Is It The Last Of Us

Chapter Twenty-Six

2 Years Earlier

I reached the Pediatrics department at Saint Mary's Hospital, my nerves completely shot.

I wanted to believe Joel, but I couldn't fight the urge to come back here and look around. 

Why would this place be empty if they were still finding a cure? Why would they leave?

Looking through all the rooms and hallways, nothing was there. 

I inhaled as I made my way to a surgical suit. 

The door creaked open, faint blood and burn stains still on the tile. 

Nothing was there but some empty boxes. 

I went back outside, brushing Shimmer as a light sprinkle started. 

" You make me feel so extrodinary, cause you've got this hold on me. I get this feeling when your around me, trying to forget my feelings. I never thought the day would come that I would be this happy ever again. You are the shade before the morning sun. The sun that keeps my cold heart warm. To the child that never Knew what love was, she will never leave your side." 

" Ellie!" I heard Joel yell in the distnce. 

Tracker's huffs hit the cememnt of the inerstate. 

Tracker darted lft, Joel spotting me. 

" Ellie!" He callled again, basically jumping off of Tracker, running towards me. 

He pulled me into a hug. " The hell were you thinkn'? Runnin' off in the middle of the night like that?

He broke off the hug. " If you wanted to come back here, I would have come with you." 

" Where is everyone Joel!" I shouted, distant thunder shouted. " Don't fucking lie to me either, cause if you do, I'm gone. You will never see me again." 

I paused. " If you tell me the truth, I'll go back to Jackson, no matter what it is." 

I wanted to stay calm, but seeing those stains... something just snapped in me. 

Joel sighed, looking down, then took a recorder out of his pocket, handing it to me. " Sit down." 

I took it, sitting down. 

There was a piece of ducktape on it, my name slightly smired. 

I took a deep breath and pressed play. 

" Ellie," Marlene said, exhailing. " You are so much like your Mother... I couldn't bare lossing you. The thing's I've done....the things my people have done... they were all for nothing. I have no fucking idea why I thought there could be a vaccine made for a fungal based virus. I am so sorry Ellie, for making you come all the way here, for making you push away Riley's death to focus on this. Quill, Joel, I'm leaving it to you to get Ellie out of here. Tell her whatever you can think of, please don't tell her the truth. It'll kill her. I don't know how much time I have left... the infected are banging on my door... should I just let them in? My dearist Ellie... don't hate Joel... hate me..." 

The recording stopped, a few clicks sounded, and the video tape started again. 

On the twelth listen, I stopped the tape. 

" Did you kill all of them?" I asked, gripping my chest. 

He paused. " Yes."

" I don't know how to.. feel right now." 

" Let's get inside." Joel said. 

" Yeah." 

Presant Day