Chapter 101 - 101

Words : 1246 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Salvatore had just finished smoking his cigarette while he took a breather. He unwrapped his hand that had been shot and poured some of the irradiated water from his canteen onto the wound. It began to very slowly heal up. Being a ghoul certainly had its perks, it was nice that fucking water of all things could heal wounds. It couldn't hold a candle to a stimpack, but when he had downtime like this, a little dip into radiation always did the trick. Still the kid had been gone for a good while. Though, since he had been talking about coming here for a while he probably needed the time to read through all the information he found. Not sure what he'd find, but it had to be worth something, after all, the kid paid him 2000 caps to buy him out. Normally a trip like this would have cost him like 150 caps, then maybe an additional 100 to get to Midway, all the other trips? He would have racked up a few hundred cap bill by now, certainly not a 2000 cap one though. Though the kid seemed determined to get his money's worth. Not his problem though, he enjoyed this line of work. Putting himself in danger made him feel alive, something he doesn't feel that often anymore since he had been living for so long. Things can get so droll after two centuries of life. The kid was an odd one for sure though, punk straight out of a vault, hell, straight out of the old world. When he first met him he was about as clueless as a child, now, he seemed to be getting close to a hardened wasteland warrior. Kid learned fast, thanks in no small part to himself. Salvatore continued to sit as he watched Buddy slowly walk by continuing his never ending patrol. There was no reason for it, of course, they killed everyone in this tower. But if it made the kid happy, who was he to say otherwise? He hated to admit it but he had grown to like him, Adam was not that bad of a guy, his heart was in the right place. Too soft for his liking but maybe that's why he enjoyed his company, he wasn't an old salt like himself, he still had that glimmer of hope in his eyes. Maybe that was his job as bodyguard and an old man? To help Adam keep that spark of hope and life he has. It's a goal to set as his… friend… not that he would ever admit to being friends with him, but it was nice that he was a friend. Salvatore spent a bit longer just relaxing, taking it easy before he began to get curious. As one would. Adam had been in that big office for a while now, he hadn't heard a single peep from him since he went in there. Of course he could simply be busy reading, which was the most likely scenario, but his paranoid ass couldn't sit still. He had lost clients before because he got careless, he wouldn't do that again. Better overprotective than under protective. Especially when it was about someone he liked. So, after finishing his second cigarette, he stood up, stretched, grabbed his rifle off the ground and walked past Buddy towards the office where Adam disappeared into. Adam was strangely not sitting at the computer when he got inside. The computer looked to be on, the back of the computer had that blue ring of light showing it was indeed on, but the kid was not on the chair, nor was he standing up and around. It was like he had disappeared. Salvatore got nervous. Did the kid get snatched somehow? Did he fall out the window? How did he disappear like that? He wasn't the kind to play tricks on him. Salvatore moved quicker and more cautiously now towards the window behind the desk overlooking the city. He wasn't sure what to look for but making sure Adam was okay was his priority. He walked past the desk and over to the window, no signs he had jumped. His body was not on the street below or the decorative window balcony a few floors down. Besides, the window was not open enough for him to have jumped or been grabbed through. He would have had to partly close it on his way out. A lot of effort for someone who was suicidal, which the kid wasnt. An adrenaline junkie, maybe, but not a man with a death wish. Which still left him with the question of where Adam went. He whipped around and looked around the room for a moment, scanning the walls for hidden doors, or elevators or something. He was still not yet in panic mode, but until he could ensure Adam was okay he couldn't relax yet. Then he looked down, near his feet, curled up on himself, sitting on his butt and hugging his legs was Adam, sitting underneath the desk. Salvatore gave him a strange look, unsure why he was acting so strange, he wasn't cowardly, so why was he acting like a deathclaw had just nearly spotted him. Then he heard it, his breathing. Adam's breathing was rapid, irregular, and heavy. "Kid?' He asked as he knelt down beside him and put his hand on the kid's back. Adam didn't budge an inch, he didn't react, nor did he even seem to notice Salvatore's presence at all. It was like he was lost in his own world. Salvatore had no idea what was going on. It was either some strange attack by a Psyker who had stumbled into the room with a grudge against Adam or the kid was… having a panic attack. He understood now. He did not know why or how, but Adam was indeed having a panic attack. He had never experienced one himself but he had seen others go through it. It was never a pleasant sight to see. And the worst part of it all was that there was practically nothing he could do to help Adam, he had to come out of this himself. The best thing he could do for him now was to sit by his side and be here for him, so that when he comes out of it he would see a friendly face beside him. Even if that face was a little ghoulish. Salvatore let off a soft exhale and then took a seat on the ground, pushing the desk chair away and simply waited for Adam to come out of his panicked state. He was not a very tender man, Claire could tell you that, but he still cared about the people he liked. So unsure what else to do he gently patted Adam's back with his gloved hand, letting him know that he was not alone right now, and reminding him that there was indeed a world outside his mind. Some time passed, minutes probably, but it felt longer because Salvatore had to watch his friend suffer before Adam slowly began to lift his head, still wide eyed and looking a bit broken. "Salvatore?" The kid said slowly as he looked at him confused, concerned, and deeply uncertain. "Hey kid." Salvatore returned softly and warmly. "You okay?"

Chapter 101 - 101

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