Queen's note: …
Welcome to the Wasteland
Chapter Thirteen:
Rad-Away
It was fascinating to watch the 'rapid' growth of the Radexus moss during the day normally. At least noticing that it was distinctly bigger in the afternoon or in the evening compared to the morning of that day.
This though?
Jacky could almost swear he saw the Radexus moss growing in front of his eyes, like some form of time-lapse from when tv was more active and diverse. That technique in film that was starting to get more popular he had thought, or like a series of photos taken and then flipped through.
He worked out how fast it was growing in the rad-storm, by making a nicked groove on a rail where he placed a handful of the moss. Jacky was pretty sure it was growing at a rapid rate of between a half inch, to almost a full inch an hour during the storm, rather than about two inches a day before it.
Lana had said the moss would grow exponentially when actively exposed to radiation in the storm, and the rain. Quite frankly, Jacky had not quite believed it, that any plant that was not the glowing mushrooms would love and use the rad rich rain and air.
The storm at least had been going on for a good few days now. And good for once as far as he was concerned, in one way that the roofs of all the Co-Op's cabins, and smaller buildings were completely covered. Jacky and his brother had noted that morning that moss was both working down the outside walls and sheeting off of the edges. The second option at least was easy to cut off the excess and they could find places to put the moss, like the roofs of the bigger two buildings, and where to the surviving crops, or hiking over to the Farm to add to the bigger building. He would need Lana to explain again about this partnering of the moss and plants and crops.
The idea of crops surviving radiation laced rain storms better...that could change so much.
There was still enough excess to bring inside the center building to dry off and grow overnight and semi dry off, use what water and rads were clinging to it to grow. That was used to feed the animals the next day.
The storm was also good too for him and his brother to pinpoint every leaky spot in the roofs that first day. They had a paper for each building with a blueprint of the cabin, where they needed to fix things or plan to add on. They were able to fix the porches and floor boards at least in the last couple of days. Not to mention barter with the passing ghoul traders that had been on the way to the Abernathy farm with rad-a-way and glowing mushrooms.
Deegan had recognized the woman and three guards, managing to get a pretty good deal so they could drop the care package down into the shelter that evening as well as the livestock type. He also was able to write out a few letters for them to give to other settlement homes as they swung by them as they walked. They at least had good thick, well oiled rain slickers and packs.
The shout was almost a part of background sounds and white noise of the storm. Jacky blinked a bit owlishly from where he was sitting on the porch. He had been relaxing and feeling the 'natural' thrum of the radiation laced lightning.
"-ake! Deegan!"
Jacky jerked as he placed the young voice that should not be there. Coming out of it the daze that was almost like a drugged calm. Not quite modern chems- wait. Think. That was Lana.
The scarred man sat up, forcing himself to sober up from the ambient radiation as he scrambled to his feet poking his head around the corner of the cabin. "Lana? What are you doing out-! What's wrong?"
He was moving, down the repaired steps and around the porch and cabin, knowing there was too much mud to just jump the railing and not eat shit. The young woman was scrambling a bit on the slope but planting each step carefully, she had her thicker black leather jacket on, hood up but still looked oddly soaked.
Jacky reached out, steading and half ready to pick her up over his shoulder to go back to the covered church. More so when seeing the paler face then normal, and the red blotches from the first stages of radiation burning from the rain.
"Something happened, we need help," Lana gasped, very much starting to feel sick and not sure how bad she looked, "Survivors, kids, we need more rad away and...and help with the bodies."
Jacky turned party back up the hill, giving a long and sharp whistle for Deegan or Noel's attention. Even as he wrapped an arm around Lana and pulled her back down to the lonely church. The man debated only a moment before just picking her up the shorter young woman in the flat area.
Warm strength ran through him in the storm, like most lucid ghouls. So Lana, despite a protesting yip, was not that much of a bother to Jacky. "No, you need to go back under shelter. How did you get soaked? What's this about kids?"
"At the main entrance of the bunker," Lana started as she was set down, having a chance to catch her breath. "It was a family, a teen and two younger kids. Their… I think her parents didn't make it. From what I can tell they gave the kids their whole rad-x supply and... Their dad died from the storm I think and...and…"
Jacky set the young woman down, aware of someone scrambling down the slop after them.
Lana looked down, her hands flexing a bit. Missing the sudden dawning horror on Jacky's face. "...became a lost one, I think she was searching for the kids and... I kept the teen from seeing her after."
Jacky shifted to set Lana down, aware of hearing someone coming down the hill, even as he wrapped the girl up in a tight hug. She looked like a girl to him at this moment, like so many younger men and women do but… "I'm sorry you had to see it though Lana. It's good you did what you could. We have some more rad-a-way from ghoul traders that walk in the storms."
Lana shivered and admitted in a low voice, "I need help with the bodies. And Valory to keep that male from hurting anyone if he's out scavenging in the storm."
