Ch. 3 Sanctuary
"Nice place mama murphy's found for us here." Preston Garvey told Nora, coming to stand beside her in the shadows where she stood, watching her new neighbors sitting around the warmth of a rusted out, burning barrel as dinner roasted on a spit above it- silently, she wondered how roasted roach could smell so appetizing,
"I never shouldhave doubted her- i really think we could settle down here, and make it a place to call home, you know? What do you think?" Nora hadnt spoken much since their arrival in Sanctuary three days prior, but he had been watching, and he could tell she was becoming restless- shadows had formed beneath her bright eyes, and he often caught her starring southward with a look of longing he didnt understand.
"I dont know." She admitted thoughtfully, observing her surroundings with pensive eyes. "Its strange being back here..."
The first day, she had busied herself cleaning and clearing out her own home space, robotically sweeping out dirt, leaves, and drywall debris among various other broken pieces of twisted foreign metal, before straightening around what remained of her furniture- a futile, empty feeling attempt to bring order to the otherwise shattered pieces of her life.
Across the street, marcy long and Sturges had also busied themselves, clearing away the surrounding wreckage within their chosen refuge, discarding it into a pile next to the collapsed house one yard over. By the end of day two, Sanctuary had actually started to look vaguely familiar to Nora.
"What do you mean? you used to live here or something?" Preston questioned perceptively, wondering why she hadnt told him sooner. He had hoped to learn more about the mysterious woman who had risked her life to aid them in their time of need, since arriving in Sanctuary- but frustratingly enough, he had made very little progress in that regard, and the few answers he had gotten out of her, raised twice as many in return.
"Yeah, before the war- before everything was...ruined." Nora revealed thoughtlessly, forgetting herself- to someone who hadnt experienced the impossible series of events she had been through, she knew it musthave sounded insane. Better to keep it to herself.
"What do you mean?" He asked, sounding doubtful. "before what war? are you saying...?" Was she saying she was around before the war? It wasnt impossible- he had met Ghoul's who had been around that long, but they all bore the scars of that experience plain as day for all to see. In comparison, Nora's skin was perfect- smooth, glowing, and unblemished by the damage wrought by a lifetime of radiation exposure and violence.
"I dont know what im saying- i dont know whats true anymore. forget about it." She told him quickly, closing the subject and withdrawing mentally. Respecting her need for privacy, Preston put his hands up in a gesture of apology- like a doe in the wild, he had approached too quickly, causing her to scare.
He would have to remind himself to be more cautious, next time.
"hey, i didnt mean to get you riled up- we all got our past to deal with...no shame in that." he attempted to reassure, before changing the subject. " Anyway, i am glad your here- and i hope you dont mind, but i have another favor to ask..."
Apprehensively, nora waited for him to continue, seeing the reluctance in his eyes as he looked at her from beneith his lashes the same way nate used to before asking for favors...
."..ive had word of another settlement needing help- their still hoping there are minutemen out there, somewhere- and the only chance to start rebuilding the minutemen, is to show people that they can count on us when they need us... trouble is, ive got my hands full here. do you think you could go help out the settlement?"
"Im sorry, but i cant right now." Nora answered flatly, a little too quick to be polite. "i have my own problems to deal with." She had already wasted too much time in Sanctuary as it was, and she couldnt afford to procrastinate much longer- but still, she couldnt help the surge of guilt she felt when he deflated, unable to completely mask his hurt at her rejection.
"Thats okay, i get it- but i do hope you change your mind. I really feel like you could make a difference." He told her, dealing a subtle blow to her conscience before politely taking his leave, giving her room to ponder. She watched him go thoughtfully, wondering if he was trying to work her over as he disappeared out of sight- playing on her emotions to manipulate her into sharing his burdens...
I'll have to leave soon. She decided then, looking over to find mama murphy starring at her sightlessly from the other side of the fire- the flames illuminated her face in a frightful way, emphasizing the deep wrinkles in her skin, and the disconcerting focus in her otherwise blind eyes. Nora met her stare silently, wondering if the woman could really see her as she listened to the conversation around the fire while everyone waited for dinner to be done.
"How ya holdin up Jun?" Sturges asked the shell shocked man, trying to engage him in conversation. Since concord, he had been largely silent, spending his waking hours starring off into space with a dark, brooding expression on the concrete floor of the garage, lost in his misery. At the sound of his name, Jun lifted his head, and Nora could see him struggling to comprehend what had been asked of him, before he forced a hollow reply.
