Chapter Text
FOURTEEN YEARS EARLIER
Spring 2009
Stumbling from tree to tree, desperately trying to keep herself upright, Anna Williams clutched her swollen belly. Haunting screams followed her as she navigated through the thick underbrush. Her tangled ponytail whipped over her shoulder as she dared to look back, terror surging through her as her contractions intensified.
Crows mockingly cawed at her when she had to stop, clutching at a tree trunk as a spasm ripped through her.
“Fuck!” She cursed, resting her forehead against the tree, her legs stinging with pins and needles. Her hand cradled her belly through her dirtied yellow dress, feeling her baby’s increasing movement.
Screeches in the distance forced her onwards, hoping she was still going in the right direction. Her foot caught under a root, and she toppled forwards. She grunted, trying to hoist herself up, a new desperation fueling her. Branches whipped at her face as she began to descend downhill.
Up ahead, she saw it. The farmhouse with the Firefly symbol on the grain silo. Safety.
Another monstrous screech echoed through the woods, and she began to run the final distance to the safehouse. She crossed the open field and climbed the steps to the farmhouse door. It was unlocked, so she quickly barred herself inside.
“It’s me!” Anna called into the empty living room. “Anyone?!” No one in the kitchen either. “Ugh!” She doubled over in pain, panting hard. Even from inside the house, she could hear the Infected screaming in the distance.
She began to climb the rotting stairs leading to the second level. Every step was agony. A gushing sensation left her, and fluid splashed onto the floor between her legs. She reached her hand under her dress, and it came away soaked. There was no stopping it now.
At the top of the stairs, she had to wrap her wet hand in her dress to get the door handle to turn, opening into an empty bedroom. No furniture, just some faded paintings on the walls.
As a final defense, she secured a chair beneath the door handle. Grunting, she waddled over to the far wall and let herself collapse against it, sinking to the floor.
Accepting that no one was here to help her deliver, Anna focused on her breathing. Sweat coated her body as she tried to push down on her pelvis. She heard glass shattering downstairs, followed by an Infected’s shrieking.
Anna fished her switchblade out of her pocket, clutching it in her trembling hand. Hyperventilating, she tried to push again, bearing down in intense pain. Her blade dropped out of her hand as she felt like she was being ripped open.
There was pounding on the door now, heavy fists trying to get to her. Anna screamed, pushing her head back against the wall. Her hand blindly reached for her blade as the door burst open and a Stalker scrambled towards her. Its tendril filled mouth snarled and snapped at her as she drove her arms against its chest.
Screaming, Anna wrestled with the monster, keeping it off her face and neck. Her hand closed around her switchblade, and she buried the knife into the Stalker’s neck, dark blood spurting everywhere. It collapsed onto the floor beside her, writhing for a moment before going still.
Anna groaned, her breathing labored. Her whole body hurting.
Her baby’s first cries startled her. She looked down in disbelief to see the infant between her legs, wriggling around and very much alive.
“Oh… oh…” Anna whispered, looking at her baby girl in shock. As she went to reach for her, she noticed a throbbing in her thigh. That’s when she saw the bitemark. Bleeding and angry, white tendrils and all.
“Oh shit.” She breathed, quickly grabbing her blade and cutting the umbilical cord, tying it off. She reached down and scooped up her baby, holding her up to her face. The infant stopped crying as Anna began to sob.
“Hi.” Anna mouthed, bringing the newborn close and kissing her tiny hands. She was overwhelmed by love and loss. Knowing she had just brought her child into the world, the same day that her mother would leave it.
The baby began to cry again and Anna rocked her in her hands.
“Yeah, you tell ‘em.” She cooed. “You fuckin’ tell ‘em, Ellie.”
Ellie quieted as Anna cradled her in her arms, gently swaying her.
“Okay.” She positioned her so carefully. “Hi.” Little Ellie instinctively closed her hand around Anna’s thumb. “Oh, you’re so tough. I got you. It’s okay.” Anna sniffled. “Yeah, it’s okay.”
She inhaled shakily, casting another look at the growing Infection in her leg. The ticking clock of her death sentence.
