Now or Never: Elder Maxson x Reader - Part 2

15 - Call It What You Want

After weeks spent in the silence of the wasteland, the sky is too loud for Knight Sanchez. The effect this has is reminiscent of a time lost to the ages; back when little Uri had to pack her bags and move from the city to the suburbs. That first night in her uncle's single-storey, white picket-fenced house had been one of the hardest of her pre-war life. The worst part was the silence; the city was so loud in comparison. Cold and all-encompassing, giving her no choice but to dwell on that last smile her father had shared with her before boarding his plane weeks before. Uri had spent hours weeping into her pillow; had wondered if it was possible to cry so much that your tear ducts could dry up.

Instead of the bottomless pit of grief, and the adversity to silence, Uri is struck with anxiety so heavy that her heart races. She needs the quiet again. She craves the sound of Danse's heavy breathing as he sleeps; hates that she came back to this floating rust bucket just to watch him be sent away again. Uri would cry, but no tears will come. She is stuck suffocating with a sinking feeling that she cannot define. Uri just knows that she hates it, and it thrives off of the creaking steel and strong wind outside.

The Knights in her bunk are fast asleep, so no one notices when Uri slips out of her bed to tug on her boots. Over-tiredness has created a fog in her mind, but she knows that she cannot spend another moment in that room. Uri makes her way down to the one place that she knows company will be guaranteed.

Low and behold, the vault dweller finds Ingram nursing the arm of a T-60 suit of armour. The Proctor is so engrossed in her work that she does not notice her companion until she sidles up with some scrap electronics. She doesn't jump, but a startled blink gives her surprise away

"Good morning, Proctor."

"Why're you up?"

"Can't sleep. Figured you'd still be in here."

She thanks Uri for the parts, and says nothing as amber eyes fixate on her handy-work. Uri wouldn't know the first thing about repairs this intricate, but that doesn't mean she can't enjoy watching somebody else. Ingram uses a small set of pliers to remove the damaged wiring, then carefully attaches a useful-looking replacement from the scrap Uri brought over. It takes time and patience but, eventually, Ingram manages to slot the exposed copper into place. Uri gives her a small round of applause when she's finished; at which the Proctor rolls her eyes.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"Back at the Citadel. After my amputation, I needed something to do. This was the best option."

"Must've been tough to leave the field behind."

Uri doesn't miss the way the Proctor's jaw tenses. She almost apologises for bringing it up, but Ingram is quick to smooth those rugged edges over.

"I was a Paladin before, you know? One of the best. I'd been part of Lyons pride, in its time. But, after Sarah..." Ingram shakes her head, "doesn't matter. I miss the field, but what Maxson says goes."

"What's Lyons pride?" Uri asks, more to distract her superior than anything else.

"We were an elite squad. Anything the other soldiers couldn't do was handed to us. Under the Sentinel's leadership, we were a force to be reckoned with... But then Elder Lyons died, and Sarah took his place. I told her it'd be best to avoid battle, but she ignored me. Apparently the political issues weren't important--"

"Wait - political issues?"

Ingram seems startled by Uri's sudden question; like she had almost forgotten who she was talking to. The Proctor takes a moment to recollect herself, and doesn't speak again until she has scanned the nearby area.