A Breath of Fresh Air - e.w.

32

The trio have been travelling for three weeks now. They're almost in Seattle, but still have some time before then. They've ran into exactly what they expected - hunters, bandits and infected. Thankfully, Dina knows how to make some pretty good snares, teaching both the girls, and they were able to catch some wildlife through them. Because there's three of them, each girl took turns taking watch. Ellie chose to take the majority of them. Even with the insistence from Dina and Lia, Ellie just shrugged them off and said she wouldn't be able to sleep anyways.

Dina always took watch when Ellie was sleeping. They learned after one night when Lia took watch, and Ellie woke up screaming, drawing the attention of infected, that Lia needed to stay by Ellie when she sleeped. It didn't work all the time, but Ellie said she was more comfortable having the girl next to her. Ellie kept herself pretty locked up as of recently, but she told the girl that she just dreams about that day with Joel. Constantly hearing his screams. It only got worse when in her dreams, Lia ended up going out with Joel and Tommy and ended up in the exact same position.

"I'm sorry," Ellie whispered to the girl after she woke them up to another bad dream. Her body clammy with sweat as her chest still rose rapidly from quick breaths.

"You don't need to apologize," Lia whispered into Ellie's shoulder, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder to try and reassure the girl.

"I just keep seeing him."

"I get it," Lia mumbled gently.

"I guess you would," Ellie replied softly. Her hand gripping Lia's knee as her breathing slowed down. Not too long ago, the positions were always reversed with Ellie being the one to calm Lia down.

Before what happened with Joel, Ellie's only freaked out from a nightmare once. Ellie didn't want to talk about it at first, but she later told the girl about these cannibals Ellie and Joel ran into on their way to the Fireflies. Told Lia about her encounter with David.

Even to this day, that story brings a shiver up Lia's spine. She never wanted to think of Ellie ever being in a position like that. Ellie was only 14 at the time she met David.

Same as Lia being only 14 when she was claimed.

That was one of the few stories Ellie was hesitant to tell Lia. She was scared of the girls reaction. Instead, once Ellie was done telling her story, she was surprised when all Lia did was hug and comfort the girl. No words, but there didn't need to be any.

"Remember to focus just on slowing your breathing and clearing your mind," Lia whispered to Ellie, "if that doesn't work, try counting to ten. Count the stars. Count each finger you have - anything to think of something else."

Ellie closed her eyes and nodded, her lips moving silently as she counted. Lia waited patiently as Ellie calmed herself down, "I like it better when you count with me," Ellie mumbled.

"I know," Lia replied, "I still will, but I won't always be there to count with you." Ellie nodded her head, letting out a long sigh as her hands rubbed some of the sweat on her forehead and she rubbed her eyes with annoyance, "Panic attacks are normal, El. Especially after everything."

"Panic attacks are fucking dicks," Ellie mumbled back as she let out a sigh.

Lia chuckled ever so slightly, "Yeah, they are."

"I don't think I'm gonna get back to sleep. I'm gonna relieve Dina so she can get some."

"Ellie-"

"Get some sleep, please? Sorry for waking you." Lia opened her mouth to reply to the girl, but Ellie was quick to Dina and away from Lia, still embarrassed. All Lia wanted to do was help more.