In the pitch dark, three flashlight beams emerged over the hill. The Firefly crew cautiously made their way to the farmhouse. Not a word exchanged between them. They tried the front door, but found it locked. Snaking around the side of the house, they came in through the back porch entrance.
Marlene entered first, tailed closely by her bodyguards.
They cased the lower level, finding a window broken inward. Marlene was anxious on the journey over, but now the pit in her stomach felt like poison.
With light footsteps, Marlene led her men upstairs. Faintly, she heard a woman’s voice singing.
“Anna?” She followed the quiet song to a door left a jar. She pushed it open, her flashlight illuminating the inside.
There was a body on the ground, Cordyceps sprouting from its corpse. Beside it, in her yellow dress, was Anna and in her arms, a baby. A pool of blood and fluid between her legs, tear stained eyes, and a knife to her throat.
Anna exhaled, dropping the blade when she realized who had found her. Marlene’s eyes followed Anna’s hand down, seeing the inflamed bitemark on her best friend’s thigh.
“Oh God.” Marlene let out.
“It’s not your fault.” Anna said into the beam of Marlene’s torch.
“We were delayed getting out of the zone. I’m—”
“She’s hungry.” Anna interrupted. “She needs to be fed, and I… I didn’t wanna nurse her.”
Marlene was working though it all in her head, and it displayed on her face.
“I cut it before I was bit.” Anna clarified. Marlene was silent, not convinced. “Before.” Anna repeated, desperate for Marlene to believe it.
Then Anna carefully placed her baby on the floor, wrapped in her green jacket.
“I want you to… take her with you to Boston.” The words were like knives in her throat. “Find someone to bring her up, and make sure that she’s safe.” Her voice wavered.
“I can’t do that.” Marlene shook her head.
“And I want you to give her this.” Anna ignored her, tucking her switchblade into the bundle with the baby.
“Anna.”
“Her name is Ellie.” Anna’s blue eyes looked cold in the light of the torch.
“I can’t.”
“How long have we known each other?” Anna asked. Marlene pressed her lips together, feeling her own emotions breaching her stoic exterior.
“Our whole lives.” She answered. Anna nodded, not breaking eye contact.
“So you pick her up right now… and then you kill me.”
Marlene watched as Anna writhed in discomfort. She stepped forward and picked up Ellie as Anna groaned in pain and grief. As Marlene rose, Anna gave her a final nod, confirming her wishes.
“I can’t kill you.” Marlene admitted in a whisper. Anna’s breathing grew frantic.
“Please, please, please.” She begged as Marlene turned away with Ellie. “Please! Marlene!” Anna choked in agony. Marlene heard her friend grunting and crying behind her, the Infection spreading quickly. Tears prickled her eyes as she left the room. Each pained sound Anna made was a dagger to the chest. She looked at Ellie and she knew what she had to do.
“Here. Hold her head… There you go.” She handed the baby to one of her Fireflies. “Take this.” She handed him Anna’s switchblade.
Marlene unholstered her gun and released the safety.
“Cover her ears.” She instructed.
Anna was panting and writhing when Marlene re-entered the room. The Firefly Queen didn’t allow herself to hesitate. She shot Anna in the head.
Tears stained her cheeks, the distressing image of Anna slumped against the wall scorching into her mind forever.
Ellie was crying. Marlene returned to her, and gently took her back from the other Firefly. She quietly shushed her, trying to comfort her. The weight of her actions pulling at her insides. A promise forged in grief.
Salt Lake City
April 2024
“Ellie!” Joel saw her sitting in the bed of a truck, looking away from him. “Ellie.” he called again, excited to show her what he’d found. She didn’t hear him. “Ellie!” He tried one more time and her head flicked around to the noise.
“D’ya hear me?” Joel asked.
“No… What?” Ellie said softly.
“Well, I found this in there.” He proudly held up a can. “Beefaroni. Chef Boyardee.”
“Oh, cool.” Ellie replied, lacking her usual enthusiasm. Joel’s keen smile faded a little as he approached her.
“And have you ever played this? Boggle? It’s a word game.” He held out the orange box to her. Ellie shook her head. “Well, if you wanna beat me at somethin’, it would be this.” He went to offer her the box, but she just nodded politely. Her playful spark was nowhere to be seen.
