Phase III
Dr. McCoy had said there was no point to further bed rest, between the chems she'd been given before Milliways and his own treatments. So long as she was extremely careful about her physical activities- which his tone implied was unlikely- she was free to go. So Ellen had gotten up, grabbed her walker- more for show than anything else- and headed for the washroom. No sense being smelly when she went back into the Bar proper, right? She'd only remembered halfway through her shower that she didn't have actual clothes at the moment, just the Brotherhood shirt and shorts. As soon as she was dry she threw them on, intending to stump out of the washroom and send Dogmeat to the Bar for clothes. Just her luck that the door opened onto a different infirmary altogether.
She'd been in a lot of awful situations in her life so far, but coming face to face with Elder Lyons while she was wearing nothing but a set of borrowed skivvies was a very special kind of awful. She scarcely heard the infirmary's Mr. Gutsy reading off her medical results, the pounding of her pulse in her ears was that loud. If she could have melted through the floor, she would have. Alas, it was not to be.
Thankfully the robot finished its piece and Lyons dismissed it with a wave of one hand. Even more thankfully, the Elder immediately held out a dark green jumpsuit to her. "My apologies for the surprise arrival," he said. "I fear Sawbones has little interest in propriety, and failed to warn me of your situation. Here, put this on. I'll wait until you're ready."
Oh, God, she'd look like some kind of demented Christmas decoration, one crimson circle of a face at the top of all the green... Ellen nodded anyway and hobbled over to the washroom as quickly as she could. It did not have the grace to open onto Milliways again, alas. When she finished Lyons was still there. She gulped and mumbled something; he merely smiled behind his beard. "No fear," he said. "I can forget the past five minutes if you can."
"Yes, sir."
"Very good," he said, and then sobered. "Miss Park... I wanted to speak to you for several reasons. Sawbones has been under orders to fetch me immediately as soon as either you or Sarah awoke."
"Sarah?" said Ellen, blinking. "She- where is she? What happened?"
"I fear she was caught by the same radiation pulse at the purifier as yourself- you do remember that, don't you?"
Ellen ran one hand over the uneven grey stubble on her scalp, nodded.
"Then you should know that your mutant companion rescued the both of you," said Lyons. "Forced his way into the control chamber and carried you out slung over his shoulder, and then my daughter. You owe your survival to him and to the chems he had the presence of mind to take from Colonel Autumn's corpse and administer on the spot."
She exhaled, shoulders sagging. "I'd wondered...."
"I don't believe any human known, other than perhaps Autumn himself, has absorbed that much radiation at once and lived," said Lyons. "It should come as no surprise that you've been unconscious for two weeks since that event- you and Sarah both."
No wonder she'd been so unsteady when she woke that first day. Two weeks in a coma? It was a miracle she'd been able to walk at all.
"The purifier is in our hands now, and operational," Lyons said. "The Pride made sure of that. As did Doctor Li, before she left."
Ellen had very little love for Madison Li, and so did not ask where she'd gone. Instead she said, "The Enclave? Did we wipe them out completely?"
"Alas, no," said Lyons. "The attack at Project Purity devastated their forces, but they remain scattered through the region. Our analysis of their movements indicates some portion of their leadership survives even now. If the Wasteland is to continue the recovery begun at Project Purity, the remnants of the Enclave must be swept away... which is where you come in."
She blinked. "Um," she said. "I- how?"
Lyons smiled, though there was still a sadness to his eyes. "My daughter- our best field commander- is still unconscious. Other soldiers were wounded or lost in the battle for the purifier. We need every able-bodied soldier we can get, if the Enclave is to be put down once and for all. In light of the circumstances, I'm opting to circumvent our usual recruitment procedures, and- should you accept it- making you a Knight of the Brotherhood of Steel."
Ellen's mouth opened, but no sound came out, save perhaps a squeak too high-pitched for anyone but Dogmeat to hear. When she gained control of her voice again she said, "Sir, I- what would- what do I have to do?"
"Recover, for one thing," said Lyons. "As swiftly as possible, and by any means possible. Sawbones informs me that his medical scanners indicate you're in possession of a second spleen, to which he attributes your exceptionally rapid recovery. Star Paladin Cross has testified to your... hm... resilience in the field." His tone was exceptionally dry as he added, "I see no reason not to allow Sawbones' diagnosis to become public knowledge, but in the event that you have other resources at your disposal... consider yourself under orders to use them. All. As often and as thoroughly as possible."
