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Prompt: Worse than Death
The first thing Lucy saw when she opened her eyes was a piece of wood, splintered at one end. She blinked, struggling to remember why, exactly, she might be staring at a piece of wood, but came up empty. She blinked again, trying to turn her head, but just that movement sent an iron spike of pain through her temple that made her go completely still, a whine like the dog escaping her throat. She took a deep breath, hoping that might help her think straight, but there was something on her chest, pressing down, making it hard to do anything more than take in just enough air, and even that hurt. Her head hurt. Her chest. Her back. Her lower back, specifically. She tried to move her legs and they wiggled a little, but they were pinned in place, one higher than the other. Where was she?
She tried her arms next. One moved. The other was pinned so firmly in place she could barely do more than wiggle her fingers.
“Cooper?” she called, sure that he would be nearby. They must have been together…but…where? “Cooper?” she called again, a little louder, and just that noise hurt her head so badly that a tear ran down her cheek. She was trapped. Something had fallen on her and she was trapped and she couldn’t breathe! Suddenly her throat seemed to close up and her chest was too tight and she screamed, starting to thrash, desperate to free herself…
And then the world went black.
Lucy didn’t dream. One second, she was panicking, the next, she was opening her eyes again, head spinning, eyes struggling to focus on that piece of wood again. There was a noise…a soft pattering, and something on her face. Something wet. She blinked. Tried to turn her head and whined when that hurt.
“Cooper?” she asked, too weak to make it anything but a soft cry. “Cooper? Hello?”
They’d been…taking shelter? Going somewhere…she didn’t remember, but she remembered a ramshackle building and lying together on a couch, his arms around her, the dog at their feet. She remembered a rumbling sound…shaking. Him walking through the door. Breakfast. A staircase…
No…that was the wrong order.
“I’ll be right back, Vaultie.” Lips pressed to the tip of her nose after a long night together. They'd been lucky to find this place...a place with a real couch. Even the dog had flopped down for a nap the night before, tail thumping on the floor. They'd slept until the sun had started to come in through the window, and the volatile weather
“Don’t we have to go?”
“We’ve got time for breakfast. I’ll go rustle us up something before it starts raining.”
Rain was still strange to her. She liked standing at the entrance to whatever shelter they could find and watch it. And she wondered if they’d ever have a place of their own…if one clue would ever stop leading to another and instead lead to his daughter. If that would, in turn, lead to a home. A place that was just theirs.
Then the shaking, like the whole world was falling apart. But why? She hadn’t understood then and she didn’t understand now. Bombs, she’d thought…she remembered falling. Remembered the stairs, sure she should take shelter. Remembered being afraid that Cooper would be hurt.
The dog had run for the front door no matter how Lucy had screamed for her to come back.
When Cooper’s voice came, it was muffled and far away, but she’d know it anywhere. “Lucy? Lucy!”
“Cooper!” She couldn’t scream it…didn’t have the strength. She was cold and water was dripping on her face, constant and maddening.
There was silence for a moment, and she was sure he hadn’t heard her. That she was going to suffocate down here. That she’d never get out. That he would leave her.
“Cooper, please,” she sobbed, trying again to move her arm. “Please, please…”
“Lucy!” he called again, closer this time. “Fuck! Lucy…hold on…hold on, sweetheart.”
“Can you hear me?”
“I can hear you. I’ll get you old. Hold on. Let me get closer…hold on…”
For a long time, she didn’t hear anything…just the patter of what she realized was rain and her own labored breathing. Then something shifted above her and she closed her eyes tight, sure something else was about to fall on her. Sure this had to be it…she closed her eyes…
“Lucy? Lucy!” Her name, she realized, again and again. "Lucy!"
She blinked, staring at the piece of wood in front of her face. “Hm?”
“Lucy! Can you hear me?”
“Cooper?” she asked, trying to take in a full breath and only sort of managing. “Cooper?”
“I’m here. I’m close. Hang on…Lucy, talk to me, okay? Can you move?”
“No,” she whimpered, trying to keep her eyes from closing again.
“Are you hurt?”
Rain dripped down her cheek, a steady drip, drip, drip that would have driven her insane if she hadn’t been too exhausted to care. “Cooper?”
“I’m almost there. I’ve got to dig through all this shit…but I’m close, okay? Are you hurt?”
“What happened?”
“Earthquake. Lucy, are you hurt?”
“Yes.”
Silence. Then, “Okay, what hurts?”
She tried to think. “My head. And…I’m cold…”
“Okay. Can you move at all?”
“No,” she sobbed. “I can’t!”
