Walking through the city, Rorry looked back to see Randy cowering, he fiddled with his hands as he looked around.

The once familiar streets now nothing but faded memories.

And this went on for the rest of the day, night began to fall, but it didn’t look or feel like it as a strange haze began to make the buildings seemingly move.

A trick of the eyes.

Looking at her wrist, Rorry gritted her teeth.

Radiation levels, 1267/1000 seek immediate assistance.

No wonder she felt so sick, her skin felt clammy, and she wanted to vomit.

It didn’t matter though, she needed to get him and…

Turning around, he was gone.

Her chest began to sink as it felt cold, grabbing her blaster, she began to run the streets.

“Randy! Randy! Where did you go?!” She never should have let him come! That stupid robot!

Running around the corner, she saw a bright yellow suit in an otherwise gray town, in front of a store, he smiled and pointed.

“Look! We used to go shopping here!” Grinning, he looked so happy.

But she couldn’t focus on his face, or him, only the glowing eyes from the store.

Rule one of exploring, never go into grocers, they always have mutants.

Bursting through the wall, large mutated creatures howled, saliva dripping from them, they had no fur, just skin, like creepy skin babies, but also rats.

She couldn’t describe it, she could only shoot it, aiming her blaster, she burned through their heads, blasting them into bits of decay.

One escaping her blast, lunged at her, biting into her arm as she took her blaster and pressed it against its head, shooting it off.

Gasping for air, dark green blood dripped down her clothes, and red blood fell from her, her vision was dizzy.

Gripping her arm, she swallowed the scream she wanted to let out.

“Rule one of traveling with me, don’t run off!” Hounding Randy, he froze as he watched her bleed, and began to panic.

“We need to find a medic bot! I can send out an—“ He began to say, when she snapped at him.

“Those don’t exist, Randy! Look at this place! What medic bot would respond?! Everything is dead!” Yelling, her vision began to fade.

Feeling horrid, her knees buckled beneath her, and with a loud thud, her chest slammed to the ground.

“Dead….ha…..I guess I will be too…..” Laughing to herself, she could only imagine what diseases that mutant gave her, and the radiation and……im a goner…..

Her head throbbed along with her arm, as she could hear these muffled whines.

“Please get up! I don’t want to be alone here! Please! I’ll give up on the idea of cleaning you! I won’t run off! Please Miss! Don’t—“

And before she knew it, an unconscious slumber took her, not how she thought she’d die, still it wasn’t horrible, dying in her sleep after saving a silly robot….

Hearing the trickle of water, Rorry felt numb, to be more precise, she couldn’t move, a high fever ate at her consciousness.

Her eyes opened for just a moment as someone closed them.

“You need more rest, don’t wake up yet, we’re almost there…..”

There….where were we going…? There’s nowhere to go…..

Fading back out, her next time waking up was on a table, fashioned to be a medical table, but it was just a normal table with sheets over it.

Groaning, she rolled over and tried to move her hand to find it gone…

The arm where she had been bitten had been removed, but she could swear it was still there, she felt it there.

Lying back, her head pressed against the hardwood beneath the sheet as an empty look filled her face.

It would have been better if I died…..Dangit….

Fighting tears, it was cheaper to just die, she couldn’t afford to pay off whatever punk saved her, and any hope of a prosthetic was nickels away.

The door opened, and Rorry looked over to see Randy walk in, his circuits lighting up when he saw her.

“You’re awake! I was totally buggin' out when you passed out!” Walking over, he set a tub of water by the side of the table and a cloth before walking up to her.

“How are you feeling?!” Randy asked.

“Just kill me……” Rorry mumbled, sitting up on the table, slowly setting her legs over the ledge as she gripped her arm.

“Why would I-“ Randy tried to say, interrupted by her harsh words.

“I don’t have any money! Whoever helped me wants something in return! And without my arm, I’m useless! I’m better off dead!” Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as they shone.

“You’ll be fine.” A stern voice said, and there Rorry saw a man, scraggly and rough, who was wearing a mucky lab coat.

“I ain’t charging you, not everybody is like those pigs in Cogden.” He said.

“Oh, Doctor Pence, thank you for helping.” Randy said, and the doc turned to Rorry.

“Man….I hate seeing kids like you out here, you've got no business this far in the Rad zone.” He said, and Rorry snapped back.

“I’m not a kid! And shut up! I have every right to be out here!!” A mix of hate, shame, and anger flared as she wanted to cry, sob from the pain and mental anguish, knowing that if she went back with one arm, they’d kick her to the curb.

She always worked harder than most so that the Riots, a group of parters would leave her be.

Now who knows what they’ll do with her…..

“Save your tears, it’s a waste of water.” The doctor said, walking out the door and closing it behind him.

But she couldn’t do that, tears ran down her mud-stained face, leaving marks as they went, and soon a warm cloth pressed against her cheek, wiping the grime away.

“Don’t cry Sunshine, I know everything might not be fine and dandy, but it will work out.” Randy said, softly cleaning her face as more tears spilled.

“I-it’s not dandy…not at all Randy…if I go back now I’ll be killed…or even worse I—“ Sobbing, she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling.

A wet and warm cloth covered her eyes as Randy carefully wiped her face, rubbing her eyelids with his thumb and the cloth, his gloves sitting on the counter as warm water ran down his sleeve.

It was awkward and uncomfortable, he wasn’t sure what to do. “Do you like magic? I can do magic tricks!”

Hearing his words, Rorry couldn’t help but giggle, a sorrowful one, but a laugh nonetheless. “I’m not a child…”

“I’m aware, scans tell me you’re almost two decades, but listen here sunshine, any age can enjoy magic!” Proudly, he grins, moving the cloth away to see her reddened eyes.

“Now let’s get you clean and prettied up.” Randy says.

“I’d prefer to look grimy, keeps unwanted scum away.” Rorry softly said, moving his hand and the cloth away.

His eyes load, before he tilts his head.

“Whatcha mean?”

“You know….if I look too girly and clean I’ll be dragged away….” Rubbing her shoulder above her arm…well, lack of arm she sighed.

She didn’t want to attract attention and end up like her mother…

“Why would you be dragged away? Do the citizens here not like cleanliness? Are they freaky deaky?” He couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t want to be clean.

Rubbing the cloth behind her ear and then down her neck, she tilts her chin up.

“Aren't you all sunshine and rainbows....what I’m saying is young girls are hard to find, I don’t want to be dragged into an alley and played with like some doll.” Closing her eyes, she felt the cloth stop for a moment.

“Such actions are illegal, and as such, the police would protect you.” He sounded like he was reading that right out of a book.

Scoffing, Rorry laughed. “Does it look like we have cops around here? I mean, look at this place.”

“Yes, I suppose….It's not the sunniest.”