𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐎 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒) *editing*

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬❄️

Upon entering the house they settled for shelter, it was in a suburban area, just a few miles off of a lakeside resort. TJ and Joel were where they left them, appearing as frozen as the shore, but still breathing.

"Here." Ellie gave the second syringe and bottle of penicillin to Maeve as she made her way for a deathly-looking Joel.

Both were ashen. It worried her. With the medicine in hand, she hurried for TJ, lowering herself next to the pallet he laid on. She'd covered him throw blankets and had a bundled sheet under his head. Unlike Joel, TJ stirred hearing the garage open and close. Small puffs left his mouth as he tried to adjust against the makeshift bed.

"TJ," she was soft-spoken as she prepared the syringe and medicine. "If you can hear me, I have medicine for you. Never mind where it came from, but it'll help you. You'll feel tons better later."

Maeve held the syringe in front of her face with the vile of medicine. The clear liquid filled the barrel. She bit her lip and set aside the vile to use her right hand to uncover TJ some. She peered over her shoulder just in time to see Ellie about to poke Joel near his stitches. She wanted to tell her to get his arm, but she was a bit late in expressing that. She turned back to TJ.

"TJ," she leaned closer to his face. "I'm going to give you this medicine now. Just a poke, it won't hurt much."

She set the syringe beside her, gently taking the collar of his coat and shirt, exposing his healing wound, the skin red from the stitches. She then reached for the syringe again, ready to poke it into the soft part of his shoulder when she found herself startled by strikingly blue eyes.

"Shit!" She jumped and then laughed lightly. "You scared the fuck outta me," she looked at him, "how are you doing?"

He squinted through his pain and focused on the syringe in her hand. "What is that?"

"Penicillin."

His pale face screwed up, confused. "Where'd you get it?"

"Never mind where I got it," she dismissed him. "It's going to help you. Just hold still, this will be quick."

He tensed up the second she poked him, but she was quick to inject the medicine and discard the syringe. A ragged breath left him and he relaxed again.

"There," she smiled softly, covering him up again. "Wasn't so bad, was it?"

He grimaced. "Never did like shots."

"Can't say I disagree with you." After a moment, Maeve was ready to lay next to him when she noticed he was still looking at her. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and coughed a bit, wincing after. "You were gone for a while."

"Yeah." Her lips thinned, recalling the recent events. A sense of fear entered her bloodstream. And then anger. Fear of those guys, and then anger at the intimidation they tried to pull on them. From the beginning, she knew they were bad news. Even when they had kind smiles and helped them with the infected. David gave her the heebie-jeebies, but Adam...she didn't know what rubbed her the wrong way. Something about him that scared her deeply.

"From that expression," TJ began. "Something happened." He wasn't asking.

"You're very observant for a guy with a bullet wound."

"I know how to read people."

She sighed. "So you've said."

Wincing, TJ tried to get up. "Don't get up!" Maeve pressed her hand to his non-injured shoulder, forcing him back down. Perhaps he wasn't trying to get up, she thought, maybe he wanted to roll onto his better side. Either way, she hovered over his face, staring into his blue eyes.