“Okay. That’s alright. I’m close. Hold on…”
She tried to stay awake…he asked her something else but the next thing she knew, his hot hand on her cheek was tugging her out of sleep. She blinked at the wood in front of her face…it was still there, but Cooper was there too. “Are you sick?” she asked, words slurring together.
“What?” he asked, voice tight.
“Fever? You’re hot…”
“No, sweetheart…you’re cold. Are you bleeding?”
“I don’t know…”
“Okay…let me get this off of you. Tell me if anything hurts.” Every word was clipped…he was afraid. It hit her all at once. She’d never heard him so afraid.
“Cooper?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t be scared…”
“Okay,” he breathed, his hand appearing through a gap to touch her cheek again. “Okay, honey. I’m not scared. I’m getting you out. Hold on…” The thing on top of her shifted enough that her arm came free, and she pulled it back on instinct, resting it on her chest. Then it shifted again, and Cooper grunted. “Almost there…almost…”
Then the weight was gone and she gasped, suddenly able to breathe again. Her left arm was still trapped…her legs too, but she was almost dizzy with relief at the ability to breathe.
He dropped to his knees at her side then, one hand on her cheek, the other resting gently on her shoulder. “Okay…okay…we’re almost there. You’re almost out. Look at me, okay?”
She did, trying to focus on his blurry face.
He took her hand, fingers closing gently around hers. “Can you squeeze?”
She could.
“Good. Okay, let me get this too.”
She had no idea what he was talking about, but he usually had a reason for whatever it was he did, so she just let him, watching idly as he got back up and lifted something else, freeing one of her legs, then manipulated something else so her other leg was free, easing it down to the ground. He ran his hands up and down her legs…then froze.
“Lucy?”
“Hm?”
“Don’t sleep…I’m going to get you out of here, okay?”
“Where?” she muttered, struggling to keep her eyes from closing.
“You’re in the basement of that house, remember? There was an earthquake. The whole thing came down. Took me forever to get down here. But you’re okay.”
“Sorry…”
“Don’t be sorry, Luce.” He leaned over her to try and move something, but it didn’t budge.
“Went to basement…didn’t know…thought…”
His lips pressed to her forehead, hands holding her face again. “That’s okay. You didn’t know. It’s okay, sweetheart.”
“Dog?” she asked, breathing the word.
“She’s fine. Don’t worry. She got out. I’ll get you out too.”
“Okay…”
“Look at me. Please, honey…”
She did, forcing her eyes open because he sounded so afraid. “Don’t be scared.”
He gave her a smile that shook. “I’m not.”
“Love you.”
“I love you too. So goddamn much. We’re taking a vacation after this, you hear me?” He kissed her forehead again. “I’m going to lift this up, and I need you to try and pull your arm back, okay? Just like you did the other one. Can you do that?”
“Yeah…”
“Good. Count of three, okay? One. Two…” He lifted with a grunt, arms shaking, and she pulled her arm to her chest. It hurt…she was pretty sure something was broken. But it didn’t matter. It was this or die. Cooper dropped whatever it was with another grunt, letting out a breath and resting a hand on her shoulder. “Okay. I’m going to pick you up. I’ve got a stimpack. We’ll get you to a doctor.”
She tried and failed to remember where the closest settlement could be, closing her eyes as he eased an arm under her knees and another under her back.
“It might hurt…I’ll be as easy as I can.”
He was, pulling her into his arms and straightening, and she wanted to make a joke about him being her hero…about how strong he was, but something shifted and her back gave a flare of pain and she sobbed, dropping her face against his chest.
“I know. I’m sorry…just a minute. I’ll get us out…I’ll…”
Lucy screamed when they both dropped…his foot had gone through some wood but he didn’t drop her…didn’t move a muscle.
“Hold on. We’re okay…we’re alright.” He kept talking…was saying something as he carried them forward and then upward, never wavering. Never dropping her. She must have slept again, because the next thing she knew, he was lying her on the wet ground, then picking her up again and laying her on what she realized was his duster. “I have to get this out of you, okay? But I’ve got a Stimpack. That’s going to help.”
She had no idea what he was talking about, but she hummed in the affirmative anyway, wincing when something in her lower back hurt again, but she was so tired…
This time, Lucy dreamed. She dreamed about the dog barking and Cooper’s voice, soft and pleading.
“Come on, baby. Please…please Lucy…”
She tried to ask him what he needed…ask him what was going on. But her whole body was so heavy and she was so tired…all she wanted was sleep. So she slept in his arms and dreamed about his lips on her temple and every movement hurting and shaking from cold. She dreamed of sun on her face and rain and more sun...of opening her eyes and hearing his soft, wheezing breaths, arms tight around her. She dreamed of broth spooned into her mouth, lips on her temple.
