Chapter 11: Abigail Whitley.
Autumn woke up earlier than everyone else the next morning because she was nervous, and it felt like she wanted to have everything in control before Gail and Casey were awake. She had decided, against her discomfort, that she'd let Rem escort her to the outpost, but it wasn't until she made the decision that she realized how hard it would be to break it to Gail. Knowing Gail and her tempestuous anger issues, and her incurably steadfast mentality, she wouldn't agree with the decision no matter the kind of flowers she decorated it with. She was outside in the common room that separated all the other rooms, sitting on one of the chairs, reading a pre war book about flowers. She saw many of them in there, ones that were likely long extinct by now, and she was in awe at how beautiful they were.
The door to the barracks came open and when it did, she glanced up to see. When she saw that it was one of the doctors, she looked away again and continued reading the book. In there, she saw pictures attached to some of them and after a while, she started coming across other plant life that at some point in time during the pre war world, were used for medicinal purposes. Maybe it was just her cup of tea nowadays, since she was going to be a doctor and all, but this sounded so astonishing to her. It was sad, however, that flowers were so rare nowadays that she hadn't ever even seen one throughout her seventeen year old life. Would she ever? As she wondered, the door opened again and when she looked up, she saw Casey, coming out with a groggy look on his face. "Casey."
He glanced at her, "What's up?" and yawned right after. "I need to talk to you and Gail about something. Can you bring her outside when she wakes up?" "I'm awake," she heard, and when she glanced at the door, Gail came out, wearing a black t shirt with the black combat armor pants. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, with a groggy voice of her own. Autumn bit her bottom lip and responded, "Let's go outside. I want to talk in private." Gail raised her eyebrows, and Casey just watched, and both of them looked like they immediately recognized something was up, and it had to do with whether or not she'd go to the other outpost. It had to be about that. "Okay," said Gail, and the two of them began following behind Autumn.
After climbing down the ladder the three of them went somewhere behind the outpost. A place where they couldn't be heard unless they yelled, which Autumn figured might happen anyway. It felt like a good place to have the conversation regardless. Gail spoke first, "You didn't change your mind, did you?" Autumn shook her head, "No." She was about to add on but she paused, clearly unable to get her words right. Casey spoke comforting words to her to encourage her, however, "Don't worry kid, what you do is up to you, and we've already told you we'd help you get to where you're going. It's alright if you want to go somewhere else." Man, the way that sounded, it felt like the two of them really would take her anywhere. Even outside of the Mojave, which just made her feel deeply appreciative. "No, that's not it," she answered, and Gail continued watching, "Then what is it?"
Autumn closed her eyes and sighed, but when she inhaled again, she opened up her eyes and spoke more assertively, "Alright. I wanted to let you guys know that I really appreciate what you've done for me. If it wasn't for the two of you, I wouldn't be so well off. I'm also very appreciative of how willing you are to help me." As Gail listened, it started to sound like this was some kind of goodbye. Some kind of thanks but no thanks, but she didn't say anything. She let Autumn continue. "But I feel like . . . you know, like you've done too much for me already." Gail started to speak, attempting to cut her off but Autumn raised her voice just a bit to beat her to the punch, "AAAAND I know that it isn't bothering you guys or anything, but if you guys were in my position, I'm sure you'd feel the same way." Gail finally got the chance to speak, "So what are you saying? You want us to head off so you can make way to the outpost by yourself?" Casey chimed in, "Nope. We're not letting you travel by yourself, Autumn. That's out of the question." Gail looked up at Casey and nodded to Autumn, "Yeah, no way."
There was a pause. This was the hard part, and Autumn knew it, "You're right but I wont go by myself." "Then with who?" Gail didn't miss a beat when she asked the question. "With Rem." Gail stopped. She stared, waiting for the response, and when she yelled, her shoulders hopped. "What? What do you mean with Rem? Don't you remember what happened?" Autumn closed her eyes and exhaled in disdain, "No, I haven't forgotten. I remember but - - " "Then what the hell are you thinking?" Gail yelled each time, and the guards started to hear it. Her eyebrows were furrowed and there was an angry gleam shimmering in her eyes. "I just feel like you guys have been missing too many - - " "We've told you already; we don't mind!" Autumn crossed her arms under her breasts slowly and stopped talking. Gail stared at her angrily and after enough time had gone by, she shook her head, "Case closed." Autumn looked away like a scolded child.
