Wendy
Goddamn, what the heck did I do this time?
I'm so tired. Charon rubs my arm. Tells me everything's gonna be fine.
I sleep.
When I wake, I'm confused, angry.
"What happened, what's going on, why won't anyone tell me anything?"
"It's okay, just lay down." Charon says.
"NO. What happened?"
Compelled to answer, unable to lie, he replies, "You were shot. In the hand. It's…gone."
"What do you mean, GONE?"
The doctor at my side grasps my left arm, looks at Charon. "Honey, look." She shows me a lump of gauze. I frown, uncomprehending. She begins to unwind the gauze, and Charon tries to stop her. "Look, she's gonna have to find out sometime." I stare at my arm, as the gauze slowly unwinds. It's like a dream. Any minute now, I'll wake up in the farmhouse, happy, whole.
But I don't.
My wrist ends in a rude stump, marred with stitches.
"The sutures will dissolve. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."
"No."
I look into Charon's eyes. "No."
He takes a deep breath. "Yes."
I fight to get up, to escape.
I fall into blackness.
Charon
"Well, that could've went better." Bones' sense of humor was not particularly well-received.
"Goddamn right it fuckin' could've. What're we gonna do now?"
"Wait 'til she wakes up, then do it all over again."
She wakes, calmer.
I explain what happened. That she pushed me out of the way. Lost her hand, for me.
Tears shimmer in her eyes, but her jaw stiffens, her eyes turn glassy.
She frowns. "How'm I gonna get my Pip-Boy to stay on?"
I laugh, shake my head. That's my girl.
A leather-worker in town devises an ingenious sleeve with straps, keeping her Pip-Boy on her arm. Holding a rifle will be a significant challenge. She says that she'll stick to the 9mm SMG, but she needs to have a long-range weapon. Maybe somewhere along the way, we can get a prosthetic made. Until then, we'll have to rely on me and luck.
Before we leave, Bones corners me. "She might look fine, but she's not."
I roll my eyes. "Come on. Look at her." She's haggling with a merchant over a set of armor. "Does she look like she's not fine?"
"No. But she'll break. And you'll have to deal with it."
"I'll manage."
"I hope you can."