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JOEL WOKE UP with a jolt. He slept. He didn't mean to fall asleep. His hand went straight to his gun beside him but he found nothing. His head whipped around to see Ellie with a grin on her face and his gun in her hands.
"You mumble in your sleep." She said. "I woke up early. You were passed out, and I don't think Cindy ever woke up. So I took second watch."
Joel glanced at Cindy, who was still spark out before looking back to Ellie. "You gotta wake me up if that's happens. Or wake Cindy up. You can't do things like this."
"But I can... cause I just did." Ellie said.
"I'm responsible for you, okay?" Joel scolded her.
"Then don't fall asleep." Ellie remarked.
Joel rolled his eyes and crouched next to Cindy, gently shaking her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and she winced at the bright morning light. That's when realisation hit her and she sat up.
"Fuck me, guys, I was kidding about that 72 hour thing." She groaned and looked at Joel. "You should've woken me up."
"He couldn't." Ellie said and Joel sighed. "Cause he fell asleep too. So I took watch."
"You took watch?" Cindy questioned.
"Relax, guys, I was quiet, I checked my six, I looked for tracks, I found the high ground. I kept watch. Like you taught me to." Ellie said. "What can I say, man? I'm a natural."
"Uh huh." Joel sarcastically agreed, extending his hand for his gun, which Ellie handed to him "Wake me up next time." He said.
"Yes, sir."
They continued their journey, the wind picking up again, biting at their faces. The River of Death didn't seem too bad. The bridge over it proved to be surprisingly stable, and they crossed it with no problems at all.
"Well that was... anticlimactic." Cindy said.
"Disappointing." Ellie agreed.
As they walked, Ellie, was making an insufferable blowing noise into her fingers. Insufferable to Joel, amusing to Cindy.
"I'm learning how to whistle." She announced. Her attempts were a mix of genuine effort and comedic sounds, drawing laughter from Cindy.
"You go, girl, I believe in you." She chuckled.
"Stop encouraging it." Joel said and Cindy laughed, whilst Ellie gasped.
