Rebecca abruptly sat up from her chair and squeezed herself on to the bed to lie beside Mama Murphy. She scooted as close as possible to her paling elderly friend and wrapped her arms around the older woman. Hopefully, Mama Murphy trusted her enough on her word or matters would take a turn for the worst.
"Mama Murphy," Rebecca whispered gently.
The elder's eyes were heavily glossed over as the first of a series of brief tremors began to run down her arms, but she managed to respond. "Yes, dear," she answered wispily.
Rebecca anxiously licked her lips. "Um.. I might be able to get you a bit of a-uh.. quick fix, but you have to promise to keep it between us, okay?"
Mama Murphy suddenly perked up, some light returning to her eyes. "Would you, really," she asked hoarsely. Her voice was surprised but hopeful.
"Um…yeah. Just give me a minute to go grab the stuff," Rebecca muttered quickly.
"Yes, yes, of course. Don't be too long though, alright? These old muscles can only take so much."
Rebecca lightly squeezed her elder's hand in a gesture of sympathetic affection, then scrambled out of the bedroom. She proceeded to the workshop in the old garage and knelt down beside the bench. In a narrow gap behind the bench and hidden from view by some rusty bean cans were several containers labelled 'Addictol' and one bottle that was unmarked apart from the vague word, 'Tester'.
-Flashback to a few months before-
Rebecca knew that it was a serious concern that Mama Murphy be cured of her chem addiction if she was to survive longer than a half year, perhaps a little longer if she was fortunate enough. She had decided to pay a visit to Doctor Sun in Diamond City, who was one of the only people in the settlement she could communicate with honestly. Perhaps that was due in part to the fact that he was one of the only legitimate clinicians that existed in the Commonwealth and he took a 'no nonsense' approach toward anyone he suspected was wasting his time without a genuine medical concern.
"Doctor Sun," Rebecca inquired.
"Yes, what is it? I've got all sorts of patients arriving this afternoon, so I haven't much time to spare for idle chit-chat. Make it quick."
"Um-yeah, sure. This will only take a few moments of your time, doc. Could we sit down?"
Sun looked at her pointedly, but agreed as they got comfortable on his set of squishy red armchairs.
Rebecca folded her hands in her lap. "So, I have this very good, elderly friend of mine. She's been struggling with the drugs for years and is very resilient at this point to being talked into any sort of alternative treatment," she began.
The doctor nodded and continued to listen patiently.
"I wanted to know if you might have stumbled upon anything that I might be able to use to at least slightly lessen her cravings for chems?"
Doctor Sun grasped his chin and paused for a few seconds in deep thought. He looked up toward Rebecca. "And you say this has been ongoing for many years, correct?"
Rebecca nodded her head in affirmation.
"Hm… okay. If that is the case, then I may have something for you." He propped himself up from his seat and took out a keyring from his lab coat pocket. He proceeded to unlock a large steel encasing and started to rummage through numerous glass vials, prescription containers, and herbal salves crammed into the very condensed space. After about half a minute, Doctor Sun closed and secured the encasing and produced a medium-sized wine bottle filled with an off-clear liquid in his hand. He strode over to face opposite of Rebecca.
He curtly held out the bottle, "Here. This may just do the trick." Rebecca took the bottle from his grasp and turned it around in her palms, but could see no discernible labels on it.
She cocked her eyebrow, confused. "Uh.. what exactly is this, doctor?"
"This is a solution I concocted more recently. It works similarly to a Pre-War device from over 250 years ago called a 'Nicotine Patch'. The idea was to help enable tobacco users to quit smoking faster. Essentially to do this, companies developed an adhesive pad the size of a disinfecting towelette that would dispense nicotine to the wearer without-"
Rebecca cut in. "Without all the harmful chemicals that actual cigarettes and other tobacco products contained.
Doctor Sun frowned in disapproval, though nodded. "Yes, that was the main point of the invention. The only difference between that product and mine is that this solution to combat chem cravings is ingestible. You can take it orally."
She looked at him sheepishly, scratching the back of her scalp. "Sorry for interrupting you, doc. It's just.. we all learned about these in school, during med history cl-" Rebecca widened her eyes at the realization of how she might sound to the doctor. As if on cue, his dark eyes had widened considerably and his eyebrows lifted in suspicious disbelief.
"U-uh..-I meant that I-um.. learned about it through my great-granddad's history books. I was homeschooled… for a time," she amended briskly.
