"Come on! Come on! Speak up!" Gob watched with a badly concealed grimace Nova's behaviour.
She wasn't standing in her corner, heck, she wasn't sitting on a stool close to her corner. Instead she sat on the stool next to the radio, one hand clutching a since long ago empty glass of vodka while the other was busy making buckles in the already quite dented radio. Her eyes were fixed on the old thing that so perfectly sang out the song 'Crazy He Calls Me'...drawing a glare from Nova as she once again bashed down on it. "I don't care about the stupid songs, now give me some news!"
Gob winced, it hadn't been long ago he had done the same thing...but that had because he'd been frustrated with the bad reception, her frustration though...he didn't like thinking about it too much. Focusing on polishing an already clean glass he muttered: "Can't expect Three Dog to have something new to say about him every broadcast Nova..."
"It's been over a week!" Nova hissed back, not even sparing him a glance. "Soon two!" She slammed the radio in the side for effect, drawing a crackling noise from it as something threatened to come loose.
"Don't break it please." Gob pleaded with far less panic than he had expected. Didn't he need the radio anymore? Maybe good old...heh, old...John had given him enough hope not to need it as much as before? Or maybe he just didn't want to hear more tales of John's heroics? Maybe he was tired of them? He eyed Nova, the woman obviously struggling not to punch the machine again...maybe.
"Sorry." She lowered her hand, joining the other in clutching the empty glass. Looking over at Gob she spoke with large eyes pleading for sympathy. "I'm just frustrated." Then she looked away, a slight hint of a blush on her cheeks. "And...worried."
Gob nodded. It was horrible really...no new news for so long was unusual, and with him moving into the west where everyone knew to stay away from by now...the conclusion was far too easy to draw.
Three Dog wasn't making things easier, his almost desperate repetition about what John had done, the brotherhood...the amusing anecdote about the local wildlife...all had a tint of desperation about now.
He might be dead...Gob felt oddly conflicted at such a thought. His friend...dead...horrible yes. His rival...dead...not so bad. Gob grimaced, the expected guilt washing over him, he'd had far too many similar thoughts as of late... He knew it was stupid, silly really...even arrogant...but he couldn't help himself!
Dammit...sighing Gob gently placed the glass he'd been polishing unto the counter. "I'm sure he's alright." His chest hurt by those simple words, as if someone had stabbed his insides.
"Ye...yeah..." Nova nodded a bit too eagerly as she pulled her glass to her mouth. "You're probably right..." Her lips touched the glass...then she noticed it was empty, a dry chuckle escaped her. "He always lands on his feet..."
Gob forced himself to smile while sweeping his arm towards the exit. "Exactly, any moment now he'll march right through that door...smiling and with another impossible story to tell." Damn, Gob almost believed it himself and eyed the door warily, expecting it to burst open at any moment...which it of course didn't. "Don't you worry." He poured Nova another glass, braving Moriarty's anger, she needed it...a beating was a small price to pay.
Looking back at him with a thankful look on her face Nova swirled the drink around in her glass, her smile might as well have been a dagger aimed at him. "Thanks...you're a really sweet guy you know that?"
That hurt.
Wincing Gob turned away, reaching for the already clean glass. "Yeah...people keep telling me that."
In the corner of his eye he saw Nova move towards him...then pull back.
The radio crackled over to play 'Happy Times'...Gob closed his eyes as he rubbed the glass, wishing with all his heart that the song would somehow pull him away from the room. God...why did she have to say things like that?
"I...I'm sorry Gob."
"What for?" He managed a shadow of a laugh. "You're not supposed to apologise for compliments..." He glanced over at Nova, watching her as she stared into her glass, frowning in the way she did when she was cursing herself. "Or do you take it back?"
Her head jolted up, eyes wide: "Oh no! Nono..." She winced, the frowning deepening. "I mean...I didn't want..." Her shoulders slumped and she looked away. "I'm just...sorry alright?"
"We all are..." Gob let it hang there for a moment, struggling to get a smile back up. "...but don't worry, he'll be back."
Nova smiled at the obvious way of changing the subject, taking a sip out of her glass with eyes closed with pleasure. "Yes...thanks, needed to hear that."
"No problem." Gob forced himself to put the now doubly clean glass back down and went over to the shelf to get another one. Pretending to struggle finding the unclean ones he kept his back to Nova as he continued: "He...he does care for you...you know that right?"
"Huh?" Nova wasn't normally confused around Gob, but this was one of the few instances. "Wha...?"
"John, he cares." Gob looked at the glasses before him, a dozen miniature versions of his own decayed face glaring back at him. "You remember what James said don't you? We're the only ones he really knows around here...and...and I've seen how he looks at you."
Nova said nothing.
