Joel's Resurgence - What if Joel didn't die?

Luck

The sound of metal against flesh is heard throughout the old ski lodge, followed by blood curdling shouts of agony and pain.

The basement living room window is covered in blood where it meets with the floor, bloody and bruised, almost unrecognisable, he lays face down on the cold, solid concrete floor as he is struck over and over by what he  would classify as an old piece of sport equipment, but they only see as another weapon.

He begins to lose consciousness and struggles to breath as he is constantly winded over and over.

In the corner of his eye he sees Ellie slowly opening the door leading into this room and walking in, she's grabbed which leads to an all out brawl between her and the attackers.

She's eventually pinned to the floor same as him 

One of the other attackers walk up to the one wielding a golf club and tell them to hurry up or they will be surrounded

"Joel, get up."

Joel looks at Ellie from across the room and tries his hardest to smirk

"Joel, fucking get up."

The main attacker raises the golf club getting ready for the final blow, as horses are heard from outside the front

The attacker drops the club and looks behind her towards the noise, her eyes widen briefly and then proceed to match her angry expression once again

"Fuck, they're faster than I thought..."

Another attacker speaks up

"What do we do?"

Both the 'leaders' look at the rest of their group

"What do you think? Let's fucking go!"

What looks like the youngest attacker pulls out his pistol heading towards Ellie, but is pushed back by his comrades

"We can't leave witnesses, he'll barely make it a week but she's strong..."

The male leader pipes up

"We don't have time. Let's go!"

The leaders head out the back followed by all the attackers apart from the youngest, who walks up and kicks Ellie straight in the side of the face, knocking her out cold.

"Ellie?"

Dina shakes Ellie and she slowly wakes up and then remembers what happened before, Ellie goes to say something but Dina stops her

"Before you say anything, Joel is alive, we're taking him to the doctor in town so he can get treatment asap"

Ellie lets out a sigh of relief and then broke down into tears into Dina's arms

"They...they almost killed him"

Dina hugs Ellie and begins to soothe her

"Shh...I know, how about we get outta here?"

Ellie looks up at Dina wipes her nose on her sleeve

"Yeah, let's go"