FALLOUT: War for Vegas {WattyAwards 2013 Contender (Did not make Finalist) }

Chapter 13

Jackie and Amata walked through the door into the New Vegas Clinic. The air smelled of antibiotics and clean air. The clinic was small, but it had a couple rooms that people could have checkups or operations in. Several Doctors and people in leather armor patrolled the halls like a uniform unit.

“Is there a Doctor Usanagi I can speak to?” Jackie said.

“That would be me.” Said a voice behind them. Jackie and Amata turned around to see a woman of Asian descent standing there. “I’m Doctor Usanangi, what can I do for you?”

Jackie held out his good arm and let Usanagi shake it, Amata did the same. “Two things. I need you to do something with this infected arm.” He held up his infected limb. “And I need to see if you can do something for me with my father.”

Usanagi nodded. “Yes, President Rameriz did say there was someone with a ghoulification infection treatment coming in, but what’s the other thing about your father? I don’t see him anywhere.”

Jackie pulled out the disk with his father’s consciousness on it and handed it to Usanagi. She eyed the disk thoroughly. “He’s in here.”

“You mean that he’s in that disk?” Usanagi said, eyes widened. “How do you know?”

“A doctor from Rivet City in D.C. told us.” Amata replied.

Usanagi took the disk gingerly, as though holding it wrong would make it crumble. “I’ve read about collective consciousnesses being uploaded to computers and artificial skeletons, but I thought it was science fiction. Like Androids and that stuff, robots that act and look like humans.” She looked at Jackie’s arm. “Let’s get your arm taken care of before we deal with your dad, ok?”

Jackie nodded as he led Amata behind Usanagi with him to one of the rooms. “What’s the procedure to do this?”

“Well,” Usanagi wearingly said “We’ll have to amputate, then-“

“Wait what?” Amata shot, stepping in front of Jackie. “You’re not cutting off my husband’s arm.”

“If we don’t the infection will spread and your husband will be ghoulified.” Usanagi said, “Besides, you didn’t let me finish. “We’ll put a cybernetic arm in its place. He’ll still be able to feel and hold stuff. But his strength in that arm will be increased and his PIP-boy will be in his arm directly.”

Jackie looked at Amata, and then he looked at the doctor and nodded. “How much is the procedure?”

“If you were here without the President’s help, it would be 10,250 caps.” Usanagi said. “But since he is helping you, it’s on the house, along with the deal with your father.”

Jackie and Amata sighed as they learned they didn’t have to pay a huge fine for his arm. “How long will it be?”

“With the use of Med-x and Stimpacks, a couple of hours at most.” Usanagi said.

Jackie looked at Amata. “Will you be alright for a couple of hours?”

“I’ll go back to Westside and stay with Jackie, come here when you and your father are back.” Amata said. She kissed Jackie on the lips. “I love you, so much.”

“I love you too.” Jackie said as he kissed her back. Amata walked out of the room and went out of the front door.

“Alright, well if you get on the Auto-Doc we can get started.” Usanagi said. Jackie walked over to a table with a robot covered with scalpels, bone saws, and syringes. Usanagi pulled out a power saw and cut off the metal covering his arm. It looked more like a giant mushy club instead of a arm. Usanagi pulled out a syringe and stuck it in Jackie’s good arm.