Doctor Sun narrowed his eyes, but seemed to accept her explanation. "Very interesting… books about those types of items are quite uncommon now, unless you've had tutelage under a expertly-trained professional.. or managed to find a way into one of the old city libraries. But most of them tend to be overrun with the Super Mutant lot among other foul creatures."
Rebecca laughed nervously. "Yeah, who would have figured they had it so well preserved all these years." She cleared her throat, wanting to return to point. "So, what you're saying is this solution will convince her that she is taking chems without her full knowledge of what is actually in here," she questioned.
The doctor nodded. "That's correct. I had modified the formula to bind to the sensory receptors for taste in the body that will allow the solution to stimulate the same feeling that a chem like Jet or Buffout would under the guise of these drugs. Many addicts wanting to get clean have come to me with complaints of the repugnant taste of Addictol, claiming it was so nauseating that not many could successfully digest it. So, I made this solution in the hopes that addicts could gradually reduce the severity of their symptoms with small to moderate doses of the solution," he stated articulately. "This way, those who had used could eventually learn to mix the Addictol in with the solution in order to cure their cravings completely."
Rebecca appeared both fascinated and elated by all of this new information. "Wow, that's amazing! You could provide so much hope for chem addicts everywhere with the brilliance of this invention."
He smiled ruefully. "Yes, well… unfortunately the ingredients I require to make the solution are especially rare, dangerous, and thus expensive to acquire, so I have only been able to synthesize limited quantities."
"Oh my. Well, I'm very honoured that you would spare some of your rare stock for me. Thank you so much, doc," Rebecca said, immensely grateful.
"Somehow, I have the distinct feeling that you'll put it to good use for your friend," he stated.
She beamed. "Don't worry, I'll bide my time. It will be used wisely."
"That is good to hear. Well, then. I must return to my work. Now, for the matter of payment: 400 caps up front should cover chemical expenses."
Rebecca dug into her cap lunchbox and counted out exact change for him. As the doctor added the fee to his safe, he turned to her one last time before she left the city.
"Let me know of any adverse side effects! I'll try to assist as best I can."
Rebecca had slung her travel bag over her shoulder as she called back to him. "Can do, Doctor Sun! Thanks again!"
As she spotted the med treatments, Rebecca snatched both the bottle labeled 'Tester' and an Addictol from her hidden stash and quietly tip-toed to the nearby kitchen.
She unwrapped a hastily scribbled note that she'd copied Doctor Sun's directions on for administering the solution. Rebecca made to grab a plasteel drinking cup from an upper storage cabinet and set it down beside the two other containers of aid. Carefully reading the instructions, she poured three quarters of the cup's volume with the frothy liquid from the solution and filled the remaining space with a very minor portion of Addictol.
As she was mixing the contents of the concoction together, she heard Mama Murphy cry out from the corner bedroom. "Becca! Honey, where did you go? I thought you were coming back for me!"
Rebecca pursed her lips before calling back. "I'll be there in a moment, Mama! I just spilled something on my dress and am trying to clean it off!" That seemed to do the trick as the rooms in the home quieted down. The only sound breaching the countryside peace was the distant noise of hammering on rooftops for maintenance repairs. Rebecca wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. "Whew, that was close," she said, relieved.
It was common knowledge that any chem addict had to consume the full contents of one whole Addictol in order to gain the cure-all benefits from the medicine. She understood it would take Mama Murphy a little time to adjust, but now that Rebecca had earned her unwaveringly faith and trust, it would be much easier to get her to down these concoctions without too much difficulty. Hopefully, with time, Mama Murphy would ideally be of the willing mindset after multiple treatments with the solution to take the Addictol all at once on her own terms. That was the plan.
Rebecca scurried back to the workbench and stuffed all the medicinal containers deep inside the back crevice, then grasped the cup filled with solution and pattered toward Mama Murphy's quarters. As she walked through the door, Mama Murphy could still be observed slumped up against the side of the wall, her condition unchanged though pleased with Rebecca's arrival.
"Dear, there you are. What took so long? You really had me going there," Mama Murphy lightly reprimanded.
Rebecca proceeded to seat herself back into the armchair with the solution still in hand. She glanced up at her elderly friend. "I'm sorry, Mama. I had spilled some of a drink on my hem and I just wanted to tidy up real quick," she lied.
