Practicing Medicine // Complete

Chapter Eleven: The Storm

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HOLLOWTAPE LOADED: "THE-STORM."

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STATUS

Battery Level: 9%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 93F

HEALTH

BP: 120/90

SPO2: 100%

Temp: 98.5F

RR: 15

HR: 70

TIME

Day: 28 SEP. 2279

Time: 16:11

CLIMATE

Current Temperature: 64F

Atmospheric Pressure: 512 mm (WARNING! SEVERE WEATHER ALERT!)

Background Radiation: 0.151 RAD

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"Gram Hoplite! You've got a lot of nerve, showing yourself here."

Oh, great, I thought. Of course Gram did something horrible here. Literally the friendliest place I'd ever been, and he'd been a dick.

"Wouldn't have stopped here if I could avoid it. But, the Long 15 is closed, and I ain't about to go the Novac way," replied Gram, crossing his arms. For her part, Trudy crossed hers right back at him.

"I don't wanna hear it. Your ungodly tab here has cost Goodsprings more than anything else in twenty years," said Trudy, motioning towards the faded red saloon with the light-up neon sign. Gram took off his hat, and did his best to look hurt. I wasn't sure if he was acting or not, but if I didn't know any better, I'd be totally convinced.

"Listen, Trudy, we've been through a lotta shit in the last couple of days- half of us are only still alive because of the new guy here. If you let us wait out the storm, I won't buy a thing and we'll leave as soon as we can," he said, bowing his head solemnly. Trudy looked around at all of us with a really scary look, then stopped and looked back at Gram. She did an angry sigh.

"Fine. But, for the record, I'm only doing this because your friends here have never done anything wrong in this town. They don't deserve to get caught in a storm like that because you can't pay for your whiskey."

"Thanks, madame. You're too kind." Gram and Savanna exchanged some sort of look that might have been gratitude. "Anyways, if it's all the same, I'll just go-"

"Oh, no you don't! At the very least, you owe me a story or two- it's been years since I've heard anything from you! Come on, let's go down to the bar," said Trudy, effectively grabbing onto and restraining Gram in every way except for physically. He made a little gesture that suggested that he wanted to tie a rope around his neck until he suffocated, and then reluctantly followed Trudy back to the bar. That left Tandi, Savanna and I alone with the shorter, younger woman who'd been standing behind Trudy, holding an old varmint-rifle. She looked vaguely familiar.

"Well, I guess that means that you guys can come in, long as you don't cause any trouble- not that I'd expect you to..." she said, gesturing towards the cute little town with her rifle. Tandi laughed underneath her helmet.