Safe and Sound

Part 7

As it turns out, Jerry was a doctor, something that took you a full week to realize and that was only because someone had called him 'Doctor Anderson' and he had quickly told them not to call him that, to just use his first name; he had said the same thing to you, but your father taught you manners, so 'Mister Anderson' was all you could call him, otherwise you felt like you would get a quick smack in the back of your neck. In all honesty, Jerry was actually very kind, he put you in a room, at the hospital you had found yourself in, with his daughter; he would check in on you and give you any updates on to see if any of the patrols had found any trail as to where your father had gone. They gave you clean clothes and the water on the level you stayed on was warm, and the company, Jerry's daughter, was good. If you weren't so caught up on trying to find your father, you may actually consider staying.

At the moment you sat across from Abby on the playground merry-go-round, two guards standing on either side of the enclosed area, up until that moment you had been chatting about her adventures with the Fireflies. It was a pity, you had thought, Ellie was so close to the fireflies, and then your dream life could've started. When you lean over and push on the snow covered ground your eyes catch the sight of your horse being brought around the building, and what slung on the side of the saddle was your old bag, filled with your belongings. You hadn't pushed to be let go, maybe because for the first time in months you felt fully safe, nurtured, which sounded so wrong. Once you drag your attention away from the horse as it vanishes from eyesight you see Abby staring at you, obviously confused by your sudden silence. You clear your throat, "So, where are you and your dad going?"

Abby shrugged, "Utah, I think Salt Lake City. They're sending an escort down, apparently the doctor died so they asked for my dad. Cool, right?"

She smiles as you chuckle, "You should come with us, I mean it's been awhile since I've had someone my age to talk to. Plus, my dad really likes you."

With a small smile you nod, "You're dad is pretty cool." Then you pause, looking down at the metal which squeaked as it spun slowly around, your mind wandered from one topic to the next. Then you remember the conversation you had heard between Joel and Ellie, that where they needed to go was Salt Lake City, if the end destination was the same, then you would eventually find them both again. And that was all you wanted, your family back. You glance back to the guards around you and then with a shrug you nod, "I mean, you're not too bad to be around, Gale." Her smile was something you had grown fond of, it was heartfelt and you could tell, it reminded you of Ellie.

It was true, you hadn't minded Abby's company at all, in fact you both grew inseparable during the two weeks they spent in the hospital, staying up all night trading stories, running around the track together. It was nice to have a friend, even if how you found each other wasn't under the best of circumstances.

The guards and the soldiers knew when you were coming to the mess hall, for one the unmistakable laughter and the pitter patter of the two girls sprinting down the halls was pretty obvious. So, after you had won yet another round of whatever it was you had been doing, you turn to face Abby, who was equally out of breath but you could hide your labored breaths a lot easier than her, so you gulped down on your words and then set your hands on the back of your head, following her to the line, trying to start speaking several times but each time you found you were too out of breath. Okay, maybe you both were equally awful at hiding your breathlessness, however, you were better, because you didn't have to lean over and put your hands on your knees like Abby did. So you grinned as you set the food on the two trays, and when you sat down at a table closest to her she sat down beside you. A grin on your face you nudge her as you sip the glass of milk, "I think this makes it...what? I won forty billion times and you won two times? Because I sprained my ankle, mind you but a win is a win and I respect that."