Bang!
I jumped up, sweat and tears pouring down my face, wiping them away I looked out at the desert, nothing. It was that same dream I've had. The one where I get shot by Benny, by that damned man if the Checkered suit… Only this wasn't a dream, it really happened, and it was driving me to the brink of insanity.
At first I only noticed a few things, like I would get more rough with Fiends, shoot them up a bit more or fight hand to hand. Then it got to the point where I started hording all the vault suits… then the teddy bears I over collected for the kids around. After that it got so bad that I started to agree with The Legion, that went away after I killed House. Then there was the hugging thing, I loved to hug… I don't know if I was like this before… but ever since I got shot in the head, I've been like this.
"B-Boss? What are you doing up?" Raul mumbled from beside me,
I looked down and sighed "Same nightmare again?"
He asked and I nodded "Boss… It'll be okay"
He sat up and patted my shoulder lightly, I wanted to hug him but I held back
"Raul?"
"Hmm?"
"What was the world like before the Nuke's?"
This subject, I had asked about a lot. I wished it was back when I didn't have to worry about not waking up.
"It was beautiful, The sun always shone down on the Ranch every morning… There was no worry about radiation, everyone seemed happy and there were so many animals… Horses, pigs, cows, hell even chickens…"
We were both thinking 'What I would give to be back there…' It was always the same thought. But we had to deal, I would live until the day a bullet went straight through my brain and he would live seemingly forever. That was how life was now, Radiation ruled and the World was a Wasteland… I would deal with it, as would he.
A nudge on my leg woke me from my stuper, I reached down and petted Rex's brain case he sat there happily licking my hand.
"Hey boy, how about I take you for a walk?"
I swear he nodded, ever since I was shot I could almost understand animals, except for Deathclaws.
"Be careful Boss…"
Raul warned and I nodded, I would be, strapping my silenced pistols and my silenced rifle to myself I patted my leg and Rex followed "No running off."
Rex always listened to me. Walking down the hill I looked around before heading off to my left, going until I got to a farm, the owner was out and tenting to his crops
"Hey! Got anything good?" I asked pulling out my caps
"Sure do, Maize, Banana Yucca, lettuce, some fruit, carrots and some Tobacco"
I nodded and Rex and I walked over, the man bent down to pet Rex, which Rex was excited for.
"Hey you're that Courier aren't you?" I stiffened as he glanced up at me, I noticed a smile and relaxed some
"Yeah, I'm that Courier…" I sighed and he placed his hand on my shoulder
"Thank you for all the good you've done. But I was wondering do you have a place to stay?"
I shook my head, My group was staying in a lean-to made out of a sheet of metal and some boards. "Well you can spend some time here"
"No I cant just-"
"You wont be staying for free, I don't want caps, just want some help with farmin' you know how it is 'round these part" I nodded smiling back at him.
"Oh I'm Joshua Hartwell by the way" I searched my memory for anyone by that name and came up empty, shaking his hand I said
"Sixx Rook… but I go by Courier too…. Actual no one ever calls me Sixx or Rook…." I sighed sadly
"Rook…Where do you get a name like that?"
We sat down on the houses steps watching Rex play with Joshua's dogs and puppies.
"After I got shot in the head I couldn't remember anything from my previous life… My memory only comes back for a few seconds at a time… I mean I remember New Reno… and something about The Divide… but they are only split second things… When I original set out I was after revenge… when I got it… It was by Legion terms… There was no satisfaction with killing my would be killer… Not with the legion involved anyways… sigh. Anyways I couldn't remember my name, I felt lost… So when I found out I was Courier Six I took the name Six and added a x… I new a lot about chess so I chose Rook as a 'Last Name' People in the NCR refer to me as The King of Hearts…. Why I have no idea, Maybe because I am like a King or maybe because I gave everything to help people…. The King doesn't refer to me as King though. Heh he calls me Ace… So I have a few names I go by I guess…. I don't know whose my real one, seems like every time I turn around I'm either Courier, Courier Six or some other new name…"
I rubbed my neck and looked down at Rex, he had a puppy under him and I picked the pup up, he looked a lot like Rex, Rex sniffed the puppy then proceeded to lick him and me.
"Your Pup there is very cute"
I commented stroking the little pups back, he barked up at me, licking my wrist I smelled his puppy breath and awed
"He's never taken to strangers, but he seems to like you quite a bit… would you want him?"
Rex's eyes lit up and he barked 'Yes! Yes! PLEASE?!' His eyes seemed to say so I turned my head to Joshua "Really?"
"Would I lie?" I rubbed the back of my head
"I guess not…. Heh We would love to have him… What's his name?"
"I haven't chosen one yet, my dogs have so many pups I forget which one's which heh!" He grinned and I grinned back "Well Rex…. What do you think?"
I looked down at the over excited dog and he looked back up at me "Well Rex are you sure?" I knew what he wanted me to name him, ever since we saw the tram he's known what I wanted to call a puppy. "Alright, I dub thee… Train"
The puppy jumped up and started licking my face so I raised him above my head "Who's a good train? You are yes you are!" I cooed.
Joshua laughed then stood up "Here I'll get you a collar made"
"Huh?"
"I like to make license's for pets, it was something I had a machine for, my family used to do it as a side job, back when… I have collars too, would you like on for your other pup too?"
I stood up and nodded "Yeah, his name's Rex... could you make two for him, one that says The King as a owner too, just so that he has one too."
Joshua nodded and walked into the house
"By the way I would suggest when you bring him off of the property you put a chain on him, he likes to run around."
I okayed and noticed figures approaching from the North, I saw a flash of light four time's and knew it was my group, standing I held the puppy in my arm waving with one I said down to Rex
"Go get em boy!"
He barked and took off, most likely after Boone due to his hat. I looked down at Train, pointing a finger at his nose
"Don't get any idea's Mister…"
He licked my finger and I awed once more, holding the little puppy close to me as the group closed in. Boone has been more normal ever since the Dam fight, he's seemed like a regular, not so hard, ass.
He was playing with Rex, running around and tossing a baseball to him, waiting for him to retrieve it before throwing it again. Our odd little group was finally happy, and that in turn made me happy
. "I told you I saw him go off in this direction!" Cass said crossing her arms
"Hey Rook where have you been and- Oh my god is that a puppy?!" Veronica said lunging for me, she took the puppy and started playing with him
"He's our puppy…
" "You named him Train right?"
I nodded "Awesome!" Veronica stated as she took out a teddy bear and gave it to the puppy, watching as he wrestled with it.
"Hey Rook their finished" Joshua said "Oh Thanks,"
I took the collars and tags from him
"Oh right, Joshua this is Veronica, Cass, Boone, Raul and Arcade, we have another member of our little group but he's back at The Strip watching over everything…"
"I still can't believe you left Harland in charge of Vegas…"
"He had business to do in the first place… besides I trust him enough to know he wouldn't dare do something stupid… though he better not be in my bed… That's my bed….."
I pouted I had gotten some of the other floors up and running so that everyone could have their own rooms. One day I hoped to make the place a working casino again, which is why we were on this mission, that and I needed to get away and find parts for the car I was trying to rebuild and get working.
Yes I edited it, Donk. Are you happy? :*