Starhoppers

27 - Bone Deep

The door to the weapon's chamber shut behind us, cutting off Ellie's longing gaze. I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ralph'll get out when he can. Don't worry."

Ellie didn't respond, her eyes on the door as Serena spoke. "You'd better start moving, you two. The others are already having trouble at the door upstairs. I'm not sure how much time you'll have before the parasite discovers you're down here."

"God..." I sighed, rubbing at my cheeks. "Come on, Ellie."

She groaned. "This is a nightmare," she said. "I hope they'll be alright."

I shrugged. "They have the flamethrower. I'd be more worried about our odds."

Bit tapped his legs against my shoulder as Serena spoke. "According to the map of the facility, there appears to be an elevator of some kind about a half-mile north of this location," she said. "Take the first right up ahead."

"Half a mile is nothing," Ellie said as she jogged. "We'll cover that in no time. Maybe we can catch up with the others before they make it outside."

"Let's not get too quick," I murmured anxiously, falling into step beside her. "I don't want to get up there before Ezra clears the way for us."

Ellie sighed, staring at her hazy reflection in the floor as she walked. "It's nice to think we're walking alongside them, just a floor apart," she said. "But who knows if they've even made it this far."

"They'll be okay. Ezra will figure it out. He's good at that kinda thing."

Ellie nodded, avoiding my gaze as we turned the corner. I continued. "Hey... I'm sorry about Calpurnia. There was nothing more you could've done."

She peered at me carefully, studying my face before speaking. "I just wish she would've listened."

"She was afraid," I said. "I don't think she would've ever understood, even if we'd given her an hour. It isn't your fault."

"I'm not sure I can blame her," she shrugged. "This is her home, Zach."

I sighed. "Ellie..."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, brushing me away. "I guess you're right. I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I'm not excited about it either," I nodded. "But risking the safety of the rest of the galaxy isn't worth saving a village."

"What if it was your village? What if it was us?"

I sighed, shrugging. "Well... thankfully it isn't."

Serena spoke from my shoulder. "Take this left up ahead. I've been attempting to locate anything in the network that might let me monitor the halls visually, but I've had no luck, so you'd best keep your ears open."

"That's alright, Serena," I said, turning the corner. "Thanks for trying."

Ellie remained silent for a few minutes, her gaze burning into the side of my face. I eventually gathered the strength to face her. She spoke. "Thanks again for coming after me, Zach. I don't think I would've been able to pull myself back up alone."

"I'd do it again a hundred times if I had to," I said, frowning. "Though... I can still feel that fall in my spine, I think."

Ellie chuckled softly, grabbing the lower hem of her shirt. "I'm pretty sure I'll have this bruise for a couple years at least," she said, lifting her shirt. "How does it look?"

I followed her gaze, spotting a deep red patch above her hip, blue specks dotting the skin where the bruise was beginning to form. My gaze drifted briefly across her skin, my heartbeat quickening in my chest as I glanced away. "That... doesn't look great."