The Best Of Us. (Ellie X Male Reader)

Before Jackson

Spring. Salt Lake City.

Saint Mary's Hospital.

"Welcome to the Fireflies. Sorry about the..." Marlene points at her nose, indicating the damage Joel received from one of her members.

"They didn't know who you were." She continues.

"And Ellie?" Joel was anxious about the girl. Travelling across the country, almost losing her before they were brought to the hospital.

"She's alright. They brought her back." Joel was relieved to hear that. He rested his head down on the bed, catching his breath.

"You came all this way... How'd you do it?"

"It was her. She fought like hell to get here. Maybe it was meant to be." Joel slowly, fighting through the pain in his body to sit up.

"I lost most of my crew crossing the country." Marlene got up from her seat, turning her back towards Joel.

"I pretty much lost everything." Now turning to face him. "And then you show up, somehow we find you just in time to save her. Maybe it was meant to be." Marlene told Joel. Then it hits him.

"Take me to her."

"You don't have to worry about her anymore. We'll take care of-"

"I worry. Just let me see her please." Joel cuts Marlene off. The woman let out a sigh.

"You can't. She's being prepped for surgery." Now Joel is confused.

"The hell you mean, surgery?" Gotten up to his feet, facing her with his angry eyes. Something isn't right.

"The doctors tell me that the cordyceps, the growth inside her, has somehow mutated. It's why she's immune. Once they remove it, they'll be able to reverse engineer a vaccine. A vaccine Joel." But Joel isn't concerned about the vaccine. His only concern is Ellie.

"But it grows all over the brain."

"It does." Marlene replied and Joel is getting frustrated.

"Find someone else."

"It's too late for that now. She's the only hope left."

"Listen, you're gonna show me wher-"

One of the Fireflies grunts kicked Joel by his knee, dropping him.

"Stop." Marlene interfered, stopping any further assault. Looking down at Joel, her eyes are filled with emotions, gripping her fists hard.

"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."

"Then why are you letting this happen?" Joel protest.

"Because this isn't about me. Or her. There's no time for us." Marlene countered.

Joel then sat up on the floor, looking up at her.

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

"March him outta here. He tries anything, shoot him. Don't waste this gift Joel." With that, she left the room. The grunt walked over to Joel.

"Get up." But Joel's unfazed. The grunt then pointed his gun at him.

"I said get up." He reluctantly got up from the floor and moved out of the room, slowly. The grunt keeps pushing him until he eventually stop his track.

"The fuck you doing? Keep walking. I said keep walking-"

Joel quickly turned around, grabbed the gun from him, and pinned him against the wall, followed by two hits to the grunt's face with the gun.