Dwellers chaos (redone)

3

You wake up to see the ghoul isn't across from you anymore. You look around and he is outside. You pack up your things and walk up to him. His back is towards you. You see him looking at a photo but can't see what it is.

"Morning darling." He says as he puts the photo away.
You smile back, "morning. What were you looking at?"
"Someone I lost a long time ago. Ready to start your journey? We have to get to the wetlands before sundown. Think you're up for it?" He says winking at you.

"Only if you can handle it." You say smiling back. And you both start walking.
After a while, you break the silence. "What is in the vial that you take?"
He stops and then continues walking. He shakes his head and then answers, "medicine."
"What kind of medicine?"
"The kind to keep me alive."
"I want to know. Please tell me."
He groans and then answers you, "fine young lady. What do you want to know?"
"I know it keeps you alive but I want to know what it's called and all that. I like knowing things. Also how to use it because if you're hurt and need it, I might have to save your life."
He chuckles and says "I doubt you will have to save my life but ok. It's a low dose rad away. It's called Jet. I take it like a shot of alcohol or inhale it. I have to take it because of the radiation that I absorbed during the bomb droppings. Basically, it's my version of a stempak."

All the information sinks in and you are glad he opened up to you. "Thank you."
"For what? I only answered your question. Not like I created a cure for anything." He says snarky.
"No," you run to face him and stop him, "but you did help me understand why you do what you do."
"And why do I do what I do ma'am?" He cocks his head in amusement.

"To survive. You do what you need to do to survive. Me as a vault dweller, I never needed to kill, hunt or even fight for my next meal. I know how to do those things but doesn't mean I ever had to do it until a few days ago. I was always taught that the surface was bad," you are poking his chest now, "you showed me it's not as bad as it is when you have a friend." He grabs your wrist and pulls you a little closer.
"I am not a friend." He pushes you to the side and keeps walking.

"Yes you are! If you weren't a friend, why would you have helped me last night? Why help me at the store?" You say as you grab his hand and make him stop to face you. You're so mad that he even considered himself not a friend.

"Things like me don't have allies or friends! I don't know why I helped you! I don't know why I am helping you! I can't be your friend!" He says as he breaks free of your grip and walks away. You are so angry at this point that you tackle him. He rolls you over on your back and pins your arms to your sides.
"What the fuck are you doing lady?! I could honestly kill you."

"Then do it because if we aren't friends after everything we are about to go through then I don't want to do it! I am your friend ghoul!"
He slightly loosens his grip on you. You take your hands out of his grip and sit up on your elbows. "What is so wrong with me being your friend?"

He looks in your eyes, "you remind me of my ex wife! Stubborn and beautiful. Very dangerous! You can't get involved with me because I care about you. It's better to distance yourself before you get hurt." He says climbing off of you to sit next to you and looks at the ground.

"You were married before?" You ask surprised.

"Long time ago. Before all of this. She was beautiful, smart, and stubborn. That ended just a few days before the bombs dropped. I found out a few things that made me sick to my stomach and couldn't love her anymore." He says looking at the photo and hands it to you.

"She is beautiful. What was her name?" You ask him.
"Barbra. She used to work for Valt-Tec. She actually came up with the design for the living areas."
"You miss her?" You ask handing back the photo.
"Sometimes and then I'm reminded of the awful things she did and then I don't." He says putting the picture back in his bag.
"Why keep the picture then? If it makes you sad. I don't see why you keep it."
"I keep it, ma'am, as a reminder of why I hate the vaults. Why I do what I do. But yet you are making me forget about that." He says looking at you.

You lean your forehead against his and he doesn't pull away.
"Why do you hate me?" You ask moving your hand up his arm.
"I don't hate you," he says grabbing your hand and holding it, "I just don't like you actually. I like your attitude though. And that is worse." Before he can say anything else, you kiss him.

He pulls away but still rests his forehead on yours. "We can't. You will only get hurt. Don't do that again." He says as he gets up and starts walking away.

You get up to walk with him but keep your head down. You don't say anything because you fear you lost him as a friend.

You reach the wetlands and go wash your hands in the water.
"Careful of the water, miss. Never know what danger is in there." He says filling his canteen with the water.

"Your used to the radiation from that?" You ask as he drinks the water.
"Little girl, I am used to the radiation and even become stronger because of it. I would actually die in a vault." He says offering you water. He smiles as you say no.

"That could kill me! Why offer it?" You ask.

"You see, up here on the surface, you do what you have to do to survive. That means drinking unsafe water, killing an animal, or even killing a friend." He says with a devilish smile.

You continue washing your hands when something jumps up out of the water and grabs your foot.

It starts to drag you into the water. You scream as you see yourself being swallowed by a gulper and it's 100s of little finger teeth mouth. The ghoul shoots at it and grabs you by your arms, pulling you as hard as he can.

You grab the ghouls gun and shoot inside the gulpers mouth. This hurts him just enough to let go slightly. The ghoul keeps pulling and you slowly get released. You are still in by your knees and you shoot again. This time the gulper dies and you are able to be pulled out completely. The ghoul picks you up to your feet and grabs your cheeks and stares into your eyes and asks "are you alright?" He looks you over and then back into your eyes.

"I'm ok." You say groggy and just stare back. "I'm ok." You say again, taking a deep breath.

"We better find a place to make camp. And to dry you off." Just then you feel sick to your stomach and puke on the ground.

"Oh ya the radiation is getting to you. You need radAway. Let's get you safe first." He says as he helps you to find shelter.