"Yeah, it's alright, we'll take you there." Autumn remained silent, with a disagreeable mien still live about her. "I just don't want to keep bothering you two." Gail sighed out in frustration, turning her body away from her and then turning back to her. When she spoke, she held her hand out to her, stressing her words with it, "Don't you remember that he slapped you? If you go with him, what's to stop him from taking you back to his place and punching your eyes purple?" As Casey heard that, he understood that Rem wasn't capable of doing that, but he struggled with himself wondering whether or not he should say that. "Even if it was only because he was drunk, what's from stopping him from getting drunk again and doing the same thing? What if he rapes you?" That was another thing Casey felt certain Rem wouldn't do, and this time, he couldn't help but intervene. It started with a relaxed exhale, and his words came out just as placidly, "Rem wouldn't do that."
Autumn quickly added, "Yeah, he wouldn't." First Gail looked at Casey. Coming from him, it didn't surprise her but coming from Autumn, it put her over the edge. Her emotions tore out of the chains that held them in check and it was so intense, she spoke with a silent, shaky rage, much different from before. "Are you serious?" She just couldn't believe it. She could not comprehend what kind of woman would be so light towards a man who had slapped her, more so a man who had led her to experience the kind of grief she did. "Listen to yourself." Autumn spoke, "I am listening to myself." Gail exploded at the top of her lungs, "Clearly, you're not!" With the way she yelled, screaming so loudly that everyone within a mile of where they were, Autumn shrunk. She just stood there, staring at her, unable to respond for long. Gail started up again, "I mean, if you liked it when he slap- - " Casey cut her off, "Gail, that's enough." She stopped suddenly and stood straight with her hands clenched into fists, now at her sides. Even Casey was unsure of saying anything but eventually, he did, "He was drunk."
"What?" responded Gail, glancing at Casey. She looked at him with a pair of eyes that she had never looked at him with before. She was angry, out of her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to yell at him. However, the low tone with which she spoke was still venomous, "If you don't want to take her, that's okay, I will." Autumn stepped in as Casey crossed his arms over his chest, the look of irritation slowly manifesting on his semblance. Autumn spoke, "Gail, don't say that to Casey." "What? It's true," responded Gail, "I'll take her if you don't want to take her." Casey shook his head, "It's not that. You've just got Rem pegged the wrong way, Gail." Gail responded fast, "No I don't. I know exactly the kind of person he is. I saw what kind of person he is when he slapped her." Casey continued shaking his head at her, still disagreeing, as he undid his arms from his chest and then he started looking back on something. Something that he had put in the back of his mind the moment he heard it.
The first time Gail met Autumn, she also found out that he was ex NCR. The moment she found out, he remembered how competitive she got with him, and how she talked him down. "What's the NCR done to you?" The question came so out of nowhere that when it hit her, it hit her harder than it would have normally. She definitely hated the NCR, but why did the question come so suddenly? How was it that Casey pointed that out without knowing much about her?" "What are you talking about?" she asked, and Casey stared at her like he knew she was playing it off, "First time you met Rem, remember? We left and I told you he was ex NCR. You've hated him since then." When she heard that, she looked away and to the floor, and Autumn stared at both of them, feeling like something else was going on now. "I don't know what you're talking about," she answered, and Casey never relented with his doubtful glance.
There was a long silence after that. Casey and Autumn both knew that there was something there to be beheld, something inside of Gail that they didn't know about, but it didn't look like she was coming out with it any time soon. Autumn, however, took the chance to say it, "I'm going with Rem, alright Gail?" Gail turned her head to her quickly and glared at her. "Listen, it'll be alright. I promise everything will be okay," she said, as she started approaching her. Gail didn't change a muscle, and Autumn continued, "I'm just going to take the first thing that comes to me and dive in. Just like you did, and it'll turn out just as well with me." Gail closed her eyes as her face relaxed, and she exhaled. Autumn frowned and just hugged her eventually, while Gail appeared reluctant. "You guys can come see me at the outpost first chance you get and you'll see that I'm alright." When Gail heard that, there was a small sense of comfort, and that was enough to convince her to return the hug. When she hugged Autumn, it felt like she was hugging a family member.
