Guidance of the Lost
Chapter 4
Jenny was standing on the cliff edge, her eyes straining a bit to see how much more they needed to travel along the foothills until they really began hitting the mountains. This was going to be a long journey for Gob. The woman not so much. She was used to some of the long travels the Mojave express made her take. Holding up her arm, the woman double checked her maps before walking away from the edge of the cliff and back down to the camp. To the courier's surprise she wasn't met with a sleeping Ghoul but to one who was very much awake and looking a bit nervous. Gob was sitting outside of the tent, eyes wide and looking around. The moment he heard her walking down from the trail a warm smile spread acrossed his cheeks to Jenny's surprise. Typically Gob wasn't this excited to see her but it was a sign the poor Ghoul was coming around. Tipping her head a bit she returned the smile and took a few steps back over to the camp. Walking over to his side, the woman held out her pipboy showing him her map.
"We have a long journey ahead of us today. You up for it with your arm being injured?" Jenny inquired.
She could see Gob thinking it over. He would get this subtle look in his eyes, a small frown sinking on his brow for a few moments as the thoughts rolled around in his head. Looking back up at Jenny, the ghoul's face twisted for a moment.
"I've had worse done to me. I think I can make it today." Gob's voice grew soft for a moment. His eyes looking down at the ground.
Jenny started gnawing at the inside of her cheek. She was having a hard time gauging what this Ghoul was comfortable doing and what he wasn't comfortable doing. From what she had pieced together, he would just agree to whatever she suggested. Perhaps it was just all of the time he had spent as a slave that made him so agreeable. From that moment the woman felt a bit conflicted. Should she just go ahead and start traveling today when Gob said he was ok to do so, or should she put it off? She didn't know what she could do to really help him. She didn't know how to read him when she would normally have a good idea on who she was dealing with. Perhaps Jenny just wasn't really meant to be a caretaker. Was she just taking all of this too personally? The woman didn't know but she was beginning to grow frustrated with herself for feeling this way. She was normally so sure about everything. Or the moments she wasn't sure Raul was around to guide her. Now she didn't have him.
"Give me a moment." Jenny sighed, stepping away from the camp and walking into the treeline disappearing from Gob's view.
The Ghoul sat there a bit confused as to why the courier ended up storming off for seemingly no reason. One minute she seemed quite ok then the next she looked conflicted. Gob sat in his spot twiddling his thumbs for a moment, his eyes darting around bit as the forest grew quiet once more. The courier seemed to move without any sound. Sighing softly to himself, Gob turned away from where Jenny had disappeared off to. Not exactly knowing what to do, he wasn't sure if he should start packing up the camp yet or what exactly what Jenny had planned to do. One moment ago she was talking about leaving and then she ended up disappearing herself. His arm was pounding from the bullet wound he was left with but the Ghoul was thankful that was all he had received from the past fight. His life was steadily growing better each day and he could feel the strength drip into his life. Gob knew this was going to be a long process but he wasn't wanting to force it to happen. Jenny seemed patient enough with him as far as this went. Thinking that they were probably going to stay at least another night at the camp. Gob slowly pulled himself to his feet and wandered along the tree line picking up small sticks and branches. He figured he would make himself a little bit useful by gathering firewood. It wasn't mixing drinks behind a bar but it was sure better then getting beaten into a pulp. Right as the Ghoul went down to pick up another small branch from the forest floor, he saw Jenny storming by behind him grumbling something under her breath. Straightening himself out, the ghoul watched the courier rummage through one of her travel bags as if she had lost her prized journal. He dare not asked what she was looking for.
The woman tossed things over her shoulder making a complete mess of the camp when she had found what she was after.
A metal pot.
"Smoothskin?" Gob called out to the woman but she paid no attention to it.
Almost growing alarmed over how quickly the courier tore apart the camp only to pull out a pot and storm back into the forest, Gob pattered over to the camp and placed the extra firewood into a small pile. Not sure what the woman was planning, the ghoul didn't waste any time with putting things back into the women's bags and straightening up the camp once more. If it was one thing his time as a slave taught him it was to keep your surroundings as clean as possible. People tended to be a bit happier when their abode was in an accommodating condition. Sitting back down on the small stump he had claimed for himself, the Ghoul herd Jenny humming to herself. Turning himself, the woman was sucking on her finger as she held the pot out in her other hand. He grew curious.
Jenny waltzed right up to the Ghoul's side and kneeled down, holding out the pot, she pulled her finger out of her mouth and gave Gob a brief smile.
"Do you know what this is?" She inquired.
"I don't believe I do." Gob looked at her a bit puzzled.
"It's honey Gob, have you ever had it?" She smiled, her eyes showing a glint of joy.
"I thought this was something from the old world." Gob frowned a bit.
Before the woman said anything more. Jenny placed the pot down in Gob's lap, a brief chuckle escaping her lips. Standing up from his side, the woman walked over to the freshly cleaned camp. A bit in shock over how quickly it was picked up. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she kneeled back down to one of her travel bags. Pulling out a spoon and some fresh bandages, the woman stood back up and walked back over to Gob's side. Her hand holding out the spoon for him to take.
