Practicing Medicine // Complete

Chapter Twenty: The Gulch

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2075 ROBCO(R)

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HOLLOW TAPE LOADED: "THE-GULCH"

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STATUS

Battery Level: 76%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 92F

HEALTH

BP: 130/90

SPO2: 100%

Temp: 98.5F

RR: 14

HR: 80

WARNING: GALLBLADDER ABSENT!

TIME

Day: 2 October 2279

Time: 18:32

CLIMATE

Current Temperature: 66F

Atmospheric Pressure: 726 mmHG

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It was late in the afternoon, and Gram, Savanna and I were all sitting around the cart on the roadside, doing whatever it was that we had decided to do while Tandi examined that heat signature on the horizon that she swore she saw. If I remember right, I was sipping some freshly-made agave juice when Tandi suddenly tensed up and motioned for us to hit the ground. Knowing better than to ask why, everyone dropped what they were doing and went prone. Tandi stuck out her hand at Savanna.

"Savvy- Binoculars!"

Wordlessly, Savanna reached into her satchel and handed Tandi her pair of black folding binoculars. Everyone held their breath as Tandi held them up to her visor and scanned the rock-crushing plant on the horizon for a few seconds, then lowered them and turned to face the group. She sighed through her gas-mask.

"I was right. Enemies up ahead," she said. Gram took off his hat.

"No shit? I thought dicking around in that bunker all week would get those guys off our tail!" Tandi shook her head.

"Nah, not raiders- those is death-claws. Whole family of em, blocking off this road."

We all let out a collective groan of disappointment. This whole routine was becoming depressingly familiar. Despite my fear for the very real threat up ahead, I raised my head up to look at Tandi.

"How far are they? Do you think you could get them from here?" I asked. I could practically hear Tandi smirking underneath her mask.

"Can I? Comrade, this is target practice! Overcast, no mirage, no rain... Haven't gotten any shots this clear since I wasted that woman down in Reno." Tandi started to remove the funky green rifle from her back. Almost immediately, Gram scrambled up to his knees and put a halting hand on Tandi's shoulder.

"Hey, hey! Remember what happened last time you played this game?" Tandi ignored him, falling into a shooting stance and bracing the butt of her rifle against the ground. She began to adjust the scope. "If I'm remembering this right, I had to hold open your chest for you. And that was just one deathclaw- you seriously think you can down a whole pack before one of them gets here? You missed, Tandi!"