“Well, all right then.” Joel went to change the subject. “We’re gettin’ close.”
“Mm-hmm.” Ellie hummed.
“Hospital that way.” Joel pointed down the freeway. “May be the one we’re lookin’ for.”
“Got it.” Ellie pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her bag. She saw Joel tuck the Chef Boyardee and Boggle into his backpack and slowly walked over to join him.
“Take this for me?” Joel extended the rifle to her and she held onto it while he slung his pack over his shoulders. “Thanks.” He took the gun back, concerned about how vague she seemed. They passed the motor home Joel had looted.
“They had a guitar in that RV. It was all smashed up but got me thinkin’, maybe I should find one. I haven’t played in forever.” He sought out her elusive eye contact. “In fact, I was thinkin’ maybe I could teach you. I bet you’d be great at it.” Ellie let out a slight chuckle, but Joel knew her heart wasn’t in it.
“Do you wanna learn how to play guitar?” He proposed. Ellie was looking at her feet as they walked. “Ellie?”
“Hm?” She looked up, eyebrows raised. “Oh, yeah. That’d be great.” And then she looked down again.
In the few months since Joel had found her in the snow, Ellie had changed. Something had snapped inside of her and he didn’t know how to fix it. He’d tried to get her to talking about what happened, but he never got far. She’d killed someone, of that he was certain.
Deep in Salt Lake City, Ellie followed closely as Joel navigated the maze of buildings. They reached a section blocked off by debris.
“Okay, so this is what I’m thinkin’—” Joel began.
“Cut though that building to get around that stuff, find a skyscraper, go up and look around.” Ellie said flatly.
“Uhh, actually, this time I was thinkin’ we blast our way though that rubble. I found some dynamite in that RV back there.”
“Really?”
“No, so we’re gonna cut through that building, find a skyscraper, go up and look around.” He tried to joke. “But I had you goin’ didn’t I?” He turned to see her reaction and was met with a blank face. He was trying hard to bring her back out of her shell, but every attempt left him feeling more hopeless than before.
They made their way into a building that was still under construction when the outbreak hit. There were scaffolds, red tarps, and safety fencing everywhere.
“Look at this place.” Joel commented. “Talk about bad luck. Military drops bombs… not one of them hits the building you’re trying to demolish.”
He peered up into the still unfinished elevator shaft.
“No way up.” He doubled back and pulled open some fencing. Ellie followed a few steps behind. Joel spotted a way to get to the level above.
“I get you up there, you can drop that ladder down, maybe we go through that way.” He suggested. “Come on, I’ll give you a boost.” He looked back and saw Ellie absentmindedly flicking through some blueprints, oblivious to his instruction. He slowly made his way back to her.
“You okay?” He asked, gently.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ellie was quick to reply, not holding eye contact for more than a second at a time.
“It’s just you seem extra quiet today, so.”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine.” Joel reassured, not wanting her to feel guilty for it. “Did you hear what I—”
“Yeah, boost. Got it.”
She followed him over and they stepped onto a stack of wooden pallets. She put her foot in his interlocked hands and climbed up onto his shoulder.
“One, two, up.” Joel hoisted her the rest of the way and she grabbed the ledge above.
“You got it?”
“Yeah.” She disappeared above him. As she held the ladder, about to slide it down to him, something grabbed her focus.
“Whoa!” She exclaimed, dropping the ladder without a second thought. It clattered down, almost collecting Joel on the way.
“God damn it, Ellie!” He cried out. Ellie had vanished. “Shit! You stay there!”
He picked up the ladder and climbed up to follow her.
“You gotta see this!” She called out.
“Ellie?!” He couldn’t see her.
“Up here!” She yelled. He could hear her little footsteps racing around in her converse sneakers.
“Ellie!” He implored her to slow down.
“Come on!” She continued to race ahead. Joel climbed the stairs behind her, catching a glimpse of her before she disappeared again.
Breathing heavily, Joel reached the top and saw Ellie standing in a leafy alcove. Beside her, nibbling at the greenery, was a giraffe.
Joel placed the rifle on the ground and slowly approached.