Mama Murphy grinned from cheek to cheek. "I understand, doll." She peered toward the container held in the younger woman's hand. "Whatcha got there?"
"So, I promised I'd get you a fix, yeah?"
She nodded eagerly.
Rebecca continued, "Well, I was in Diamond city a while back and had heard about this new insta-chem powder smoothie mixes that one of the shopkeepers was raving about."
Mama Murphy's eyeballs looked like saucers. She was clearly feeding into the bait that was being presented.
"Basically, he told me about how you could liquefy this chem powder into a smooth, easily digestible beverage and receive the same high as Buffout capsules or Jet inhalers would give. So, I expressed my interest to him because I knew how much you would probably like this idea and he sold me all he had in stock," Rebecca spoke silkily.
As she exchanged looks with Mama Murphy, she could discern by her bulging eyes and slightly parted lips that she had hooked her into believing this wild tale. The old woman didn't presently see patience as a virtue whatsoever as she craned her neck forward in anticipation. "Honey, I'll try just about anything that gets me out of these damn shakes and into my dreamy high again. Give it here," Mama Murphy urged. "Quickly, now."
Rebecca did as she was bade and transferred the solution over to Mama Murphy's grasp. She was very gratified to see Mama Murphy chugging down half of the cup's contents in mere seconds. The stubborn, but lovable old lady would finally be getting the medicine she's so desperately needed.
Boy, the fact that I was able to convince her well enough and for her to take it without struggle is a miracle in itself.
Mama Murphy had briefly parted with her cup and a vague trace of a liquid mustache could be discerned above her upper lip as she smiled, completely dumbstruck and unaware. Rebecca had to hold herself back from giggling wildly, as she did not want to cast the impression that she was mocking her quirky friend.
She effectively stifled a laugh. "Um.. Mama Murphy? You have a little something," Rebecca indicated to her own upper lip.
Mama Murphy cocked her head, quizzical. She began to feel around her mouth and accidentally dabbed her fingers on the leftover mixture that was caked on to her skin. She extended her hand out to inspect it, then looked toward Rebecca who was very limited in her abilities to restrain herself anymore.
They both burst out laughing simultaneously at their own stupidity and shameless fun. Fits of cackling howls that sounded reminiscent to a wicked hag could be seen and heard emerging from Mama Murphy's lips. Only after several minutes did their trivial giggling dwindle down and Rebecca and Mama Murphy were curled up on the mattress with their arms slung over the dying rumbles of laughter in their bellies.
Rebecca seated herself upright and shook her head in disbelief. "Heh-heh. Well.. I'm glad I was able to bring some cheer to these old bones today, eh, Mama?"
Mama Murphy set her cup down beside the bed and rubbed Rebecca's sleeve affectionately like that of a mother to a child. "Girl, I haven't laughed that hard since…well. Wow, would you look at that? I don't think I can even remember the last time I was able to be that foolish over nothin'," she said fondly.
Rebecca grinned with pride. "Never a dull moment between us, it would seem."
"Without a doubt, dear."
As soon as Mama Murphy had finished saying that, an epiphany was brought to Rebecca's attention. She had completely lost track of the time. Someone else was still eagerly awaiting an answer from her, as well. She was reluctant to face the confrontation she knew to be inevitable. Shit.
Rebecca stretched her legs before turning back toward Mama Murphy. "You look ten times better than when I first walked in today, Mama Murphy. I'm so glad we were able to have this time."
Mama Murphy patted the young woman's hands. "Better than you would believe, hon. I feel like I could swim a marathon." She considered the implications of these words. "Though maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea with the irradiated harbor an' all," she remarked cheekily.
"Never mind me now, girl. You have a gentleman caller that awaits you."
Now it was Rebecca's turn to make eyes as wide as saucers. There was no way she could have known anything. She didn't even have any chems administered, it was a damn placebo!
"Oh, don't try and look so shocked, dear," Mama Murphy said casually. "Your reaction to what I said confirmed everything."
Rebecca had stuck her lower lip out and crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to pout. "You're real wicked sometimes, you know that?"
Mama Murphy bellowed another cackle so raucous that some could have believed that the walls had shivered slightly in response. "Everyone likes a little mischief. Now, go on. You don't want to keep a good man waiting too long, it's bad luck. Go on and get. Leave Mama to her thoughts."
Rebecca gave Mama Murphy a small, hopeful smile before starting the walk back toward the house where she had last left her heart.