Deuces Are Wild

10

"They experimented on people here? That's sick." Kallie said rubbing the prickles of her freshly shaved head. She sat at the desk in the too large dusty chair, her feet not touching the floor. "Did you see the handcuffed skeletons?"

MacCready stood in the doorway, alert for more ferals. He was tense, anxious, but alert and not in the mood for idle speculation. Lots of prewar corporations performed experiments on unwilling participants. Like many old locked down facilities, the inhabitants remained and either died or turned ghoul. The walls of the old place groaned and his finger was on the trigger. Just normal building settling noises. Nothing to worry about.

"I'm in!" Kallie said triumphantly. "Come on, let's get down to the research area."

As they traversed the deserted halls Kallie peered into every room and closet. She was always on the lookout for useful bits and bobs but MacCready was in no mood for her scavving today. Something felt distinctly wrong, but he didn't know what it was. Why was he being so paranoid? Ghouls didn't bother him. The stinking zombies were frail as paper and a chore to kill but they- no, don't think about it. Was he really getting all worked up over his memories again? He told himself he'd never be that kind of man who constantly looked back, letting it tear at his heart. Forward. Ever forward. He was here for Duncan. MacCready wasn't a man of faith either but he begged silently that if there was some higher power, a god, whatever, please, let this cure exist and let me get it, let me get it and send it to my son, please don't make me lose him too.

"MacCready?" Kallie's voice was soft and her slanting eyes were wide with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just keeping an eye out." He said with deceptive ease. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed briefly. That did make him feel a little better.

They both instantly froze. Radiation is a silent killer and most don't know they were exposed until it's too late. Zelling held up her Pip-Boy and the Geiger counter sounded its warning clicks. Then they grew faster, louder. Frantic.

The glowing one ran at them with its mouth open, bright green ooze spilling in its wake. Kallie let out a shout and fired, the red laser searing the ghoul's flesh. The stench was unlike anything MacCready smelled before and he had long learned to ignore bad smells, plus his smoking suppressed the sense. But there was no mercy from this and he had to keep his stomach steady as well as his hands as he put a bullet in the thing's head, which only burst one of the growths growing from its cheek, and whatever it was that sprayed them both made them retch.

Explosives in close quarters was never a good idea, especially now since it might destroy the precious cure. The ghoul staggered after Zelling, reaching for her with its grimy hands digging its fingers into her cheeks. The Geiger counter kept rattling its warning. MacCready felt a sharp pain in his foot as he tried to put distance between himself and the glowing one. Panic tore at him as he fumbled with the bolt of his rifle. Why didn't he have a side arm? Stumbling toward a counter his foot gave a tremendous throb and he shifted his weight not stopping to wonder at the damage. Kallie beat the ghoul's face into a pulp with the butt of her rifle.. Why did she always have to go first? MacCready hunted frantically for a weapon, moving aside what looked to be a big red stimpak and his hand landed on a heavy lead pipe.

Then Kallie screamed.

Her arms up in defense, the glowing one had bitten into her forearm and was pulling like a dog, trying to tear off a gobbet of flesh. A combat knife was in her hand and she drove it up to the hilt into the ghoul's eye but even that didn't make it give up its prize.

Why did he only stare? His friend was in danger. MacCready felt surreal, like this wasn't happening, like he was watching himself. Kallie somehow got the knife back and tried the ghoul's throat. It made horrible gurgling noises.

"MacCready!"

The sound of his name brought him back and he had the lead pipe in both hands bringing it down with all his might on the glowing one's head over and over and over...

"MacCready! MacCready!"

The pipe fell to the floor.

"Get away from that ghoul before the residual radiation makes you ill."

Lucy?

The blood throbbed in his ears.

"MacCready?"

He shut his eyes. When he opened them he was sitting with his back pressed to the counter.

"Breathe." She said.

"I know how to breathe, Lucy."

Her brow furrowed. "It's Kallie."

"Huh?"
She sighed "It's Kallie, RJ.I'm Kallie. Kallisto? Zelling?"

Amber eyes. Her hair was in disarray and the ghoul had raked red furrows into her cheeks and jaw. "RJ stay with me. Take a deep breath."

She prompted him by taking a deep breath herself. He complied. Then he remembered. "Holy sh- you're bleeding."

Pointing at his foot she said "So are you."

Flexing his toes the pain returned in a rush. Plus his sock felt wet. Not good.

"Are you alright?" She said pulling her backpack over.

"No." MacCready growled.

"I know, I know," She unzipped the backpack and took out a medkit. "I mean, you blacked out."

He withdrew his injured foot but she sat on his leg. "Ow! What are you talking about?"

"I mean, "She continued "you called me Lucy. And stop squirming this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better." Contemplating she turned and said, "Give me your arm."

He surrendered his arm and she pushed up the sleeve, saying "Think fast!"
Before he could say 'what?' she stabbed him in the arm with a needle. The pain was so sudden compounded with his foot that he froze, unable to make a sound. Then the soothing fuzzy feeling of the Med-X snaked through him.

"Just relax, I'll take care of it."

For a timeless time MacCready was blissfully unaware of whatever Zelling was doing to his foot. "I know it's probably not a great idea to give you opiates when you just came off a PTSD blackout but I'm not about to let you feel this pain."

"Duncan. The cure." MacCready said deliriously. His tongue felt huge like it wouldn't fit in his mouth. "PTSD?"

"Post traumatic stress disorder. Lots of soldiers have it. Things that remind them of a traumatizing events can lead to blackout episodes like what you just had. Like how you froze up and didn't fight?"

He didn't answer.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. You can learn to cope. I'll help you."

"Do you?" He asked, then realized the fragment didn't make sense. "Do you, I mean, ever black out?"

His foot was exposed to air he realized. In his haze he didn't feel her remove his boot. What on earth did he step on that went through the sole?

"No." She examined her work. "Well you got lucky this wasn't more serious, I..."

Pushing herself off his leg Kallie tried to stand but fell.

"Kallie-"

Must have dosed herself with Med-X too. MacCready looked where the glowing one had fallen but there was only a pile of ash. Kallie must have burned it. She'd carried plenty of RadAway and even shown him how to administer it. He'd hoped to never have to do it himself and muttering under his breath, repeating her instructions all the while cursing her selflessness. She'd ignored her ghoul bite to minister to him first. That was very touching and all but how could he face Haylen and Danse if something happened to their little initiate?
Remembering to start with his good foot he went after her, pulling her to him. "Stubborn."

She made feeble protests even as he pulled her into his lap, holding the RadAway up so that gravity could deliver the solution into her veins until his arm got tired then he laid it on the counter above them. With purified water and antiseptic he cleaned the bite wound and the scratches on her face, hoping it would be enough to stave off infection at least until they could get back to Cambridge and to a skilled medic.