The Last of Us: Final Resort

Chapter 18 - Uncharted Horizons

Minnesota - Denver, May
2042

Ellie and Cat were chilling in the truck, while Abby took the wheel. They were chatting about random stuff, from the latest gossip to what snacks they were gonna grab later. Suddenly, Cat nudged Ellie and whispered, "Hey, does Joyce still look like she's mad at us? She's been dead quiet this whole time". Ellie glanced over at Joyce, who had her face buried under her hoodie and arms crossed in a clear sign of annoyance. "Yep, she's still giving us the silent treatment," she whispered back, barely holding back a chuckle.

Taking a deep breath, Cat made a bold move and decided to involve Joyce in their conversation, despite Ellie's warning not to disturb her. "Oh boy, here we go," Ellie muttered, her voice tinged with concern and mischief, as she watched Cat approach Joyce. Cat leaned over and gently shook Joyce's shoulder, hoping she wouldn't get mad at her for disturbing her peace. But to her horror, Joyce didn't react at all. No flinching, no angry curses—nothing.

Cat's heart raced with worry as she exchanged a panicked glance with Ellie. "Um, Ellie, I think something's wrong. Joyce isn't moving at all," she whispered, her voice filled with concern.
Ellie nervously leaned over, muttering under her breath, "Oh man, Joyce, you always make me worry," as she reached out to check Joyce's pulse on her wrist. Her voice was filled with a mix of concern and frustration, showing just how anxious she was about Joyce's well-being. Then she carefully touched Joyce's throat, gently pulling back her hoodie to reveal her face. Feeling her heartbeat, Ellie let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, she's just sleeping," she said, her voice filled with relief. "But seriously, how does she manage to sleep so quietly through all this noise? And without even snoring? It's like she's in a deep coma or something".

Ellie shook her head in disbelief, exchanging bewildered looks with Cat. "Geez, I wish I could sleep like that," she joked, a hint of envy in her voice. "And hey, at least she didn't wake up when I checked her pulse and throat. Can you imagine if she'd suddenly bolted awake screaming? That would've been quite the shocker!" They both laughed, impressed by Joyce's remarkable ability to sleep soundly in any situation. On the other side, Lev didn't look surprised at all, but instead, he seemed eager to share something with them.
"Hey guys, you know how Joyce can sleep through anything, right?" Lev began, but before he could continue, Joyce abruptly woke up, her eyes darting around wildly as if she were trying to escape from some unseen terror. She appeared extremely frantic, her body trembling as if she were experiencing a panic episode. Ellie and Cat exchanged shocked glances, never seeing Joyce so scared before.

Ellie extended her arm, softly resting her hand on Joyce's shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. "Hey, Joyce, it's alright," she said gently, her voice filled with reassurance. "You're with us now. You're safe. It's just a nightmare". But Joyce appeared trapped in the clutches of her nightmare, her eyes wide with fear and her breathing erratic. She didn't even acknowledge Ellie's presence, completely consumed by whatever terror had gripped her.
"Joyce, can you hear me?", Ellie's voice quivered with growing anxiety as she repeated her question, her concern deepening with each passing second, "What's wrong?". Joyce's response was barely audible, her words trembling and incoherent. "Someone... please... fire," she whispered, her voice thick with fear. "Joyce, it's okay, you're safe now," Ellie murmured gently, her tone filled with compassion, "I'm right here with you. You're just having a bad dream".  She continued to speak in a gentle tone, trying to calm Joyce's panicked breathing. "Shh, it's alright," Ellie whispered, her hand still resting on Joyce's shoulder. "Just listen to my voice, okay? You're okay". With a gentle touch, Ellie reached out and softly stroked Joyce's cheek, hoping to bring her back in reality, "Joyce, it's me, Ellie. You're here with me and Cat. You're safe".