Ellen managed a smile, and something of a salute, which Lyons returned in kind.
She'd been in a lot of awful situations in her life so far, but coming face to face with Elder Lyons while she was wearing nothing but a set of borrowed skivvies was a very special kind of awful. She scarcely heard the infirmary's Mr. Gutsy reading off her medical results, the pounding of her pulse in her ears was that loud. If she could have melted through the floor, she would have. Alas, it was not to be.
Thankfully the robot finished its piece and Lyons dismissed it with a wave of one hand. Even more thankfully, the Elder immediately held out a dark green jumpsuit to her. "My apologies for the surprise arrival," he said. "I fear Sawbones has little interest in propriety, and failed to warn me of your situation. Here, put this on. I'll wait until you're ready."
Oh, God, she'd look like some kind of demented Christmas decoration, one crimson circle of a face at the top of all the green... Ellen nodded anyway and hobbled over to the washroom as quickly as she could. It did not have the grace to open onto Milliways again, alas. When she finished Lyons was still there. She gulped and mumbled something; he merely smiled behind his beard. "No fear," he said. "I can forget the past five minutes if you can."
"Yes, sir."
"Very good," he said, and then sobered. "Miss Park... I wanted to speak to you for several reasons. Sawbones has been under orders to fetch me immediately as soon as either you or Sarah awoke."
"Sarah?" said Ellen, blinking. "She- where is she? What happened?"
"I fear she was caught by the same radiation pulse at the purifier as yourself- you do remember that, don't you?"
Ellen ran one hand over the uneven grey stubble on her scalp, nodded.
"Then you should know that your mutant companion rescued the both of you," said Lyons. "Forced his way into the control chamber and carried you out slung over his shoulder, and then my daughter. You owe your survival to him and to the chems he had the presence of mind to take from Colonel Autumn's corpse and administer on the spot."
She exhaled, shoulders sagging. "I'd wondered...."
"I don't believe any human known, other than perhaps Autumn himself, has absorbed that much radiation at once and lived," said Lyons. "It should come as no surprise that you've been unconscious for two weeks since that event- you and Sarah both."
No wonder she'd been so unsteady when she woke that first day. Two weeks in a coma? It was a miracle she'd been able to walk at all.
"The purifier is in our hands now, and operational," Lyons said. "The Pride made sure of that. As did Doctor Li, before she left."
Ellen had very little love for Madison Li, and so did not ask where she'd gone. Instead she said, "The Enclave? Did we wipe them out completely?"
"Alas, no," said Lyons. "The attack at Project Purity devastated their forces, but they remain scattered through the region. Our analysis of their movements indicates some portion of their leadership survives even now. If the Wasteland is to continue the recovery begun at Project Purity, the remnants of the Enclave must be swept away... which is where you come in."
She blinked. "Um," she said. "I- how?"
Lyons smiled, though there was still a sadness to his eyes. "My daughter- our best field commander- is still unconscious. Other soldiers were wounded or lost in the battle for the purifier. We need every able-bodied soldier we can get, if the Enclave is to be put down once and for all. In light of the circumstances, I'm opting to circumvent our usual recruitment procedures, and- should you accept it- making you a Knight of the Brotherhood of Steel."
Ellen's mouth opened, but no sound came out, save perhaps a squeak too high-pitched for anyone but Dogmeat to hear. When she gained control of her voice again she said, "Sir, I- what would- what do I have to do?"
"Recover, for one thing," said Lyons. "As swiftly as possible, and by any means possible. Sawbones informs me that his medical scanners indicate you're in possession of a second spleen, to which he attributes your exceptionally rapid recovery. Star Paladin Cross has testified to your... hm... resilience in the field." His tone was exceptionally dry as he added, "I see no reason not to allow Sawbones' diagnosis to become public knowledge, but in the event that you have other resources at your disposal... consider yourself under orders to use them. All. As often and as thoroughly as possible."
Ellen managed a smile, and something of a salute, which Lyons returned in kind.