While they walked, Salem used his nanobots to destroy Ruby's clothing. He had read that most of the radiation exposure, after being removed from a radioactive environment comes from your clothing.
"I have ways to help her recover but I need materials." Salem said, hoping he remembered how to make the radiation eliminating medicines. "I need iron powder, yellow salts, table salt, coal coke, wood, and vinegar."
"What kind of yellow salts?" She asked. "There are a lot of kinds of yellow salts."
"I need cyanide salts." Salem replied, not knowing if the world was advanced enough to make them.
"Oh that's easy." Alina said, pleased she could help. "They're really cheap, because no one uses them except for decoration."
"Thank you, Alina. Do you think that the nearby village would have all of the ingredients?"
"Even Oregon should have them." She replied and ran ahead.
Five minutes later, she ran back. "I need money." She said. "Can't buy anything without money, can I?"
He handed her a fancy-looking knife. "Using my nanobots, I can synthesize almost any metal or crystal." He said, wanting to explain the weapon's origin.
He paused.
"I'm such an idiot." Salem groaned.
"You're the smartest idiot I've ever met." She remarked. "I'm going to sell this to avoid needing money like this in the future. Let me know when you pick a spot for camp." She said, turning and making her way ahead of Salem; towards the village.
....
Finally exciting the wasteland, Salem informed Alina if his location through their communicator and deconstructed Ruby's suit.
He then began using his nanobots to synthesize the compounds needed to make prussian blue. Prussian blue was a compound that adhered to radioactive metals in someone's body to allow the patient's body to easily flush them out.
As he worked, Ruby woke up delerious and muddle headed. She was too weak to even sit up. Her radiation burns were in the shape of the floral patternsthat were on her clothing. As he worked, Ruby began feebly picking at his suit. "Mother..Why must you hide your face?" Ruby asked.
Salem deconstructed his helmet. Ruby gasped like she was listening to a true crime podcast and the killer was just revealed.
"You're not mother!" She exclaimed, before promptly passing out.
Alina returned shortly after with a bag of money. Finishing the synthesis of a dose of prussian blue, he administered a dose to Ruby, saving the rest in a glass bottle.
Taking the bag of money, he inspected the coins.
"The knife sold for seven gold, and 15 silvers." Alina said. "100 bronze to a silver, 100 silver to a gold."
Setting the coins aside for copying later, Salem had Alina sit in front of him for an mini interrogation.
"So, did you burn down Oregon?"