"2-1-6…" The metallic bang was ear bursting as radiation filled the central chamber. Evelyn Atteberry gripped the panel in front of her, feeling her body suddenly become weak.
'My body's on fire…' The power armor made the heat unbearable. Evelyn frantically tried to get out of the armor, but in her dazed state of mind, she fell onto the floor with a loud thud.
'I can't breathe…' Was it the armor or the radiation? The lack of oxygen caused Evelyn to fade in and out of consciousness.
'No… Let me out… Please…' Despite her blurry vision, she could see the statue inside the purifier staring right at her, making her gasp.
Then everything turned white.
Evelyn felt weightless as her life replayed itself before her eyes, from her toddler days in Vault 101 to taking the purifier back from the Enclave. When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure looking at her. When her eyes finally focused, she recognized the figure. It was her late father, James Atteberry. She reached out towards him and he grabbed her hand, pulling her to him. Evelyn hugged him tightly as she cried into his shoulder.
"Dad… What happened to me?" Evelyn asked.
"My child, the radiation spike knocked you out." James explained. "You're in a coma."
"Coma? So I'm not dead?" Evelyn became quiet before asking, "Then why am I here?"
"I wanted to see you one last time." James answered. "And I wanted you to have a chance to meet your mother."
Evelyn turned her attention to the dark-skinned woman behind James; it was her mother, Catherine Atteberry. Catherine smiled at her daughter before opening her arms for a hug, which Evelyn graciously accepted. It was a reunion long overdue as the two women started tearing up.
"My child, how you've grown!" Catherine exclaimed, examining her daughter's appearance. "You look so much like your father!" Evelyn smiled at her mother's observation.
"I've been told that." She then wiped her eyes and exclaimed, "I'm so happy I can finally meet you, Mom!"
The family decided to make up for lost time. Evelyn learned about her mother before her birth and how she and her father met. The two met along with Dr. Li and other scientists when they formed Project Purity. They enjoyed each other's company and gradually fell in love, eventually having Evelyn. When her birth was brought up, the family grew quiet. Catherine decided to break the silence and asked Evelyn about her companion, Charon. Evelyn smiled; ever since she acquired his contract and effectively burned it, the two had been traveling together and developed a deep, close relationship.
The family talked for hours upon hours until Evelyn suddenly became tired. James and Catherine looked at her with somber looks on their faces.
"I think it's time you wake up." James explained. Evelyn's eyes widened at this.
"No… I'm not ready!" She exclaimed, surprising both of her parents. "I want to stay here!"
"Oh sweetie…" James said softly. "I know you want to stay with us, but the Capital Wasteland needs you."
"There is much more to do." Catherine explained. "Your time is not up."
"But whatever you do, just know we are watching you from above and we are very proud of you." James finished and Evelyn teared up. Sniffling, she hugged her parents one last time.
"Bye, Mom and Dad… I love you…" She whimpered.
"We love you too, Evelyn." Catherine cooed, smiling at her. With that, Evelyn became weightless and fell into darkness.
A heart monitor was the first thing she heard. She groaned as she tried to open her eyes, but the light was too bright. When she moved her hand in front of her to block it, she noticed her skin. It wasn't a smooth brown belonging to that of a human. No, it was disgustingly discolored with red patches, belonging to that of a ghoul.
"Wh-What?" She gasped as she looked at her other hand; it had the same necrotic look. She then felt her head; her once long black locks were completely gone, leaving her rough scalp exposed. She finally felt her nose; the cartilage was completely gone, leaving behind just the bone.
Evelyn was at a loss for words; all that came out of her mouth was a choked sob as she stared at her hands again, which were now trembling. The trembling suddenly stopped when two large, equally scarred hands reached out and grabbed hers, squeezing them gently. Evelyn's eyes moved to the owner of the hands: her companion, Charon.
"Charon... " She sobbed, noticing her once clear voice was now gravelly. She reached for him and he pulled her into a hug. "Charon... What happened?"
"The radiation in the purifier knocked you, me, and that Lyons girl out cold. The Brotherhood were able to recuse us. I woke up after two days, but you were out for two weeks. You went through ghoulification while you were out." Charon explained. "That Lyons girl is still out." Upon hearing this, Evelyn looked over to the bed next to her, where Sarah Lyons lied, still in her coma.
"Oh God, Sarah…" She gasped before reaching out to try and touch her. Her hand recoiled when she heard the door open and Elder Owyn Lyons walked in. "E-Elder Lyons." She softly exclaimed as she tried to sit up. The old man shook his head slowly, making her stop in slight confusion.
"Evelyn Atteberry, words cannot describe the service you've done for the Brotherhood of Steel and for the Capital Wasteland." He then gave her a solemnly somber look. "Unfortunately, the condition you've recently acquired goes against our code. For this, I greatly apologize and declare that you are removed from the Citadel and from the Brotherhood of Steel."
With those words, Evelyn's world came crashing down again. First she was cast out of Vault 101 twice, and now the Brotherhood of Steel are casting her away, like she had outlived her usefulness and became nothing. Is that what she is? Is she really nothing?
Despite this feeling engulfing her body, Evelyn gave no retort. A scribe then unhooked her from the machines that monitored her during her coma before getting dressed in her spare clothes and putting on her backpack. With a quiet "Come on, Charon", she left the Citadel with the tall ghoul in tow. She didn't exchange goodbyes with the Brotherhood of Steel; they didn't deserve her kindness, not after that.
The only place she could go to now was Megaton. She had a home there after what she did for them, but Evelyn was scared. Will they exile her too? Was that all she was for? To risk life and limb to fix people's problems only for them to toss her out like garbage?
Tears welled up in her eyes and her hand trembled. Charon stopped walking and turned around. "Eve, what's wrong?" He asked. Evelyn looked up at him with tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. The ghoul pulled her into an embrace as she sobbed into his chest.
"Charon?" She gasped. "Am I nothing?" The tall ghoul gently pushed her out of his embrace as he looked into her eyes. Charon wasn't great with words, but now he was speaking from deep in his heart.
"Eve, just because they can't see how amazing you are, doesn't mean you're nothing." He then placed his hands on her cheeks. "You saved me from eternal servitude. You are my angel and I love you." Evelyn gasped softly before being pulled in for a soft kiss. She then realized that no matter what, she had Charon and he had her. They were in for the long haul and she was perfectly fine with that.
Pulling away, Charon gently took her hand. "Come on, let's go home." Evelyn wiped her eyes and smiled slightly before they continued their trek back to Megaton.