save who you can save- joel miller

Part 23

After walking up countless flights of stairs Ellie began talking. "Hey, you remember that guy who said he was hurt?" Ellie asked. "How did you know it was an ambush?" she asked Joel as they all stopped to take a quick breather for a second. "I've been on both sides. We've been on both sides." he looked at Scarlett and she nodded. "It was a long time ago, we did what we needed to do to survive." Joel said. "Did you kill innocent people?" Ellie asked, quietly. Joel avoided the question and eye contact "C'mon." he said as he began walking up the stairs Ellie looked at Scarlett and Scarlett looked at Ellie. "We both have." she whispered and Ellie slowly nodded before following Joel up the stairs. They reached a door, Joel opened it, and then went to the nearest wall, sliding down it out of exhaustion. "Holy shit." Ellie sighed "Yeah." Scarlett agreed and she sat next to Joel "33 floors. That's good." Ellie nodded to herself. "It's gonna have to be." Joel said, out of breath. Ellie walked over and lightly kicked his foot "Come on." she said, "Give me a minute." Joel told her, "Get up, you lazy ass." she said and he looked up at her as Scarlett covered her mouth to hide her laughter "Lazy ass. I'm fifty-six years old you little shit." he said as Scarlett helped him up. Joel broke through the glass and opened a door then collected the loose glass and broke some more up as Ellie and Scarlett set up sleeping arrangements.

They simply put cushions on the floor to create make-shift mattresses. "Joel." Ellie called out. "Joel." she said louder "Joel!" she yelled and he turned around "What?" he looked at her "What are you doing?" she asked as he dumped glass on the floor "Making sure no one creeps up on us when we're sleeping." he told her "Oh I get it. Crunch, crunch, crunch." Ellie said and Scarlett smiled, shaking her head "Are you sure you're gonna hear it?" Ellie asked "Of course, I'm gonna hear it, that's the damn point." he said as he walked over to their "beds". "Okay." Ellie said with uncertainty in her voice "Well goodnight my adoptive parents." Ellie said as she laid down in her bed "Goodnight." Scarlett chuckled as she laid down as well. "I'll be right back." Scarlett said as she stood up "Where are you going?" both Joel and Ellie asked as they both sat up at the same time. Joel looked back at Ellie like she was copying him or something. "I have to go to the bathroom? Jesus Christ, you guys are losing it." Scarlett shook her head before she walked out. When she walked back in after a few minutes they were both laying down and talking.

"Hey?" Ellie spoke quietly "Hm?" both Scarlett and Joel hummed. "Did you know diarrhea is hereditary?" Ellie asked and Joel opened his eyes slowly to see Scalett giving Ellie a weird look. "What?" he half roller over "Yeah." Ellie spoke "It runs in your jeans." she said and Scarlett immediately covered her mouth to stifle what would've been loud laughter. Joel rolled back over with a smile on his face. "Jesus." he shook his head. He chuckled and Ellie laughed "That is so goddamn stupid." he said as he tried to cover up his laughter. "You laughed, motherfucker." Ellie said and Scarlett began laughing "I didn't laugh." Joel said, "Yes you did." Ellie said "Oh yes you did you, little liar." Scarlett said and she and Ellie both laughed "Jesus, I'm losing it." he shook his head "You're losin' it big time. Scarlett even called it before she left." Ellie said as they continued laughing. Joel looked at Scarlett and thought to himself, she's just laughing, how can she still look so gorgeous under these circumstances and in the situation they're in?

They all laughed together for the first time. Genuine happiness filled all three of them. "Go to sleep." Joel told Ellie "No you go to sleep." she replied with a big smile. They all fell asleep but Scarlett woke up to creaking floorboards. She lifted her head up and saw two shadows in the room. "What the fuck?" she whispered as one of the intruders grabbed her and covered her mouth, dragging her off of the cushions. She stayed quiet to avoid any kind of fight. "Wake them up." the man whispered to her "Please leave the girl alone." she whispered back and he nodded before looking at Joel. "Joel." she spoke "Joel!" she shouted and he jolted awake to see Scarlett being held at gunpoint in front of him. he looked in front of him and saw a little kid pointing a gun at his head as the little kid slowly point his pointed finger over his mouth.