The Fallout of War

Chapter 9, Truce

Danse was calling me. I tried to answer, but Kellogg held me tightly, his hand smothering my cries. He put his mouth to my ear and whispered, "Recall code." I woke with a jerk and sat up breathing heavily and my heart racing.

I turned to check on Merc who was still asleep. Between the whiskey, the battle, his injuries and blood loss, I expected he would be out for sometime.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, I let the cobwebs of sleep clear and knew that I had to make some decisions today and act on them.

My stomach rumbled. Well, one thing I have to do is find us some food. I watched Merc's chest rise and fall in restful slumber. Most of all I have to find someone who can help Danse. Dr. Carrington at the RRHQ is my best chance.

Rising, I walked to the steel door and opened it letting the sunlight pour in. It's about mid afternoon. Zimonja is only a couple hours away. I can be there and back before Merc wakes up hopefully.

Digging a few things out of his duffel bag, I sat them on the table between our beds; cigars, lighter, water, whiskey, an old tattered copy of Guns And Bullets and I set his rifle within reach, just in case. Climbing into the PA and grabbing up the laser rifle, I headed out the door closing it after.

The journey was uneventful and I made good time. Zimonja had no ham radio, so I wrote out a quick note for a runner to take to Preston in Sanctuary.

Preston,

I'm with Danse, but he is not well. Recall code used. Will try to get him to a settlement and reach Dr. Carrington. Be warned, someone trying to revive Institute.

Tanna

The folks at Zimonja were happy to supply me with whatever I needed knowing I was good for the caps. I stuffed my face with food, purchased stempaks, bandages, food, water, plus repaired Merc's PA and left the settlement with time to make the bunker before dark.

Entering the bunker I was relieved to find him still sleeping. Exiting the PA, I dropped it's power core into the duffel bag, before hiding two of the three stempaks behind some crates on a shelf. One was for his chest, one for his leg and one extra, but I didn't want to mend his leg yet. I needed the time to convince him to go to a settlement with me.

Moving to the side of his bed, a stempak in hand I raised it to his chest when his hand suddenly snaked out and caught my wrist. I jumped in surprise and looked up to see him staring at me as his grasp directed my hand down and the stempak was pressed into his thigh. "No! It's for your chest." "I'd prefer the use of my leg." He released my wrist and closed his eyes a moment as the meds began to work. Crap! Guess I go to plan B, if I had a plan B.

"How long?" He asked quietly. "How long what?" "How long have I been out?" "Since daybreak, it's almost dark now. Let's see what this looks like now." Tanna pushed the blanket back further and began unwrapping his thigh wound. "It'll still be sore and tender for a couple days, but it's looking real good. Not any where near as bad as when I pulled that stake out and you roared loud enough to be heard in Diamond City." Glancing up she grinned seeing his face had turned red.

"Might as well test it out and get you out of this blood encrusted bed and into the other one." He eased up into a sitting position. He spied his repaired PA and took a deep indrawn breath which caused him to groan cause of his ribs. "Shit! I can't breathe you have me wrapped so tight."

Still he managed to grab my upper arm firmly, "Where did you go?" I tried to pull away, "Zimonja, let go." "What else did you do there besides fixing my armor?" "I got supplies." "And?" "And I ate." "And?" "Stop it. I could be almost to Sanctuary now and you don't see any armed guards with me do you? Well, are you going to let go or break out the cuffs again?" He studied my face a moment and relenting he released my arm, but eyed me suspiciously.

I turned and pulled a can of water and a rag from my sack, mostly to hide the guilt I hoped my face wasn't expressing. Assured my features were schooled, I turned back and helped him to the other bed.

"Sit on the edge. I need to wash the blood off of you." I climbed on the bed behind him and worked as gently as I could around his ribs. "So you bathe men often?" "Just Danse." I said without thinking and he glanced over his shoulder at me. It was my turn to blush red.

Finishing his back I climbed off the bed and stooped down to wash the back of his leg. "So where is this Danse guy?" I went still. "I... I'm not sure." I kept my head lowered. He reached down, placed his hand under my chin, and gently lifted my gaze to meet his. "He's a fool if he left you." I felt my face burn and reclaiming my chin looked away.