"What is that for?" Gob frowned.
"Take it and eat it." She smiled.
"Are….are you sure?" Gob looked down at the pot of golden honey. It was obviously fresh and not something that had looked like it was sitting around for 200 years. Most of the old world honey had crystalized and never looked as fresh as this did.
"Just take the spoon." Jenny waved it a little in front of his face, her brow raising.
Gob hesitated in reaching up but gently grasped the spoon and dipped it into the honey, taking a small bite of the rich nectar. His eyes quickly closed as he savored the sweet taste.
"Heaven on earth right?" Jenny smiled seeing the Ghoul cherish it.
"You are right Jenny." Gob opened his eyes watching as the woman knelt back down next to his side, holding the roll of gauze in her hands.
"Hold out your arm I need to change your bandages." Jenny raised a brow.
The Ghoul had stopped for a moment and looked over at Jenny, it was obvious some thoughts were rolling around in his head. That small frown sinking back down on his face.
"I've wondered why you aren't like other smoothskins." Gob blurted.
"Excuse me?" Jenny tipped her head a bit in confusion.
"Oh.. well.. I mean you aren't afraid to touch me." Gob looked back down at the honey a bit embarrassed.
"Gob, my last companion was a Ghoul." Jenny suddenly laughed.
"Were….were they?" Gob stammered.
"Yeah, his name was Raul Tejada. One of the best damn companions any girl could ask for. Well any mindless Courier could ask for." Jenny laughed as she untied Gob's bandage and began unwrapping it from his arm.
"Mindless?" Gob was growing even more confused with this woman.
"I don't have a brain rattling around in my skull Gob." Jenny continued to unwrap the gauze until his wound was exposed, giving it a good once over to make sure it wasn't growing infected.
"Well we know who isn't going feral." Gob joked under his breath.
"I heard that." Jenny chuckled. Picking up the fresh roll of gauze, she began to wrap the Ghoul's arm, careful to not wrap his bandage too tight.
"Tell me smoothskin. Who was this Raul Tejada and why don't you have a brain. And please don't tell me it's another long story." Gob's voice almost came off sounding bored.
Jenny got finished wrapping his arm then took a small step back, her head tipped a bit as she settled into her own spot on the ground. Looking at the pot of honey Gob was hanging onto, the woman gave a sad smile then looked back up at her companion.
"Raul was a heck of a man. I had my brain removed in Big Mountain a long while back. An experiment gone bad I say or I was told." Jenny paused, reaching up to untie her bandana. Her fingers worked the knot and the tan fabric fell from her head, allowing some of her blonde waves to frame her face.
Gob's mouth dropped open as he saw the scars running deep acrossed her forehead. So that was what the bandana was for. To hide what had happened to this poor woman. Even she had a past full of pain and hurt.
"After I got back from Big Mountain, I couldn't remember what happened to me. I suffered bad amnesia from it all. I would get flashes of memories, it came in black outs and in dreams. Things would trigger it. An due to basically running on remote control, I suffer from a lot of brain fog from time to time. I can't exactly think or see straight. I still have a bit of trouble remembering things but. It is what it is. I'm getting better." Jenny sighed. "Raul helped me through the worst of it and hence the journal." Jenny smiled as she looked back up at Gob.
"What do you mean running on remote control?" Gob's face twisted, looking more confused than ever.
"Ok, so basically when the scientists removed my brain back in Big Mountain. They put a shit ton of hardware in my body to be able to operate like normal. I have a receiver in skull that is still linked to my brain back in storage at Big Mountain. So the further I travel from Big Mountain, the harder of a time I have receiving signals to my remote brain. Hence the fog and memory problems." Jenny had hoped this made more sense to the Ghoul.
"Can't you just put your brain back in your head?" The Ghoul still frowned.
"I've looked at having the procedure done, but it would be very dangerous to remove all the hardware from my body. Besides the scientists that did the procedure are all dead. So I'm not sure I would end out alright in the end." The woman looked at the ground, kicking at the small pebbles with her boot.
"I can't blame you Jenny. Even I wouldn't take that chance." Gob set the pot of honey down on the ground next to the woman, hoping she would take some for herself.
The woman didn't initially respond. Pulling some of her blonde hair back over her left ear, she tied the bandana tightly back around her forehead, covering the deep scars once more. A small smile grew acrossed her lips.
"I can't lose this bandana. Raul bought me this one." She chuckled to herself. The memory tucked fondly in the back of her 'mind'. The woman then broke the small silence and gazed back up at her companion.
"So tell me about you. If you care to indulge any of that."
"Well my last friend was known as the Lone Wanderer…" Gob perked up.
"Tell me about this lone Wanderer…" Jenny smiled.
Authors Note:
Sort of a filler chapter. I wanted the chance to have Jenny and Gob bond some more before the moved along with their journey. Thank you for all the love so far. I hope you guys are enjoying it! Happy Reading.