"huh? oh...well i guess." He answered lamely, shrugging. " Everyday i get up and tell myself to just...get through the day." Nora nodded to herself, empathizing with his plight- she had been telling herself the same thing as of late.
"You've been through a hard time, man." Sturges told him somberly, shaking his head. " The worst- just uh, let me know if there's anything i can do to help..." Jun blinked, not quite able to look the other man in the eyes- again, Nora wondered what exactly had happened to the Long's during their long walk from quincy. She could recognize the desolate face of loss easy enough, but the details of his story were lost on her.
"Oh, okay... i know i havnt exactly been pulling my weight around here, but im going to try to do better..." He informed Sturge's awkwardly, figuring his lack of motivation was the reason behind the mans concern. Truth be told, he wasnt ready to start being productive yet, but he knew its what he needed to say to reassure the people around him that he was okay- even if he wasnt.
"come on- theres nothing to apologize for! You worry about you, and everything will take care of itself." He affirmed positively- and nora could tell by his body language, and the expression in his eyes that he meant what he said. Sturges was a relatively transparent man, and thus, she felt it was safe to take what he said at face value.
"Okay...thanks Sturges- I appreciate you checking up on me..."
"ofcourse- we look out for our own. Always."
Beside Jun, Marcy exhaled a sharp snort of derision, rolling her eyes rudely before turning on her heel and marching off into the run down house behind them to sit alone, grabbing a lit oil lamp off the floor of the garage workshop as she went. Jun closed his eyes tightly, feeling ashamed of himself.
"Please- dont mind Marcy." He defended on her behalf. "She's...She's working through the loss in her own way." Nora and Sturge's both nodded, if only to diffuse the sudden tension she had left behind.
"What exactly happened to you two?" Nora blurted, curiosity finally getting the best of her- she needed to understand. The longs were both displaying two very different reactions to some traumatic loss, and as someone who could relate, she felt compelled to ask. In the days that had passed since Concord, she had expected Marcy's demeanor to relax a little, but she had remained the same rigid, dissatisfied, angry woman she had met pacing in the museum, spending her time grumbling complaints while she busied herself with the herculean task of cleaning their new home- more to keep her mind occupied, than to help out, Nora suspected.
In response to her question, Jun was quiet for a long moment, looking at the ground with haunted eyes before lifting his face again to fix her with the full weight of his sullen, deep blue stare.
"we...we lost our son." He told her, his voice breaking a little as he admitted his loss, as if it were the gravest of sins. His jaw quivered as he gritted his teeth, the shreds of his pride holding back a title wave of emotions as he seemed to relive the event inside his mind before her eyes.
"mama murphy had a vision of a raider attack you see, so we called the minutemen to help us defend the settlement...They arrived, shortly before the massacre. My son- he was enamored with the minutemen. Followed Preston around like a lost puppy...Followed him on patrol, just before the siege. Preston didnt know- didnt see him until...until he was shot." Nora held her breath as she listened, skin crawling as the sound of a large caliber pistol echoed inside her own imagination- a memory triggered by her own post traumatic stress as she listened to Jun's story.
"There was a Traitor within their ranks, you see- One of the men sold us and his comrades out to a group of gunners for a cut of the loot after they sacked the town...It was a massacre. A few of us managed to escape- i thought my son would too. It was just a leg wound...but then the infection set in and soon he was too weak to walk...Mama murphy had had another vision, about a place called Sanctuary somewhere around Concord. he made me promise him Id make it there, before the fever took him."
For a moment, Nora was speechless- she had no idea how to respond. she knew there were no words that could be used to sooth that kind of loss, and she had to count herself lucky that she had yet to experience that kind of pain- at least she could cling to the hope that Shaun was out there somewhere, alive, and waiting for her to save him. It was the only thing keeping her going, despite the hole Nate's loss had created in her life. Even without the rest of the world, she thought she would be alright, if she couldhave been allowed to keep her family through all of this...
"Im sorry- no parent should have to suffer the loss of a child." She told him, offering condolences. At her words, his face seemed to harden.
"I...I shouldhave done more- I hope the gunners pay for what theyve done." Anger- the second stage of mourning. Perhaps he was further along in his grieving process than Nora had been giving him credit for.
"Your son- what was his name?" She asked suddenly, deciding it would be the last question she tortured him with- she could see the pain within his eyes, intense, as if he were burning on the inside.