Jacky tightened his hold on the girl as Noel lifted the canvas flaps over the door, lifting one of the other laps higher. The big deathclaw was there, reaching out to catch the edge, gave herself a shake and ducked her head, neck and left shoulder under the cover to peer into the broken door. There was some nervous shifting from the brahmin, and deer fawn but the two moose were staying stoic. More lifting ears for Lana then reaction to the herd protector.
"What has happened?" Valory asked, worried and humming reassuringly from her spot as Noel slipped inside the church.
"There were some storm survivors on the other end of the bunker. And some that didn't. Noel, can you grab the rad-a-way?" Jacky explained and then asked, turning to the slightly older ghoul.
Noel lifted a leather pack that was mostly at his side all the time, lifting the strap off his shoulder and holding it out for Jacky, "I have some of it, but can go get the rest."
"Val?" Lana called, shifting to turn, and once the taller scared man let go she stepped over to the door. Wrapping her arms around the big head that was lowered near. "Is that male still over on the entrance side?"
Golden eyes unforced for a moment before sharpening in understanding. "He may, I can get there over land quickly. Keep him from eating the bodies."
"If we can wrap them, or get them in the ground. I don't know what's safe to pull off for clothes." Lana started, wavering a bit, hesitated and then started to sit down but was caught by Jacky.
"Oof, no wait Lana, don't sit up here." Jacky said as he guided her to the hatch.
Noel took out one of the rad-away kits, passing it to Jacky, "Here, get Lana back downstairs and this in her. I'll get the rest of the meds and help the others.
Noel smiled as he made sure the you woman was helped down, left to get the rest of radiation meds. He paused only a moment to realize Valory had slightly slipped away and on his trip back….. were there more deer fawn? He could not tell right then.
When Noel made it back down into the tunnels before the bunker proper, the other two made it below. He left a note for either Deegan or Jake in the main cabin they had been staying in. Noel took. Moment to reassure the Brahmin, and the bigger fawn. How many were there again?
Down in the tunnels, before the bunker proper, Noel found Jacky and Lana. The scared man looked up from where he had gotten the young woman settled on the ground. Well, on a thick mat of the dry radexes moss.
"One of the girls came by," Jacky said, he had pulled off his jacket and helped Lana out of her wet shirt, still had her modesty with a undershirt, a cream colored tank. Lana was sitting back after he was sure the needle was not going to pull out with a bit of tape. "They have your bag with the rest of the meds."
There was something about Jacky's expression that Noel could not quite place, other than the worry from the radiation sickness. "I'll get the rest of it over to them. How many survivors again?"
Lana held up three fingers, "Three kids, oldest is like 13 or 14."
Noel hissed through his teeth at that. Making sure Lana would stay safe and then nodded to Jacky before going down to the bunker proper. "I'll see you when Lana is feeling better?"
"Go help the kids Noel." Jacky reassured as he rubbed Lana's back while moving to sit rather than kneel beside her. He knew Noel had a soft spot for kids, that the other scarred man missed his family from before the bombs.
Jacky looked back down at Lana, his left hand spread over the exposed part of her back. Once the sound of Noel walking away faded and it was just them and a little dripping from seeping water… Jacky hummed and looked down, rubbing Lana's back, feeling the soft scarring under his fingers.
"How long have you had the scarring?" Jacky asked softly, checking the new red spots, but no welting yet. He glanced at Lana's hair and made a mental note to get her to rinse it with clean water.
"A few years." Lana said, her voice tired, reflexively leaning into the touch and offered reassurance. Trying not to pull at the needle and line in her arm, the rad-away solution was thicker than she was used to, and the arm it was going into itched. Other than that she was mostly okay.
Lana finally just felt…sick.
The young woman leaned into Jacky's side, sighing as he gave a half hug back. "I was helping some others back home with revival projects. We were working one town water and a pipe burst. The trapped water had a lot more radiation than anyone guessed. I got burned and it took a few years to get full mobility back. Almost, it still pulls sometimes."
Jacky nodded, still rubbing the girl's back. Young woman. The scarring was spread a good way across Lana's shoulders and dipped partway down the spine. "It's not bad from the storm, maybe a few red spots. But I think it's time for you to rest now, let the rad-away do its thing."
"I hope those kids will be okay… that's a lot to lose in one night." Lana worried but stayed sitting, head resting on Jacky's shoulder.
"For the most part," Jacky admitted as he stretched his legs out, "Orphans aren't left alone long in the Commonwealth. There are good people. Hell, even the Mayor of Good Neighbor takes in kids. If I remember right, he took down a cult a year back and had an influx of kids. Put them up in a building almost all to their own to keep them safe from the riff raff. Noel was hired to teach them about electrics and generators this last winter I think."
The carpenter looked down, smiling as he found Lana dozing off. Jacky smiled and helped Lana with laying down on the thick moss mat while they waited for Connie to come back with dry, clean clothes. When she finally came, they roused Lana to change, and Jacky walked back down to the back entrance for a few minutes.