“Don’t scare it.” Ellie whispered.
“I won’t.” He broke off some thin branches with plenty of leaves on them.
“What are you doing?” Ellie hushed.
“It’s all right. Come here, hurry up. Come on.” He handed her one of the branches.
The giraffe followed the leaves, its head getting close to Ellie. She tentatively held out the branch and the giraffe’s long tongue came out and took it. Joel handed her another and the giraffe ate from her hand again.
A wide smile lit up Ellie’s face and she giggled.
“Hey there.” She said to the animal, laughing joyfully as the huge creature let her pat it. Joel watched her, smiling. Listening to the laugh he had missed so much. “So fucking cool.” She beamed.
The giraffe began to move on, walking away from their forest-filled alcove.
“Aw, where’s she going?” Ellie whined. “Come on, come on, come on, come on!” She began to run back into the building.
“Okay.” Joel picked up the rifle and happily followed her.
He found her on the rooftop, looking out over a sports field where the rest of the giraffes were grazing. He leaned against the barrier beside her. She was still smiling, watching the graceful animals in awe.
“So, is it everything ya hoped for?” Joel asked, a call-back to when they first started their journey.
“It’s got its ups and downs… but you can’t deny that view.” Ellie replied, turning to face him. Joel chuckled, sensing his Ellie returning.
“Look, I don’t know exactly where this hospital is—” Joel let out a deep breath.
“Yeah, we’ll find it.” Ellie interrupted.
“Sure. It’s just…” Joel kept going. “Maybe there’s nothin’ bad out there, but so far there’s always been somethin’ bad out there.” Ellie shrugged.
“We’re still here, though.”
“I know. I’m only saying there’s risk. We don’t have to do this.” He arrived at his point. “I just- I want you to know that.” They both turned to face each other.
“What do you mean? What else are we supposed to do?” Ellie countered.
“Nothin’. We just go back to Tommy’s. We forget about the whole damn thing.”
“After all we’ve been through…” Ellie sounded disappointed. “Everything I’ve done…” He remembered the blood coating her when she emerged from the burning building.
“It can’t be for nothing.” Ellie justified. “I know you mean well. I know you wanna protect me. You have. And when we’re done, we’ll go wherever you want. Tommy’s, sheep ranch, the moon.” Joel chucked, looking away for a moment. “I’ll follow you anywhere you go. But there’s no halfway with this. We finish what we started.” Ellie was determined, and Joel wouldn’t deny her. He nodded.
Okay.
And she nodded back.
Okay.
She took one last look at the giraffes before tilting her head, telling Joel to follow her as she took the lead.
The pair emerged from a tunnel into what looked to be a converted parking lot. Instead of parked cars, there were tents and armored vehicles, discarded medical equipment and trolleys.
“Was this a FEDRA thing?” Ellie asked as they began to walk through.
“No. Army.” Joel clarified. “They put these places up all around the first few days after the outbreak. Emergency medical camps. Obviously didn’t last.” They passed a quarantine sign. “They had me in one just like this.”
“With Sarah?”
“No, she was gone already.”
“Oh.” Ellie felt guilty, so she changed the subject. “So what was wrong with you?”
“It was for this.” Joel pointed to the scar on his temple. The one she’d asked about all those months ago.
“Ah, the guy who shot and missed.” Ellie remembered. “I figured that would’ve happened later.”
“No. Second day.”
“Well, I’ve gotta hand it to the Army people. They were way better at stitchin’ you up than I was.”
“It was me.”
Ellie spun around. Joel had stopped a few steps back.
“I was the guy who shot and missed.” He confessed.
Joel set down the rifle and leant against a concrete bollard. Ellie walked back over, sitting herself up on the bollard so they were shoulder to shoulder. She looked up at him expectantly.
“There’s no story.” Joel said. “Sarah died… and I couldn’t see the point anymore. Simple as that.” He avoided eye contact as he recounted the memory. “And I wasn’t scared either. I was ready. I couldn’t have been more ready.” Ellie looked up at the scar, realizing that this was the true reason why he was deaf in his right ear.
