"Sometimes even to live is an act of courage." ― Seneca
~oOo~
Ring-a-round the Rosie,
It's funny actually; I was on two weeks' vacation when the world when to hell in a handbasket.
After putting in so much work for how many months I managed to get two weeks of paid vacation so that I can go visit my older brother and his family. Two whole weeks of picking at and teasing my brother about the crap he pulled when we were just tots. Two whole weeks of spending time with my sister-in-law who I actually enjoy talking to. And two whole weeks of spending time with my favorite nephew in the whole wide world!
Ah! Shaun is such a cute and adorable baby! So well behaved and quiet too! My brother is lucky to have such a loving family to have of his own. I remember when our parents were alive and how we would spend their off days at the park or go down by the shore to just enjoy the ocean. Now that my brother has his own family, he keeps asking me when I'll start my own. I just reply that men are picky.
But after one week with my family I thought things couldn't get any better…
Until Vault-Tec came a knocking on his door…
When the Vault-Tec rep came to visit, asking for my brother about signing his family into the vault he always came at a wrong time. My brother would be away at work, or at the vet programs, or he would be out with his wife for some alone time. Ever since the baby, his wife Nora seemed a little bit more tired and stressed. I told her that I would gladly watch the little one so that they could go off like teenagers again. Oh gosh, I remember their wedding…let's just say that baby Shaun came shortly after their wedding night.
But with the Vault-Tec urgency for him to sign, I knew that the world wouldn't be the same for much longer. Word is that the crisis is only getting worse and tomorrow looks even worse than today looks. Life underground, however, scares me a little bit. Metal walls, that sanitary smell, and those horrible blue Vault-Tec jumpsuits. Not a future I'm looking forward too. If I wasn't in the science department I would so change the design, but I'm not so those jumpsuits will have to do. Then again…I wouldn't be here now if I wasn't in the science department or for that matter, a loyal volunteer.
Someone who wants the world to see hope.
That my sacrifice for humanity wasn't wasted but it was.
It was nothing but a dead end and I got the short stick.
Now I have to live with the side effects.
And spend the rest of my days being poked and prodded, taking disgusting medication, and the fear of losing control of what little control I have left of my own life.
Joyous.
A pocket full of posies,
I woke to the smell of bacon and to a baby crying. I rolled out of bed, walking a little ways to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. Once I was clean and dressed I headed towards the living room where Codsworth was busying around the kitchen.
"Good morning Miss Evelyn." Codsworth said as I walked out of the guest bedroom. For being a Mr. Handy Codsworth is one of the best.
"Morning Codsworth. What's for breakfast?" I asked as I sat at the island in the kitchen.
"Bacon and eggs with coffee. Would you like a cup?" He asked.
"Yes please." Codsworth turned around to pour me some. "Is anyone else awake?"
"The sir went to fetch the mail and I believe the madam is in her room. Young Shaun is in his crib at the moment." He answered courtly before putting a cup in front of me. "Will you be staying the rest of the week Miss Evelyn?"
"Of course! I'll be staying until after Halloween. After that I have to go back to Big Mountain for another round of tests." I told him, sipping slowly on my coffee.
"I hope those scientists know what they're doing madam." Codsworth said before turning around to make breakfast.
"Me too Codsworth. Me too." I said to no one. Just when I started to relax I was frightened when an arm wrapped itself around my neck to put me in a headlock. I quickly relaxed and put up a fake struggle, when I figured out it was my brother. We put up a fake fight, letting him take me out of my seat so that we could have more room, before he released me; smiling broadly as I weakly punched him in the chest. "Ass."
"Such language from a lady." Her brother said before kissing me on the cheek. "Morning."
"Morning." I said and smiled back at him. "Who ever said I was a lady?"
"Not me, that's for certain." He said before he noticed that Codsworth placed some bacon on her plate, quickly stealing a piece before running off before I could whack him for stealing my food. "Did you take your meds yet?" He called from the hallway.
"I will after breakfast. Goes down better if I eat something." I called back before sitting down once more. Codsworth made me two more pieces of bacon before returning back to make the rest of the breakfast.
"Good morning Evelyn." Nora came out to give me a kiss on the cheek. She too, took a piece of bacon from my plate just like my brother did and I wondered if some of his personality was rubbing off on her.
"Morning Nora." I said, showing her a smile with eggs stuck in between my teeth.
"That's gross." She said and gave me shoulder a shove.
"You think it's funny, don't deny it." I told her and we both had a good laugh. Once I was done eating I headed into the guest bedroom to take my medication. I sat on my bed, reaching under it to pull out my one strap bag that held a medium size case that was thumb print locked. The case opened with a hiss and inside held a months' worth of medication in glass vials. The dark blue liquid inside was foul tasting as I downed one, putting the vial back in the case, shutting it close.
My heart began to race, the medicine sliding down my throat to settle in my stomach. I wanted to gag; my body wanting to expel the horrid tasting liquid. My stomach began to cramp as I rested my elbows on my knees to try and keep it down. I hated this part. The pain that came shortly after. Side effects include vomiting, dizziness, nauseous, an increase in heart rate, and slight numbing of the tongue. After my head and body started to calm down I stood up to go back into the living room.
