NOTES::: Song is "Save Yourself" -Stabbing Westward


Hancock slowly opened his eyes, Am I in my office? Last think I remember I was at Sanctuary with Nora and the gang. Psychojet musta been much better than I thought. He begins to hear voices, Nora, Nick, Curie, Fahrenheit.

"He is waking up! Guys! He is awake!" Nora screams, happy tears in her eyes as she appears in his field of vision. "Hey there Hancock! How are you feeling?"

He grumbles a little, "Why is everyone standing around me? I O.D. or sumthin?"

"Not exactly. But you were in a coma for about a week." Nora replies.

"What the hell happened to me?"

"It's kind of a long story. Are you sure you are feeling well enough for it now?"

"Yea, just get to tellin'"

Nora takes a big breath. "You had a seizure at dinner, and you wouldn't wake up. Curie had no idea what was wrong with you, but Nick had heard of a special ghoul doctor who lived in Diamond city before all of them were…you know. We went looking for information about this doctor and we heard about this woman named Lydia who was killed during that time." Hancock's breathe hitches at the mention of her name, and the memories that returned with it. "It turns out she wasn't the doctor, but the sister of the doctor. She was just the doctor's supplier of chems and medicine to Diamond City. But the person we were talking to just happened to be the guy who took over her job after she died. He told us where we could find the doctor, but also that she probably wouldn't help you, because she hated you with a fiery fucking passion." Hancock looked at Nora expectantly, a slightly hurt look on his face. "When we met the doctor, we learned that she hated you because she thought you were the one who murdered Lydia and her family, and also that she was the one who made the drug that turned you into a ghoul as an act of revenge, and that was the reason you were in a coma with two weeks to live unless she helped you." Hancock opened his mouth to speak, "shush. I am not done." He closed his mouth. "She agreed to help you if we could prove to her that you were innocent, which we did by hauling you into the Memory Den and taking her into your memories of Lydia." He tried to speak again, and was shushed yet again. "We don't know what she saw, I guess you do, but when she came out of the chair she was in hysterics about how you and Lydia were friends, your brother framed you, and she believed him, and general guilt about trying to kill you." He tried to speak again. "HANCOCK for fuck's sake, you can speak when I am done!" He pouted and let her finish. "We brought you here for your treatment, and here you are… Now I am done." Hancock took a moment to take it all in. He had tried so hard to block Lydia out of his mind. Thinking of her hurt too damn much. A hurt even the chems couldn't destroy.

"Where is Dorothy now?" Hancock asked setting up on the bed. "And why is my shirt off and pants undone?"

"Curie, Dorothy and I had to…um…give you a shot down there…Twice." Hancock raised the skin where his eyebrow would be and gave a wry smile. "How did you know her name? I never told you."

"Lydia talked to me about her a lot. I tried to find her after Lydia died, but I never could. Had no idea where to look. Where is she? I want to talk to her."

"She left after your treatment was done. But she left you this letter." Nora handed him the envelope. He opened it, and began to read the words.


John,

The first time I heard about you was from my sister, telling me about "My friend John", but I had no idea that was you until now. The next time was when I barged into Mayor McDonough's office, held him up against the wall by his throat and asked him which one of his goons murdered my family. He seemed hesitant to tell me, but after a few hits from the butt of my pistol he gave me a photo. A photo of you, his own brother, standing over the dead body of my dead sister. At the time, I believed him. I couldn't even fathom the possibility that he was framing you to save himself. I couldn't imagine siblings doing that to each other. I guess that is what he counted on. I thought I had my answer. My culprit. The cause of my pain. And I planned to bring you pain. I knew about your drug habit, and I used that to my advantage. I made the best drug I could come up with and laced it with a serum. A serum that created a ghoul. But an unstable ghoul. I knew you would need supplemental drugs afterwards, or you would die a slow death. That was what I wanted. I thought it was more like what I was feeling. The last time I heard about you, I heard you had changed your name to John Hancock, and taken control of Goodneighbor, making it a haven for the misfits and misunderstood. My lust for revenge waivered slightly at this news, but I just wrote it off as you trying to appease your guilt.

