The radiation storm had passed without incident, but the day quickly changed from afterglow and sighs to blood and violence. We should have known we hadn't picked off every raider in the camp. Now here I was in this terrible situation. Poor MacCready; I made a silent wish that he would be safe when this was all over. Do anything to me, but let Mac be safe. I figured I'd regret that wish as the raider gripping his arm around my neck continued to yell at MacCready through the wall.

After the radiation storm passed we had headed over to the raider camp to pick through the place and see what we could use or sell for some caps. I played it over in my head trying to focus on anything but the man holding me here. We should have been more careful; should have scoped the place out much longer. We were both still healing and wanted to get this business over with. Go home and rest. Mac stood around the other side of the wall trying to negotiate with this crazed raider. I couldn't believe this guy had managed to get the drop on me, grab me like this.

"You killed them all!" The raider screamed.

I could tell Mac was trying to sound calm, but I could hear the worry in his voice. "That wasn't us man! You think the two of us could kill all these men?" He lied through his teeth trying to placate the crazed man.

The raider tightened his grip around my throat. "I know it was you!"

Mac kept trying. "It really wasn't us. Look we don't have much, but you can have everything we got on us, even my gun, just let my friend go."

My breath hitched when he offered his gun. I knew it meant everything to him. The raider caught me by surprise again, hurling me to my knees and kicking me. He was definitely on something; he was far too strong. He kicked me again. "I should just kill both of you and then take all your shit!" He spit everywhere as he yelled. I waited for my moment. I would take him out; even with all that spiked armor on him. One of us had to take this guy out.

MacCready was silent for a while. I wondered if he had sneaked away and was going to try and get the jump on this guy. There really wasn't any good angle. We were in a small makeshift room, the only way in around a ramshackle wall with no door. The nutjob kicked me again and I let out a yelp despite myself. As I was cursing myself for being weak MacCready loudly tumbled down from above us. He had squeezed between a gap in the ceiling and one of the makeshift walls. If the situation wasn't so serious I would have laughed.

He rolled, quickly picked himself up and lunged toward the raider, but the raider was too fast. Mac tumbled past him, off balance. The raider lunged and grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to my feet. Mac stood watching, breathing heavily, his eyes wild, "fucking let him go!" He yelled. His fists were clenched at his side and he looked angrier than I'd ever seen him.

The raider pulled a knife out of his belt and held it to my throat as he wrestled me in front of him like a shield. "What, you his lover? I should bleed him while you watch," he laughed. My mind began to go numb as I tried to hold back panic. Mac looked like he was going to explode. Before I had time to even form another thought the raider brought the knife up to my eye, the tip dangerously close. My mind began to get fuzzier and fuzzier as fear gripped me. Suddenly half the world turned red and blurry. What was happening? Everything began to move in slow motion. MacCready was screaming something and there was a white hot pain spreading across my face. A loud ringing began to screech through my ears as I realized the raider was plunging his knife into my left eye.

I could feel the blood, so much blood, running down my face, my neck; down my chest. It was so hot. He was cutting my eye out and cackling. The world stopped and my mind drifted to earlier today, when we had sat watching the storm. I pictured Mac setting his hat on his knee and smoothing his hair back. I'd absently looked at the bullets in the band of the hat and asked him why he kept them there.

"One for me...and one for Duncan," he'd said in a low mournful voice.

I'd instantly regretted the question.

"I guess one's for you now Elliot," he continued. He'd put his arm around me and squeezed so hard. I hadn't wanted that moment to end. It flashed through my dulled mind and I felt tears begin to form in the eye that wasn't being mutilated. I was going to die. Just when I thought I could stand to live- I was going to fucking die.

I was so woozy. I heard myself mumble. "Mac...help."

Suddenly, but also so slowly, I felt myself tumble to the ground as Mac lunged forward sweeping both mine and the raider's legs out from under us. I lay there stunned as MacCready grabbed the raider and slammed him on his back next to me. I could barely see what was going on. It looked like he ripped the guy's helmet off. I could barely stay conscious as I heard Mac pummel the man's face. The sickening sound of Mac's wet fists and the raider begging mingled with the ringing in my ears and became a deafening cacophony.

It finally grew quiet; the only sound Mac's labored breathing. I felt his hands on my shoulders. "Elliot, Elliot are you...are you ok!?" He sounded so far away.

I tried to tell him I was ok, but I didn't even have the strength to talk. No words would take form in my mouth.

"I'm gonna go grab some stimpaks; I left my bag out there," he told me as he smoothed my hair away from my forehead. "You're going to be fine Elliot."

As I listened to him quickly head out of the room I began to feel sick. What little vision I had started to turn black, the edges going first, blurring to darkness. One last glimpse. MacCready must be back. Someone above me. I shakily reached up toward the figure and then the darkness was complete.

I couldn't have even been gone a minute. When I returned the room was empty. I saw nothing but the battered and lifeless body of the raider and puddles of Elliot's blood on the floor.

I frantically searched the room. Could he have crawled somewhere? Where was he!?

I noticed Elliot's sunglasses amidst a pool of blood and I put them inside my duster. I fought back tears as his name escaped my lips with no one but me to hear it.

"Elliot."