Chapter 14 – What do you say to that?

Her knees had buckled under her and she sank onto the aged boards of the bridge. Danse had knelt down with her, taken aback by first the sudden appearance of her and then by her defeated state. Whatever had happened inside the Institute had done a number on her. She had killed her son? What did that even mean? Had she literally and purposefully killed her child?

He wrapped his arms around her and held her in the darkness. She leaned her head against his chest and gulped in deep unsteady breaths.

There was the sound of soft footsteps on the bridge and Danse looked up at Elijah Hastings, the other man who had been on watch with him. Eli looked down at them both bundled together in the centre of the bridge. He was holding a lantern over his head, his eyes full of concern.

"Can you get someone else to cover the tower, Eli? I'm taking her inside." Danse informed him, easing his arms under Max and lifting her carefully from the boards.

Eli nodded silently and trotted back to his post and the ham radio to advise the vault that she was back.

Danse walked quickly and carefully into the township and up the hill to the vault entrance cradling Max close to him. He was met at the elevator by Preston, Curie and MacCready. He was out of breath, she wasn't heavy but it was a good hike up hill to the Vault. RJ helped carry her onto the platform and after the quick trip down, into Curies infirmary. They were all quiet. They could find out what had happened to her after they made sure that she was OK. Priority one was Max, everything else didn't matter.

The mood was subdued as Curie examined Max for injuries and the three men stood back to watch, their faces masks of worry for their friend. Max had a seeping wound on her upper thigh, had sustained several laser burns, she was dehydrated and exhausted.

Curie had Preston stay and help her undress Max so that she could clean and treat her patient, she shooed the other two men out of the infirmary. RJ and Danse stood uncertainly in the corridor after the door had closed, they looked at each other and then back at the closed door, not sure if they should leave or wait. Danse wasn't going to leave. He stepped up to the wall and slid down it to the floor. And there he sat. MacCready followed his lead and sat next to him, searching his person for a cigarette and lighter. He offered the packet to Danse who silently shook his head and continued to watch the closed door.

Danse wasn't sure how long they sat there side by side, but as time passed, more people took up watch with them, Cait, Sturges, Haylen, Rhys, the Longs. Codsworth float up and down the hallway in a Mr Handy version of pacing. Dogmeat had lain down by Danse and placed his head in the Paladins lap, Danse absently stroked the dogs head.

When Preston emerged in what must have been hours later, everyone leaped to their feet, scrambling from the floor and from chairs that had been dragged into the hall and confronted him.

"Meeting in the Overseers office, now." Preston announced, holding up one hand to hold them off "I'll tell you what I know."

He turned to walk away before quickly turning back and adding "She's OK, she's sleeping now."

Everyone followed him as he led the way to the office, Danse paused and looked back at the closed Infirmary door, wanting to look in on her with his own eyes to make sure she was OK, but torn as he wanted to know what Preston had discovered as well.

He caught up to the group and filed with them into the office turning to Preston, eager for news. Preston sat down at the desk to face them all and ran a tired hand over his stubbled chin in concentration. He looked up at the group catching their eyes one at a time.

"The interceptor worked…" He began, trying to formulate a rational narrative as he spoke. Max hadn't said much, she was dazed and staring into space but he had gleaned a few pearls from her sporadic bursts of speech. "It put her into the transporter room. She used the terminal right away…" He held up a holotape and tossed it into the waiting hands of Sturges, who deftly caught it, noting its charred and blood smeared appearance.

"She wasn't undetected," Preston continued, "she was detained and taken to the Institutes head right away. It's a bit hazy as to what happened at that meeting but she was apparently given free reign over the whole facility… which doesn't make sense, right?" He looked around the gathering, whatever she said had happened had raised more questions than it had answered and Preston was having a hard time wrapping his head around it.

"Anyway, she said that she wandered around for a while, she's mapped out almost the whole facility on her pipboy. She broke into an abandoned section to find Virgils serum…" He stopped and stared into nothing for a second and then shook his head. " … uhh… she didn't come back here right away when she left the Institute, she apparently went to the Glowing Sea first, that's why she was gone so long… she said she had given her word."

The crowd were watching him quietly struggle with the information, waiting as patiently as they could before they barraged him with questions.

"I'm not too sure what happened next though. She … uuhh, sort of went into hysterics… uhhh… She said that she was talking to Shaun, they got into a fight or something and she shot him. But she also said she was talking to father? I don't know. But she said she annihilated the SRB… I'm not sure what that is either… but it all caused a bit of bother. She must have been under all out attack and had to flee for her life."

He looked around again as the questions began firing at him.

She shot Shaun? She killed him? That can't be right, maybe she felt responsible for him dying, not literally killed him. Who's father? What's SRB? How did she go to the Sea first without Power Armour? When could they see her? Could they see her map?

Danse backed out of the room and walked back to the Infirmary. He knocked on the door and waited. The synth doctor, Curie, opened the door and let him in after a cursory glance. Max was lying on the raised gurney in the centre of the room, a clean blanket draped over her naked & battered body. She was clean now her damp hair pushed back from her face and pooling on the cot, her skin pale and glowing under the pallor of fatigue and the scars of her mauling. She looked at rest now. The tortured look, the deep seated aching, gone for at least a little while. What would she look like when she woke?

