The moans of the injured was worse than usual. Normally, there weren’t so many injured after an attack. Normally, the injured were brought into the city for Dr. Sun to treat. Normally, the injured raiders were either brought in for treatment, or outright killed, not left begging for the mercy of a bullet.

The fate of the raiders wasn’t Dr. Sun’s concern. He was focused on treating as many people as he could with the few resources that he had. It had been a long time since there was an attack this bad, but that’s what happens when the population of the Commonwealth grows, so does the number of raiders. He had heard rumors of raiders fighting other raiders in Nuka-World, but he didn’t care much to pay attention to rumors.

The doctor held a soldier’s wrist, counted the seconds as he waited for a response. Finally, he looked up at Danny Sullivan and shook his head. He stood up and moved away as the head of the guard had two members move the body away to make room for someone else to take the mat. What a waste of life.

He was moving to the next bed, hoping he could do something for the next soldier, when he saw Nick Valentine walking around. He was mostly indifferent to the local detective. He was a robot, so he didn’t need to worry Dr. Sun about his injuries, but he did come to the doctor for his expertise on occasion. Unlike most members of the city, at least Mr. Valentine tried to pronounce his name correctly.

The doctor knelt down to the next soldier and felt for a pulse. Sun saw Mr. Valentine moving around as he paid attention to the person in front of him, but was polite enough not to speak at that moment. There was movement under his fingers, this one had a chance. Dr. Sun pulled out a stimpak and injected it into the soldier.

The patient moved and groaned slightly. Dr. Sun felt his pulse again. The pulse was still too faint. If the patient woke up he would be in a lot of pain, but his blood pressure was too low for a med-x. He needed blood, but that was one resource the city didn’t have. He would have to hope for the best and return to the patient after checking on everyone else.

He stood up and found himself face to face with the famous synth. He didn’t have any problems with synths. Such a barbaric practice, discriminating against a group of people for something they can’t control. Of course, Dr. Sun knew he was two steps away from being ran out of town simply for his Chinese heritage. He was lucky the town needed a doctor. More so now that Dr. Crocker was no longer around to provide medical services.

“Where is she?” Mr. Valentine asked. His question sounded more cautious, or even scared, than aggressive. The only reason why Dr. Sun would give a response to such a question.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific,” Dr. Sun replied.

“Marian Halcombe, I was told she was injured. Where is she?”

“She is in the next area over,” Dr. Sun told him. “I am on my way there now; I will walk over with you.”

Mr. Valentine seemed appreciative of the company as he escorted the doctor to the next station. Dr. Sun knew he was safe, the uninjured and slightly injured members of the guard were all active and aware, but it was helpful to have someone who knew how to fight walk by his side.

The moans were worse as they walked past the bodies, both dead and dying. “Please, doctor, you have to help me,” one of the bodies started calling out.

Dr. Sun tried to ignore her. He was instructed not to help until all of the members of the guard were healed. Mr. Valentine put himself between the body and the doctor. Which made him appreciate the synth’s presence even more.

“You would think we were still in the stone age the way our mayor has us treating the injured raiders,” Dr. Sun sneered. “You’d think he’d at least show them enough kindness to kill them, instead of leaving them to die slowly and painfully.”

“Why won’t he let you heal them,” Mr. Valentine asked casually.

“Our resources are stretched. I normally have enough medicine for a typical attack. The type that leaves one or two new openings for entry to the guard, for anyone looking to move into the city but doesn’t have the money to do so. But this fight was worse than anything I have seen. I’m finding myself spending more time thinking of what I could use to help people than actually helping them.”

“I heard it was a bad one.”

“If there was ever a time, I wish Doctor Crocker was still alive,” Dr. Sun sighed. “It doesn’t matter. Our mayor personally put out an edict for me that I can only use medicine on Diamond City residents. So, I have to listen to ‘them’ until a new shipment arrives from Bunker Hill. Hopefully with Doctor Weathers to help as well.”

They turned the corner and entered the barracks area for the soldiers who were stationed outside the wall. Additional mats had been brought in for extra guards to have a place to lay as they waited to find out if they were going to live or die.

“She is over there,” Dr. Sun gestured towards Ms. Halcombe before he got to work on the member of the guard.

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He tried giving this man his undivided attention, as he did with all of his patients, but Mr. Valentine had his interest. He was careful not to make a mistake but watched the detective while he felt for the guard’s pulse.

Mr. Valentine went straight to Ms. Halcombe. He knelt down beside her before running his hand over her scalp. “Please forgive me,” Dr. Sun could hear him say.

The doctor knew he was witnessing an intimate moment. He knew he should turn his attention back to his patient, but he couldn’t help but be interested in what was happening before him. The problem was she wasn’t responding. Dr. Sun decided to break his meticulous routine and check on her next. The patient got a stimpak and a med-x, before he stood back up and made his way over to Ms. Halcombe.

Ms. Halcombe was perhaps his most infuriating patient on a normal day. More than once he had seen her try to hide her injuries from him as she scampered past his booth. He normally didn’t take offense to such things, but it seemed she was injured more often than she was healthy. The first time he approached her on her behavior, she spent more time apologizing than helping him understand the nature of her injuries, or the reason for her behavior.