“When I—” He stuttered. “When I… went to pull the trigger, I flinched.” A weird smile crept onto his face. Embarrassment? Relief? “I still don’t know why.” He caught her looking at him with those huge dark eyes. So similar to the way Sarah looked at him.
“Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this—”
“I know why you’re tellin’ me all this.” Ellie said knowingly.
“Yeah, I reckon you do.” There was a pause.
“So, time heals all wounds, I guess.” Ellie sighed.
“It wasn’t time that did it.” Joel said softly, his voice breaking. He turned to finally see her. This girl sitting beside him. This force of nature. His mission. His family.
The significance of his confession wasn’t lost on Ellie. Those expressive eyes put forth a wise recognition.
“Well, I’m glad that…” She looked at his scar. “That didn’t work out.” They nodded at each other, a little awkward.
“Me, too.” Joel said, not-so-subtly wiping tears from his eyes.
“We should probably get going.” Ellie exhaled deeply, releasing some of the tension she was holding.
“Yeah.” Joel collected himself and they began walking. They were at their usual distance from each other, but they felt closer than before.
“You know what I’m in the mood for?” Joel said, trying to hide a grin.
“What?” Ellie tilted her chin up to him, holding back her own smile. They enjoyed pretending to be serious.
“Shitty puns.” Joel couldn’t hide his glee any longer as Ellie’s face lit up.
“Oh-ho-ho.” Ellie pulled her backpack over one shoulder and unzipped it, retrieving the treasured ‘No Pun Intended: Volume Too’. She flicked to a page and selected her first attack.
“People are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow.” She peered up at Joel, containing her grin. “Too soon?”
“No, it’s topical.” Joel said and Ellie laughed.
“Oh, I love this one. Moon rocks taste better than Earth rocks. Why?” Joel rubbed his forehead, so Ellie continued. “Cause they’re meteor.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.” Joel cringed.
“Fuck you. That was actually good.” Ellie protested lightly.
“That’s a zero outta ten.”
“All right, all right.” Ellie chose another one. “What did the green grape say to the purple grape? Breathe, you idiot.”
“That was a three otta ten.” Joel rated.
“Seven, minimum. Uh-uh.” Ellie argued.
“I’ll give it a five.” Joel compromised. “Five outta ten.”
“Five?”
They were so distracted in their moment of delight that neither of them sensed any danger until the flash grenade landed at their feet. Joel wrapped his arms around Ellie as it went off and they were both thrown to the ground.
Smoke surrounded them. His ears were ringing.
“Joel?” Ellie mumbled. “Joel!” Someone was lifting her off the ground and pulling her away from him.
“Ellie!” Shouted, trying to right himself.
“Joel!” The girl screamed for him. The butt of a gun connected with the back of his head and his vision went white.
*****
Coming back to consciousness, Joel saw a spray of red beside him. At first, he thought it was blood, but as his eyes adjusted it came into focus. He recognized it as the Firefly sigil. He was at Saint Mary’s Hospital.
“Welcome to the Fireflies.” Marlene said from behind him. Joel rolled over on the bed he was lying on, his arms coming up to protect his face. “Easy. Ya got hit pretty hard. Patrol didn’t know who you were.” Marlene had her arms crossed. She looked exhausted.
“Where’s Ellie?” He asked, surveying the small room he was in, counting two guards at the door.
“She wasn’t hurt.” Marlene reassured him. “Not even a scratch. She’s mostly worried about you.”
“Where is she?” Joel sat up, feeling stiffness in his ribs.
“We lost half of our crew crossing the country.” Marlene ignored his question. “I had five men whose only job was to protect me. And I still almost got killed. How’d you do it?”
“It was all her. She fought like hell to get here.”
“She would’ve been dead on day one.” Marlene said coolly. “You are the one person I never wanted to be in debt to. But I owe you. We all owe you.”
“Just take me to her.”
“I can’t. She’s being prepped for surgery.”
“What surgery?”
This whole time, Joel had imagined it as just some tests, maybe a vial of blood or two. No one said anything about surgery.
“Our doctor… he thinks the Cordyceps in Ellie has grown with her since birth.”
“Why is she in surgery?” Joel’s brow creased.
