Deuces Are Wild

11

The shadows were the same night or day in the ruins but the clock on Kallie's Pip-Boy read 10:43 PM. MacCready had gotten out their bedrolls and put them side by side. They usually arranged their sleeping spaces at a reasonable distance, not too far to rouse one another covertly in case of raiders but not so close to cause discomfort. Though they were both from military organizations where men and women slept in close quarters so as late they were comfortable enough with one another to sleep closely. That would bode well as the nights grew chilly and a fire wasn't the best idea.

"Here we go. One dose of Prevent." Kallie said, apparently either over RadAway sickness or ignoring the stomach pains and headaches that were part of the experience. A few empty cans of water were on the floor. She couldn't have drunk all of them. She must have had at least one  to drink, and the others for food preparation or washing.

MacCready took the syringe handling it as though it were a holy relic. "This is it. This is it! We have to send this to Duncan-" he staggered to his feet. "Let's-" MacCready stopped. "I know you don't feel great right now."

She smiled. "I know you're eager to get Duncan this. I'll be alright."

MacCready smiled at her in what felt like the most genuine smile he'd shown her in months. Such was his joy that he set the precious medicine down and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you." he said over and over.

It didn't occur to him that the cure might not work, or that it wouldn't reach his son. He overflowed with hope and appreciation. No seed of doubt could find its way into his heart. On impulse he took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead.

Her face was red with astonishment and they both laughed though MacCready suspected Zelling was laughing at his action and not with him in his contagious joy. She took his hand. "It's late. We might as well camp here and head out in the morning."

This was the only time MacCready found himself eager to get to Goodneighbor. He might even say hi to Gifford, that crusty old bastard. The sublevel of the Med Tek Research building was safer than going out at night and after Zelling was satisfied that the damage to his foot was not as severe as she'd thought they ate a bit, splitting a sweet roll for dessert.

"Man," MacCready said licking the icing off his fingers. "I owe you big time."

He braced himself for Kallie's frank assessment to not thank her yet but she said "You don't owe me a thing. RJ. What are friends for?"

Friends. If he were honest with himself, MacCready had no friends since Little Lamplight. They were still in his thoughts though. They'd been more like his brothers and sisters. Sometimes curiosity gnawed at him and he wondered how they were. Did Joseph go out into the world and become a teacher? What about Lucia who was bright and mature, did she grow up and start her own medical practice? She saved his life and that of the others many times. By now Bumble was a mungo and had to leave. He tried not to think about them. They had their own lives. Nor could he return and trade, that was against the rules. Sometimes he wondered how life had made him so hard after what he'd been through. It had been for the best, he argued with himself.

She then fired up the chatter. Always on the hunt for junk, Kallie had a knack for gadgets and she promised to find him a better gun than his sad old rifle. That was what she called it. Sad and old. MacCready feigned insult for he liked his gun and was distraught when it was missing but Kallie had only taken it to clean it, fussing all the while.

Kallie went to sleep first and MacCready watched over her for a while even though the place was empty. In the quiet he almost wished she'd wake back up and talk to him some more. It was in these moments when he realized how lonely he truly was.

His tired little kitten. Suddenly he had the impulse to reach out and pat her arm but even that could be enough to awaken her. His hand paused midway but brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

MacCready slept too, better than he had in months.

When he did wake up it was because Kallie's hand fell on his chest. She was out like a light and though not wanting to disturb her he gently shook her awake. "Come on, kitten, rise and shine."

Rolling over she turned her back to him, grumbling.

"C'mon, we have to go to Goodneighbor."

Taking a deep breath Kallie sat up as MacCready packed their things. She turned on her Pip-Boy and Aerosmith serenaded them with Deuces Are Wild. By the time reached the elevator they both burst into the chorus.

They were both quiet as the ancient elevator began its slow ascent, giving each other furtive smiles.

That was when he heard it. A snap and ping. Kallie turned off the music and listened. The elevator car jolted violently. MacCready and Zelling stood firm, feet apart. For a second they caught each other's gaze as though each asking what was going on.

The lights flickered, the cables snapped and the elevator plunged down the shaft into darkness.

When MacCready did open his eyes he wondered if he had. The primordial fear of this abyssal darkness, the fact that he was essentially sealed in this metal tomb made his heart race and he thought it would go flying out of his chest. Seconds went by, maybe minutes, he did not know. Then he remembered.

"Kallie!"

He groped around the floor and touched something hard, then he grabbed it stupidly. It was her boot. Feeling his way up, patting leg, arm, shoulder, he found her face. "Kallie- Kallie wake up!"

Kallie groaned but did not stir.

It did not occur to him to turn on her Pip-Boy light, he didn't know how the mechanism worked anyway nor did he try to strike a match. It was dark. So dark. Ghouls. Pitch black. Metal tomb. We're buried alive. We're going to die here and it's my fault. My fault.

My fault.

She was torn apart before I could even fire a shot.

My fault. My fault.

MacCready saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing.