save who you can save- joel miller

Part 46

Joel continued driving and they then passed a sign welcoming them to Wyoming. Scarlett had woken up and stayed back as Joel and Ellie gathered supplies from houses and stores on the way. They found pain meds for Scarlett and her external wounds were healing as the internal wounds never healed. They all found new clothing and they were gaining their strength back. They continued driving until the car started making strange noises so they pulled over and Joel lifted the hood as Scarlett leaned against the passenger's door and Ellie examined her scars from the bites on her arm. "Well, she got us close enough." Joel spoke. "We gotta walk the rest of the way." he told the girls as they both turned to look at him. "Probably about a five-hour hike." he said as he walked up to the passenger's side. "But we can manage that. Remember?" he asked the girls "Yeah." Ellie smiled warmly at Joel. Scarlett nodded in response. Ellie jumped out of the car and Scarlett pulled herself out of it. They began their hike and Scarlett rested her head on Joel's shoulder as they walked up a hill. "Sarah, Scarlett, Claire, and I used to hike like this all the time." Joel began talking to Ellie and Scarlett smiled at the memories. By all the time he meant at least fifty times with Sarah and maybe two times with Scarlett, Claire, and Sarah. It's the thought that counts. 

"I wouldn't say it was Sarah's favorite thing." Joel continued "She wasn't a fan of the mosquitos and such." he said and Scarlett chuckled. "But she was a big climber. Or scampering. That's probably the right word. She and Claire both were." Joel told Ellie. "Those girls, they'd see a big rock and just...pshew." he motioned with his hand "I know Sarah woulda liked you. Claire too, probably. Right?" he asked Scarlett "Yeah. She would've loved you." Scarlett told Ellie. "Not to say the two of you are the same. Definitely different kids." Joel told Ellie. "How so?" Ellie asked. "Sarah was a lot more, I wanna say girly. And I'm not sayin' that you're not girly." Joel quickly defended himself "I'm not." Ellie replied. "Yeah, you're not. So that." Joel smiled at her "Claire was girly too, a little princess." Joel said as he looked at Scarlett. "Sarah was taller. She had a killer smile." he said as both he and Scarlett pictured Sarah in their minds. A beautiful young girl with a beautiful personality. "Again, not sayin' that you don't." Joel quickly turned around and spoke to Ellie. "But you know why I think she'd like you?" Joel asked Ellie "Why?" Ellie asked "Cause you're funny." Joel told her. "I think you would've made her laugh." Joel spoke knowing he'd give anything to hear that laugh one more time. 

"Anyway, I bet you would've liked her back." Joel said. "Yeah, I bet I would've." Ellie nodded "And Claire would've loved you because you're sweet. To certain people." Joel said "She was just happy to be around people." He said and Scarlett smiled. They kept walking until they reached a nice viewpoint. "There ya go." Joel said as all three of them looked at Tommy and Maria's commune. "Not much further now." Joel said. He and Scarlett began walking but Ellie stayed stationary. "Hey, wait." she called out to both of them and they both stopped and turned to face her. "Fuck." Ellie whispered as she walked toward the two adults. They both gave her a worried look as she stood in front of them. "Back in Kansas City, you asked me about the first time I killed somebody." Ellie started "When I got bit in the mall, I wasn't on my own. My best friend was there and she got bit, too." Ellie continued explaining "We didn't know what to do, and she says, we can just wait it out, be all poetic and just lose our minds together." Ellie sniffled. "And then she did. And I had to--" she looked up from the ground and looked at Joel and Scarlett. "Her name was Riley...and she was the first to die." Ellie said. 

"And then it was Tess. And then Sam." she said and Scarlett shook her head "Ellie, that's not on you." she spoke "I know but--" Ellie began "Look, sometimes things don't work out the way we think they should. You can feel like you've come to an end and you don't know what to do." Scarlett told Ellie. "But if you keep going, you find something new to fight for." she said and Joel nodded. "She's right. And maybe that's not what--" Joel began "Swear to me." Ellie cut in and Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true." Ellie said and Scarlett continued looking at Ellie. What had he told her? What does she know? Joel and Ellie looked at each other for a moment before Joel finally spoke. "I swear." he nodded his head. They continued looking at each other and Ellie looked at the ground before subtlely nodding. "Okay." she looked up at Joel.