Tainted Love: It's a Wasteland, darlin'

In This Together

The days dragged on with agonizing slowness after Cooper returned to his secluded cabin without Babydoll. The home he had once considered a sanctuary now felt like a desolate prison, each empty room echoing the profound absence of her presence.

The memories of their time together haunted him, replaying endlessly in his mind like a broken record. Every creak of the wooden floor, every gust of wind against the cabin walls, seemed to remind him of what he had lost.

Without her, life became a monotonous blur of survival and solitude. The Ghoul would spend his days foraging and hunting, the once fulfilling tasks now hollow and devoid of joy.

Nights were the worst. The bed felt too big, the silence too loud. He would often lie awake, staring at the ceiling, cursing himself for his pride and the harsh words that had driven her away.

His thoughts were constantly consumed by her. He remembered the way her laughter had filled the cabin with warmth, the way her touch had made him feel alive again. He had made him feel like a human man for the first time in so long.

Now, the only warmth he felt came from the whiskey he drank to numb the pain. The liquor provided temporary solace, but the mornings brought only more regret and a gnawing emptiness that seemed to grow with each passing day.

Months passed in this miserable routine. He became a shadow of the man he once was, his spirit as weathered and broken as the wasteland outside. 

The Ghoul had always been a survivor, but without Babydoll, he felt like he was merely existing, trapped in a relentless cycle of grief and longing.

Then, one day, as the sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the barren landscape, he heard a sound he hadn't expected footsteps approaching the cabin. 

His heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of hope and fear coursing through him. Could it really be her?

When he opened the door and saw her standing there, his initial shock quickly turned to anger. "I can't believe you're showin' your face round here again, darlin," he spat, his voice venomous.

Without waiting for a response, he snatched the bag of caps from her hand and threw it to the ground, the caps scattering across the dusty floor. "Throwin' these in my face, the caps you sold your body for. Something you knew I didn't want."

Babydoll flinched at his harsh words, her eyes wide with fear and hurt. She took a step back, trying to gather her composure. "Coop, it's not what you think. I found a job. I earned these caps."

He took a threatening step toward her, his eyes blazing with fury. "Can't you see I don't want your fuckin' caps?" he roared. "I helped you because I wanted to. Just out of the kindness of my big ole Coop heart. The one you think I don't have."

She went quiet, her eyes fixed on the ground as he continued his rant. "You think you can just waltz back in here and fix everythin' with some caps? You think that makes up for leavin' me, for makin' me feel like a fool? Because trust, I do feel like a fool, darlin."

Babydoll remained silent, her hands trembling as she clutched the edges of her dress. She could feel the weight of his anger and frustration bearing down on her, each word cutting deep. But she knew he needed to get it out, to vent the months of pent-up rage and sorrow.

"I spent months thinkin' about you, worrying about you, while you were off doing God knows what," he continued, his voice rising. "And now you come back, actin' like nothing happened, like we're just supposed to pick up where we left off?"

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Coop. I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought I was doin' the right thing."

"The right thing?" he scoffed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "The right thing would've been stayin' here and working it out together! But no, you had to go off and prove somethin' to yourself."