"Alright," she said, with a breath to go along with it, "Alright fine." When Casey heard that, he digressed, and just watched them. "I guess you know what you're doing, right?" Autumn nodded, "I promise that I do." Gail nodded as she let go, looking like she was trying badly to convince herself to believe it, "Okay." She stared for a couple of moments and then . . . then tears started forming inside of her eyes. The sensation that Autumn felt from it was indescribable. She never imagined she'd see Gail cry, so when she did, it was just a very momentous thing to look at. "Oh Gail, don't," she reached out and hugged her again. Gail hugged back immediately, holding her tightly. Why was it that she loved Autumn like a little sister so quickly? Maybe she hadn't realized but ever since she had been all alone for this long, she was looking for the first right person she could treat like a family member. Her heart just didn't want to be alone anymore. "It's okay, it's okay, I'm just . . . ugh," she reached up and wiped her face. Autumn backed away to look at her eyes, and saw the moisture packed over her eyelids. "I'm just . . . never mind." Autumn nodded and hugged her again, "It's alright, you don't have to explain yourself."
Gail reached behind Autumn's head and leaned up to kiss her forehead afterwards. Autumn looked down at her smiling. "Alright, so, Casey," Gail turned to look at him. He glanced back at her, "Sorry." Casey shook his head, "Oh it's alright. It's fine, don't worry about it." Gail smiled at him, "I guess we can leave soon after we wash up." Autumn nodded, "Yeah, please do. Catch up with your trade meets." Casey smiled and then he started to walk away, leaving Autumn and Gail to themselves. "Well, I'm going to go bathe and then we'll get going." Autumn stared down at her eyes and nodded her response to her. Then, Gail left, off to bathe, walking slower than she usually did.
In the outpost, there was running water. The sewage system underneath the place had been reconstructed and fortunately, there were no sewage breaks in places that were vital to the outpost. There wasn't a heater, however, but that was a small price to pay. The price still managed to be small when some of the water that came in was irradiated to varying degrees. Rad poisoning was relatively simple to cure, however. Many people also enjoyed the temperature given the fact that they were in a desert, and it was easy to appreciate a cold shower. In fact, it was easy to appreciate a shower in general, because not everyone out there had access to this luxury.
Since there was no heater, there was no trail of onsetting steam to drag the scene along, but there at least was the pit pattering of water droplets splashing against skin and landing on the surface of the tub below. There was an improvised shower curtain made out of light brahmin skin material through which a shadow of Gail's petite curves could be seen. Closer, it looked like she was doing nothing other than letting the cold water bathe her on its own flow, and closer still, her small, unassuming body was slowly revealed, in all it's battered beauty. Whip marks on her back, gashes that had scarred over like jagged cracks in cement along various portions of skin, burns, bites, and bullet wounds that had healed over with enough time but didn't fail to leave behind an ugly reminder. This was her nude body. A petite, curved physicality that somehow still managed to look stunning with all of the pain it had been through.
There were few places that remained free of debris, however. Both her arms, her neck area, and her face. This made it so much easier for her to hide her past and sometimes escape from it herself, unable to see any of it. While she was standing there, water flowing down her body, caressing the scars as it did, her frail hands, which didn't look like they had ever held a weapon in her life, reached up and massaged the water into the rest of her short brown hair. As the water dropped from her person to the floor in heaps, the sound got louder, and then she exhaled before she started shivering. The cold water was great sometimes but not right now, not when she was trying to think about Autumn's decision, and whether or not she was doing the right thing even remaining Casey's bodyguard. Maybe . . . maybe she needed to be with Autumn, instead. She would love to have a sister again.
When she stepped out, she was donned in her black combat armor, body covered all the way up to her neck and down almost to her elbow. The plasma rifle she always carried with her was strapped to her back, tied with a customary noose that allowed gunmen to draw it out relatively fast, comparable to the highwayman's noose that horse riders would use to make a quick escape on a horse. As she walked out towards the exit, figuring that Gail and Casey were waiting outside for the goodbyes and everything, a door opened to her left and she heard her name, "Gail." She turned to see and saw Sandra, and then Autumn, who spoke, too, "Come in." She started walking towards them, still slowly like she was moving uncertainly, and stepped before closing the door behind her. Casey was there, too.