"There you go. Try to eat a little, Luce."
She tried, swallowing chicken broth and trying to stay awake for long enough to ask if she was okay, but not managing.
The next thing she remembered was a voice...a different voice. Not his. "What happened to her?"
“She got trapped under a house in that earthquake. I gave her a Stimpack but her arm’s broken and she got stabbed with some fucking rebar…she’s not bleeding anymore but she’s got a fever.”
“We don’t have much…”
“Anything. Please. I can pay.”
“My mom won’t let a Ghoul in her house.”
“I’ll sleep on the goddamn porch just…please. Help her. Please.”
“There’s a shed out back.”
Lucy didn’t hear anymore…just felt someone lay her on a soft surface. Felt someone put something in her mouth and just barely had the strength to swallow the water that came after. Felt something sharp poke her in the thigh and someone manipulated her arm and wrap it up. She felt a hand on her forehead. Felt a soft hand cup her cheek.
“You’re alright, Luce. Those pills ought to help. The Stimpack too.” A familiar voice, soft and soothing.
“Cooper?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s me. We’re safe.”
“Okay…don’t worry…”
“I won’t,” he told her, a smile in his voice.
When Lucy woke again, she was lying in his arms, head on his chest which rose and fell steadily, telling her he was asleep. She flexed her fingers just to see if she could, and they all worked, but her left arm was wrapped up tight. She did the same with her legs, but when she started to shift off of him, her whole right side gave a horrible throb and she shuddered, resting her head on him once again, letting out a shaky breath.
He shifted, a hand resting on her back. “Easy, Luce,” he murmured, wrapping his other arm around her too.
“Where are we?”
“Some farm not too far from the house we were staying in.” He leaned his head down to rest his cheek against her forehead. “I think your fever went down. How do you feel?”
“Better, I think…how bad?”
“Pretty bad.” He kissed her hair. “Broken arm. Concussion. And you got impaled. You just about bled out before I could get to you. You were in and out the whole way here. But we got two Simpacks in you and some fever reducer, plus some pain pills. You hurting?”
She shook her head. “As long as I don’t move.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
She laughed, kissing his shoulder. “Thanks for getting me out.”
“Anytime. But if you’re ever in an earthquake again, head for a doorway, not the basement.”
She nodded, closing her eyes again. “Got it.”
Voices woke her some time later…voices and her growling stomach. She tried to roll over and froze, groaning when that hurt more, and a hand rested on her shoulder. “Stay still, hon. We just gave you another dose of those pain pills, but we don’t have many left.”
Lucy stared into the dark, trying to make out the woman standing over her. “What? Where am I?”
“You’re at my farm. Your ghoul’s talking to my mother.” She patted Lucy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. He’s fine.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting up and wincing when her whole body throbbed, ignoring the woman’s hand outstretched to try and keep her still.
“My mom isn’t happy about him being here, but she’s not going to kick you out.”
“Why wouldn’t she be happy? Didn’t he pay her?” She thought she might have dreamed that conversation, but she wasn’t sure.
“She’s just superstitious about ghouls. But she’s going to let you stay. I was going to bring you some breakfast. Are you hungry?”
Lucy swung her legs over the bed.
“Wait…you need to stay in bed.”
“I want to talk to them too.”
“I think your ghoul has it handled.”
She gritted her teeth. “His name is Cooper. And he isn’t my ghoul. He’s a person.” She pushed herself to her feet, staggering forward. The other woman jumped after her, grabbing her arm.
“Okay. I think Cooper has it handled.”
Lucy ignored her, pulling the door open.
Cooper was standing a few feet away, arms crossed, watching as a woman at least a full foot shorter than him pointed a finger at his face. “I’m not saying she’s got to go…”
He shook his head. “I ain’t leaving her. So if you’re asking us to go, we’ll go…”
“She can’t even walk!”
“I ain’t leaving her,” Cooper said again, vice hard, but at least he didn’t have his gun out, which was an improvement over how he usually argued with strangers.
“Mom, let it go. He’s not going to touch the chickens,” the woman beside her put in.
Cooper and the older woman both spun to face them, his eyes going wide when he saw Lucy leaning against the doorway. “Jesus, Lucy…” he muttered, hurrying to her side and getting an arm around her to support her. “What the hell are you doing up?”
“I heard you…wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Everything’s fine. And you ought to be in bed.”