“It produces a kind of chemical messenger. It makes normal Cordyceps think that she’s Cordyceps. It’s why she’s immune.” Marlene rationalized. “He’s gonna remove it from her, multiply the cells in a lab, produce those chemical messengers… and then we can give it to everyone. He thinks it could be a cure, Joel. A cure.”
Joel’s heart sank, pulling on him like an anchor. He wanted to sink through the floor.
“Cordyceps grows inside the brain.” He said, knowing to remove it would destroy Ellie’s, killing her or leaving her irreparably damaged.
“It does.” Marlene confirmed.
“Find someone else.” Joel said gruffly.
“There is no one else.” Marlene sighed. “We didn’t tell her, we didn’t cause her any fear, there won’t be any pain.”
“No. No, you take me to her.” Joel stood up. “You take me to her right now!” A guard stepped in and punched him in the gut. Joel collapsed with a thud, clutching his ribs. Marlene stopped the guard from going any further.
“Please… you don’t understand.” Joel pleaded. Marlene came to realize just how much of a connection had grown between Joel and his cargo.
“I do.” She quietly replied. “I was there when she was born, Joel. I promised her mother that I would save her child. I promised.” Her voice trembled and she couldn’t stop her eyes from betraying her feelings. “So, I do understand. I’m the only one who understands. I’m sorry. I have no other choice.”
Joel looked up at her, his face hardening.
“I do.” He declared. Marlene nodded, knowing he was becoming a problem.
“Walk him out to the highway, leave him there with his pack. Give him this.” She handed Ellie’s switchblade to one of the guards. “He tries anything… shoot him.”
The armed guard stepped in and grabbed Joel’s bicep. He lifted him to his feet and gave him a shove from behind. Joel was paraded past Marlene and the other guard took up the rear, holding Joel’s pack and rifle.
Each time Joel showed any hint of slowing, he would be pushed forward by a rough hand on his back. As they arrived at the stairwell, Joel planted his feet, looking at the floor directory on the wall. He was on level four and pediatric surgery was on level six.
“I didn’t hear anyone say, ‘stop’.” The Firefly said.
“Which way?” Joel asked.
“Down the stairs.” He took Joel by the scuff of his shirt and pushed him into the stairwell.
Joel began the decent, each step like a stone in his boot, cutting into him. Decision made, he stopped.
“The fuck are you doin’? Keep walking.” The Firefly guard hissed. He pushed Joel but he didn’t move. “I said keep—” Joel swung his elbow back, colliding with the guards face. He grabbed the pistol from the guard’s hip and used it to shoot the second guard center mass. He ripped the rifle from the first guard and shot him in the knee.
“Fuck!” The guard crumpled against the wall.
“Where is she?” Joel demanded. The guard looked up at him spitefully.
“Fuck you.”
“I don’t have time for this.” Joel shot him in the chest.
“Shots fired. Shots fired!” Another Firefly came over the radio on the dead guard’s chest. Joel grabbed Ellie’s switchblade and tucked it into his back pocket. He collected his pack and a magazine of ammo and began to climb back up the stairs.
He emerged on the third floor, the silhouette of a Firefly visible through a glass divider. He shot them, the bullet casing clinking on the linoleum floor. He passed through and saw the Firefly struggling on the ground. He put another bullet in them to be certain they couldn’t follow.
Navigating the maze of hallways, he heard voices and closed in on them. Shots ricocheted around him. He aimed in the direction of their origin, scattering his own bullets. He reloaded his stolen rifle and peeked out from cover, killing the Fireflies trying to stop him.
He rounded on a nurse’s station and a figure ran down the hallway. Joel forced his way in and the Firefly began to surrender, putting down his weapon. Joel killed him anyway.
Another Firefly was trapped in a room with four beds, firing at Joel through the doorway. Joel shot until his gun ran out of bullets, one of them sending the Firefly to the floor. He went inside, drawing Ellie’s switchblade. He stabbed the injured man in the throat so he could take his semi-automatic rifle.
Climbing the internal stairwell, Joel shot down anyone that stood in his path. He marched down a hallway on the sixth floor, bullets spraying for maximum damage, leaving countless bodies strewn on the ground.