Fiddling with a few of them, putting the dirty ones together with a slight clatter...Gob felt his shoulders bunch up with new tension. "And of us...you're the only one who really represents the people he's helping, the only real link...maybe the only thing keeping him sane, you know?"
Still no answer.
"Ha...have you ever wondered...why he does all he does? How he does it without becoming another wastelander asshole?" Gob bit the remains of his lips, closing his eyes tightly...God...shut up! Why are you telling her this? It's not...fair. "You...you know why don't you?"
"He's...he's just a g...good..." The stuttered reply came from somewhere behind him.
Shaking his head Gob sighed. She deserved happiness...God...he hated this. Gob glared at his own hands, the slowly decaying muscles within far from concealed by the rips of skin still clinging to him. "No. You know better Nova. He ne...he needs someone to relate his struggle with. You should have seen his face when he helped you with the radiation...or when he got out of bed so long ago after simply cuddling with you..." The distant episode was still fresh in Gob's mind, the pain had not been helped by Nova telling him what had happened...it had only gotten worse.
Nothing close to this though, his heart seemed to have stopped, daggers of frost stabbing into it.
"Gob...p...please stop." She was closer now, lips trembling no doubt...just like Gob's tense shoulders. "D...I'm just..." She sighed. "I'm just a...a...God I can't even say it anymore."
"Seems he's doing his magic then eh?" Gob smiled sadly while lowering his head, feeling very...very tired. "And you know that's not what's important..."
Then he felt Nova's hands on his shoulders. No! "Gob...I just wanted to say..." No, don't...please! "I didn't want to...I didn't...I haven't not..." She took a deep breath, hands on his shoulders tightening. "I-"
"Don't."
"What?"
"Just...don't."
"But Gob I just-"
"Boo-yea!"
The cheery tone cut through the room, making Gob almost knock the glasses over before he pulled his arms to his chest. Nova pulled her hands back...too fast to Gob's liking...guilty. God...why wouldn't it end!? "This is Three Dog! Your glorious wasteland disc jokey! And boy do I have news for you!" Did he have to sound so cheerful? It was like a personal insult aimed at Gob...sighing he forced himself to shake it off and turn to the radio.
Nova was already leaning over the counter, eyes afire with eagerness, the few tears on her cheeks forgotten. Forgotten...Gob looked away. "It is a glorious day in the wasteland I tell you! A glorious day when someone strikes a blow against slavery! Our own saint from vault one-oh-one has done it again! Still he amazes me! Lord preserve me!"
Gob took a furtive step forward, his curiosity getting the better of him and drawing him to listen to the no doubt amazing story...ugh. "Paradise falls is no more!" Eh? That statement made no sense...Paradise falls was... "Yep, you heard me correctly, or own little hero has burnt the place to the ground! Killing the very core and leadership of the slaver network in one fell swoop while razing the whole settlement like an avenging storm on fiery wings!"
God...could Three Dog get over the top or what? Gob winced, recognising his own jealousy even as he felt impressed at the words. No doubt true...ugh. "Like a true Abraham Lincoln he took a stand for liberty! Like Moses he cried out for his people to be set free! Like the archangel Michael himself he smote the evil in its lair, cleansing it with fire!" Nova visibly sighed at the words, lashes fluttering, Gob grimaced. "I interviewed some of those slaves who he saved myself! I tell you...they spoke of a giant in shining armour, a beacon of hope doing good for its own sake! And would you believe it in this sad and dark world...I believed them! Every, single, word! Praise the lord! Praise him!"
Gob cringed, watching as Nova leant even closer to the machine, face inches from it. "Taking a pair of children with him they said he went west, like a true cowboy disappearing into the sunset....isn't it amazing?" Yes it was, painfully so. "So what's next? A garden of Eden for us? Who knows with this man!? This is a happy Three Dog...signing out!"
"Oh Gods!" Rushing forth Nova hugged the machine, a wide smile on her lips. "He's alive! He's still alive!" The machine started to buckle just as she let go, whirling about to face John. "Isn't it amazing!?"
"Yeah, it is." Gob reluctantly agreed.
Nova hesitated, her face cringing up in new worry. "But...heading west...still...?"
"He's not finished no doubt..." Gob suggested. "And as we say...he'll land on his feet."
Nova nodded, eyes downcast as she looked awfully small. "I...I guess."
Drawing a deep breath Gob forced himself to move forward, his movement mechanical as he moved up to hug her. She was small in his arms, shaking slightly, so afraid for...his sake...swallowing his pain Gob tightened his hug and whispered: "Come now...it'll be okay."
"Y...yeah...you're right."
"Only...tell me something?"
"Yes?"
"Do you love him...or the hero?"
"Gob...I...I..."
"No, don't answer." He took a ragged breath, realising he couldn't take any more.
God...it hurt...so much.