Chapter 25: I Forgot to Remember to Forget

Boone woke to a bright sun and Six humming along with her Pip-Boy. She was cooking something over the fire. She looked over at him when he sat up.

"Good morning! Mac and Cheese and Lizard." Six proclaimed as she sat down with a plate and fork.

Boone got up and found she'd made enough for two. They ate together in silence. Then packed up and headed east. Six tried not to bother Boone. She knew he was dealing with a lot of stuff so she kept quiet mostly. She was just grateful he hadn't pressed the issue of her leaving.

It was late afternoon and Six had picked up on Boone's sombre mood and fallen into one as well. They reached a point where a rock wall rose before them and they had to decide whether to turn north or south.

"Christ. They put the graveyard here." Six followed Boone's gaze to the north and saw the rows of crosses.

"We're here?" Six asked to be sure.

"This way." Boone walked off through the graveyard. Six followed close behind. They went through the twisting canyon until it veered sharply right and let out on a much larger canyon filled with makeshift shelters. Two sides were steep rock walls. To the north was a slowly sloping mountainside and the south was open to the desert.

"This is the place." Boone began. Six just listened. "We got sent from Camp Golf, looking for some Khans who'd been making trouble with one of our settlements. I guess one of the settlers was connected, because we sent everything we had. We figured this was a gang hideout, but... they'd led us to their home. There's a ridge called Coyote Tail on the south side. That's where we set up."

Six followed Boone back through the twisting canyon and back out through the graveyard. They headed to nearby ridge and they climbed to the top.

"Canyon 37. That's what the NCR calls the pass down there. It was the Khans' only escape, so we set up here to guard it while the main force attacked from the front. Standing orders were to shoot on sight." Boone sighed deeply.

"What happened?" Six prompted gently.

"Main force got spotted too soon. We heard shooting. Then Khans started coming through Canyon 37 in bunches. It was all wrong, though. Women, kids, elderly. Wounded started coming through, too. We radioed to confirm our orders but command didn't get what we were seeing. They told us to shoot till we were out of ammo. So that's what we did."

"You did what you were supposed to as a soldier." Six tried to console him.

"Yeah, well. I'm not a soldier anymore. Those rules don't seem like much of an excuse now. Anyway... I don't know why we're here. Thought maybe it'd help me see things better. I'd like to stay here for the night. Think some things over."

"Of course." Six said. "Mind if I stay with you?" She asked gently.

Boone looked at Six. "Alright." Six dropped her pack and started to gather things to make a fire. She got the fire going and cooked some dinner for them both. Boone barely ate. Finally, after watching the sun set over the cliffs, Six rolled out their bedroll.

"I'm gonna get some sleep. You okay?" Six asked as she stowed her sunglasses safely in her pack.

"Yeah." Boone replied as he continued to stare at the pass.

"Alright. Goodnight, Boone." Six curled up and slipped into a fitful sleep.

Six was jarred awake by what she recognized as a hand on her shoulder and whispering. "Huh? What?" She said sleepily.

"Something's wrong. Got a group coming our way. Looks like a Legion raiding party. It's big."

Six immediately sat up and grabbed her guns.

"Might be too big. Even for us. If you want out I won't blame you. But I'm going to stay. See if I can hold them off."

"Why would they come to Bitter Springs?" Six asked as she holstered Lucky.

"Easy target for grabbing slaves. Bunch of refugees, just a few soldiers defending it. I don't think they're here for us. Too bad. Would've made me feel good about myself."

"You don't sound surprised." Six said adamantly.

"I'm not. Always figured this was how it was gonna end for me. Just didn't know when. That day you showed up in Novac, I had a feeling I was supposed to go with you. That it was time to end all this. And now I know."

"At least it saves us the trouble of finding them." Six grinned smugly as she readied Ratslayer.

"Ha! If only it was this easy all the time."

"You go find somewhere to shoot from, I'll warn the camp and head out front." Six turned toward the canyon. "What are we waiting for?"

"Tell the truth... I think this is exactly what I've been waiting for."