I am writing you this letter, because I was in your head, I felt what you felt when you held Lydia in your arms. You thought it was your fault. That the ghouls killed her to get to you, and thusly, get to your brother. But that wasn't it. That's what your brother wanted you to believe. What he wanted everyone to believe. Lydia was helping ghouls escape the city, she was campaigning for the rights of the ghouls in secret. Helping them get enough power to fight back. That's why he had her killed, she was standing in the way of his plan, and he had to get rid of her, and all the witnesses. It wasn't at all your fault. You had nothing to do with this. You were a victim in all of this. More of a victim than I ever was. Even after your fight with Lydia, she still cared for you. You were still her friend. She told me she was trying to think about how I would have talked to you to get you to see what I wanted, and she was going to "Embrace her inner Dorothy" to get through to you next time she saw you. She loved you as you loved her.

I also wanted to tell you how truly sorry I am for what I did to you. The anger you must feel could never even begin to compare with the guilt in my heart. And if you want to come enact your revenge. I welcome you, hell, I encourage you. Nora can tell you where to find me. But if you do plan to kill me, you should probably be quick about it, I plan to do it myself, and I don't want to beat you to it, if killing me is something you need.

-Dr. Dorothy Scott


"Fuck!" Hancock yells, jumping out of bed. "When did she leave?" He begins looking around the room, "And where are my clothes?"

"Hancock, sit down! You shouldn't be getting out of bed so soon." Nora stands to face him, trying to be intimidating. He places both hands on her shoulders. Trying to make it clear to her, he is being serious for once.

"Nora, listen to me"

Shit. He never calls me by my name.

"I feel better than I have in years. But I need to get to her as quickly as I can." If I tell her what the doc is planning she will try to come with me. This is something I need to do on my own. "I need to see her. This is what Lydia would have wanted me to do."

"She left about a day ago. I can give you the location of her house. Just please be careful Hancock."

"I will, toots." He lets her go, Curie brings him all his clothes.

"We are gonna head back to sanctuary. If you need us for ANYTHING, radio me." Nora says, and Hancock gives her a swift nod, and the three of them leave the room. Only Hancock and Fahrenheit remain.

"I don't know what was in that letter, but by the look on your face, it's probably the same thing I picked up on when she left yesterday."

Hancock looked at her with darker eyes than normal, am I too late?

"She didn't seem very…together, Boss. I think I was the only one picking up on how much she was hurting. She never left your side the whole time she was here. She slept right in that chair beside you." Hancock was hurriedly putting his clothes back on, grabbing his spare shotgun and knife from his desk.

" I will be back soon. With any luck I will have company." He states as he bolts out of the office and down the stairs. Ignoring all of the pleasantries being thrown at him as he heads out of Goodneighbor and in the direction of the location on his map.


Hancock arrived at the Colonial-style house early in the morning. There was a sign on the door that said, "Sorry, we are CLOSED" He knocked anyway.

The door opened slowly, A ghoul in a nurses dress stuck her head through the crack. "Sorry sir, but we aren't open yet, unless this is an emergency." She had sprigs of brown hair on her head under her nurse's hat. More than most ghoul's have.

"Are you Dorothy?" Hancock asked, slightly out of breath from the swift pace he kept all the way here. The woman laughed, and opened the door a little wider.

"No, my name is Jessica, Dr. Dee probably won't be in the office today. She is a little…under the weather."

"So she is alive?" Hancock lets out a large breathe, Jessica narrows her eyes.

"Not for lack of trying" Jessica mumbles under her breath. "Who are you?"

"Name's Hancock. John Hancock. Can I speak to Dorothy?"

John? THE John? She opens the door. A voice rings out from further inside the house. "Jess? Who is at the door?"

"It's John!"

"John? THE John? Holy fuck!" Another ghoul in a dress rounds the corner, she has less hair, but similar facial features to the other woman, she moves next to Jessica, and blatantly looks Hancock over, and leans into Jessica's ear, throwing her hand in front of her mouth so Hancock can't hear, "Damn, Dora was right, he is fine." The two giggle.

"Ahem." Hancock interrupts. "I am assuming you aren't Dorothy either. And I don't appreciate you two talking about me right in front of me."

