"I don't understand why my commanding officer has to be hovering in the room while you look at my arm," Rhys was speaking to Cade, but glowering at Shiloh.
The Sentinel flipped through a medical journal, perched on a free table as she watched the two men at the gurney, "Maybe I just like hearing you whine, Rhys."
Rhys frowned at her, causing Haylen to stifle a laugh from her place next to Shiloh. The scribe had finished her duties and opted to sit with them in the medbay instead of heading for bed. Cade rolled his eyes, still examining the wound.
"Nicely done, Sentinel. Looks as clean as it's going to get. Have to say I don't often treat minigun wounds. You would have been torn like paper if it weren't for your power armor."
"That's one reason to tolerate the damned machinery," Rhy squirmed as Cade changed the gauze.
Haylen sighed, "Thank god for Ingram's handiwork. C'mon I'll walk you to your quarters."
"It's just my arm that's injured," Rhys whined but allowed Haylen to lead him out of the room.
Shiloh set the medical journal down in her lap, "So my medical work wasn't too bad?"
"Not at all, I don't have any doubts in your field knowledge."
"That makes one of us," Shilo grimaced, "I never picked up my father's real knack for caretaking."
"That's a high standard to hold yourself to, your father was legendary," Cade busied himself putting away his supplies. "How have you been holding up?"
Shiloh shrugged, "I've been keeping busy. And before you ask yes I've talked to Maxson."
"How's that going?"
"It's going, I suppose. I don't know yet."
"Well I think it's good for you both. He needs a genuine friend." Cade placed emphasis on the word friend, something Shiloh noticed but didn't comment on. That reminded her that Ingram was still expecting a conversation from her. She sighed dejectedly, staring at the wall.
Just then, a girl squire passed by. She looked like she was going to say something to Cade, maybe greet him, but backed away instead when she saw Shiloh. When the girl was back in Quinlan's office, Shiloh frowned at Cade, "Okay, can you tell me what that is all about."
Cade looked embarrassed, "It's not for me to say."
Shiloh crossed her arms, "I'll sit on your desk all night. Don't test me."
That got a smile from the doctor, "Alright, alright. But you didn't hear it from me. Some of the squires have certain...feelings for the Elder. Understandably many of them are jealous of your history and relationship with him."
"But...we're just-"
"It's not my business what you are. They just have made it theirs with their infatuation towards Elder Maxson. I wouldn't take it seriously."
"I don't. I just don't care for animosity."
"Well you're the Sentinel. Tell them yourself."
"I might," Shiloh tapped her lower lip, wondering if it was even worth the effort.
Later that evening, Shiloh lay in her bed. Just as she began to drift off, there was a light knock at her door. She slipped out of bed, shivering at the coldness of the metal floor on her bare feet.
When she opened it, she was startled to see Maxson standing there. He looked rough himself, like he had been woken recently, "Ingram's found something. She called for us immediately."
Shiloh nodded, clutching the blanket tightly around her. She'd be embarrassed if he knew she was wearing nothing but a teeshirt and underwear under it, "Let me...let me get dressed."
"Of course, I'll meet you on the flight deck."
When she was back in her fatigues, she headed up to the vertibirds. A knight helped her climb in and she pressed a little tightly between a star paladin and Maxson as there were quite a few people piled into the vehicle. When they landed, Shiloh jumped out after the star paladin before he could assist her. She made it to Ingram's location first, practically bursting through the door.
"It took fourteen tries and I need a long vacation, but I've found it." Ingram pointed at the green text of her terminal. Shiloh couldn't read a word on it, but Ingram clarified, "I located the frequency as soon as I hooked up the satellite you gave me. I've tapped in, so we have two options now."
"And those are?" Maxson spoke from behind Shiloh and Ingram.
"Either I can run the network scan and use the satellite we recovered to try to find the coordinates or…" Ingram looked like she wasn't sure she wanted to bring up the next option, "Or we could teleport someone there immediately."
Immediately, both Ingram and Maxson knew that Shiloh would jump at the chance. Maxson glared at the other soldiers in the room, "Leave us. Now." The room cleared quickly, leaving only Ingram, Shiloh, and Maxson. The Elder held up a hand to Shiloh, "No."
"This is our only chance."
"It's not our only option. Nora was our only option. Here we have something that doesn't involve uncertain circumstances." Maxson turned to Ingram, "Pinpoint those locations. Inform me when you find something else."
Shiloh glared at him and he gave her a dark look back before storming out of the room. The door slammed behind him and Shiloh snarled in exasperation. She would have kicked something over if Ingram wouldn't have her head for destroying her workshop.
Ingram watched the whole exchange quietly. Shiloh never felt so much like she had a mother than when Ingram glowered at her like she did something wrong. "What?"
"You can't expect Maxson not to care."
"He should be willing to sacrifice me for the greater good. Especially if I'm willing to go."
"It's cruel of you to think that."
Shiloh sighed, leaning against a workbench, "The Watchers are dangerous. They're a risk to not only the Brotherhood, but the entire Commonwealth. We can't afford to waste time."
