Practicing Medicine // Complete

Chapter Six: The Lord's Middle Finger

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STATUS

Battery Level: 67%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 90F

HEALTH

BP: 120/90

SPO2: 100%

Temp: 98.5F

RR: 17

HR: 70

TIME

Day: 24 SEP. 2279

Time: 15:32

CLIMATE

Current Temperature: 89F

Atmospheric Pressure: 750 mm

Background Radiation: 0.431 RAD

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"Chomps Lewis! How ya doing, old buddy?" cried Gram, throwing his arms out and motioning for "Chomps" to come hug him. Chomps didn't play ball. He was wearing a yellow mining helmet, and holding some sort of animal in his arms- a mole-rat, I think. Didn't seem like he wanted to let it down to hug Gram.

"Howdy, Gram. Going to New Vegas again?"

Gram shrugged. "Dropping off a shipment there. And if it all works out, maybe I'll have enough money to settle down there for good." Chomps stroked his mole rat, and it let out a quiet sniffle.

"That city sucks the money right out of you, Hoplite. I traveled there once- never again. Blew a whole month's earnings in one hour..." He didn't sound bitter, when he spoke, just regretful. Gram put a hand on his shoulder.

"A hundred-thousand caps, Chomps! That's how much I'm gonna get paid, and I ain't gamblin' away a single cent of it. There are other things in Vegas than gambling," he said. There was a serpentine emphasis in his voice as he spoke aloud the absurd amount of money he'd be earning from this job. The old man sighed.

"Listen, Hoplite, that's great and all, but if you want to go to New Vegas, then you might as well turn around right now. This route is closed to travelers."

Gram looked hurt. "Closed to travelers? Is everything okay here?" Chomps shook his head.

"No, things are not okay. You heard about these escaped NCR convicts? Powder gangers, they're calling themselves. Dangerous folks," he replied, still stroking his mole-rat. Gram nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah, I always knew that the correctional facility was a stupid idea. Giving a bunch of violent criminals dynamite, they should have seen that one coming from a mile away..." Gram trailed off, then snapped back to attention. "But, those boys- they don't trouble us. Bounty hunting is one of Tandi's favorite pastimes. Am I right, Tandi?"

"I've killed at least a hundred now, and that's just since I got to America. Do you want to know how many times I killed in Kiev? I used to keep track," said Tandi. My heart skipped a beat.