"Well, excuse us mister grumpy pants." Jennifer retorts. "You want to see Dee, I guess?"

"Yes." He responds, happy someone is finally acknowledging him.

About that time, a figure begins to descend the staircase. "Why are you two down here clucking like hens this early? Some people are trying to nurse hangovers here." Jessica and Jennifer notice red liquid all over her arms and sweater, they begin to run to her,

"Dora! Fuck! You promised!" Jenn yells. Dora holds up her hands.

"Chill. I tripped over a paint can." Dora raises her eyes from the sisters to the figure behind them, and her breath catches in her throat. He was wearing a long red frock coat like something from a colonial costume. Complete with the black tricorn hat. If she thought he was attractive before, he was damn breathtaking now. Yep. This is the best way to die. Killed by a beautiful man. He steps towards her, through the two girls, who are now standing like they are watching a movie play out.

"Listen, dollface, I know you think I am here to kill you. But that's not really my style. Ya feel me? I came to make sure you were still breathin' cause I have somethin' I wanna show ya."

Jennifer leans into Jessica's ear, "Oh dear God, his voice is like gravelly sex." She whispers.

"I know and he called her dollface. How hot is that?" Jess responded with a smirk.

Dora's mouth dropped open a little. Did he just call me doll face? "What do you have to show me?"

"Well, I guess you will just have to come with me and find out." Hancock says with a smirk. Dora starts to move down the stairs.

"Oh and where will we be going?" Dora stumbles as she gets to the bottom of the stairs. Hancock lunges forward and grabs her wrists to keep her from falling on her face. He looks at her forearms in his hands and sees all of the cuts that are healing up. Damn, the girls weren't kidding when they said she really tried. But all Dora is thinking about is the proximity of him to her, and his rough hands on her arms. Shit. I have to get these fucking hormones under control, this is ridiculous.

"Be careful there, toots." He helps her get steady on her feet. "And we will be headin' to Goodneighbor." Dora pulled her sleeves down over her wrists, where they were supposed to be.

"Do you think she is still that fucked up, or did she just want him to catch her?" Jenn whispers to Jess, and Jess shrugs.

"My guess is she is hungover from the alcohol and high as a kite. You know she takes jet for breakfast. Also, she doesn't seem like the type to fake a fall for a cute guy to catch her." Jess reasons and Jenn pouts.

"Yeah you are right. That's something I'd do."

Dora puts her hand on her neck I can't believe that still hurts this much. "Alrighty then, Let's get going."

"You sure you are good?" Hancock asks, worrying about the wobbly woman beside him.

"Yeah. Peachy." She walks towards Jess and Jenn who try their best to look like they weren't watching them like hawks. "Is there anything you two need from me before I head out?"

"I dunno boss, is there anything you need from me?" Jenn reaches into her dress, showing Dora what appears to be the corner of a condom. Dora smacks her hand, and points at her.

"You stop that!" She looks at Jessica barely containing her giggles, "And you stop encouraging her!" Jessica forces her smile down. "You know I don't even need those. Now seriously, anything I should know?"

"Well, the family with the sick grandma came in earlier this morning. Paid with a big box of Jet. It's sitting next to the door, if you want some. Daniel radioed and said he was coming by today. Want me to get him to sell the rest of it?" Jenn says, tucking her condom back in her dress.

"Yeah that would be great. Thanks Jenn. Jess."

"No problem, Dee. You go have a good time." Dora nods, there isn't such a thing for me anymore.

Dora turns back to Hancock, who is just watching her with his dark eyes. "Let's get going, then." She heads towards the door, reaching into the box on the floor to grab an inhaler. "Feel free to help yourself." Hancock looks at the box of chems on the ground, but decides against taking one, for now.

"Free chems for houseguests? This is my kinda place." Dora smirks at him, buckling her pistol holster around her waist, and throwing her rifle over her shoulder as she heads out the door. Hancock follows her.


NOTES:::

Hey guys, not entirely sure if I am happy with this chapter. I guess just let me know what you think. I hope its good and I am just doing the thing where I hate anything remotely creative I do immediately after I do it.

Love,

-Jumb