Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-25828117-20151213185955/@comment-5543592-20151213203959

The sun peaked over the hill as music from Tanner's Pip-boy erupted.

"Motherfucker..." A voice behind Tanner rasped, and the young man turned around to stare at the masked ghoul, covering the eye of his balaclava. The boy had taken point, and was whistling to himself, when his companion had cursed. Tanner just acted igorant of the ghoul's plight. He did that often, and found it was easier to not give the man the time of day. If one ignored him, he did get grumpy, but he just went off mumbling to himself, and didn't yell at Tanner.

"Tanner, for God's sake, turn that shit off."

Tanner glanced down at the Pip-boy, uncertain.

"Boy, I didn't give you that thing so that you could irritate the fuck out of me with old-timey music."

"Boss,"  Tanner protested, annoyed, but respectful. "We wouldn't have this problem if you'd allow me to talk."

"You know that your voice aggravates me." The ghoul replied. "Just put the ear-things in,"

"Headphones."

"Yeah, those, and listen to it that way.  I'll watch the road, you just whistle."

Tanner looked back and gave the ghoul a friendly smile. Inside his hood, the side of the Boss' mouth twitched infrationally. One reason he'd taken Tanner on was the fact that the boy was so uncorrupted. He didn't know what happened to men out here, what it turned them into. It lifted his own spirits just a bit. A bit.

Tanner plugged in his headphones to the pipboy and then set them in his ears. As they walked, with Tanner still at front, the boy whistled, and even shuffled a bit as if he wanted to dance.

The ghoul sighed. You give that kid an inch and he'd take a mile. Pale-ass-smoothskin.

He pulled his rifle from his back and watched their surroundings for signs of danger, settling in, and banishing his unjustified anger towards Tanner, just when the boy started coughing.

The ghoul glanced forward at Tanner, cautious, and the young man started coughing harder, before coming to a full stop, and leaning over his knees, taking heaving hacks.

The Boss dropped his rifle and rushed over to Tanner, supporting the Knight, as flecks of blood were spat down from his mouth onto the ground.

"Easy, kid, let it out." The ghoul consoled in an even tone.

Tanner took a few more wheezes, straightening out, and pushed himself away from his boss. The ghoul stepped forward again, but Tanner waved him away.

"You going to be alright?"

Tanner just nodded, throat sore and not wanting to talk after another episode, and he carried on down the road, whistling and shuffling, like nothing had happened.

The ghoul watched him with concern for a moment before picking up his rifle and following in Tanner's footsteps.

They were in the Empire Wasteland, at the site of the last World's Fair for one reason.

Tanner was dying.

And this place had the cure.