Set Me Free ▪︎ Joel Miller ▪︎

▪︎○ Fifty Six ○▪︎

“Well, this place takes me back.” Joel sighed out as the trio stepped out of the building and towards the half empty white tents scattered around the QZ processing area.

“Yeah, you’re telling me.” Olivia mumbled with a softening look in her eyes and a sadness lingering in her heavy heart.

This place certainly brought back unwanted memories of her neglectful mother and the early days of the outbreak. Alongside the images of broken families crying for their fallen loved ones. It was painful to recall and yet, against her will, she did.

“How so?” Ellie asked the pair with brows knitted and curious eyes shifting to watch them as they entered the first of the four accessible tents.

“It was right after everything went down. I ended up at a triage just like this.” Joel recalled while reaching down to scoop up a few stray packs of bandages that sat atop an empty stretcher.

Meanwhile, beside him, Olivia searched the small plastic storage drawers; finding some alcohol and shotgun ammo stashed in the last of the four. “Here,” she smiled while offering the box to Joel, who in turn took it with a small smile of his own.

Then, with his hand taking a hold of hers and the other tucking the ammo and bandages in his pack, he turned and led her towards the only other tent that appeared to have anything worthy of taking within it. All the while, continuing to share his memories of that fateful day twenty years ago.

“Man, everywhere you looked, you just saw families torn apart. The whole damn world seemed to have turned upside down in a blink.” He drawled.

“Is that after you lost Sarah?” Ellie queried gently, causing Joel’s body to tense and his hand to tighten around Olivia’s slightly smaller one.