The Last of Us

Chapter LIX

Joel's POV

I wake up in a hospital bed, and I turn my head and see Marlene. She's sitting in a chair.

"Welcome to the Fireflies." She introduces. "Sorry about the..." She points to where I got hit in the head. "They didn't know who you were."

"And Ellie?" I asked slightly moving.

"She's alright. They brought her back." I sigh in relief and lay back down. "You came all this way... How'd you do it?"

I shake my head. "It was her." I swallow. "She fought like hell to get here." I lift my head up. "Maybe it was meant to be." I push myself up, and Marlene gets out of the chair.

"I lost most of my crew, crossing the country." She walks towards a wall. "I pretty much lost everything." She turns and faces me. "And then you show up and somehow we find you just in time to save her." She laughs softly. "Maybe it was meant to be."

I get up and stand up. "Take me to her." I command.

"You don't have to worry about her anymore." Marlene answers. "We'll take care of-" I cut her off, dismissing her thought with my hand.

"I worry. Just let me see her. Please."

Marlene shakes her head and crosses her arms over her chest. "You can't. She's being prepped for surgery." I squint my eyes and walk towards her.

"The hell you mean, surgery?" She puts her hand out, holding me back.

"The doctors tell me that the cordyceps, the growth inside her, has somehow mutated." I feel the guard walk up behind me. "It's why she's immune. Once they remove it, they'll be able to reverse engineer a vaccine. A vaccine." She has tears of joy.

My voice is getting scratchy, but I'm not gonna let myself cry. "But it grows all over the brain."

Marlene looks at me for a while. "It does."

I look at her, afraid. "Find someone else." My voice is still shaky.

"There is no one else." She answers, sternly.

"Listen, you are gonna show me where-" I walk towards her but I'm punched in the back and I fall to the ground.

"Stop." Marlene says, walking to her guard. "I get it. But whatever it is you think you're going through right now is nothing to what I've been through. I knew her since she was born. I promised her mother I would look after her."

I get in my knees, but my hands are still partially on the ground. "Then why are you letting this happen?" I glare at her.

"Because this isn't about me. Or even her. There is no other choice here." I scoff at her in disbelief and I push myself so I'm sitting against the chair.

"Yeah... You keep telling yourself that bullshit."

"March him outta here. He tries anything, shoot him." The guard looks at her. "Don't waste this gift, Joel." She glares at me and then exits the room.

"Get up." The guard commands, and I don't budge. He points his gun at me. "I said get up." I think for a while and look at him, then I push myself onto my feet. "Go on. Move." I walk forward out the door and slow down, he shoves me in the back making me move forward again. "I said move." I grit my teeth and turn to him. "Gimme an excuse." I look at him over my shoulder.

"Which way?" I question and he points right with his gun. I walk that way and I spot my backpack out of the corner of my eye. I keep walking but then stop.

"What the fuck are you doin'? Keep walking." I don't move. "I said keep walking." I turn around and he shoots, missing me and then I take him and twist his arm behind his head and pin him up against the wall, taking his gun and pointing it at his guy.

"Where is the operating room?" I turn him so he's facing me and I push my arm against his throat. He doesn't answer me. "I ain't got time for this." And I shoot him once, he gasps for air. "Where?!" Still no answer. I shoot him again. "Where!"

"Top floor." He chokes out. "The far end." I nod and let him slide down the wall on his knees, then I shoot him in the head and tuck the gun in my pants, retrieving my backpack and slinging it on my shoulders.

"Gun shots! Search the floor!" I hear someone shout.

"Oh shit."

A/N

Chapter 59! This chapter was really short. Happy Pi day! Sorry for updating this late but it's Friday so I don't care! Hope you enjoyed this filler chapter and I'm writing chapter 60 right now. I think this book is gonna be over tonight :( unless I stop and update again tomorrow. I don't want this book to be over oh my gosh. But I'm gonna write The Last of Us- Left Behind after this so yay! Then Tomb Raider, then probably Beyond: Two Souls.

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