Save each other // Joel Miller

Giggle

Sophie had just started relaxing a little when Tommy and Maria came out with alcohol. She shot right back up into a stiff position. She didn't like drinking alcohol in-front of strangers. It lead to too many slips of information and dumb mistakes.

She watched as Ellie practically snatched the glass off the table and admired the liquid. Tommy and Maria left theirs on the table, and stood there, watching Ellie with amusement. Sophie let her gaze move to Joel, who was reaching for the glass. He looked up at her through his lashes and nodded, silently acknowledging her glance. Her heart leapt into her throat and that uncontrollable feeling of tightening knots lined her stomach. She watched him shoot back the drink in one gulp and spin the glass slowly in his hand. Her eye fell to his lips and she shivered all the way down to her toes. How can this guy be so handsome and fucking terrifying at the same time.

Sophie was so distracted with her thoughts that she missed the amused expression on his face. He shifted slightly in his chair.

"You, ah... gonna drink that, darlin'?" His accent was heavy and southern. She couldn't tell if he was just talking low or if he was playing with her head. Either way it hit her dizzy. She reluctantly reached for the glass and picked it up carefully, like it would shatter if she moved to quickly. Swirling the whiskey with a small motion she brought it up to her nose and took in the aroma.

It brought her back to memories before the infected took over. When her brother would bring her to poker night and the smell of amber alcohol and cigarettes filled the room. She hated the smell before but now, it felt like a drug. Without giving herself another chance to debate it, she took a swig and swallowed hard as the whiskey burned down her throat.

"I didn't think she'd ever drink it!" Ellie joked to Tommy and he laughed with her. Sophie could feel her cheeks turn red and she set the glass back down on the table.

"It's... ah... been a while." Sophie said, fidgeting with her sling.

"Well I'll be damned, she does say more than 'I want out of here' and 'I'm not infected'" Tommy said with a crude impression of Sophie. Maria shot him a look but before she could lecture, something stopped everyone in their places.

Sophie giggled.

She didn't mean for it to come out but Tommy was so damn ridiculous all the time and he had worn her down. It was just the tipping point when he copied her high pitched quiet voice and she couldn't help it. She felt all the blood rush to her head and she cleared her throat.

"I'd like to go, I think. Thank.. thank you for the hospitality and I hope you make a full recovery." Sophie stammered over her words while standing. Giving Joel a quick glance she noticed his slightly amused expression. She felt her cheeks turn crimson.

"We can walk you home, no need to rush." Maria said calmly as she made her way to the door and opened it for her. Tommy stood his ground with a big goofy grin.

"I'm stickin' around. Looks like I gotta finish misses drink here. Plus, there are some things I need to discuss with Joel about his physical therapy anyway." Tommy made his way over to the chair where Sophie was sitting and plopped himself down with a thud. Maria rolled her eyes but shook his words off with a smile. Sophie could tell Maria was used to Tommy's carefree attitude and she had thought to herself more than once how good of a couple they made.

"Hey! It was nice to meet you. Formally, I guess. And, ah, thank you. For everything you did." Ellie said to Sophie as she made her way to the open door. She stopped before leaving and looked back to the three sitting in chairs. Sophie smiled as warm as she could and gave a small wave. This was not how she planned this interaction being. She didn't feel any more closer to leaving and she silently cursed herself for it. They weren't keeping her here against her will but deep down she knew she has just let her guard down a little too much. She turned on her heels and looked straight down at her feet before walking past Maria and out into the now dark streets.

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Joel could still hear her small laugh ringing in his ears, like morning church bells. He couldn't focus on the ever growing frustrated Tommy that was trying to talk with him about god knows what.

"Pay attention brother!" Tommy snapped his fingers in-front of Joel's face, taking him out of his trance abruptly. "I think we need to figure out a way to get her to stay." He leaned into his chair with a satisfied grin, knowing he now had Joel's full attention.

"Why the hell would we do that?" Joel asked slightly annoyed. It was clear Tommy knew her wishes to leave, so why fight her on it?

"Right dude, she is very admit about splitting. Like to the point that she won't even tell us her name! Cause we will get attached or some shit like that." Ellie agreed with Joel. She took a sloppy gulp of her glass and set it on the table. Joel swiftly grabbed it and shot the rest of the liquid before Ellie could even react.

"What the hell man?!" She pouted and crossed her arms. Tommy ignored Ellie and continued.

"Joel, I saw the way she handled you after everything went down. She acted like a medical professional, well before she passed out on top of you." Tommy shifted his elbows onto his knees and looked directly into Joel's skeptical eyes. "I think she's a good addition to Jackson. We could always use more medics. Plus she fought like hell to save you and Ellie. It just doesn't sit right with me to just watch her walk out on us. All by herself."

"How do you know she is actually by herself?" Joel shot back. He had to be devil's advocate here because a large part of him didn't want to argue. He was surprised in his feeling to keep her around even though he knew nothing about her.

"Oh come on. She stole a horse in a snow storm, rode to an already occupied facility, and has been here for weeks without a single scout finding another living person near by." Tommy took a hard last drink of his alcohol before slamming the glass on the table upside down and stood up.

"I'm not saying we hog tie 'er up or anythin' Joel. I'm just saying we should try to make her feel comfortable and welcome here. Keep 'er interested and maybe she will be our next doctor." And with a shrug and a backward wave, he walked out of the door. Right before he left earshot he called out.

"Oh yeah! And I'll come by tomorrow and show Ellie all the fun little tricks she's gotta teach ya to get you movin' and groovin' again!" Then he was gone.

"What?! Why can't the nurse come by and do that stuff with you?" Ellie pouted even more, rocking her chair back and forth on two legs.

"Because she's busy and you're obligated to me." Joel replied with a smirk before he shoved her chair back down, sending her forward a bit and she scoffed. Ellie began grabbing the empty glasses and stacking them on top of each other.

"Oh Ellie, I can get those." Joel began to protest but Ellie had already made it to the kitchen door frame with the dirty dishes.

"Stay in your seat, old man. I got it. But I ain't washing them, that's for sure." She smiled tauntingly before making her way to the kitchen sink.

Joel was left alone in the room and he moved his wheelchair to line next to the couch. Lifting with his arms he shifted his weight and got himself onto the furniture before kicking off his boots and laying back onto a pillow left on there for sleeping.

"Hey, Ellie." Joel called out while working his hands behind his head to get comfortable.

"Yeah?"

"You think Tommy's right? That we should convince 'er to stay?"

Ellie walked back into the living room and leaned against the door frame with her shoulder.

"I don't know. I have this gut feeling about her that I can't put my finger on. She has to be good people but she seems to fight any human connection." She responded, deep in her own thoughts.

"Sounds like someone I know." Joel smiled to himself as he finally got comfortable and closed his eyes.

"Har Har" Ellie mockingly laughed back and turned off the lights. "Night Joel." And with that she left, closing the door with a click behind her.

Joel drifted off into sleep while taking a second to replay Sophie's laugh in his head one more time.