I rose quickly and rummaged in his duffel bag for the pants I had seen and tossed them at him. "Thanks. I was getting tired of wearing a blanket."

While he finished I produced wrapped chunks of grilled radstag from the sack. I tossed him one. We sat on the edge of the bed eating quietly a few minutes.

"The workmanship on my PA looks pretty good." "Thank you." I said between chewing. Merc looked at me in surprise, "You did that?" I laughed, "I've gotten good at it taking care of my own PA." "Why would you have a PA?" "All Paladins of the Brotherhood own one." He lifted one eyebrow in disbelief.

I reached for my dog tags to show him, "Shit! I lost my dog tags somewhere." "If you say so." "Its true! Paladin Steel at your service." "So now the Brotherhood will be after me for snatching a sister." He teased.

I grew serious, "You want to avoid the BOS in the Commonwealth Merc." "Why?" "I told you, Danse was exiled. He's... KOS." "That's your guy. I am not him." "You're his spitting image. They won't stop to chat first." He looked at me seeing I was dead serious then nodded slowly. "Okay, avoid the BOS it is."

He inched back on the bed to lean against the wall grimacing with the effort. "Oh. I should let you lie down. You're chest has barely begun to heal." He stopped me from rising, "I've been on my back all day, but how about some of that whiskey, it could take the edge off and a cigar?" I passed the items to him then moved back resting against the wall next to him. "Thanks." He handed me the bottle while he lit his cigar and I took a sip before passing it back. It felt like an unspoken truce had been agreed between us.

"Why'd you come back... again?" His tone was intense as he looked over at me from under those thick brows and held my gaze. "Because of your extraordinary and engaging personality, of course." I joked, but his brown eyes remained serious. "Why?" he still held my gaze, but I looked away. "I don't leave men to die, nor laying hurt... and you were both because of trying to protect me."

The air seemed highly charged between us and I refused to meet his eyes. I changed the subject out of desperation.

"So, you were in the Capitol Wasteland before here?" the air eased and I glanced at him. He nodded taking a puff on his cigar. "What's it like? What did you do there?" "As the name implies and like everywhere else, its a wasteland and inhospitable. I did the usual Merc stuff; was a caravan guard, collected debts, tracked down a few men, brought home runaway wives, daughters."

"Ah. I'm not the first girl you dragged behind you." I teased. "No, but you're the most exasperating one. The others were meek and easily intimidated unlike you, tough girl." He gave me a sideways glance, his eyes crinkled in a smile. "I am not exasperating." I mumbled and took the whiskey from him for another sip.

We spent the rest of the evening sipping whiskey and talking, steering clear of personal topics and what had brought us here. We talked of guns and armor, he told me about the Capitol Wasteland and I told him about the Commonwealth and Sanctuary. Eventually he started shifting uncomfortably and my eye lids were starting to droop.

Rising, I got him to lie down again. I started to stretch out on the floor. "What are you doing?" "The other bed is still damp in spots with blood. The floor will be fine. It won't be my first time." and I spoke as if the floor wasn't cold, hard and uninviting. "Come here." I looked up to see him shifting over in the bed and holding the blanket up for me. "I don't think..." "We both need a good night's sleep and does it look like I'm in any condition to do anything stupid?" I couldn't prevent smiling as he threw my own words back at me.

Looking at him then the dirty floor, the temptation was to much. "Okay, but we stick to our sides of the bed." With his size, my side meant the edge. Kicking my boots off I crawled in with my back to him and lay there stiffly, fighting the natural urge and habit to turn and curl up with "my" Danse. Finally my eyes drifted shut and I slipped into sleep.

It was such a pleasant dream. I was cocooned in Danse's strong arms feeling safe and content. I snuggled closer against him, my head resting upon his shoulder, my face buried against the side of his thick neck. I pressed my lips against his warmth. "Mm." and again. His head turned and tilted down, mine tilted up and his lips touched mine in a soft kiss. It was light and tender and when it ended I felt bereft. My head rested once more upon his shoulder. I felt his lips kiss my hair. "Sleep Tanna." he whispered and I did.