He tensed at hearing the hatch open, walking forward and reaching for the pistol on his hip, and then heard a familiar grunt as whoever closed the hatch and just dropped down off the latter. Then the striding pace of the bigger Deegan, and Jacky relaxed a little, at least until he saw the glint of red and blue eyes.
"Jacky, what's happening? Was there a radiation leak in the bunker?" Deegan asked, shaking off his over jacket of rain, pausing as he noticed there was some moss on the ground here, starting to go up to the ladder area.
"They opened the front door," Jacky started to explain to his former boss, still boss? It felt like it sometimes, but not in a bad way, "There was a family, the parents didn't make it, but the kids and Cap-Bear made it in. From what Connie said I think they should make it, just be really sick for a while. Maybe have scarring from the rain."
Deegan pressed his lips together, rumbling low in his chest, "How old are they?"
"7 to 14 I think." Jacky sighed as he stepped aside, running a hand over his head and then down where he once had a mustache. "I don't think they'll be alone, not between the Abernathys and Noel."
The red seemed to be fading from Deegan's eyes as he nodded, huffing a half laugh, "You're right. Wouldn't be the first time Noel has adopted if they are willing to be around a lucid ghoul. How's Lana?"
"Sick, but I think Connie got her cleaned up….did you know about her burns?"
Deegan tilted his head, frowning, "Scarring? No, is it recent?" Did he miss something important?
Jacky shook his head, still keeping his voice from caring. "Looks old, a few years. I think she's from a family that's inclined to become ghouls. Would explain her resistance to rads, but she's still affected."
"Can you help keep an eye on her while I'm gone?" Deegan asked after frowning, looking at the shorter scarred man. "I'm sure Lana is important for the commonwealth. But I can't risk her being close to Lorenzo for long. As much as I love Jack, you know what he's like, and he's particularly stuck in a different place right now with his current research."
Jacky could not help the shutter that worked down his spine and back up to coil in his shoulders at the mentioned name. Remembering his few encounters with the Cabot Senior while helping to maintain the asylum. "Yeah… don't know how she'll handle him, but please reinforce security there Deegan? It's about the time after winter the deprived addicts are roaming for a fix and have no mental shields against that, uh… 'gentlemen.'"
"I plan to," Deegan clasped Jacky's shoulder as he started to move. "I have some Watchmen from Good Neighbor that are ready and willing to come help my men for a few months. Ariel also mentioned some more of her picked that seem to pass the tests."
Deegan pulled off his rain slicker as they came into the bigger area in the old tunnels, hanging it over a desk as he spotted where Connie and Lana were. The older woman looked up from where she was running her fingers through short hair as Deegan moved to kneel down beside her.
"She'll be sick for a few days, but I think she'll be fine." Connie gave a relieved sigh, "The kids too. But they all will need lots of love and a safe place together."
"So far, you have one of the safest homes now," Deegan rumbled with a small smile, "I can still take them back to the manor if needed...? After the storm."
"I think...we should give them a bit. Time to greave, get closer with seeing their par laid to rest and feel better from the radiation. See what they want, at least the oldest should be heard." Connie fussed a bit with the sleeping Lana, and a want inside to keep the kids herself.
A scared hand rested on Connie's head, smoothing down the dirty blond hair, "Yes. You're right. But for now show me where Lana's been sleeping. We'll get her to her bed and then check outside. Valory should be there soon."
Jacky stepped back as the bigger ghoul scooped up the girl. Following after the other to, unable to help think about his nieces and nephews way back when. He sighed as the carpenter ran a hand over his head. Sometimes, Jacky wondered if he should adopt again.
Reviews!
Justsomerandombastard:
The animal, a lucky Cap-Bear [or Royal molerat] is a slightly mutated Capybara! I'm making it they came from the Boston Zoo. I know its not in-game but...dude, so much fun critters can come from the zoos! I have so many ideas for Nuka World (much) later on.
as for my thoughts on prosthetics, I think there would be a wide range of options, from 'super old fashion' wooden legs, to 'old modern' plastic and metal limbs and 'pre war' rescores of advanced robotics. On a whole I think it would depend on the area, if the person or family are able to pool resources and such for the level of prosthetic.
Advice for writing is... well, write. sometimes you just write notes and then flush out. I know I write a lot out of order in one mega file in google docs, so I can add things in on my phone when bored. when I'm not sure what to write for like a chapter, I tend to try and describe what's going on around in the environment and how that could effect the characters. Little things like hand movements and actions of the characters while talking and inter acting help bring a story to life. more so if they are in line with the character.
Like, I do small things for Deegan reassuring the younger people or those looking to his leadership, harder to raiders. Lana is happy animated talker, and Valory is as much body language as she is vocal. Hancock is very much a charmer but naturally a person that seeks or gives physical attention in forms of shoulders touching, leaning against and such.
The biggest thing is to just write out the idea you have, ignore most grammar things as long as you can read it to start with! Don't need super edited thing for the first draft levels.