Amata returned to Jayck's house from Craterside Supply laden with her new gear. It was certainly heavier than a Vault suit, but that did bring a certain sense of security with it. Amata set her old things and her fully stocked pack against the lockers on the wall before deciding to have a look around the place. Feeling thirsty, she walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge to see if there were any more Nuka-Colas left. Her face fell when she only found the food Jayck had mentioned earlier. She closed the door and went to the sink, grabbing a glass from the surprisingly organized shelf. As she filed the glass, Amata noticed how much dirtier the water was than what they had in the Vault. Before she could take a drink, a metallic voice from behind startled her and nearly made her drop the glass.
"I wouldn't drink that if I were you, ma'am," it said. Amata spun around to see a Mister Handy unit floating lazily in the entry to the kitchen. The robot's exterior looked extremely well cared for, especially when compared to everything else Amata had seen since she'd arrived.
"Oh…ok," said Amata as she warily poured the water down the drain. "And who are you?"
"I am Wadsworth, Mister Handy unit to Master Jayck. And you would be Miss Amata, if I'm not mistaken. I was upstairs when you and Sir were here earlier," the robot answered before Amata could ask why she hadn't seen him yet.
"Well, aren't you an observant one?" Amata said admiringly, placing her hands on her hips. "You're certainly far more capable than our Mister Handy back in Vault 101."
"Why, thank you, Miss. I do perform many chores while Sir is away, one of which is preparing purified water for when he returns," Wadsworth said proudly. "Can't have him getting radiation poisoning from that tap water. If you'd follow me upstairs, I'd be happy to show you where it's kept."
"Please, lead the way," Amata accepted. The robot's upper half spun to face the living room before floating out and up the stairs with Amata trailing close behind.
"Of course, this task has become far simpler with the arrivals of the water caravans," Wadsworth said. He reached out a claw and opened the door of a fridge bearing the Nuka-Cola colors that sat on a balcony overlooking the main room. Cold air cascaded out of the open door and Amata gratefully took out a bottle that was chilling to the touch. She took a greedy gulp and was sent into a coughing fit, causing Wadsworth to float closer in concern.
"Miss Amata, are you alright?" the robot asked. It shifted uncertainly in the air as the young woman's coughs mingled with laughter.
"I'm ok," she wheezed, trying to get her breath back with tears forming in her eyes. "It's just much colder than I thought it would be. Everything out here's been so dead and dry."
"Yes, the side effects of a nuclear war, I'm afraid," Wadsworth said in a dry tone worthy of his posh British accent. "If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I need to prepare the infirmary there. I've just been notified that Master Jayck has returned and if his past encounters with those Talon ruffians are anything to go by, he will probably need the assistance."
"But he had all that armor on! What on earth could get through that?" Amata asked, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Before Wadsworth could answer, the door opened downstairs to reveal a suit of power armor that looked as if it had been dredged up from the pits of hell.
"Oh my God," Amata gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. Through the window of singed, splintered steel and exposed wiring, the bloody chest wound that had soaked everything below it was clearly visible. Jayck and Dogmeat made their way inside and closed the door before Jayck dropped his guns on the table and popped his helmet off. He slowly looked around in dazed confusion before glancing up and spotting the pair of them.
"I see you two've met," Jayck grimaced, sucking in air in silent agony when he lowered his arms and dropped the helmet unceremoniously. "Wadsworth, do we have any stimpacks up there?"
"Of course, Sir," the Mister Handy replied, quickly hovering to the table and grabbing the medicine before hurrying downstairs. Amata also descended the stairs, but slowly as she wondered how her friend was still walking with a wound like that, let alone almost speaking as if he were fine.
"How many of those have you used, Jayck?" she asked worriedly.
"These will make five… or six? Can't quite remember," Jayck sighed in relief as he injected the medicine. "Could you help me out of this armor? It'll make actually treating this a lot easier."
"Of course," said Amata. She still needed a few instructions from Jayck, but she remembered the task from inside the Vault. A minute later, the steel shell lay crumpled on the floor and the wound was exposed to the full view of all. Miraculously, the power armor chest plate had taken the brunt of the impact and only the skin beneath had been torn and burned, but the amount of blood he'd lost was still concerning.
"I really need to stop getting shot," Jayck breathed through a grimace as he injected another stimpack and applied the extra medicine Wadsworth had fetched. The medicine worked rapidly and continued to speed the healing process, but its capabilities weren't infinite and Jayck knew that.
"Most would think that goes without saying, Sir," Wadsworth chided. Jayck nodded in agreement and sat down on the wooden bench, reclining with his back on the table. He drew in and let out a long, deep breath to calm himself.
"We can't leave for the Citadel today," he said plainly, but with an apologetic tone. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling. "I should be ok to travel tomorrow, but the medicine is going to need time to set me right again."
"It really is hard to be precise in the Wasteland, isn't it?" Amata asked through misty eyes and a choked laugh. "Of course we can take the extra day, you idiot."
"Awesome," Jayck breathed with a weak smile, as he slowly pushed himself up. "Wadsworth, would you tell Simms that the Talon mercs have been dealt with?"
"Of course, Sir. Would you like help up the stairs? You could do with a rest right now."
"You're right, but I think Amata can handle getting me there," said Jayck. Feigning exasperation with a shake of her head, Amata moved to Jayck's right side, placed his arm over her shoulders, and held his torso close to hers to support his ascent up the stairs.
Jayck pointed her to the left and opened the door into a small room, sparsely decorated with a desk covered with Nuka Cola bottles and a large stack of papers, some rusty filing cabinets, and an untidy bed stuck against the far wall. They awkwardly hobbled towards the bed and sat Jayck down on it. He lied down while Amata pulled the chair over and sat down, looking around the room.
"You really have made a life for yourself out here, haven't you?" she asked quietly.
"Mhmm," Jayck murmured quietly. "Should take a look at that book there," he yawned with a stretch that ended in a pained gasp and eyes screwed shut. Amata started forward at the noise, but sat down again when Jayck waved away the help.
"Just need to be careful," he sucked through his teeth. "The uh…medicine is starting to kick in…have a look through the…guide…it's almost finished, but Moira…" Jayck couldn't finish the thought before the drugs swayed him into unconsciousness. Amata watched as the subtle signs of enduring unbelievable pain were washed away with sleep. She rolled the chair over to the desk, against the rusty protest of the wheels and the whining of the steel, and picked up the mass of pages, loosely bound together and titled in black marker: The Wasteland Survival Guide. Curious what the cheerful woman had to say about the harsh world outside Megaton, Amata opened the guide's worn, stained pages and began reading while her friend slept soundly.