The Doc

Chapter 5

Alice was coming out of the surgery to enjoy her lunch in the sunshine when Ellie barrelled past her, almost knocking her on her ass. Alice frowned for a second before she realised that something was obviously wrong with the teen. She watchedf as Ellie headed straight for the stables and took a horse. She hoisted herself up into the saddle with ease as Alice called out to her.

"Ellie? Ellie!"

Alice watched as the young girl spurred the horse forward and disappeared out the gate.

"Fuck," she sighed before pulling out her radio. "Tommy, we've got a problem. You need to get to the stables."

"Sorry doc, say again?" Tommy's voice crackled over the old radio. "I didn't hear you."

"Ellie is gone," Alice said as she dashed into the stables to grab her horse. " I just saw her leave. She took one of the horses and just rode off. Get to the stables, I'll have horses ready for you."

"Fuck," Tommy sighed and Alice heard him call for Joel before the radio died.

Tommy and Joel landed at the stable within moments and, with Rodger's help, Alice had three horses ready to go.

"I just saw her riding on outta here," Alice called as the boys approached.

"Go back inside," Tommy called. "Help the others clean the place up."

"Bullshit, Tommy," Alice snapped, hoisting herself into the saddle. "You need me. I saw where she went.

Tommy sighed indignantly but looked over at Joel, who shrugged.

"Fine, c'mon then," he sighed. "Lead the way!"

"Thanks for the help Rodger," Alice called before she spurred her horse forward and out the gate. The brothers followed along behind her. The trio thundered down the dirt track around the outskirts of Jackson.

"She couldn't have gotten far," Tommy called.

Alice, who was currently riding in sync with Joel, looked over and smiled reassuringly.

"We'll find her, don't worry," she murmured.

"Stubborn kid," Joel huffed, making Alice chuckle.

"She usually pull these stunts?" Tommy asked, following the horse tracks.

"Nothing like this," Joel sighed. "I don't know what's going on."

They thundered through an abandoned tunnel and followed the adjacent road in silence. It would have been a picturesque ride if they weren't all incredibly tense and worried about Ellie. Alice looked over to Joel and sighed. His brow was furrowed and his shoulders were tensed. Despite what he might have said, it was obvious that he cared for Ellie.

They dipped off the road and into the thick, overgrown foliage and Tommy piped up.

"Horse tracks. She went into these woods." He called.

"Ellie, what're you thinkin'?" Joel mumbled as they continued down the dirt path, following the tracks. Joel's horse leapt over a log with ease and Alice followed just as she heard a crash. She looked up and saw Joel getting thrown from his horse as a fire burst out in front of him.

"Shit," she muttered, disembarking from her own horse and joining Joel behind the truck. "How many do you see?" She asked him, reloading her pistol.

"Too damn many," Joel muttered as Tommy joined them.

"Go around, I'll cover you."

Alice and Tommy stayed behind the old abandoned trucks as Joel disappeared up the hill to try and ambush the bandits. The trio cleared out the camp with ease.