"I heard you guys are leaving, and Rem's going to escort Autumn to the other outpost." Gail nodded, "Not too fond of the idea but hey, she looks like she knows what she wants." The way she spoke belied her body language. Her voice, somehow, managed to sound like she actually understood, and even agreed, but she was unsure of the whole decision in truth. Sandra crossed her arms over her stomach and spoke, "Rem will get her there safely, I'm sure, and what you saw the other night, I don't think that's something he'd do regularly." Gail waved her hand at her, "Yeah, I've heard that from Casey." Casey stared at her and so did Autumn, but Autumn had a smile on her lips. Then, Sandra spoke, "Well, I'm going to give you guys something we give to people who are friends of the followers." She pulled a paper out and handed it to Casey, "Coordinates to all the safehouses we have. The ones that have working radios in them are highlighted, so if you ever feel like you need to contact us, you can do so from there. In case you want to ask if whether or not we've sent Autumn out to the other outpost yet." Casey took the piece of paper, folded it, and placed it somewhere he wouldn't lose it.
Autumn spoke, "Yeah, you guys can radio in." Casey smiled, "We'll definitely make a stop after our first two meets. One of them is close to our second meet and we'll check up on you from there, kiddo." Gail still looked like the somber one between all of them but she did feel another pang of comfort when Sandra handed Casey those safehouse coordinates. "Thanks," she said, to Sandra. "We should get going, Casey." Casey nodded and leaned off the desk as Autumn went over to him and hugged him, out of nowhere. His eyebrows raised in surprise but he hugged back, patting her back awkwardly. Didn't look like he minded, however. "Thanks Casey," she said, and Casey responded, "Don't mention it." Then she moved towards Gail and hugged her, too. Gail returned the hug, pretty tightly, and Autumn closed her eyes as she did. It was so hard not to look like she was afraid to be away from Gail, but she had to keep it under wraps, otherwise Gail would feel even worse about leaving her. "Thanks, Gail. For helping me feel better about things," as the hug continued, Gail nodded to her. Little did she know, Autumn thought about her like an older sister she'd always be able to depend on.
"Alright, well," she let go, this time without crying, and she took one last good look at Autumn's eyes. A lot of things ran through her head, like whether or not she should quit being Casey's bodyguard and stay with Autumn, but when she recognized the fact that if she did that she'd make things more complicated than they needed to be, she went with her gut. "If we don't take off soon we wont make good time, so." Autumn nodded, "Yeah, you have to get going." "Yeah," Gail answered, moments before smiling. Besides . . . she began thinking, I can always quit later. Gail turned away and started walking towards the door while Autumn leaned back against Sandra's desk, and Casey turned to look at Sandra. "Favor repaid, I take it?" Sandra raised an eyebrow, "Takes a lot to please me." Casey stopped for a moment. The comment . . . left him feeling a bit out of control. "Oh . . . well, if you ever need anything." Sandra nodded, "Yup, I'll make you repay your remaining debt." Autumn managed a laugh, and Casey, still in confusion with the statement wondering if she had just flirted or not, slipped out.
Gail walked out of the outpost exit and when she did, she saw something in her peripherals. She saw Rem there. He had his trail carbine laying across his lap, and he was pushing a thin iron stick with a rag wrapped around it up and down the barrel to clean it when all of a sudden, something grabbed his collar and jerked him in the direction it wanted. "What the hell?" he said, as the weapon fell off his lap and onto the floor, and when he turned to look at the culprit, he found himself face to face with a deathclaw. Well, with Gail, but there was a very small difference. "I swear to everything I hold sacred in this god forsaken world that if you lay just one of your abusive fingers on her, I'll find you and I'll show you that there are things alive that are worse than any manner of deathclaw you've ever, or will ever, see during your worthless, pitiful existence." She pushed him back and the jarring motion made him hit his head against the wall the chair was against, and he just watched Gail walk away from him. Then Casey came through, and when Casey saw the disheveled status of Rem's collar, he figured what had happened. He didn't even need to ask.
"We're heading out," he said, as he approached Rem and reached out to him. Rem instinctively grasped Casey's wrist and Casey grabbed Rem's. The grasp was strong and they both glanced at each other for a moment, like they'd been friends for years, "Be safe," said Rem. Casey nodded assertively, "Will do. You, too. Won't even ask you to make sure Autumn gets there safe because I know you will." Rem nodded, "Definitely." Then they let go, and Casey headed towards the ladder before descending. When Gail and Casey left, Rem stood up from his chair and picked up the trail carbine. He stood straight and tall, strong and durable, and he was clearly ready to dive into the next chapter of his life. He had been for a while.