"I'm working as fast as I can. I know you had an understanding with Sarah about self-sacrifice after the purifier. But Maxson isn't Sarah. He's not cold and logical. He's still the same bleeding heart that he was as a kid." Ingram approached Shiloh, giving her a stern look, "I don't know what's with you two. And now isn't the time for me to press you on it. But he cares about you. Whether you're willing to accept that or not. After Elder Lyons, Sarah, and Danse, he's broken. He can't lose anyone else. Especially not if there's another way."
Shiloh broke eye contact, feeling ashamed that she once again threw emotions out the window for cold logic, "Alright."
"Just let me try. Save the self-sacrifice for when there's no other option."
"Fine, fine." Shiloh pushed away from the workbench roughly, gripping her hands into fists tightly. She left the warehouse the same way Maxson did, staring up in frustration at the sky as the beach wind swept her hair.
To her surprise, she saw Maxson standing at the railing overlooking the beach while smoking a cigarette. A few guards were watching him closely, but chose to keep their distance at his anger. Ignoring the warning glances she was given, Shiloh walked until she was standing beside him. She leaned on the railing, half-expecting him to snap at her, but he never did.
He offered a share of the cigarette and she took it. She wasn't much of a smoker, but it felt like something of a peace offering. Sighing, she handed the cigarette back as she blew out a small puff of smoke. He spoke first, "I can't ask you to promise me not to throw yourself into danger recklessly. It's what you do and I know it's a promise you can't keep. But I don't sacrifice people when I don't have to."
"I know. I'm sorry, Maxson. I just hate feeling so helpless when there's a quicker path. You're right, I can't promise that. I could die tomorrow. Or the next day. But if I'm going to go out, I'll go out on my terms." When she spoke of her dying, Maxson grew distant and leaned against the railing. He was faced away from her now, tension in his shoulders. Shiloh felt the urge to grab his hand in some sort of reassurance, but she felt the eyes of the guards on her back and she opted to lightly touch his arm. "Hey…"
"Hm?" he rolled the cigarette between his lips. It distracted her a little.
"You still mad at me?"
She blinked in surprise when he genuinely laughed. She hadn't seen him smile like that ever and it warmed her, "You're incredibly frustrating, Sentinel. But no, I like to think I understand you too much to just be angry with you."
Shiloh smiled along with him, looking out at the patrolling Liberty Prime, "I'm glad." She frowned when the wind swept her hair again and Maxson put out his cigarette.
"Come on, it's late and our sleeping habits are poor enough."
"You putting me to bed, Elder?" She grinned when he rolled his eyes at her. The guarding soldiers said nothing as they passed and boarded the vertibird.
Shiloh undressed when she was back in her room, curling back under the covers with a smile. She couldn't stop thinking about Maxson's laugh and how she caused it, even if she caused his anger earlier. Her mind focused on how his smile made him look more his age. She wondered if it was his first smile in a while.
Meanwhile, Arthur unzipped his flight suit halfway, leaving his top half in just a shirt. He didn't like completely undressing for bed. It was a habit after years of being woken up for meetings and intel in the middle of the night. Since the western elders were in a time zone three hours behind him, he was often contacted by them during his sleep as well.
He turned off the light, sleeping comfortably in the pitch black room. The lull of the Prydwen was comforting in a way, as it reminded him where he was. When he had nightmares, it was the only solace for him. Deathclaws couldn't get him hundreds of feet in the air.
He thought of Shiloh's sly grin as she asked him about putting her to bed. If only she knew how those words affected him. He was sure she was simply messing with him, trying to get him to laugh again. But the comment didn't make him laugh. It made him shake his head because he was assaulted by his own impure thoughts. How could he respect her as her Elder when he was occupied with the idea of sharing his bed with her? And not just in a sexual way. He wanted to see what she wore under that blanket she was hiding under earlier. He wanted to play with her hair and listen to her as she told him about her adventures in the Capital Wasteland. He wanted to feel the other scars she had besides the teeth marks on her jawline.
Arthur sighed, rubbing his face. He wasn't an idiot. He knew what this meant. But it was a lot more complicated than just deciding to pursue her or not. He was not only her Elder, her superior, but the western elders had certain expectations for him and he wasn't certain Shiloh would fit into those. On top of everything, she likely still saw him as a moody teenager she once knew. She knew him as a child, for Christ's sake.
Forcing himself to get some semblance of sleep, Arthur gripped the blanket tightly and waited for the quiet rumbling of the Prydwen's engines to help him go out.
-0-
Shiloh sat in the mess hall reading from a book she borrowed from Quinlan. She was taking notes on medical field knowledge when Haylen sat across from her again. She wouldn't have found it so strange if, for one, Haylen didn't have any food with her, and two, she was giving Shiloh a wide-eyed stare. Setting the book down, the Sentinel raised an eyebrow at her when she noticed the mess hall was filled now with others who were trying not to stare directly at her.
It was rather late in the evening. Late enough for the night shift to be transferring over. Most of the soldiers in the mess hall had just gotten off work or back from missions. Some still had dirt from the wasteland streaked across their faces. Still that didn't stop them from giving Shiloh looks. Growing frustrated, Shiloh considered interrogating Haylen privately on another deck.