But across the hall I heard baby noises and I decided to poke my head in to see my nephew. Swaddled in a yellow baby blanket and hat, cooing away at the rocket mobile above his head. I smiled at him, letting him take my finger of my one hand. He smiled at me and with a small look over my shoulder I started to twirl my finger, making the mobile move without even touching it.
Another gift I got from my sacrifice.
What they did to me…
I don't feel human at time anymore…
"I thought you weren't going to use that anymore unless you had to." I stopped at the sound of my brothers' voice.
"I use it…sometimes. Not all the time. I feel like I just need some practice if I use it in small ways." I told him before looking back to the baby, not meeting my brother's gaze that I felt on the back of my head.
"You know your limit." He said and walked around the crib to the other side. "You'll tell me if something was wrong right?" I looked up to see a worry look on my brother's face.
"You know I will. It's just…"
"What?"
"The last time I went to Big Mountain…they asked something of me I couldn't give them an answer to." I told him and looked back down at the baby. How innocent and perfect he was, not knowing of the horrors around him.
"What did they ask? Haven't they asked enough of us, of you, already?"
"They wanted to do more mental training, more pushing the limits. They want to take me off the suppressants and test my natural control." I told him and my brother's fists clenched till the knuckles turned white.
"They want to fix their mistake, what they did to you! You're going to allow them to go back in and mess around more with your brain? With your body? Didn't you learn the last time?"
"I did it for us Adam! What would you rather I do? Have a complete stranger hold my leash or would you rather hold it to protect me? I did what I had to for both of us. We needed the money."
"We could've survived without it!" He hissed at me.
"We were homeless! We hadn't eating in two days. It was my choice."
"I know, I know." He said and walked around to hold me close, kissing my forehead. "It's your choice, it's always been your choice. And I trust your choice." He said before walking out of the room. I stayed twirling the mobile around for Shaun for a while before I decided to join the others in the living room.
As I walked down the hallway, I heard talking coming from the living room and when I walked around the corner my brother was talking to the Vault-Tec rep finally. I waved to the man who waved back before sitting on the couch, listening to the news. Nothing really exciting, just talk about the war going on and also the weather about this upcoming Halloween weekend.
"Wonderful! That's…everything…Just gonna walk this over to the Vault! Congratulations on being prepared for the future!" The Vault-Tec rep said before the door closed.
"All set for the future?" I asked.
"Yeah." He groaned.
"Hey, it's peace of mind. That's worth a little paperwork, right?" Nora asked.
"For you, Evelyn, and Shaun, no price is too high." He answered, kissing her on the cheek.
"Good answer." Nora chuckled.
"I'm on the list?" I asked him.
"Of course, your family are you not?"
"Well yeah but…"
"No buts, butt head." He flicked my ear.
"You're the butt head." I muttered. Codsworth came in and said that Shaun needed some parenting love. I waited out in the living room while the family had a little bonding time in the baby's' room. Then the news on the TV turned dark…
Ashes! Ashes!
"Guys, you need to see this!" I called from where I sat on the couch.
"Followed by…yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes, sounds of explosions…We're…we're trying to get confirmation." I turned around to see my brother standing behind me. Nora was holding Shaun not far from us. "But we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations... We do have…coming in…confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania. My god." With that the TV went to the broadcasting system and the sirens went off, loud and foreboding that rang loud.
"We need to get to the Vault. Now!" Adam said.
"I've got Shaun. Let's go!" Nora said. I was about to follow them when I turned around to head back towards my room.
"Evelyn!" I heard my name being called. I grabbed the one thing I needed, making sure my backpack was on tightly before heading out of the house. My hand was grabbed and my brother started to drag me along with him as we ran for the Vault. "Don't you dare let my hand go." He said as we ran up the path. The Vault-Tec rep was there, talking to a military man with a clip board. When he tried to push past a man with a machine gun started it up, threating him to back off. I felt sorry for him but now wasn't the time. Sure we were all scared but surely they would try to save the others who weren't on the list.
"We're on the list." Nora said to the man. He checked his clip board before he allowed the four of us to pass.
"Step on the platform, in the center!" Said a man as we passed him. We stood on the center of the platform with a few of the others from town. My stomach was in knots and I looked over at my brother who gave a kiss to his wife and baby before holding me closer. We then watched in horror as a large mushroom cloud appeared, followed by a massive boom. I clung to my brother as the platform began to move down, smoke and debris flying over us as we just made it.
I looked up as the sky turned red then all together black.
We moved like zombies deeper into the Vault. Doctors with smiles told us that we were okay now and that the life in the vault would be better now. One of the doctors showed me to the medical room where I could place my medicine under lock and key until I was done being decontaminated. I changed into the ugly blue jumpsuit and was showed where my family was. They were already in these chambers and I was told to get in, that it would only take a few minutes. A part of me told me not to believe them but the fear still running through my veins overrode my fear to question.
Without a word I stepped into the chamber next to my brother. The door closed and I tried to relax. Slowly it got colder and colder, my strength to fight off sleep failed and I allowed myself to drift off.
Life in a Vault…
Mandatory now…
We all fall down!
~oOo~