as the gates came into view, tommy raised his voice, shouting out, "joel! need some help over here!"

the sound of his yell carried over the bustling activity in jackson, and heads started turning. i felt my stomach drop. the last thing i needed was a spectacle. before i could say anything, though, a familiar figure was already sprinting toward us.

ellie.

her eyes locked on me immediately, widening as she caught sight of the blood staining my jacket. "shit," she muttered, her pace quickening until she skidded to a stop in front of me. "what the fuck happened?"

"runner," tommy said, handing me off to her carefully. "she's hurt, but she'll live."

ellie barely seemed to hear him. her hands hovered near me, like she couldn't decide where to start. "leilani, are you—" her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat, trying to mask it. "are you okay? where's the bite?"

"it's not a bite," i said quickly, though my voice was tight with pain. "just a scratch."

"a scratch?" she repeated, her tone sharp as her hand shot out to steady me when i swayed. "you're bleeding like hell, and you call it a scratch?"

"it's fine," i muttered, hating how weak i sounded.

"fine?" ellie snapped, her eyes blazing as she glared at me. "you're half out of it, and you're gonna stand here telling me you're fine?"

"enough," tommy cut in, his voice firm. "get her to maria. now."

ellie didn't waste another second. she wrapped an arm around me, practically holding me up as we started toward the infirmary. her grip was solid, her movements deliberate, and i could feel the tension radiating off her.

"you should've told me," she said under her breath, her tone quieter but no less intense. "i'm supposed to have your back. you shouldn't have been out there without me."

"it wasn't your job," i said, wincing as we hit a bump in the snow-covered path.

"yeah, it was," she shot back, her jaw tight. "you're my responsibility, whether you like it or not."

her words made my chest tighten, but i didn't have the energy to argue. the pain was getting worse, my vision swimming slightly, and all i could focus on was the sound of her voice—angry, worried, and so fiercely protective it almost made me forget how badly i was hurting.

by the time we reached the infirmary, maria was already waiting, her face set in a hard line as she took one look at me and moved into action. "get her on the table," she ordered, pointing ellie toward a makeshift cot in the corner.

ellie didn't hesitate, guiding me carefully to sit before helping me lie back. her hands lingered for a second, like she wasn't ready to let go.

"ellie," maria said, her voice firm as she stepped forward with a kit. "i've got this now. go."

ellie didn't budge. "no way," she said immediately, her tone sharp. "i'm staying."

"ellie," maria repeated, her tone edged with authority. "she'll be fine. i need space to work, and you're hovering."

"i'm not hovering," ellie shot back, crossing her arms. "she's hurt, and i'm not leaving until i know she's okay."

"you're not a doctor," maria said, her voice calm but unyielding. "what she needs right now is for me to stitch her up, and for you to get out of the way."

"maria, please," ellie argued, her voice quieter now, almost desperate. "just... let me stay. i'll stay out of your way, i promise."

"ellie—"

"she doesn't want me to leave, do you?" ellie cut in, turning to me. her eyes were locked on mine, pleading, her jaw clenched like the thought of leaving was unbearable.

"ellie," i mumbled, my voice weak but insistent. "it's fine. you don't have to—"

"see?" maria said, her tone softening as she turned back to ellie. "she's telling you it's fine. now go get some rest."

"no," ellie said, her voice breaking slightly. "i can't just—she's my—" she stopped herself, swallowing hard, before finishing quietly, "i can't leave her."

maria let out a long sigh, her hands pausing for a moment. "fine," she said finally, her voice laced with exasperation. "you can stay. but if you so much as breathe too loud, i'm kicking you out."

ellie nodded quickly, her shoulders dropping with visible relief. "thank you," she murmured, stepping back just enough to give maria room while keeping herself close.

maria was finishing her inspection, her hands steady as she worked. ellie stood just behind her, tense but quiet, her eyes never leaving my face.

"it's not a bite," maria said finally, her voice firm, like she was trying to make sure ellie understood. "it's a deep gash, but she's not infected."

ellie exhaled sharply, her shoulders sagging as the weight visibly lifted off her.

but before anyone could say anything else, the door to the infirmary flew open with a loud bang, and joel stormed in.

"where is she?" his voice was rough, urgent, as his eyes darted around the room. they landed on me, and he crossed the space in a few long strides, his face etched with worry.

"jesus, leilani," he muttered, his hands hovering like he didn't know whether to grab me or step back. "what the hell happened?"

"she's fine," maria said, cutting in before ellie could. "she got into it with a runner. it's not a bite."

joel's gaze snapped to maria. "you sure?"

"positive," maria said firmly. "i checked twice."

joel let out a heavy breath, running a hand down his face before turning to me. "what were you doin' out there?"

"i'm fine, joel," i said weakly, though my voice didn't hold much conviction.

"fine?" he repeated, his voice rising. "you're lyin' there bleedin', and you're callin' that fine? you shouldn't have even been out there in the first place."