It took him a long time to realize that she was ashamed of her inability to pay for his services. One day, he witnessed her with more injuries than anyone should be able to survive, let alone walk around with. That was the day he broke down and offered to help her for free. Even that was an ordeal, as she behaved more like he wanted to sell her into slavery, or some other nonsense, than genuinely help her. He was more than happy when she finally relinquished to him and let him assist in her recovery.

The next day, Ms. Perkins arrived at his booth and promised to pay for any services he could provide Ms. Halcombe. Radiation poisoning and injuries plagued the woman on a regular basis. At least she almost never arrived strung out or any other problems from just wanting pleasure. His payment always arrived in a timely manner as well, he just had to let Ms. Perkins know when she arrived the day after any meeting with Ms. Halcombe how much was owed to him. And yet, he still had to convince her to let him look at her each and every time.

He saw that she had gone unconscious since the last time he had taken a look at her. Her friend had also left, most likely to pay attention to his duties. Still, patients often did best when they had someone with them for emotional support. All the more reason why the patients should be brought into the city. He knelt down on the side opposite Mr. Valentine.

The detective was holding her hand, but looked straight at Dr. Sun. “Will she be alright, Doctor?” he asked clearly.

“It’s hard to tell,” Dr. Sun said honestly. “She has survived a lot; I’ll give her that. Unfortunately, I can’t do much more than make sure she’s comfortable since she isn’t a member of the guard. She’s not even officially a member of Diamond City.”

“She defended this place, and she’s not even worth some medicine?” Mr. Valentine ask with passion.

Dr. Sun stayed calm; this was one of many issues that was concerning him at that moment. “I understand your anger,” he told Mr. Valentine. “However, it’s not my call to make. The mayor himself informed me of this almost immediately after I started my rounds. It took everything I had to convince him to let me use med-x on her.”

He felt her pulse. It wasn’t as strong as he remembered it being the last time he checked on her. He couldn’t help but sigh.

“She might not even be needing that soon,” he said quietly.

He pulled out a syringe and gave her a dose of precious med-x to ease any pain she may be in. “If anyone needs a stimpak, or even a blood pack, it is her. I would love to give her more than just comfort, I…” Dr. Sun went quiet as he watched Mr. Valentine raise her hand to his mouth and kiss it. The intimacy that he was showing her unconscious form made Dr. Sun feel like a voyeur more than a professional.

“What is going on here?” a boisterous voice shouted.

Dr. Sun cringed at the mayor’s voice. “Mr. Valentine wanted to check on his friend, so I was letting him know about her status, that is all.”

“Why is she taking up a bed?”

Dr. Sun stood up to face Mayor McDonough. “You had said that she was allowed, since she did help save our city,”

“That was before I realized how many guards were injured. She will have to go to make room for a member of our city. We have no room for vagabonds.”

“She is dying! At least have the decency to let her die in comfort on a bed. It will be open soon enough.”

“While she dies in comfort, a member of our guard who has dedicated his life to protecting our fair city is laying on the street in discomfort. If you want her to die in comfort, then you can give her enough med-x to ensure that.”

“You cannot be suggesting-”

“What if she came back to my place,” Mr. Valentine interrupted. “She can stay with me until…”

Dr. Sun turned to see Mr. Valentine standing, but he was looking down at her. Dr. Sun had seen the look on his face too many times. It was the look a man has when he knows he is about to bury a loved one.

“You cannot be suggesting-“ Mayor McDonough started.

“I see no problem with that,” Dr. Sun interrupted turning back on him. “It will open up the bed.”

The mayor looked between the two men who were ganging up on him. “Fine, do what you want. You will have to dispose of the corpse yourself though.” With that, he turned and left the area. Most likely to micromanage another part of the cleanup detail.

“Thank you,” Mr. Valentine said as Dr. Sun returned his attentions to the synth.

“I am sorry that you had to get involved,” Dr. Sun apologized. “Before you do leave with her, “he reached into his pocket and pulled out five syringes. He gave them all to Mr. Valentine. “One every two hours will help keep her comfortable. If she is in a lot of pain, you can give her one every hour. If you give her all five within half an hour, she won’t feel any more pain.”

Dr. Sun knew he was breaking ever code of ethics by telling the last part to Mr. Valentine. He knew his job was to help people, not kill them. But after everything he saw, he suspected that Mr. Valentine wasn’t going to do such a thing unless there was truly no other option.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Mr. Valentine said as he took the five syringes. “If I need more?”

“I will visit before I turn in for the day,” he promised. “If I have any left, I will bring them to you.”

“I hope I will,” Mr. Valentine said.

He leaned down and carefully scooped up Ms. Halcombe. She moaned quietly. Doctor Sun took her dangling arm and injected a syringe of med-x into it before readjusting it onto her abdomen. He could at least let her keep her dignity.

The patient and her patron were barely out of the room before a new member of the guard was carried in and laid on the bed to be saved or given a comfortable death. Dr. Sun returned to his rounds, he wasted too much time already. Time that could have been used to save one more life.