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It was another quiet day in Vault 101.
James had long grown used to days that were filled with nothing other than routine check ups and scheduled therapy sessions which wasn’t his forte but he did his best. Back in the early years, however, the monotonous days used to make his skin itch and he’d been quick to look over his shoulder or at the metal door of his office obsessively.
Going from killing Super Mutants, taking apart fusion technology under heavy gunfire and performing daily radiation tests in the Capital Wasteland to administering aspirin for headaches because the lights were too bright would do that to a fella.
So while Jonas was busy balancing a pencil between his nose and upper lip James counted down the minutes to when he could sneak back into the Overseer’s office to poke through his files again.
He had 654 minutes to go.
Thankfully the main door to his office opened and he perked up at the momentary interruption to his day. Unfortunately, it was his teenage daughter who limped in with her best friend Amata helping her to one of the medical beds.
“Daddy!” she beamed at him, bruised cheek and split lip be damned. “Guess what? I did a push up!”
Amata snorted. “You fell down the last step of the second floor stairs.”
“But I had to use my arms to push myself back up so… you know, close enough.”
“Getting your steps in, ay kiddo?” Jonas chuckled as he opened up a well worn medkit and examined their patient. James lifted a brow at his daughter who always put on a brave face whenever she came in with one variety of injury or another. His girl was a magnet for trouble which usually involved a member of the Tunnel Snakes or her own situational obliviousness. Luckily the other teenage girl hovering at her side, the Overseer’s daughter of all people, usually managed to haul her out of whatever situation she had put herself in and into the Medical Bay.
“Sweetheart, you need to be more careful,” James scolded but couldn’t resist rubbing a reassuring hand over the girl’s head. She rolled her eyes but he didn’t miss the way she leaned into his touch.
“We were running late for class. You know how Mr. Brotch is if we’re even a second late.”
“Yes so now that you’re…” he consulted his Pip-Boy. “10 minutes late is somehow better?”
Both girls swore then shot sheepish grins at the adults who looked equally unimpressed.
“Welp, other than giving you an ointment for that lip and a compress for your cheek and knee you seem to be in working order.” Jonas grinned. “Lucky for you the damage is only temporary. I’d stay away from overly salty foods though.”
James' daughter grabbed both compresses then pressed a slightly bloody kiss to Jonas’ cheek. “Thanks, J! Bye Dad!” Like a well oiled machine Amata slung her arm around the girl’s waist to offer some relief for her friend’s bruised knee then they both left, already chattering about missing most of their last class.
“Well, that was an interesting way to end the day!” Jonas said good naturedly as he wiped the blood from his cheek. “Gonna need to wrap that girl up in bubble wrap, Doc, considering all those stairs we have”
“Believe me, Jonas, if all she has to worry about is tripping on some stairs for the rest of her life then I’ll be a happy man.”
Jonas glanced up at his mentor. “Hmmm. Amen to that.”