"Kyle...My sons name was kyle." He told her, appreciating her concern- Jun remembered then what mama murphy had told their mysterious stranger, about looking for her son. "I wouldnt have been able to keep my promise to him, if you hadnt helped us...So thank you, for that. I really hope you find your son." He told her, holding her gaze as he spoke. Moved, Nora nodded stiffly, looking away from him as her own eyes started to prickle, forming unshed tears.
Silently, Sturges took the spit off the fire to let the finished meat cool, looking thoughtful as he listened to his companions converse. It seemed all of them had lost something- whether it was their home, or a loved one...it was the one thing they all had in common- the thing that held them together through the storm.
There was a silence as he handed each of them a roach and a weathered metal fork, and Nora watched in disgusted fascination as he flipped it belly up, using its own outer shell as a plate as he popped his fork into the soft underbelly to expose the meat inside. Nora flinched at the sound it made, but salivated at the scent of the steam it released, before following his lead and doing the same with her own.
Closing her eyes, she took the first, chewy bite of the insect meat, before swallowing it hole- a process she endured repetitively until the tasteless tissue filled her belly, and the endless, painful growling in her stomach had at last ceased. Jun departed with his own meal, dutifully taking Marcy's portion to her, leaving Nora alone with mama murphy, and Sturges in the light of the burn barrel centered on the cement driveway before the workshop.
Again, Nora met mama murphies blank stare, feeling as if she was being watched.
"I new you would join us here in Sanctuary, kid." She told her, as if sensing her stare. "Your energy is tied to this place..." feeling both fascinated and thoroughly creeped out, Nora decided to indulge the old woman.
"my energy?" She asked, still skeptical. "What do you mean?"
"I told you before kid- i saw you leave that icebox, and I know your pain- this world, its not yours, and the distant past, aint so distant to you..." Again, her disconcertingly alert stare grew far away again- flashes of the future swirling around in her head. "Diamond city holds answers for you, but their locked tight...you ask them what they know, but peoples hearts are chained by fear and suspicion- but you must find it...you must find that heart thats gonna lead you to your boy, and see with eyes unclouded by fear. Its bright- so bright against the dark alleys it walks...thats what you need to do kid. follow the signs to the brightheart..."
Suddenly, mama murphy blinked, exhaling heavily and wobbling as her knees buckled beneath her weight- quickly, Sturge's caught her, supporting her frail frame against his strong, tall body protectively- he had seen this before, several times during the long walk from Quincy.
"Whew, that took more outta me than usual...im gonna need to rest now kid." The old woman told her quietly, sagging in Sturge's arms. He checked her pulse, pausing as he measured her heartrate, before shaking his head and lifting her effortlessly into his arms.
"This has been happening more and more lately- the sight seems to be taking its toll..." He informed Nora sullenly, before taking mama murphy inside to rest, leaving her standing in thoughtful silence alone outside the house. The stars had taken over the sky by then, shining brighter than she had ever seen them before- unhindered by any light pollution in this strange, dark world.
Normally, Nora would be afraid, standing in the open after dark, but even though she couldnt see him, she knew Preston was somewhere within the shadows, endlessly patrolling the cracked, faded streets of Sanctuary hills- and it gave her a sense of security as she headed back home, joining Codsworth inside for the night.
As she laid in bed, Dogmeat appeared quietly to join her on the mattress as she thought over everything mama murphy had told her, repeating her directions in her head as she tried to find sleep- for once not even caring that her bed smelled of mildew and dirt. what did it matter anyway, when her own clothing reeked of sweat, and dirt clung to her like a second skin?
Follow the sign's. She told herself as she succumbed to sleep. Find the brightheart.
. . .
. . .
Nora woke the next morning to the sound of Sturges hammering scraps of salvaged sheet metal in place over the gaps in the metal exterior of the house across the street- attempting to weatherproof it, while marcy began turning up the dirt in the side yard for what Nora suspected would be a garden plot.
"hmm- you seem to be in pretty good shape, all things concidered..." Nora heard him telling Codsworth beside the house- the handy bot had seen the man struggling in his repairs, and had stopped to offer his assistance- as per his programing as a handy bot.
"I get by as best i can..." Codsworth declared with feigned modesty, sounding mildly pleased by the compliment. "although i do apologize for the state of the garden- dont hold it against my master...I take full responsibility."
Sturges grinned, reaching back to take a nail from the box in Codsworths pincers, before hammering it into place with an amused expression- sweat beaded on his brow despite the morning chill, dampening the already stained pits of his white undershirt as he worked.