"it was just a supply run," i muttered, my frustration bubbling up. "we needed the stuff."

"not at the cost of you gettin' hurt," he snapped, his tone sharp, though the worry in his eyes softened it.

"joel," ellie interjected, stepping forward, her voice low but firm. "she's okay. maria's takin' care of it."

joel's gaze flicked to ellie, his jaw tightening. "and where were you?"

"joel," maria said, her voice cutting through the tension. "enough. it's done. she's not infected, and we'll handle it from here."

he stared at ellie for a long moment, like he was trying to decide whether to press the issue. finally, he nodded, his shoulders still tense as he stepped back.

"you're lucky," he muttered, looking back at me. "next time, you tell me before you go runnin' off."

i rolled my eyes but didn't argue, too tired to muster the energy. instead, i let my head fall back against the cot, my body heavy with exhaustion.

the world around me felt fuzzy and distant as my eyelids fluttered open. i groaned, feeling disoriented, like i'd just woken from a long, restless sleep. where was i? my eyes slowly focused on the familiar walls, the room just as i remembered it—except... ellie wasn't here.

my stomach twisted with a bit of panic before the sounds of muffled voices downstairs caught my attention.

i listened closely, hearing the familiar sound of ellie's voice raised in frustration. then, joel's deep, stern tone followed.

"you should've been there for her, ellie," joel was saying, his words sharp, and though i couldn't make out everything, i could tell there was tension. "it's your job to protect her."

"what the hell, joel? you know i'm not a goddamn mind reader," ellie's voice snapped back, full of irritation. "how the hell was i supposed to know she and tommy left? i didn't even know they were gone until it was too late!"

"you're always so damn busy, ellie. someone's gotta watch her back!" joel countered, clearly frustrated.

"oh, don't give me that. tommy's your damn best friend, not mine. if anyone should be blamed for her running off without telling anyone, it's him," ellie's words were sharp now, her usual calm demeanor replaced by anger.

i could practically hear the clenched jaw behind joel's response. "i don't care who's responsible. she's hurt, and she could've been infected. if anything happened to her—"

"i know," ellie cut him off, voice quieter now. "and i would've done anything to keep her safe.

and then, suddenly, the voices stopped.

the next thing i heard was the sound of footsteps—heavy and deliberate—coming up the stairs. i barely had time to brace myself before the door swung open, ellie stepping in with a force that made the walls seem to shudder. her face was set in a storm of irritation, her green eyes sharp but dulled at the edges with exhaustion.

she froze when she saw me sitting up, her eyes widening for a moment before narrowing in that familiar protective way.

"what the hell do you think you're doing?" ellie demanded, her tone softer than before but still carrying that edge of annoyance. "lay back down."

i didn't want to argue, so i let out a breath and lowered myself back onto the bed, wincing slightly at the pain in my side. "sorry, i just—i don't like being stuck in bed," i said weakly, trying to brush it off, though my voice betrayed the exhaustion i was feeling.

ellie looked at me, her face softening just a bit as she sat on her own bed. she wasn't sitting close, but i could still feel the shift in the air as she glanced over at me. "you okay?" she asked, her voice almost hesitant now, a slight crack in her usual tough girl exterior.

i hesitated, then nodded, even though i wasn't sure what "okay" meant anymore. "i'm fine. just... sore. but i'm okay."

ellie nodded, but i could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she was still holding herself tightly like she was on edge. i could feel it, too—the heavy silence that had settled between us after hearing their argument downstairs.

"are you okay?" i asked, my voice quieter now. "i... i heard the whole thing."

ellie looked at me, her eyes sharp but not angry. "i'm fine," she said quickly, almost too quickly. then she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "it's just... a lot, you know? i don't get why he's making this such a big deal. it's not like i could've known you two were gone."

"i'm sorry, ellie," i said, my voice barely above a whisper. "this is all my fault. i shouldn't have put you in that position."

ellie shook her head fiercely, cutting me off. "no. stop. don't do that." she paused, her fingers gripping the edge of the bed, and then her gaze softened, but only slightly. "it's not your fault," she exhaled sharply, looking down at her hands before meeting my eyes again. "but joel... he's just... worried. i get it. he's been through a lot, but it doesn't mean he gets to put all that on you. on me."

i hated the way her voice cracked there, even if it was barely noticeable. ellie was trying so hard to hold it all together, but it was clear she was carrying this weight, too. i couldn't help but feel guilty for making things harder for her.

"i'll talk to him," i said softly, my voice almost a whisper as i glanced toward the door like i might run into joel. "make him understand. this isn't your fault."

ellie didn't say anything at first, she just sat there, with her eyes on the floor.

finally, she nodded, but her gaze was still filled with that quiet frustration. "thanks," she muttered, but her voice softened by the time she spoke again. "just... be careful, okay? i can't be everywhere at once."

i gave her a small smile, though it felt a little weak. "i will. pinky promise."