He pulled a chair over to the bedside and sat down next to Max.

"Will she be OK?" He asked Curie, not looking up from Maxs face.

"Physically, she could be out of bed by zis evening." Curies thick French accent gave her voice an almost singsong quality that seemed inappropriate. "Mentally zough, I fear she 'as experienced some trauma zat may take much longer to 'eal. We will need to watch 'er, to make sure she does not take too much on."

Danse nodded absently. For some reason, Danse felt a lot more trust towards Curie than he should… maybe because while she was a synth, she wasn't 'pure' one. Maybe it was just because she was doctor.

He wanted to hold Maxs hand, but thought that would not be appropriate. She was still his commanding officer after all, even though he considered her a close friend, his duty came first. So he just sat next to her watching her sleep.

Maxs lips moved suddenly and her voice carried to him faintly. "Are you enjoying the view?"

Her eyes opened and fixed on his and the ghost of a smile appeared. Curie came to her side and Danse sat up straight and leaned towards her.

"What a week, huh?" She drawled drowsily, before trying to sit up.

Danse put his hand out to stop her from moving without thinking, catching a handful of her breast. He yanked his hand back as if it had been burned. Max chuckled softly.

"Perving and copping a feel? Well, I do declare Paladin Danse, you rogue."

He blushed to the roots of his hair and she took the opportunity to complete her attempt to sit up, holding the blanket around her as she swung her feet over the side of the gurney. Curie tutted about her moving about but didn't try to stop her. Max didn't make an attempt to stand so Curie was content to allow her to sit on the side of the cot.

"Where are my clothes?" Max asked, looking around the room. "I've got shit to do."

"Absolutely not!" Curie and Danse answered her at the same time and exchanged a quick look.

"You 'ave 'ad a traumatic week. You are on bed rest." Curie protested.

Max made a very indelicate sound. "Don't be foolish, Curie. I have a permanent way into the Institute now and with my pipboy we may be able to find another way in as well. I need to speak to Arthur Maxson. I met a doctor on the inside that he will find very interesting. I need to go and collect Brian Virgil from the Glowing Sea. I need Sturges to analyse the Data bank that I retrieved. There's too much to do."

She hopped off the Gurney and started for the door, dragging the blanket with her. Danse took hold of her arm to stop her.

She looked down at his hand and then slowly raised her eyes to his. The look was dead, there was nothing remotely friendly in it. It was the look of a stone cold killer and he almost flinched back from her. He didn't flinch though, his own look hardened.

"You will sit back down." He growled. "and you will stay there until released by the Doctor."

He watched her face as she absorbed what he had said, her eyes narrowed. Curie backed up slowly until her back was hard against the wall, something was about to happen and she did not want to be in the crossfire.

"Richard. I am going to give you to the count of three to release my arm." She warned in a chilling voice. "After that, I will not be responsible for my actions"

She was half a foot shorter than him, but for a moment Danse figured she was about ten feet tall. Without direct consultation with his brain, his hand released her of it's own volition.

"We're still friends." She said before pushing past him and striding out into the corridor, her blanket dragging along the floor behind her.

He looked helplessly at Curie who stared back, also at a loss. Max was the General, The Boss and that look she just gave him and the way that she spoke made him reassess her yet again. There was more to her yet. He had known her for months. He had travelled with her, slept beside her and that side of her had not shown itself until now. It was dark and intimidating. He remembered the talk they had had at Greygarden. When she had talked about her 'special' training. He thought now that maybe it was the side he had just seen.

He ducked into the corridor and followed after her. She was showing no sign of the exhaustion and agony that she was wracked by only a few short hours ago. She moved with quick and purposeful steps he caught up with her just as she reached the Overseers quarters. She opened the door and stepped through.

"Everyone out." She ordered to the congregation of her closest friends. "Except you, Sturges and Haylen."

They had all turned at her entrance and were taking in her blanket draped appearance with astonishment.

"NOW!" She ordered again with uncharacteristic force.

They all exchanged looks with each other and slowly filed out of the room. Leaving Preston and Danse standing uncertainly looking at each other and at Sturges and Haylen.

She walked into her room and came back a moment later without the blanket. Instead she was in a tight white tank top and zipping up a pair of leather pants. She had her spare boots tucked under one arm and her spare jacket under the other.

"Preston. Go and find my pipboy, armour, belt and pistol." She didn't look at him, just continued to dress.

He looked at Danse, a question in his eyes that he didn't voice, something along the lines of 'what the fuck is going on?'. He left the room instead to find her stuff.

"Sturges, Haylen." She looked up at them as she laced up one of her boots. "I need you guys to work on the Holotape, did Preston give it to you?... good. Also, I want you to go over my pipboy. I have a chip or something in it now. Don't take it out or damage it. But see if it can be replicated. Also, I mapped out the interior of the Institute. I want a large hard copy made, several if you have time."

She looked at Danse who still hovered in the Doorway. "You. Suit up, we're going back to the Glowing Sea to get Virgil. I doubt he waited to use his serum so we'll need a hazmat suit for him so we can lead him back on the off chance it was a success."

She zipped up her jacket and looked up at them standing in the same spots and staring at her.

"What are you guys waiting for? We're at War."