Six didn't like Boone fatalistic view but there was no time to waste. She ran through the canyon and got to the camp. "Legion!" She started yelling at the top of her lungs. "Legion!" She saw panicked faces peek out of doorways, and not all were civilians. "Get to the back of the canyon! Go!" She saw a few soldiers had been alerted and she headed to the mouth of the canyon. She found a boulder and knelt behind it. She brought up Ratslayer just are she heard a high calibre round pierce the night. She looked down the scope and saw several dozen Legionaries and dogs. She started shooting quick, careful shots. Even with several of their comrades dead the Legionaries kept charging. With the two of them shooting they managed to stem the tide of crimson.

Six took a breath while she reloaded. Then she heard a shout through the night. "Ridge!" She finished reloading and headed back to the graveyard as fast as she could. She rounded the sharp curve in the canyon and ran straight into Legionaries. She brought up Ratslayer with both hands to stop an overhead machete strike from the first. A wicked twist of the machete pulled her rifle from her grip and she launched herself backwards to avoid the next swing. She was a second too slow and she felt the searing sting of a machete tearing through her glove and running across the back of her right hand and down her arm. The sound of her startled cry was drowned out by a rifle shot and the closest Legionnaire's head exploded. She landed on her butt and quickly drew Lucky. She emptied all six shots into the approaching Legionaries but even with Boone's rifle backup, six wasn't enough. A dog charged her while she was trying to reload, so Six dropped the gun and bullets and shoved her Pip-Boy clad left forearm into the beast's open jaws. The beast's momentary confusion at the Pip-Boy was enough time for Six to pull her combat knife from her boot and drive it deep into the mongrel's throat. When the dog was dead Six noticed the canyon was clear.

She got to her feet and grabbed Lucky, leaving the fallen bullets. "Canyon!" Six didn't immediately see her rifle and her knife was stuck in the dog. So she tried to reload Lucky as she ran back to the canyon. She rounded the corner into the canyon and weaved through the last tents when she heard a high calibre round sound off. She realized it sounded wrong before she realized she'd been shot. Her left leg gave out under her weight and she landed hard on her knees. More familiar sounding shots rang out. When her mind caught back up with her body she dove behind the nearest tent. She holstered Lucky to check her leg. The bullet had gone through her upper thigh. She could hear more barking and yelling and it sounded close. She forced herself to her to her feet just as a Legionary rounded the tent.

"Profligate bitch!" He shouted as he raised his machete high. She caught his wrist in both her hands and fought with him for the blade. She heard something behind her and out of the corner of her eye she saw another Legionary with a bat. He swung. Six felt ribs break under the impact. She tried to scream but she'd had the wind knocked out of her. The blow knocked her off her feet and she sprawled out on the ground. The Legionaries laughed. She rolled over on her back and tried to catch her breath. She grit her teeth as her eyes blurred from the pain. She had one chance. She'd managed to load three bullets into Lucky which was holstered on her uninjured thigh. Three bullets, two cocky Legionaries and one shaky hand. She drew Lucky as fast as she could; the Legionaries sprang into action when they saw the gun. She downed the first Legionary with the first bullet. A swift kick from her good leg shattered the second Legionary's knee and Six shot him when he hit the ground.

Six dropped Lucky and lay back on the ground trying to breathe through the agony as she listened to the silence. Silence? Boone! If Boone wasn't firing it meant one of two things, either it was clear or he was dead. Six rolled onto her stomach and got to her hands and knees. Once she was sure she wasn't going to pass out she got to her feet. She surveyed the area. There were Legion bodies everywhere. Boone should be here by now. She focused on where he might be, on where she heard the shots coming from. Up high was all she could think of. She saw a dead Legionary who looked like he'd fallen off the canyon wall. She scanned the wall and found a spot that looked climbable. She started making her way over.

A pair of young and scared soldiers came around a tent with rifles drawn. When they noticed she wasn't Legion they relaxed a bit.

"Are they all dead?" One asked in a voice filled with worry.

