One day, Mercy asked if she could open her own clinic in Novac, because that's where her parents first met over eighteen years ago and how Hannah recruited Boone as a companion, and dealt with Bitter Springs together.
Sergeant Dharti agreed to let her go home and open it when Bitteroot opted to tag along with her. She agreed to have him along on the trip. But along the way there, they had heard a distress call coming from Black Mountain, home to the Super Mutants and Nightkin as well.
Once there, they had some help dealing with a rogue Nightkin named Murray who wanted Hannah there for some odd reason, and they have also dealt a serious blow to the Legion, but they haven't left the area yet so, they got to Nipton that night and decided to spend the night there before moving on in the morning.
Once inside one of the abandoned houses there in Nipton, they settled down in front an old fashioned fireplace with a fire built in it just for the night. the young medic felt a heart wrenching feeling deep in her gut that when they got to Novac the next day, there would be only a fucking ghost town. When it had gotten hit by the Legion, who were coming through.
Bitterroot noticed her silence and asked her, "Isn't it a good to be able to open up your own clinic Mercy? And what's wrong?" She sighed as she shifted her position as she answered him, "Yes it is a good thing Bitterroot, but I've been having this heart wrenching gut feeling all day today that we'll only find a ghost town tomorrow. Now, I haven't ever been to Novac before now, and yet, I feel like I've been there my whole life through the stories papa would tell me about it. And of my mother as well."
He knew that her mother was a tender spot of contention with her so he let her open up about it when she was good and ready to do so... and on her terms. And yet, that night, he placed an arm around her shoulders and held her close to him while she slept through the night, not wanting her to worry about anything.
But the feeling was right when the two arrived at Novac, it just a fucking ghost town. As if it was abandoned overnight when No-Bark appeared. She got him as he fell to his knees and he told them what had happened. It was the Legion alright, only thing was that they were being led by a far worse general than Casear ever was. Her name was Sonya Culta Noria, the daughter of Vulpies Inculta, who tried to intice the Courier to work with the Legion on more than just one occasion.
They knew they were too late to save everyone when Boone arrived shortly there after, and with Sarah in tow, the young woman getting to Mercy and helping her to her feet. No-Bark knew that he wouldn't survive with them, so he asked if someone could put him out of his misery and Mercy obliged him by slitting his throat, and they buried him six feet under so that the local wildlife couldn't get to his body as it decayed. Boone, and Sarah opted to get to Goodsprings and Mercy gave them accurate directions to it, go towards Nipton, past Camp Charlie and head towards the high hills and Goodsprings is there.