"Ellis?" Nick said, looking around the abandoned evacuation center at the CDC building. "Hey El, I'm sorry alright? Now where are you?" "Ellis sweetie, if you're hiding please just come out. Its okay. We're here, Nick said he was sorry." Rochelle soothed. Hoping that he was hiding and that'd he'd come out. They'd been holding onto him ever since that one hunter got him.. And made him look, unusual. That one hunter.. Then, they saw it. Coming out of a shadowed doorway. "B-Boy is that you?" Coach asked, looking at the new dead looking Ellis, he had claws and his complexion was paler. Ellis moved closer to them, he was standing. But more bent than usual. He had tears in his eyes, "Shoot me.." He said, wanting all of it to end. "Shoot me!" Rochelle covered her mouth and started to cry lightly. She shook her head, "I wanna go home.." He muttered. "Ellis no, you cant just give up!" Nick said, moving close to Ellis and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Kid, I'm not going to let you die.." He said to Ellis. Wanting him to believe that maybe they would find an evac center with actual people that could help him. But Nick knew, if they did. They'd shoot him in a heartbeat.

"Nick, I ain't that stupid like you may think I am." Ellis responded, looking up at the man. "Never said you were." The conman smirked. "Look, Ellis, you just have to believe. Alright? We're gonna make it. We all are." Nick added. "Nick.. I dunno.." Ellis muttered, looking down and covering his face with the bill of his hat. "Awright look, what we need to do is get out of here. Now everyone just focus and lets go." Coach said, waiting for them impatiently. Rochelle nodded and looked at Coach sadly, wiping her eyes and sniffling. Coach looked at her and said, "C'mon Ro'. We'll move ahead." She nodded and they started to continue on their path, leaving Nick alone with Ellis.

"Nick, I-I want yew to shoot me.. Yer the only one." Ellis said hoping that maybe Nick would listen. "No Ellis! I wont!" Nick defended, how could he shoot the only person that wouldn't comment on his smart remarks? Nick began to care for him, he couldn't. He didn't have that drive like he used to. He wasn't a cold hearted person like he was before, he began to have emotions and not just for Ellis. If anything happened to Rochelle or Coach; Nick wouldn't be able to shoot them either. Ellis then picked up his hat and threw it to the ground angrily. "Shoot me!" He yelled, staring straight into Nick's eyes. "Please..! I don't wanna be like this!" "El.." The only thing Nick could say. He felt bad for him, he was just a child in this. He lost his family and now he wanted to go "home" to be with them. What was so wrong with that? Nick understood, but he wanted to have Ellis here. He wanted to be able to talk to him, talk to him like a friend. Not talking and feeling fear in the back of his mind, thinking of how he could attack himself in the matter of seconds. Leaving him dead or in Ellis' position. It wasn't right. "I'm sorry okay? I should've been there!" He said, thinking of how Ellis was just in the next room looking for supplies. They heard the hunter but they thought it was more ahead. The scream Ellis let out was, more terrifying than the hunter's screech. All heads turned back and they ran back to Ellis, just to see him laying on the floor in his own pool of blood. Having the hunter dead on top of him. It was sad. Nick felt like it was his fault for not even realizing that the hick had stopped talking. "That's just it Nick! You were there! But you did nothing..!" He yelled again at him What was a young naïve boy to do when there was an extra room? He didn't know, they need more supplies and he thought he'd be the brave one and go in. not requesting anyone's help only saying, 'Naw don't worry bout it, I got this.' Not even knowing the risks of that. But no one rejected it, they just nodded and agreed to walk to slowly ahead and wait. Who's fault is it?

"I get it! I get it okay? I understand what happened! I don't need you reminding me of what I could've done! I could've stayed with you! I could've gone in there with you.. But you said no!" Nick shouted, making Ellis shrink inside. Nick tugged his own hair out of aggravation. He was angry, sad, regretful. He knew what he did, and what the other two did. The two that are now leaving them. Leaving them alone.

Then out of no where, as if nothing else could go wrong, one little red dot was on Ellis' temple. Nick didn't notice at first, but when he did he looked at Ellis sadly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry.. You're going to get what you want.. I promise. Just close your eyes and think of your family, okay?" Nick soothed, wanting the boy to have good thoughts before he went. He teared up, looking at him. "I've gotcha… Okay?" Nick said, wrapping his arms around Ellis. Ellis looked up at him and his lips started to quiver. "Th-Thank ya Nick.." He replied, he wasn't sure what was going on. But he just obeyed what the gambler had said and closed his eyes. Not just thinking of his family, but thinking of his friend closest friend; Nick. Nick squeezed the younger boy tight, closing his eyes as well, trying not to let out the tears that were threatening to come out. Ellis on the other hand let his tears come out. He wasn't making any noise, but he just let them seep out. As if he'd been hiding them forever.

Ellis wrapped his arms around Nick just in time for that one yell that everyone, and I mean everyone could hear in that building. Fire.. And just as it was said; there was one shot, and it landed perfectly in the boys temple. Casting blood to go all over Nick's face and suit, the suit he always complained having blood on it. The boy fell limp in Nick's arms, and the serious man finally let his tears out he'd been covering up and just cried, no not cried. Sobbed. He fell to his knees and held Ellis in his arms, crying over him begging for him to come back. Now Nick was alone. He was alone… And there was nothing he could do. Just sit there and wish that he was smarter about that god for saken room. If only..