Out of bullets, Joel looted a nearby corpse, taking a handgun. Meeting no resistance, Joel pushed through a set of double doors labeled ‘Pediatric Surgery’. The walls were painted with cartoon animals. Elephants, lions… giraffes.
At the end of the hall, there was a door with a window, white light shining through. He went in. He was in the antechamber before the theater. Inside, Ellie was unconscious on a table, two nurses and a doctor leaning over her. Silently, Joel went through the final door into the operating room.
His baby girl had cords running out of her body, connecting her to unfamiliar machines. She was wearing a thin hospital gown and her eyes were closed. A monitor was beeping with the steady beat of her heart.
“She’s ready.” A nurse said, removing a mask from Ellie’s face.
“Unhook her.” Joel made his presence known. The nurses gasped, seeing the man with a gun.
“How did you get in here?” The surgeon demanded.
“I said unhook her.” Joel repeated.
“I won’t let you take her.” The surgeon grabbed a scalpel, as if that would stop him. Without a second thought, Joel executed him. The nurses screamed.
“Unhook her.” Joel said for the third time. “Move!”
The nurses frantically removed all of the cables attached to Ellie and pulled out the IV in her arm, leaving a little spot of blood. Even after all the violence that got him here, he couldn’t bear to see her bleeding, even the smallest amount.
“Cover her arm.” Joel ordered. “Fast.”
The heart monitor was beeping frantically, unable to detect a beat now that it was detached. One of the nurses placed a dressing over the pinprick wound on Ellie’s arm.
“Turn around.” Joel stepped closer, aiming his gun at them. The nurses did as he ordered and moved away from Ellie, their backs to Joel.
Gently, Joel scooped his left hand under Ellie’s head, sitting her up. He collected her in his arms, her face momentarily resting in the crook of his neck. He cradled her, lifting her off the table and carrying her from the operating room, swearing to never let her go again.
He got them into the elevator, looking down at her unresponsive face and holding her just a bit tighter. The doors opened and he carried her into the underground parking lot. He spotted a car with a battery on charge.
“You can’t keep her safe forever.” Marlene appeared from behind a pillar, handgun raised. Joel tuned, clutching Ellie to him. “No matter how hard you try, no matter how many people you kill, she’s gonna grow up, Joel. And then you’ll die. She’ll leave. Then what? How long until she’s torn apart by Infected or murdered by raiders? Because she lives in a broken world that you could’ve saved.”
“Maybe. But it isn’t for you to decide.” Joel justified.
“Or you.” Marlene countered. “So what would she decide, huh?” She looked at Ellie’s unconscious frame in Joel’s arms. “Cause I think she’d wanna do what’s right. And you know it.”
Joel stood still, his bottom lip quivering. Once again in the line of fire with his world in his arms.
“It’s not too late. Even now… even after what you’ve done.” Marlene began to lower her gun. “We can still find a way.”
The old man looked down at the girl in his arms. His baby girl. And he decided.
*****
Lying across the backseat of the car, Ellie began to wake up. She groaned, rolling onto her side.
“What?” She let out, disorientated.
“It’s alright. You’re with me.” Joel checked on her through the rear-vision mirror as they drove down the open road. “Take it slow.” Ellie flopped back down onto the seat. “The drugs are still wearin’ off.”
“I was with the Fireflies and then—” Ellie mumbled, her words slurring a little. “What drugs?”
“They were runnin’ some tests on you.” Joel swallowed. “And some others. Turns out there’s a whole lot more like you… people that are immune. Dozens of ‘em.” Ellie stared ahead, blankly. “And the doctors, they couldn’t make any of it work. They’ve actually… They’ve stopped lookin’ for a cure.” Joel lied.
“Where are my clothes?” Ellie asked.
“Raiders attacked the hospital. I barely got ya outta there. We’ll find you some new ones on the way” Joel offered.
Ellie felt the loss of her backpack. The winged pin she treasured. Will Livingston’s pun book. The faded photos of her and Riley.
“Where people hurt?” She questioned, tears in her eyes.
“Yes.” Joel bit the inside of his lip.
“Is Marlene okay?” Ellie almost whispered. Joel stared blankly at the road ahead.
