Nekoholic

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Basil pondered on the question, inwardly relieved for a conversation, and replied, "I doubt much has changed. My dad is probably being yelled at for there not being enough water, repairing people's appliances, just doing his best to keep the general maintenance going on his own." He wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his chin on them. "I feel a little bad for leaving him to do it all himself. But...hopefully this will make up for it in the end." A part of him also missed working with his father; he was the only family he had left, after all. And despite being berated constantly by the other townspeople for all of the water problems, he knew that it'd been a load off his father's shoulders. He was getting old; he just couldn't handle that stress on top of everything else.
He tried to think of others, but honestly, bringing Jace with him was like bringing half of his home, as well. It was tough talking to the other people, for multiple reasons. Doc Thurston had been an almost-friend to his father at times, especially after Basil had almost died from radiation sickness, but it was seldom that they spoke with each other beyond necessity. People had to trust the only doctor in the town, and considering that they didn't trust his father, becoming friends with him would make that a more difficult task than actually curing people of the ailments that plagued them every day.

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Basil snickered slightly, despite the serious tone of the conversation. He then said, "It's 'integrity,' Jace." After a moment, though, he nodded, and said, "I hope it doesn't last too long. If it does, we may have no other choice but to try and travel through it. We can't stay here for too long on these limited supplies."
Discussion died once again, and within mere minutes, Basil found himself becoming restless. There were nights when he'd practically pass out, but then there were others when he would even be the one keeping watch; this was one of those, as the energy from his nerves coursed through him. He glanced at Jace, shifting occasionally, wondering if he felt the same. Thunder flourished directly above them, the heart of the storm arriving. He'd rather sleep through it, but he knew there was little chance of that.

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Basil, relieved that Jace had finally agreed to take half, retrieved the syringes once more and properly measured out the Rad-Away. "I promise. And you don't have to worry about me so much; really, I'm more equipped to look after myself than you think." Once each of them had finished with their medications, he changed clothes, adding a worn brown poncho that he'd scavenged a few days prior over it that he wished he'd remembered earlier before he'd gotten drenched, and drew his knees closer to his chest for warmth. Despite that, though, a headache had begun to form in the back of his skull, a common symptom of the medication, and the rain still seeped through the cracks and holes in the ceiling, scattering from the drafts that were let in.
Still, it was better than trying to walk through this or being entirely out in the open.
"When do you think we'll be able to head out again?" he inquired after several minutes of silence between them. Usually, he would pull out his journal and jot down all of the information he found noteworthy, or work on his theories about the science behind the G.E.C.K., but he supposed that he'd take a break tonight; it could get wet and ruin everything, and he just in general didn't feel quite like it.

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Basil was quiet for a moment. He then said, "If you're stronger than me, in more ways than one, then consider how you could become incapacitated from radiation sickness. We're miles from any friendly settlement. There are raiders and wildlife surrounding us. How could I possibly depend on myself to survive without you there with me, protecting me, advising me?" He glanced at the patchwork ceiling, shivering in the cold and watching as the fog thickened and the lightning strengthened. This was one of the worse storms. It could persist for days. They could be stuck here for even longer. He moved closer to Jace, unscrewing the cap to the bottle of Rad-X. In a more serious tone, he said, "If you're not taking it, I'm not either. That's final. We'll die together." He shook out two pills and passed them to Jace.

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Basil narrowed his eyes, scowling slightly. "Rad-X will barely even protect us in this storm, and it certainly won't purge you of the radiation already in your body." He leaned forward slightly, gently placing his hand on Jace's forehead. He nodded, then added, "And as I expected, a fever is beginning to set in already. You need this, probably more than me. Please, Jace, take this--I won't be able to even sleep through the night knowing that you're completely exposed to the elements, so consider it a favor for my sake, okay?"

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Basil fervently shook his head, and protested, "No, you need it just as much as me." He accepted the bag, however, and examined it as if to ensure that it was truly Rad-Away; after being scammed once before, he was always cautious. "We'll half it. Now get into warmer clothes, while I prepare it. And we should also take some Rad-X for the night." Seemingly satisfied, he began to search through his bag, where most of the medical things were kept, for two syringes and the bottle of Rad-X before the adverse effects of potential radiation poisoning could worsen.

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Noticing Jace's wide-eyed expression, he said, "You don't have to try and be so tough, you know. It's normal to be scared of things you can't control." He glanced back at the approaching clouds, shaking his head. "I'm scared, too." As he spoke, the wind began to pick up speed and the rain only became heavier. That familiar metallic tang had begun to surface in his mouth, like it did when their water turned out to be too irradiated or if their food purifier broke down and they had to eat their meals as they were. It reminded him of when he got knocked in the mouth, and his gums began to bleed.
He hoped that they had purchased enough Rad-Away last time they were at a settlement; then again, they could have already wound up using all of it, considering that was almost two weeks ago. Their scavenging often made it difficult to remain stocked up on those sorts of supplies, and even though they did find items of value, money remained scarce to buy more with. Still, he felt that this was a night that they'd both require it, and at the moment, he could only hope that luck didn't completely hate them.

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

It had begun to rain an hour prior; the murky rain gathered in thick puddles of brown and green, churning up mud with each step that Basil and Jace took. Occasionally, reprieve would be found on a cracked patch of pavement. That did nothing to defend them from the cold, however, as the rain rapidly soaked through their clothes and burrowed deep into their bones. And of course, there were the added doses of radiation. Even after two hundred years, the rainwater had remained impure.
A bolt of lightning flashed through the sky. Green clouds could be seen creeping in from the near distance.
Basil, teeth chattering, mentioned quietly, "It'll be getting worse soon. Are there any known settlements near here?" He looked toward Jace hopefully.

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

As they hurried back down the hall, the Glowing One frantically pursued them. Howling, grappling, and occasionally stumbling, it thankfully wasn't too difficult for them to arrive back in the laboratory. Once Jace was in, Basil hastily activated the door switch and watched as the metal snapped closed. A few moments later, the ghoul began to bang its hands against it, snarling like a rabid attack dog--that had been doused in radiation for an undeterminable period of time, causing severe mutations.
Basil sighed in relief, but was admittedly disappointed that their plan had fallen through. "Let's just hope that he doesn't figure out how to activate the switch." Another thought then occurred to him. "Although he could accidentally press it. We should probably just go. It's not a good idea to fight him in an enclosed area such as this."

Atomic Rain (Fallout)

Basil smiled softly, a little amused at the thick drawl of Jace's Southern accent, and accepted his hand. He then worriedly pointed out, "You're hurt, though. You should come to my house; I have medical supplies there, and I won't charge you an arm and a leg like Thurston." He gently freed himself from the older boy's grasp and began to walk away, gesturing for him to follow. "It's the least I can do for you."
Clicking off the safety of his .45 Auto Pistol, Basil nodded in affirmation of Jace's orders. Readying himself, he clicked the button and the door slid open; immediately, one Roamer leapt from the left, and swiftly, without hesitation, a bullet pierced through its head. Bits of its soft, decayed skull splattered onto the walls and it slumped onto the filthy floor, limbs splayed in a pitiful stance of defeat. He heard the vicious snarl of the other ghoul, and eyes widening upon noticing the glowing light that illuminated the room, familiar like the text of those terminals, he swiftly aimed for the Glowing One, backing away in the event that Jace would rather them flee--Glowing Ones were a hassle, a threat to not be casually dismissed, but they had defeated them before without problems. However, they were in a tight space; if it were to unleash its radiation, it could be lethal.