In My Blood - Joel Miller

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Joel woke up with a jolt and sat up quickly. He saw Olivia standing and staring out to the sky with her back turned to him. He rubbed his face and got out of his sleeping bag.

"Morning" you said softly hearing Joel get up. It was still slightly dark out but the sun was about to creep up.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asked concerned, walking over to you.

You shrugged and looked past him to see Ellie still asleep.

"I'll survive" you said quietly.

"Can I make you some coffee?" He asked

You nodded and walked with him to pack up the sleep bags.

While you put some gear in the back seat and in the bed of the truck (around a sleeping Ellie) Joel started making coffee using the camping burner. The sound of the coffee being made woke Ellie up and she sat up looking disgruntled.

"Morning sunshine" you said sarcastically

"What the fuck is that sound?" She asked

"Breakfast" you muttered tossing some gear behind her. She rolled out of the bed of the truck and made her way to investigate the coffee that was being heated up.

She opened it up and smelled it but instantly shot back away from it.

"Uh what the fuck is that?!" She exclaimed in disgust

"What? You don't like coffee?" Joel genuinely asked which got a small and quiet laugh out of you.

After another 20 minutes of packing up, personal hygiene, and cleaning up you three were back on the road.

Joel slurped on the stale coffee from a thermos and Ellie looked at him grossed out.

"Is that seriously what those Starbucks in the QZ used to sell?" Ellie asked

"Well, theirs was a lot fresher than what Bill saved up" Joel replied

"Smells like burnt shit" she muttered.

Joel slurped the coffee even louder just to annoy Ellie. She looked at him with a death glare

"Eyes on the map" he said sternly to her. Ellie had shot gun since Joel didn't trust you with a map. You didn't mind since you got to relax during the ride.

"76 west and then 70 west for like ever. " Ellie said

"Where in Wyoming are we exactly going? Where is your brother located?" You questioned Joel. He looked at you through the rear view mirror.

"Last contact came through a radio tower close to Cody" he said as Ellie looked on the map.

"Damn. That's deep up in there." She said

"And if he's not there?" You continued to question Joel.

"Then odds are he'll be near a settlement. Probably closer to another city out there. Ain't too many of them out there" Joel countered back.

"chey-shy-chey" Ellie stuttered out reading the map

"Cheyenne" Joel corrected.

"Really? What's his name?" She asked.

"Whose name?" Joel asked

"Your brother" Ellie clarified. Your ears perked up. Joel had a choice to dive into some personal family history.

"Tommy" Joel replied quickly.

"Younger or older?" Ellie fired back just as fast. Your eyes went back between both of them.