t/w for blood, religious themes, and death
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It was a blur. A bloody blur. They were fighting this dude, named Ferris, an associate of some guy Flower had fought years ago, and then Ellie jumped in front of Winnie. She was bleeding out. Winnie shouted her name, while Rosette and Carlotta went after Ferris.
Winnie got on the ground next to Ellie, gathering her into her arms. "No, no, no, why did you do that?" She asked in a panicked whisper. In response, the redhead placed a bloodied hand against her girlfriend's cheek.
"Hey," She breathed. "It's okay. I'm fine."
Winnie shook her head. "No, you're not," She said. She had no idea how to treat injuries. Out of all the things her mother prepared her for, dealing with injuries just was not one of them. Maybe because she expected her daughter to be perfect and to never get hurt. If she got hurt, that would mean she failed. But Winnie didn't even need it for herself right now. What only made matters worse was that they were in the middle of nowhere, far away from any hospitals. "God, you better not die."
Ellie smiled, now poking Winnie's cheek. "I'm not gonna die, I'm too stubborn for that," She said. Anyone who knew Ellie Maxwell could tell you she had survived everything up to this point by pure stubbornness. By digging her heels in and telling death "nuh-uh".
Winnie would have laughed if this situation wasn't so dire. "You're an idiot." But the situation wasn't dire enough for her to not call her stupid.
"Yeah, but I'm your idiot," Ellie said in a sing song voice, continuing to poke Winnie's cheek and Winnie nodded. "You're right," She agreed, her voice shaking. She kissed the redhead's cheek. "You're my idiot."
Ellie then looked towards the sky. The sunset sky after the storm. "The sky's so pretty," She said a little randomly and Winnie looked up as well. "It is, isn't it?" She agreed, smiling.
"Do you think I'm going to Heaven?"
Winnie's head snapped back towards Ellie. "What?"
"Do you think I'm going to Heaven?" Ellie repeated. She was still staring at the sky. "When I die."
"I... I don't know, Elle," Winnie answered honestly. She wasn't familiar with biblical lore and all that, but she was very familiar with Ellie's religious trauma. "But you're not gonna die. Not now, you're not."
Winnie had to force herself to ignore the fact that Ellie's breathing was rapidly becoming shallow. That Ellie's blood was on her hands and arms.
Ellie smiled. "I love you, Winnie," She whispered, giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips.
"I love you too, Ellie," Winnie said, smiling back at the redhead, whose gaze was directed towards the sky again.
"Can you take my hearing aids out?" Ellie then asked. "I... I want it to be quiet."
Winnie nodded and did just as Ellie asked her. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Ellie's hand dropped from Winnie's shoulder and she felt her blood run cold.
"Ellie?" Winnie breathed her name, shaking Ellie slightly. She put Ellie's hearing aids back in. "Ellie! Ellie, wake up! Ellie, please!" She continued shaking her, shouting her name, as if it would bring her back. It took a minute before it finally hit her.
Ellie was completely limp and ice cold to the touch.
All Winnie could do was scream.
All she remembers after that is Carlotta pulling her away.
