Tainted Love: It's a Wasteland, darlin'

This Godforsaken Hellhole

The next morning, Babydoll was awakened by the sound of Cooper coughing. She sat up quickly, worry etching her features as she watched him struggle to catch his breath.

 Cooper reached for a small inhaler on the bedside table, taking a deep breath from it. The coughing gradually subsided, but his face was pale, and he looked exhausted.

"Cooper, are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

He nodded, but his expression was serious. "Yeah, just... needed a little help this mornin'."

Babydoll looked at the inhaler, realization dawning on her. "Is that... what keeps you from turnin' into a feral ghoul?"

He nodded again, his gaze steady but troubled. "Yeah. It keeps me sane."

She felt a pang of fear and sadness. "How much of that medicine do you have left?"

"Not much," he admitted curtly. "It's runnin' low. We need to talk about what happens if I can't find more."

Babydoll's eyes widened, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "What will happen to you?"

Cooper sighed, "I'll start losin' my mind, and eventually, I'll turn feral. Won't be me anymore."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes, the thought of losing him unbearable. "We'll find more medicine. We have to."

He took her hand, squeezing it gently but firmly. "We might not. Wasteland's unforgiving. Gotta be ready for that."

She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I can't lose you, Cooper. I won't."

He pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice stern. "Listen to me, Babydoll. If it comes to that, you gotta promise me somethin'. Take care of yourself. Stay safe. Don't go riskin' your life for me."

She clung to him, her heart breaking. "I can't make that promise, Cooper. I can't just give up on you."

He sighed, his grip tightening. "Not askin' you to give up. Just be smart. We'll try to find more medicine, but if we can't, you need to survive. For me."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with determination. "Cooper. I promise you, we'll find a way."

He kissed her forehead, his expression both tender and pained. "Hope you're right, Babydoll. One more thing: If I start to turn, you run. Don't look back. Get as far away as you can. Promise me."

She nodded, her heart aching. "I promise, Cooper," her fingers crossed behind her back.

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their situation pressing down on them. Cooper broke the silence, his voice soft but urgent. "I need to ask you something, something important."

"Anything," she replied, leaning closer.

"You... you don't seem to need the medicine like the rest of us. You don't turn feral. Why is that?"

She smiled, a touch of pride in her eyes. "My body's perfectly adapted to the radiation. It's like it was made for it. I don't get sick, and I don't need the medicine."

He looked at her with a mix of awe and hope. "So, you're immune?"

"More than immune," she said with a grin. "I thrive in it."

A thought crossed his mind, one that he had been too afraid to voice until now. "Can you... can you get pregnant?"

She laughed, the sound echoing in the small space. "Of course, I can. How do you think we can make more of us?"

His expression darkened, a mixture of fear and frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why didn't you tell me that last night?" he asked, his voice tinged with anger. "You didn't stop me."