She ignored him, turning to the older woman. “I’m Lucy. Thank you for letting us stay here.”
Their host grimaced but gave a short nod. “Of course…wouldn’t have been right to turn you away. Not with how bad off you were.”
“Well, we both appreciate it.”
Cooper sighed. “Come on. Let’s get you back to bed.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m Dee. This is my daughter Clara. We’ve got chickens.”
Lucy nodded, glancing at Cooper. “Oh…okay. Well…it’s nice to meet you. And we won’t bother your chickens.”
Dee grunted, giving Cooper another look.
“Why don’t I go get you both some breakfast?” Clara put in. “We’ve got eggs if that’s okay.”
Cooper nodded, trying to lead Lucy back inside. “We’d appreciate it. Come on, little killer. You should be laying down.”
“The ghoul’s right. You aren’t well enough to be walking around yet.”
She stiffened and Cooper let out a sigh. “His name is Cooper,” she told him, a little too sharply to be polite.
“Well, keep him away from my chickens,” she snapped back before turning and heading back towards the farm house in the distance.
“Come on Luce,” he muttered, stroking her arm.
“What is she talking about?” This time, she let him guide her back to the bed, supporting her as she sat with her back against the pillows.
“Seems like the fever’s gone…you feel up to eating?”
“I’m starving,” she admitted.
“How’s your head?”
“It’s okay.”
He shifted the blanket, pulling the shirt she was wearing up to get a look at the gauze wrapped around her lower abdomen. “I know that still hurts.”
Lucy nodded, more sore than she wanted to admit. “Where’s the dog?”
“They’ve got three kids on this farm. That dog is in heaven.”
She smiled, taking his hand. “How long have we been here?”
“Took me almost two days to get you here. We’ve been here for three. That stab wound was no joke. We’re lucky we had a Stimpack. Even with it, you weren’t doing too good for a while.”
“Sorry I scared you.”
Cooper shook his head, huffing to himself. “You kept telling me not to worry…not to be scared.”
“Well…I didn’t want you to be scared.”
He chuckled, leaning over to kiss her forehead. “I know. And I’m not. Not anymore. I think you’re gonna make it.”
“Me too…we can leave soon.”
Cooper shook his head. “Sweetheart, you’re grounded until further notice. You can’t even sit up on your own.”
“But I’ll be better tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I hope so. You still won’t be up for walking all day. Not for another week or so.”
“We can’t stay here for a week! They don’t want us here!”
“Clara’s mom doesn’t want me here,” he clarified. “Becuase she thinks I’m going to kill her chickens.”
Lucy blinked at him. “Why would she think that?”
“There’s an old story about ghouls…they say feral ones will attack chickens. Which is pretty fucking stupid becuase feral ghouls will attack anything.”
“But you’re not feral.”
“I don’t think she’s all there, sweetheart. But it’s fine. She mostly stays in the house anyway. And we’ve got plenty of blankets to stay warm out here. Food too. Perfect for you to convalesce.”
“Will you convalesce with me?”
“Sure.” Cooper climbed into bed, moving carefully so he didn’t jostle her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
“Love you,” she murmured, taking his hand and squeezing it.
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
“If she’s mean to you, I’m going to talk to her.”
He chuckled. “Alright.”
Clara came back with two plates of food, handing one to each of them, and almost as soon as Lucy finished eating, she was dozing off against his shoulder, only barely noticing when she came back and Cooper pulled her plate out of her hand to give it to her.
“Thanks.”
“Sure,” Clara assured him. “And don’t worry about my mom. She’s not going to make you leave.”
“I know…I don’t think she means any harm,” Cooper told her softly. “I won’t leave her, though, no matter what she says.”
“Yeah…I know. I think if you tried, she might just get up and come after you.”
Cooper chuckled. “Yeah…I think she would.”
“You said she got hurt in that earthquake?”
“Yeah…she’d never been in one before. Didn’t know what to do. I’d just gone out to get us some food.” Cooper sighed, rubbing her back, shifting down a little on the bed so she was curled up on her side, nearly horizontal, her cheek on his shoulder. “I about never got her out of that rubble. It’s a wonder she lived. Kept telling me not to worry.” His voice caught at the end, like he could barely get the words out.
“She loves you.”
Before, Cooper might have argued…might have dismissed her. Heck, Lucy thought, he might have been angry. Instead, she felt his lips on her temple. “She’s my whole goddamn world. I never would have made it this far without her.”
“Would have,” Lucy muttered, barely awake, and he laughed.
“Go to sleep, Vaultie.”
So she did.