"I…" Six could barely catch he breath to talk. She had to stop walking to manage. "Don't know." She took a few breaths. "Need… my partner."

"The First Recon guy?" The other soldier asked.

Six's eyes narrowed at the soldier. "Where…" Was all she got out before she doubled over in pain.

"Brix, I'll go check on the Legion. You help her find her partner." The first soldier said and headed off to the mouth of the canyon.

Brix came over and put her left arm over his shoulders. "Come on miss, you need to get to the infirmary."

"No." Six hissed.

"Alright, alright. I saw the First Recon guy on the canyon wall when we were getting the refugees to the back of the canyon." Brix said as he helped Six toward the wall. "There's a path over here that's not too steep. We should be able to make it up."

Six was breathing hard and leaning heavily on the young soldier. Everything hurt. She was just trying not to pass out. "Casua…lties…". She managed to get out.

"Legion didn't manage to make it to the back of the canyon. We held up in cover with the refugees until the shooting stopped. We figured by then either you'd won, or we were the last line of defense." Brix looked toward the mouth of the canyon. "I hope Mendez is okay."

They reached the top of the canyon wall and Six scanned the sight. There were several Legion bodies lying around but no sign of Boone. No, wait, the one nearest to the mountain face… "Boone!" She tried to shout when she saw the body under the dead Legionary. She pushed away from Brix and almost lost her balance. She stumbled over and fell on her knees beside the dead Legionary; the jolt of the fall causing her to cry out in pain. She reached out to move the Legionary, but who was she fooling? She could barely lift him if she wasn't injured. Oddly the body moved aside on its own and Six saw Brix had come up beside her. As he moved the Legionary she saw Boone's combat knife lodged past the hilt between the Legionnaire's ribs. Six looked at Boone. He was covered in blood and his sunglasses were gone. With a trembling hand she reached out to find his pulse. The seconds ticked by and Six got worried. Finally she felt it and she nearly collapsed in relief.

"Help him." Six forced out through clenched teeth.

"Hey Brix! You up there?" Came a call from below them.

"Yeah! But I could use some help up here!" Brix called back down.

"Coming!" When Mendez appeared, he and Brix hoisted Boone up and put an arm over each of their shoulders.

"We'll take him down to the infirmary. Then we'll be back. Try to stay conscious." Brix smiled at her before descending the canyon wall.

Six sat on her knees and focused on breathing. Boone was alive. That'd probably piss him off. Six smiled in spite of the pain. Good, better he be pissed off then dead. Six thought she should probably do something about the cool blood seeping down her leg or the dirt encrusted gash on her arm. Then she remembered she didn't have her pack; it was still on Coyote Tail ridge.

"Miss?" Came a gentle voice from beside her. It took Six a second to process the voice then she turned toward it. "Good, you're still with us. Doc Markland is looking after your partner. Come on, let's get you to the infirmary." The boys tried to be gentle but the pain when they stood her up made her cry out and brought tears to her eyes. She tried to focus through the tears and her eyes landed on a bit of gleaming metal.

"… rifle." She ground out.

"We'll get it to him. Don't worry." Six nodded and the two solider carried her down the cliff to the infirmary. She tried to focus but she couldn't remember most of the trip. The pain of being gently laid down jolted her back to reality.

"Hey, you're still conscious." Came a surprised voice from above her.

"Boone…" She croaked out.

"Your partner? He's got a nasty bump on the back of his head but he should be fine. It's you I'm more concerned with." She felt a gentle prodding on her leg; she tried not to flinch away but was unsuccessful.

"I'm gonna give you some Med-X-"

"No."

"Yes, I need to treat these wounds and I can't do it while you're in pain." The doctor explained.

"Need… awake…Boone…" Things were getting cloudy.

"I'm sure he'll understand…"

"No…"

"Fine. I'll give you a half dose. It should be enough to dull the pain."

"Mmm…" Six made a sound of agreement and soon felt the needle prick her arm. The relief was almost instant. A calming wave of numbness swept through her body and her cares started to drift away.