“I’m takin’ us home.” He brushed it off. Ellie turned over so she was facing away from him. “I’m sorry.”
Joel despised himself for lying to her like that. No, Marlene was not okay. Joel had shot her in that parking garage, while Ellie was still in his arms.
He had bundled the unconscious kid into the back of the car when he heard Marlene making the sputtering sounds of someone dying, trying to crawl away. He returned to the Queen of the Fireflies, gun in hand.
“No, wait. Wait, wait, wait.” Marlene was on her stomach, trying to reach her gun. Her hand came up in surrender as Joel approached. “Please…” She panted. “Let me go.”
“You’d just come after her.” This time, the bullet split her skull.
Wyoming
May 2024
Their car had gotten them deep into Wyoming. Further than Joel expected. He had the hood propped up, assessing the damage as smoke came from the engine. Ellie was sitting in the passenger seat with the door open, her flannel sleeve rolled up so she could see her completely healed bitemarks. She was prodding at the dormant infection with her fingertips when Joel shut the hood.
“Well, she got us close enough.” He declared. “We gotta walk the rest of the way. Probably about a five-hour hike.” He leant on her door. “But we can manage that.” He smirked. “Remember?”
“Yeah.” Ellie smiled back, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
In their usual formation, Joel in front with Ellie a few steps behind, the duo hiked their way through a very different Wyoming than when they last visited. No snow this time, but lush green landscape, animals and birds chirping in the fresh mountain air. No river of death to fear this time around.
“You know, Sarah and I used to hike like this all the time.” Joel looked back at Ellie. “I wouldn’t say it was her favorite thing. She wasn’t a fan of the mosquitoes and such. But she was a big climber… or scampering. That’s probably the right word. That girl… she’s see a big rock and just, pew.” He gestured as if Sarah was racing ahead.
“She would’ve liked you. Not to say the two of you are the same. Definitely different kids.”
“How so?” Ellie asked.
“Well, she was a lot more... I wanna say girly, and I’m not sayin’ that you’re not girly.”
“I’m not.” Ellie smirked.
“Yeah, you’re not.” Joel looked at her in her plaid shirt and jeans. “So that.” He chuckled. “She was taller. She had a killer smile. Again, not sayin’ that you don’t.” He was being extra careful not to inadvertently offend her or compare her too much to the daughter he lost.
“But you know why I think she’d like you?”
“Why?”
“Cause you’re funny. I think you would’ve made her laugh.” Joel said. Ellie was notably silent. “Anyway, I bet you would’ve liked her back.”
“Yeah, bet I would’ve.” Ellie chimed in.
They crested a hill and the Jackson settlement rested in the gully below.
“There ya go.” Joel said proudly. “Not much further now.” Ellie’s stomach churned nervously. If she was going to say what she’d been holding on to, now was the time.
“Hey, wait.” She said. Joel stopped to give her his full attention. “Fuck.” Ellie whispered, moving down to stand opposite him. They were face to face, but her eyes looked at the ground.
“Back in Kansas City, you asked me about the first time I killed someone.” Ellie began. Joel listened, not daring to interrupt. “When I got bit in the mall, I wasn’t on my own. My best friend was there, and she got bit, too.” She sniffled, the threat of tears tickling her eyes. “We didn’t know what to do, and she says, ‘we can just wait it out… be all poetic and lose out minds together.’ And then she did. And I had to—” She stopped hoping Joel understood.
“Her name was Riley, and she was the first to die. And then it was Tess. And then Sam.”
“That’s not on you.” Joel shook his head, unable to stay silent.
“I know, but—”
“Look, sometimes things don’t work out the way we hope. You can feel like… like you’ve come to an end… and you don’t know what to do next. But if you just keep goin’… you find something new to fight for. And maybe that’s not what—”
“Swear to me.” Ellie didn’t let him finish, flicking her gaze up to finally make eye contact. “Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true.” Joel stared at her for a long moment, knowing Ellie’s trust and their relationship hung in the balance.
“I swear.” He promised.
Ellie’s analytical stare cut him deep, seeing something he didn’t want her to see. But then her face softened and even though it hurt, she willed herself to believe.
“Okay.”