Fallout 3 - Beautiful Stranger

Chapter 18 Part 1

The window led to an alleyway with only one direction open. That direction, Patience breathed in relief, was back towards the street upon which was the original way they were aiming for. She took up position at the corner of the building and peeked out.

Across the street and back half a block, she could see the radiation crater that Vincent had pointed towards. A large hole in the ground that fell far below her line of sight, with vapours of some kind drifting upwards, adding to the hazy atmosphere. She wondered how it could still be emitting radiation after two centuries, but she doubted that Vincent would call it a 'radiation crater' if it wasn't still radioactive. Once again, it made her wonder if the Chinese had developed some kind of strange new form of nuclear weapon back in the twenty-first century.

She felt, rather than saw, Gia slump against the wall behind her. Turning, she caught the young girl before she toppled over. Helping her to sit down, she looked into Gia's eyes once more.

"Gia! Do not fall asleep. That's an order." She lifted Gia's chin and saw the girl's face, bleached and sickly.

"I just feel a little woozy." Gia's head flopped to the side and Patience knew she needed to get her moving. The last thing Gia needed was to fall asleep.

Taking one of the spare magazines for her sidearm, she handed it to the ex-raider.

"Listen. I need you to do something and it's very important. Okay?" Gia's eyes appeared unfocussed, but she smiled up at Patience. "See this magazine? I need you take all the bullets out to check them and count them, then put them all back in again. Okay? Count them out loud when you take them out and then count out loud again when you put them back. Can you do that?"

"I sure can. 'Cos I'm smarterer than you think I am, boss lady." She slurred her words a little, but took the magazine. It took her a second to get her fingers working properly, but she slipped the first bullet out. "That's one. One bullet."

The reason she gave Gia the task was to keep her mind occupied. If she was thinking and counting, she was less likely to fall asleep and Patience simply did not have the medical expertise to deal with a concussion. The other reason was to make sure she could hear that Gia was still awake as she tried to spot Vincent and Valrie.

Once again, Patience popped her head around the corner only to find her vision blocked by something running towards her. Without even thinking, her hand dropped to her sidearm. With the figure so close, she wouldn't be able to raise her rifle fast enough. Her pistol could be out of its holster and fired from the hip much faster.

"Hey! Hey! Woah!" It was Vincent, suddenly wheeling to the side out of the pistol's line of sight, his arms raising in surrender. "It's me!"

"Fucking idiot! I could have killed you!" She holstered her weapon and turned back towards Gia. The girl's counting had slowed. "Where's Valrie. If she's hurt, so help me ..."

"She's fine. She's hidden over the way. I saw you look out a second ago." He looked down towards Gia and frowned. "What's wrong with the kid?"

"She fell. Hit her head. I think she's got concussion, or worse." Vincent crouched down beside Gia, put both hands on her head and traced his fingers under her hair.

"That's a hell of a bump! I could give her a stimpak, but that would be overkill." He rested his elbow on his knee and rubbed his chin with his other hand. "I know what would keep her awake until her head settles! Mentats. I'm pretty sure the old mouth has some in her coat. Help me carry her."

Together, they managed to stand Gia up, wrapping the girl's arms across each of their shoulders and using Vincent's rifle as a seat. Patience took a quick look out on the street before leading the way. They took their time navigating the rubble strewn street, weaving between broken and twisted automobiles, until they reached the other side.