A/N: reuploading! Enjoy :)
Chapter One - Help
Pain radiated through me; I felt as though it was piercing my very soul. The scorching sun shone onto my bare legs and arm, and a small, visible part of my back. My lungs struggled to breathe in a sufficient amount of air, and my lips cracked painfully when I slowly opened my mouth to try and breathe deeply.
Cautiously, I lifted my head off the ground, my neck screaming in agony at the movement, but it just reminded me that I was alive; that I had survived the jump attack. Wrenching my eyes opening, the blood that had dried on my eyelids making little scratching noises, I surveyed my surroundings, afraid I would come face-to-face with a Raiders foot or, worse, a landmine.
I gasped and winced when I tried to look behind me, moving my back ever so slightly and pain rocketed through my body, causing me to flop back down the ground, waiting for the dirt to grow over me like a grave.
Instead, I waited, listening carefully. Wind whistled over the dry, deserted Wasteland and I could hear a scrap of metal flapping against concrete not far from me. In the distance, a dog barked. But one sound I was glad I couldn't hear was gun shots. Or the laughs and curses of Raiders.
I had no idea how it happened. They just ambushed me, took all my money, my weapons and my ammo before tearing off, leaving me for dead. No. Oh no, I wouldn't let them win that easily. I racked my sore head for someone I could go to.
Amata? Nah, she would never let me back into the Vault, not after what happened.
Mayor MacCready? Maybe, if I was close enough.
Sarah Lyons? I didn't even know if she was in DC anymore…
DC…
Three Dog!
The man who had my father… he would help me. There was no way he wouldn't. I mean, I hoped he would help me…
With the pain in my body making it difficult to stand, it took me a long time to move my arms to my sides… well, my left arm, at least. I realised with horror that the Raiders had broken my right arm! My shooting arm… damn! Why did this have to happen to me?!
I had been searching for the Slavers who had taken my boyfriend, Butch, and a little girl who had been travelling with us called Sapling Yew, who we had offered to take around the Wasteland with us after solemnly swearing to her aged parents, who were in charge at Oasis in the north of the Wasteland. The two had been taken by Slavers when Butch took Yew out to shoot while I was asleep…
That was eight months ago.
I was still searching for them, even now. I accepted no help; I listened to no one's advice. I really had become to Lone Wanderer people had named me to be years ago. The very girl my Dad had insisted she look after herself… I had proved that to him by escaping the Vault and helping him finish Project Purity. Butch tagged along after Dad died and we took in Sapling Yew not long after.
Another gasp escaped my lips, interrupting my thoughts. The pain in my arms was growing too intense and I found myself crumpling to the ground with a small sob; I couldn't help myself. It was too much; I had never suffered this much before.
I was afraid and hurt. Those two combined with the anger I felt towards the Slavers and the worry and fear I harboured for Butch and Yew made my body begin to shake as I started to cry harder. I rolled onto my side as carefully as I could, pulled my legs up to my chest and hugged them lightly, sobbing hysterically.
This went on for quite some time; all my feelings melded together to come out of my body in the forms of shakes and tears. I couldn't even bring myself to curse, my throat and lips hurt so much. Time slowly ticked by; I had no idea how long I'd been there for when I heard a timid voice behind whisper; "Miss?"
Not caring what happened to me anymore at this point, I ignored them, though I did stop crying. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, smearing tears, blood and dirt on my sun-tanned skin. I heard footsteps approaching me and I stiffened up, thinking please go away, please go away, I'm begging you, please go away!
"M-Miss? Miss, you're hurt!" the person gasped and I couldn't help but notice how young they sounded… and how masculine, either.
Finally, I was able to whisper something, the first word that came to my mind…
"Help."