MacCready's pov
"MacCready! Just who we wanted to see. Right, Sara?" Winlock looked to her and she looked down, avoiding eye contact with me, and said nothing.
"Let her go, Winlock, she hasn't done anything to you."
"Maybe she hasn't," he said smugly, "But you're gonna watch her die anyway."
Should I care? I'm only in this for the money, right? So why should I care if she dies or not? Maybe it's because she actually cares about me. Maybe that's what makes this different. She means something to me because she cares.
She genuinely cares.
"Alright, you actual piece of sh-"
"Woah, woah, woah, watch your language, MacCready. I don't have time for your bullshit." He aimed his pistol at me. I pulled my sniper from my back and held it up. He moved the pistol to Sara's forehead. She closed her eyes.
"If you don't put that damn gun away, you guarantee the death of yourself and her. So if you leave now, we'll spare your life. How does that sound?"
"Like something you'd do."
I only had one thought- kill him.
"But I'm not like you."
Two shots went off. Winlock was down, someone was powering off the Assaultron, and... Sara was down.
I ran up to where Sara lay, barely conscious, with a bullet hole in her stomach. I wondered how he screwed up his aim that bad, but I shook it off, focusing back on Sara. Nico rushed over to me, handing me some gauze to use to stop the bleeding.
I sat Sara up against the pole. "Breathe, boss- Sara, breathe." A few other gunners gathered medical supplies.
I looked to where Winlock lay, dead, a bullet hole right between the eyes.
Sara pulled me into a weak hug, startling me. "I- I don't want to die," she mumbled, her voice cracking from tears. "MacCready, I don't want to die..." She slowly lost her grip on me as she lost consciousness.
"Stay with me!" I pleaded as a gunner brought over some gauze and other medical supplies.
You're the only one around that cares.
I pressed the gauze to the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. If she was still bleeding, I knew she had a pulse. A few gunners asked me to step aside and said they'd take care of her wounds. I begged them to let me stay and help her.
"We got this."
"She'll be fine."
"Stay out of it."
"I'm not leaving." I crossed my arms with determination. "I'll stay out of the way, but no way in hell am I leaving." I felt my face turn pink, which I hated.
Nico sighed. "Fine, MacCready. Just- just take care of yourself, alright?"
I nodded, and he walked away.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sara's pov, two days later
I rapidly blinked my eyes in the bright lighting as I tried to steady my doubled vision. I didn't know where I was, and that made me uncomfortable. I breathed lightly, my heartbeat slowing to a normal pace.
Memories from a few days ago came back to me. I closed my eyes and sighed shakily, wanting to go back and change something- anything- to prevent this from happening.
Don't go for the walk.
Let MacCready keep watch first.
Don't. Get. Caught.
"You're awake. Thank God." I looked up to see MacCready and Nico standing on the other side of my room. Nico looked sort of dazed, like he had just woken up confused, and MacCready looked weary, like he hadn't slept.
I turned my head the other way. "Don't look at me. I'm pathetic." I shut my eyes tightly, wanting to disappear.
"Don't say that, you couldn't help that you got shot." Nico tried to comfort me.
"That's the problem. I couldn't help." I shut my eyes tighter.
"Don't beat yourself up over it, S- boss. The important thing is that you're alive and Winlock and Barnes aren't."
"Wait- they're dead?"
"Yeah. We did it, boss."
"We did it." I smiled to myself, not turning around. I felt relieved knowing that they were finally dead. Finally.
"What was that? Pride? Noo." He teased. I snorted, turning my head to face them.
"Shut up." I winced, a sudden pain hitting me chest.
"Uhh, do we have any more pain killers?" Nico called to someone outside.
"Yeah, boss. We'll getcha some."
"Boss?" I asked, filled with curiosity.
"Yeah, I'm the new boss here. I guess it's some sort of thank you for killing Winlock and Barnes."
"They offered a higher position for me, but I said no." MacCready pushed his hat up.
"What? But that would've been a good set thing for you-"
"I like being out on the open road."
"Huh." I sighed and looked up at the ceiling.
"We should probably let her rest." Nico looked to MacCready, then left, MacCready slowly walking out after him.
~~~~~~~~~~
One week later, Sara's pov
1 PM
"You sure you don't want to head back to Diamond City with us?" I turned around to face Nico again.
"Wish I could. But these people need a leader." He half smiled.
"Don't forget to visit every once in a while." I joked, then turned towards the elevator where MacCready was waiting.
After I stepped into the elevator, I turned back to Nico and gave a small wave. He waved back, then turned around to speak with a few other gunners. I turned back to MacCready.
"He'll be fine, Boss. Don't worry about it too much." He leaned against the railing of the elevator after pressing the button to go down. "Worry more about yourself. Miracle you're even standing right now, let alone walking. Try and take it easy." He sighed, turning around and peering over the railing at the sky.
I looked at the sky, too. It was a hazy, radiated orange and the sun was a small, pinkish red dot. "The sky is so beautiful sometimes. Kinda makes you forget you're living post-war apocalypse."