"How's she doing Doc?" Six heard a far off, familiar gentle voice.

"Brix…" She muttered.

"She's still awake?!"

"She wouldn't let me knock her out completely."

"…rifle…" Six manage to get out.

"It's in my hand, miss."

That brought Six some comfort and she started to relax. There was one more thing. One more thing. One more. "…gear…ridge…" She didn't hear a response; everything was too foggy by then. She was vaguely aware of activity around her leg. The next thing she knew her right armed was moving on its own. Then she felt tiny, heavy footprints up her arm. The footsteps got heavier until they became like pin pricks. "Mmm…" She muttered.

"Almost done." Came a far off voice. Six was lying comfortably when she felt something suspiciously like someone undressing her. She momentarily fought against it. "Easy! Easy. I need to take this vest off to check the side you were favouring." The voice was friendly and familiar, so she let the hands remove her vest. She even let them prod her ribs which caused her to whimper in pain. "Those are definitely broken. You're coming around aren't you?"

"Think so… " Six slurred. Now noticing things were indeed clearer. "How long…?"

"Two hours. I cleaned and stitched your arm and leg. The arm took several dozen stitches. You're probably going to be left with a nasty scar."

"Boone?"

"Still not awake." Six tried to sit up only to feel heavy hands on her shoulders. "Woah now! You can stay awake as long as you stay still!" Six simply nodded. Straining against the hands had taken almost all her strength. "Good, now rest!"

Six lay still for quite a while after the doctor left her bedside. Eventually she rolled her head over to look around. Beside her was a chair with a very familiar red beret on it. Beyond that was another bed. Boone looked strange without his beret or sunglasses. Stranger still with the bandage wrapped around his head. She flexed her hand and felt the bandages around her own hand and arm. She watched as the tent was slowly lit by the morning sun. She was thinking about the platinum chip when she heard a groan from beside her. Six took a deep breath and sat up, using mostly her hands, and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

"Take it slow." Six said, noticing the irony in the statement. "You took a nasty bump on the head." She took the beret from the chair. Boone did as he was told and sat up slowly, then mimicked her position.

"Huh. We made it through after all. Not sure what to make of that." Boone said when he was sitting up.

"Why aren't you sure?" Six asked, handing over his beret.

"Thought my time had come. For a minute there everything made sense. I could feel the end coming. I was ready for it. Now... I'm back where I was." Six heard the defeat in his voice. She didn't like it.

"Maybe having to live with what you've done is your punishment." Six ventured.

"I never thought of it that way. Always expected something... more final. But maybe it is." Boone sighed deeply.

"You can't take back what you've done. But we've talked about regrets; they can set you on a better path."

"I guess they brought us here. One less Legion raiding party running loose now. Never a bad thing, you can take my word for that." Six eyes lit up at the hint of optimism in his voice. "Still feels like I'm living on borrowed time. But I don't see any reason not to take a lot more of those sons of bitches with me." Six smiled at him. "I guess you got a point. There's still some things I can do before all this is over." He finished and put on his beret.

"You okay now?" Six asked with a contented smile.

"I think so, yeah." Boone looked her over with a critical eye. "You okay?"

"I'll live." Six smirked. "Doc'll probably want to know you're awake." The content feeling momentarily made Six forget her injuries and she tried to stand up. She almost made it to her feet before her leg gave out. She cried out in pain and thought she was going to fall to the ground until she felt firm hands grab the sides of her arms and gently guide her back to the bed.

"You're not okay." Boone chastised.

"Maybe… not" Six was panting from the pain and the panting made the pain in her ribs worse.

"Doctor!" Boone called out. They heard a commotion and the doctor ran into the tent.

"Dammit! I told you to rest! Now lay back down!" The doctor chastised when he saw Six sitting up. "Your friend is awake and will be fine, so can I please put you to sleep now?"

"Fine." Six finally relented and went to lie back down. Strong hands guided her back to the bed. The doctor came over and Boone moved aside. Six felt the prick in her arm again.

"Down the rabbit hole…" Six slurred before she passed out.