Just as she fully stood from the table, a group of knights stumbled into the room. One in particular had to be held up because he was so inebriated. They headed towards an unoccupied table as one of the group members grabbed something from the self-service. They laughed loudly enough to annoy the others in the room. Shiloh had no idea where they stumbled in from so drunk, but she didn't concern herself with it until two of them began to stare openly at her.
Having had enough, Shiloh closed her book and stared back, "See something you're interested in, knights?"
One of them smirked, "Maybe. Gets lonely on a flying airship."
"I'd tell you to control yourself, but you can't seem to do that with your liquor."
Another one in the group laughed, "We were just celebrating a night off. No harm there."
"Well you can celebrate back in your quarters. Public intoxication is against protocol."
The one who was the most inebriated chose this moment to stand up, approaching Shiloh's table. Not wanting to include Haylen in this mess, the Sentinel stood from her seat to meet him. The knight slurred at her, "You're the one pushing protocol now, Lone Wanderer?" He said her nickname with a sneer.
Shiloh steeled herself though she was a head shorter than the man, "By all means, speak freely, knight."
"I just think it's interesting that you're able to just join us again after nine years. And then you're promoted to a Sentinel. Just wondering how you managed to climb the ranks so quickly."
"Have a suggestion, do you?"
"Come on man, don't do this, just sit down," a man back at the table began to stand.
Shiloh glanced at him briefly, "No, I want to know what he has to say."
The knight in front of her crossed his arms, moving a little closer, "Don't play dumb. Everyone knows you're Maxson's-"
"Okay, seriously dude Elder Maxson's going to kill you if you-"
Shiloh interrupted the man at the table, "Maxson's what?"
She wasn't completely sure what he said next. Once she saw his lips speak the word whore, he was writing on the floor when she punched him in the face. He stumbled back before getting a good swing right at her nose. Both were bleeding from their noses as they tangled on the floor. Haylen was pulling her off the other man as his friends were now holding him down. She could have struggled more, but Shiloh let the scribe pull her up.
A star paladin approached from the other side of the room, grabbing one of the knights, "Take your idiot friend back to the quarters. You'll all be dealt with by the Elder if I have to find you myself." He approached Shiloh, who was breathing heavily and glaring at the floor. "Are you alright Sentinel?"
"Get Knight-Captain Cade, please," she was coming down from her adrenaline high and began to feel bruising on her skin. She attempted to wipe away the blood, but it didn't stop until Haylen gently handed her a towel to try to mop it up.
The Knight-Captain was going through the medical evaluations of a few intiates with Maxson on the command deck during the commotion. They were interrupted by a star paladin entering the room, still looking like he'd only recently arrived back to the Prydwen. "Excuse me, Elder Maxson. Knight-Captain Cade, there's been a situation down in the mess hall. A group of knights got heavily intoxicated and there was an altercation between them and Sentinel Carver."
"Did the Sentinel take care of it?"
"I'm afraid so, but not in a favored manner. She's bleeding quite badly."
"What of the knights?"
"Bruised, mostly. Might have a broken nose, but one of his friends said he would take care of it."
Maxson sighed, "I'll come with you Knight-Captain."
The two men headed towards Cade's office, meeting up with Shiloh and Haylen as they stood in uncomfortable silence. The discomfort grew when they noticed Maxson was there. Maxson frowned, crossing his arms and watching Shiloh pace and hold the bloody towel to her nose.
Cade prepared a stimpak, "Have a seat, Sentinel."
"Don't waste your supplies, just check if it's broken."
"Sentinel, have a seat," Maxson spoke before Cade could reply. Shiloh glared at him, making Haylen pale in fear, but she sat on the gurney as Cade continued his preparations. "Scribe Haylen, would you excuse us?" Haylen glanced worriedly at Shiloh, but left the room as Maxson's question was more of an order.
When Cade finished with the stimpak, making Shiloh flinch, he helped clear the blood with a new towel. "Nothing broken, fortunately. Just a laceration. A few stitches and a bandage should do the trick." Maxson watched as Shiloh squirmed while Cade applied the sutures across the bridge of her nose. He placed a bandage across them and began to put the bloody equipment away for sanitization.
"What happened, Sentinel?" Maxson didn't sound angry, just exasperated.
"I told an intoxicated group of knights to piss off back to their quarters and they didn't like that."
"What led to the fighting?"
Shiloh grew uncomfortable, unable to look in Maxson's direction at all. Cade spoke up, "You must have a reason for going to blows with a knight."
"I had a great reason. I'd do it again."
"Care to elaborate?" Maxson sounded a little more strained than before.
She frowned, finally looking at Maxson, "He called me the Elder's whore. Suggested that had to do with my promotion."
Cade grimaced in discomfort. Maxson squeezed the bridge of his nose, speaking, "Alright."
The doctor blinked, "Alright?"
Maxson's expression grew dark, "I would have punched him, too."
Cade sighed, turning to clean his supplies.