Chapter 35: Without Him
Six walked toward the rising sun while trying to pay close attention to her surroundings. Without the sharp eyes of her First Recon sniper she would have to be more vigilant. She chastised herself. He was never yours. We were just partners. We watched each other's backs. That's all. Until I became too much of a burden. She huffed as she walked. She should have known from the beginning she wouldn't be able to keep up with him. He was a military trained, First Recon sniper. She was just a courier with amnesia. He probably just got tired up picking her up and dusting her off.
She sighed aloud. She hadn't seen it coming. Maybe that's why it hurt so much. She couldn't help that she was falling more in love with the guy every day. The feelings were definitely not mutual. Boone loved Carla. Maybe he noticed. Maybe she hadn't been careful enough and he saw how she really felt. Maybe this was his way of letting her down easy. It didn't matter. He had chosen to disband their little partnership for whatever reason and she had told herself from the beginning that she would respect his decision.
Forlorn Hope was coming up in the distance and she had promised Betsy she would stop by. Also, she owed a few people her thanks. She shook off the melancholy and tried to be her typical self. Besides the sun was shining, the sunrise was beautiful and she was still alive. That didn't cheer her up as much as she'd hoped.
She walked into the quiet camp and looked around. She was a little worried things might be harder with the NCR now that Boone wasn't at her side. She was also worried First Recon may dismiss her once they learned they were no longer partners.
"Well, look who's up and around!" Came a rough female voice she recognized.
"Betsy!" Six greeted happily.
"Damn, girl! The doc thought you'd be laid up a couple more days at least."
"Nope! Got a nasty new scar but it's got a great story to go with it so I don't mind much." She smiled. "I never got to thank you properly. Boone told me what you did for me. You didn't have to help me. So, thanks."
"Aww, don't get all sappy on me!"
"Nah! I wouldn't do that!" She laughed.
"Speaking of Boone, where is the grumpy bastard? I didn't see him enter camp with you."
Six hesitated; a little worried. "He's back in Novac."
"What, you going back to pick him up before heading out?"
"Ahh… no. We've gone our separate ways." Six couldn't hide the sadness in her voice.
"What?" Betsy seemed genuinely shocked. "I thought you two were partners?"
"Yeah, we were partners. Not anymore." Six kicked at some dirt to avoid making eye contact with Betsy.
"You gonna be ok traveling through the desert alone?" Betsy asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Yeah. I managed before. I'll manage now." Betsy gave the Courier a critical, unbelieving look. "Look, life goes on, thanks to you and everyone else. So I'll keep going. Maybe somewhere along the way I'll find out who I really am." Betsy had been there when she'd given Doc Richards the succinct version of her story. "Anyway, I promised you I would stop by so her I am. I'm gonna see if the major needs anything done before I head out. Goodbye, Betsy." Six turned and walked toward the command tent before Betsy could reply.
Major Polatli hadn't needed anymore help. Thankfully he hadn't commented on Boone's absence. Six decided to head toward the 188. She should be able to make it there before nightfall and it was safer to spend the night there then in the wastes. As she walked north she managed to tune into that elusive radio station again.
"Welcome back, Utobitha! I have with me Best Friend Tabitha, who has something important she'd like to share!" Came the metallic voice.
"Well, Rhonda, I'm a little concerned about the number of humans that keep coming to Black Mountain!" The female voice.
"Humans? Here?! Oh, why do you think they do that?"
"Honestly, I think they're a little jealous of the ideal society we've built here, Rhonda! And I can't blame them! We have everything we need here - food, shelter, safety, entertainment! It really is a paradise!"
"There's no arguing with the truth, is there?"
"But humans need to be aware that Black Mountain is no place for them! In fact, it's even dangerous for them here!"
"Why is that?!"
"First of all, there's the radiation! That warm peaceful glow that we all know and love doesn't have the same effect on humans! You see, humans are weak, and have an inherent defect that causes them to fall apart when exposed to radiation!"
"That sounds terrible! How do they stand it? Radiation's, like, everywhere!"
"I know! They truly have a hard lot in life, which may explain why they're so irritable all the time!"
"I don't know about you, Utobitha, but my eyes have really been opened! We'll be back after some music!"
Six must have zoned out at some point because she missed part of the conversation. She sighed and shut off the radio. She scanned the horizon and kept going north. Walking alone was boring. She talked to herself to dull the boredom but eventually the trip became a simple matter of walking and spotting.
When she caught sight of the 188 in the distance she hesitated. Everyone had recognized her last time. She dropped her pack and pulled out her duster. She put it on over the armoured vest she had managed to clean (mostly) and set the sheriff's hat in place. She completed the ensemble with a new pair of sunglasses she had finally purchased.
She headed into the trading post as the sky was starting to darken. No one seemed to recognize her. She gave a sigh of relief and found a place to spend the night.