outbreak tales

luck

Fuck.

It's the first thing that crosses her mind. She can't say it aloud since her breath is coming out in gasps of blood. Her sight is no better from the skilful punches the blonde threw at her.

She wasn't the only victim, though.

The petite girl turns her head sideways ever so slowly and catches a distinct body on the floor, motionless. On her elbows, she manages to crawl towards it. "Dina?", her voice cracks, "Please... Dina, say something." As she reaches the girl's back, she spots the Hamsa bracelet on her arm. So much for giving good luck, uh... and as though some sarcastic superior being had just heard her thoughts, the Jewish girl moves under the palm of her hand also ever so slowly, "Babe", she grunts and Ellie finally has a moment to breath, "...fuck."

"Couldn't have said better."

The two girls don't know how long it took them to lay down on their backs again but they eventually did. Now, Ellie assists her girlfriend to sit down. "Are you...", she hovers her trembling hand over Dina's stomach, "Are you okay?". Dina sighs and brings their hands to rest on her lap, "I guess, yeah".

"Okay."

They help each other get on their feet, both walking with caution through the seats rows. The brunette licks her dry lips, ferrous taste going down her throat. They push the door open together and immediately hold hands at the view. Jesse's body is at their left on the floor, his round lifeless face soaked in blood - Ellie shields Dina's sight with her shoulders; Tommy's body is just a bit farther, his head no better than Jesse's.

"What are we gonna do?", Dina asks behind shaky hands.

"W- Working on it", she clenches her hands in agony. Yet again she loses those close to her. Yet again, caring about her got people killed. Quit it, Ellie, she berates herself as her breath starts acting up, not the time. She takes a deep breath and looks back from where they came from, them at Dina, "The way we are, we ain't gonna be able to take them back to Jackson by ourselves", Dina nods, "I say we wrap 'em up... and go back for help."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"Good", they nod in agreement and part ways to find sheets and ropes.

The sun is starting to lit up the place when they sit down to assist Jesse and Tommy. Dina silently cries as she turns her ex-boyfriend's body over and over until he's just a cocoon. Ellie wants to say something but she damn sure knows there is not a thing to be said now - neither done, besides covering Tommy as he did to Joel back in the lodge.

"Fuck, Tommy. I'm so sorry", she grabs the rags and sheets she gathered and starts wrapping them around his legs, his hips, the tears build up when she reaches his torso but then she jumps back and as soon as her butt touches the floor again she hops on him eagerly, "Oh God, Tommy?!", Dina looks at her and they both spot the faint ups and downs of his chest. Ellie holds her knife in front of his mouth and they let a wet laugh out when the sharp blade gets foggy.

As they hear through the few days Tommy required to get better, the WLF is practically over. Every couple hours someone would try contact to no avail. Some stranded soldiers ended up going deeper in the island forest, others were shot in the middle of their calls. The trio concluded it was safe to stay at the theater for a while to rest up.

However, time's ticking for Jesse's body.

"We better get a move on", said Tommy. He's sitting on a crate whilst Dina finish changing his blood-soaked bandage.

Ellie's on another crate, cleaning her weapons and fixing her strained arm. She looks at her bracelet and muses she was lucky to be alive after going against that goliath of a woman.