" So youve been here all these years- what...waiting for mom and dad to come home?" He asked the robot incredulously, flabbergasted by his dedication to loyalty. Nora watched quietly from the doorway, listening silently to their interaction, wondering just what Codsworth had told the man.
"Ofcourse." Codsworth answered, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Again, Sturges shook his head, chuckling softly to himself.
"Robots...well- you might as well keep making yourself useful. You can leave off tending to your...uh..." He struggled to remember the word the bot had used to describe the bramble of brown weeds in his sorry excuse for a garden.
"Posies, sir- at least, thats what they were..." He supplied helpfully, sensors tightening critically as he looked toward the garden.
"Sure thing- well it was nice to meet you, and thanks for the help...caldwell?"
"Codsworth." the bot corrected proudly. Sturges shot him another bright, amused grin, blue eyes sparkling with mischief as he sensed its annoyance.
"Right- Codsworth. Well, we're the new neighbors. Maybe you can have us over sometime for a cup of tea or something." He suggested jokingly, grin widening when the bot took him seriously.
"It would be an honor to demonstrate my masters hospitality..." Codsworth retorted naively, before hovering off hastily in the direction of home. Watching him go, Sturges caught sight of Nora in her doorway, and waved in greeting as Codsworth retreated to the back yard.
"Good morning!" He called out across the street. "Headed out?" For the first time since their arrival, she had her black bag strapped to her back again, ready to go. Nora waved back politely, before answering.
"Morning- yeah, i think its time to head out. You guys have a clear, sheltered place to sleep, theres clean water near bye, and soon enough youll have some crops growing...Not much more i can help out with. its time i stopped putting off my parental obligations and got a move on."
"You know, your right." Sturges agreed, looking around them at what they had accomplished with satisfied, hopeful eyes. "Its been a long road, but i think this is it. home...feels good. Thanks for that." Sanctuary still had a long way to go- but they had at least made solid start.
"No problem." She responded strangely, not really feeling as if she deserved the gratitude. "whats next for you guys, you think?" Sturges shrugged, looking optimistic.
"well, i guess figuring out how to get back to living, instead of just surviving...ofcorse, you know your always welcome here, anytime. My door's always open." As he spoke, he looked back at the house with an easy grin, blue eyes flashing as he considered the gaps in the metal. " Windows too- some of the walls, actually, come to think of it...well, i guess i better get back to it now- you take care!"
"Thanks Sturges- you too." She told him in turn, before turning around to close and lock the door behind her- she didnt mind sharing Sanctuary, but she wanted to establish clear boundaries between her property, and theirs. She might be absent, but it was only temporary, and that was her home.
stepping onto the sidewalk, she followed the weathered cement walk out of town once more, mentally preparing herself for the journey- she didnt know much about diamond city, other than the few things she had heard from Preston Garvey in the last few days, but it was enough to make a start. The walk on foot was going to be perilous- and long- but she had grown up in Boston, and she was confident she could still navigate it like the back of her hand- even in ruins...
As she passed the faded blue sign exiting Sanctuary hills just before the old north bridge, Nora looked to her left to find preston walking along the riverbed, diligently patrolling the village perimeter as he scanned the horizon for any hint of danger while Dogmeat circled his heels protectively.
Catching her scent on the wind, the german shepards ears perked up and he turned to face her, alerting the lone minuteman to her presence. Barking happily, he bounded away from him to join her by the bridge as she prepared to begin the first leg of her journey- ready and willing to follow her to the ends of the earth if need be.
Feeling a surge of warmth for the animal, Nora bent to run her fingers affectionately through the scruff around his neck.
"You ready boy?" She asked, causing him to spin around excitedly as she stood. He barked an affirmative, tail wagging as he looked up at her with bright, expectant eyes- waiting for her to lead the way. Looking back out to the riverside, Nora met Preston Garvey's distant stare as he watched her prepare to leave with thinly veiled disappointment- and as he reached up to tilt his hat to her as a parting gesture, she had to push away another wave of guilt for leaving. He was one man, with the weight of the world on his shoulders, and she sympathized with him- but his problems werent hers, and she had done him enough favors.
She waved goodbye, before turning back toward the splintered, moss stained planks of the old north bridge. Here we go...She thought nervously, taking the first steps forward on her journey. One foot in front of the other, Nora...
and then she was on her way.
. . .
. . .
Thanks for reading, please follow, favorite and or review if you enjoyed.