closed | some black ink on some blue lines

[vaccination]

Date & Time: August 1st
Location: Transport clinic
Characters: Ellie, Joel, and their hot nurse Kaneis
Summary: Joel pops some stitches, Ellie brings him to a magical redhead
Warnings: Descriptions of blood/gore are likely!

Getting anywhere in the rain always seemed to take longer than anything else. Thankfully, they don't get lost on their way to their destination, and Ellie heaves a sigh of relief once she sees the clinic doors. Good. They made it. Her footsteps already feel lighter, any injuries of her own forgotten.

"Almost there. I got the door," she says to Joel, running ahead and holding it open for him. She leans inside. Sure looked like a clinic, or what remains she'd seen of labs and research facilities. Except this definitely felt alive. It felt hopeful.

"Hello? Need some help over here!"

Comments

[beardedflannel]

What about you? You ain't tired?

[ He lifts the arm he had draped over his eyes to look over at her. ]

[vaccination]

I'm okay. Don't worry.

[She's exhausted, but she'll sleep once he's sleeping. Maybe. Hopefully.]

[beardedflannel]

I worry.

[ He's always worrying. ]

[vaccination]

You don't have to. I'm not going anywhere.

I'm firmly planted in this chair.

[beardedflannel]

I reckon that can't be too comfortable for you.

There should be another bed around here.

[vaccination]

[There is, but Ellie is adamant about staying near.]

I'll find one when I'm tired.

[beardedflannel]

[ Sighing. But then he can't help but wonder... ]

Ellie- where'd you sleep? [ Joel is referring to winter, but he won't outright say when you took care of me. ]

[vaccination]

[She figures.]

... in the basement. [Near you.] Why?

[beardedflannel]

There was only one mattress in that basement. [ And a smudge big enough in the dust and grime that had settled before their arrival next to the mattress on the FLOOR that could've only suggested her small body had laid there. ]

[vaccination]

Yep. [She could have fit on that mattress next to him, but he was in so much pain that she didn't want to risk jostling him, or making his fever worse by adding her body heat to the mix. So the floor it was.

She looks at him, idly rubbing her chin. What did he expect? Leaving the house to find food was hard enough. She wasn't going to sleep upstairs. If he died all alone...

Well. She'd never forgive herself if he died, period. It would just be so much more worse if she wasn't there with him.]

[beardedflannel]

Ellie. Where did you sleep?

[ That stern tone somehow comes out now. It leaves no room for arguing, and it's the kind of the tone that speaks of how he'll know she's lying if she tries. ]

[vaccination]

... the floor, alright? It's not a big deal.

[beardedflannel]

Not a big deal?

[ Scoffing. ]

To you it's not. But to me- that mattress was big enough for two people.

[vaccination]

You were sick. Burning up. And I didn't wanna accidentally bump that injury. I was being careful. [She was taking care of him.]

[beardedflannel]

[ How can he be angry at that face? When she's telling him, in her little way, that she was only looking out for him and doing what she thought was best.

Joel pushes out a sigh. The fight slips right out of him with the exhaled breath. Back into the pillows he goes, laying there and looking up at the ceiling, silent. ]

[vaccination]

I was okay. And I'm okay now.

[beardedflannel]

[ Yeah, he tells himself, you are. ]

How about you get some sleep.

[vaccination]

I will. Soon.

You need anything?

[beardedflannel]

I just need you to close your eyes and go to sleep.

[vaccination]

[She gets it.]

Okay, okay. You win. I'll sleep.