway is walled. In the foreground, Cal looks at Dr. King and says, "Dr. King, I know there's more, but I need to talk to DJ about something." She replies, "That's fine. He can show you the rest." Cal smiles at her and says, "Thanks for the tour!" She waves at him. "Bye!" In the background, DJ is walking with his head bowed towards a figure standing partially-hidden by a column in the shade of the walkway. The looming figure is dressed in a plague doctor uniform, with a black cloak, hat, hood and mask. Under his cloak, he wears a long, black garment that hits just below his knees that's very similar to a Catholic priest's cassock. He has elegantly detailed, black knee-high boots. His mask has a bigger, longer beak than other plague doctors', and it hooks more sharply. Rather than looking like a raven or crow beak, from this angle it looks somewhat like a vulture. He is standing tall, staring at DJ with his arms crossed. Even though his features are entirely hidden, he seems displeased.

Panel Four: Cal jogs up on DJ's left, smiling widely. "Hey, DJ!" DJ looks surprised. "Cal?!" The background is a blurry image of the bright, sunny garden.

Panel Five: Over the shoulder shot from the mysterious plague doctor's left. He's looming in the shadows on the right side of the frame. From here, we can see the buckle fittings for his mask, which rest slightly above and behind his left ear. The buckle, loop, and strap end are all made of silver, and have curving edges. Over his shoulder, DJ is on the left side of the panel, and Cal is in the middle. DJ and Cal are both now mostly in shadow, in stark contrast to the garden behind them. DJ looks sternly at the doctor. Cal says, wide-eyed as he looks at the man, "Oh! Pardon me, I didn't know you were busy.

Author Note