Hidden Truths|| The Last of Us fanific (Sequel)

Part 13

Devyn stood up and hugged Taylor, feeling Taylor's arms tighten around her.

"I thought you'd be dead by now.." Taylor chuckled.

"Yeah well, I was pretty close to it."

They pulled away and Taylor took a look at the men in front of her. 

"You must be Joel Miller."

"Yeah." Joel grunted.

"Sorry, it's just that you're kinda infamous for well.. you know, taking out a lot of men."

"Yeah, I think I got it thanks.."

"Hey, no need to get all grumpy, I just keep up on a lot. Rowan, Blake-"

She turned to look at them and tried to peer around them, not seeing her other recruit. "Where's Parker?"

Rowan and Blake went silent. Blake looked away with shame and Devyn had to speak for them.

"Parker got infected.. they didn't make it."

Taylor sighed in disappointment, "A shame really.. Parker was new, but they were one of my best soldiers.. I hope they're at peace."

Blake sighed and nodded, "I gave them a proper burial. Can we uh.."

"Yes! Please, come in. Again I'm sorry about the misunderstanding, these guys have a new post."

Taylor let them in and Devyn looked around at the town, stands outside, buildings running as bars and weapon shops, she even saw a few dogs running around, but no kids. 

"You guys aren't kid friendly?" She asked.

"More like short on women.. a lot of people died at the South Dakota base. While the mothers and children were hiding, they were the majority in the explosion with a few fathers, so very few of us reside here."

"I see.."

Taylor took them to the motel where most residents and guests stayed at. Devyn set her bag down and took off the layers of jackets she had on as well as Blake and Joel, while Rowan said his goodbyes to head back to his own place in the weapons building for his research.

Devyn sat down as she let out a comfortable sigh of relief, "Oh my god my feet.."

Taylor sat down in a nearby chair after handing her, Joel, and Blake a cup of hot tea as she chuckled.

"I suppose it was a long trip huh?"

"You have no idea." Blake groaned.

"Well, since I wasn't expecting you to be here, why don't we cut to the chase,"

Devyn had her full attention on Taylor.

"Why you here?"

Devyn set her cup down, "Taylor, do you remember back when we were younger, I had told you that I was different than other people?"

"Well yeah, you just didn't specify."

Devyn lifted her left shirt sleeve and pulled down her shirt collar to show off her two bites that were scarred over. Taylor's eyes widened, and she nodded hesitantly.

"Okay.. that was not what I was expecting. Again, I'm surprised you're not dead. You're immune, so what?"

"The effects of an infected are starting to deconstruct her body. She's starting to become one." Joel chimed in. "It started a few months ago. We're not sure if it's stress or what, but it's bad."

"Taylor, my behavior when I'm in combat, I become savage, merciless, I'm.. who killed your crusade this past month."

Taylor sat back and rubbed her forehead, " Oh man.. well no wonder I got no reports. Here, let me see," She took Devyn's arm and looked over it, "How long ago was this one?"

"Um, I don't know, two months maybe? Time with these kind of fade."

"Well I'm no expert, but I think your immunity is fading."

"Yeah we figured that, what's your point?" Joel snapped.

"The cordycep cells in your body that makes you immune, they must have been spreading rapidly and must have cause some sort of clot, have you been having trouble eating? Have a loss of memory?"

"No, I just rarely have an appetite, and there's just little things I can't remember, it's been fuzzy."

"Bingo, so what it's doing is it's infecting your brain, it's killing whatever is making you immune and it's killing your brain's cells. It's driving you to be insane in an intense setting. I might have resources here, but if we don't get you help, eventually it's going to kill you."

Devyn felt panic rise in her chest and her hands started shaking. "B-but.."

Joel interrupted Devyn, "But the immune person has raised immunity responses caused from the aggression of the fungus growing, are you saying that it's causing the opposite for Devyn?"

"Maybe, but then again I don't exactly know what's going on in her system, I would like to take you to the lap where Rowan works along with other scientists to have you tested, see what we can do to stop this from happening."

Joel took Devyn aside for a moment, "Dev, are you sure we can trust her?"

"I told you, Taylor has sources, she built this all on her own, if she has what we need.. then we have no choice but to trust what she's giving us, what she's giving me Joel. If something goes wrong I'm sure you'll know."

Joel hesitated and shook his head before having to agree. "Okay,"

Devyn nodded and turned to Taylor, "I'll do it. But for every test you want, I have to agree first."

"Devyn, I'm not dumb, of course I'll have your consent."

Taylor stood up, leading Devyn out of the motel, leaving Joel and Blake alone.

Joel knew something was wrong deep down in his gut, there was always something, but he just needed his wife's safety as the first priority. He had to wait.

Blake cleared his throat, "You know what you're doing right?"

Joel turned to him, "No, but what choice do I have?"

"Joel, I trust you, and of course I trust Taylor and Rowan, but from experience, I would just be cautious of them."

"What do you mean?"

"Taylor and Devyn weren't always this friendly with each other I guess, someone else who was in the crusade with them back in South Dakota, I guess they said that they got in a lot of fights, only because it was Taylor in Devyn's shadow."

"No shit.."

"All I'm saying is that something went down with them before Devyn left, something bad happened, but no one will even mention it. So if I were you, just keep a sharp eye. They may be helping.. but I wouldn't give in all of the trust."

Joel could do nothing but nod and think, a conflict that happened between the three of them, a conflict that could result in something terrible. He couldn't do anything, not now. He needed to remain anonymous of what he know, but what concerned him was that Devyn never said anything about it.

Either she blocked it out because of trauma, or it screwed her up to the point where it's just a blank memory that had to be forced out.

All Joel and Blake had to do now.. 

was wait.