That's all it took, she thought, staring off into the sky, trying to block out the sounds of Joel digging into the earth. With each shovelful of dirt he removed it was just another weight added to her shoulders. She could have prevented this, she should have known. She should of-!
"Ellie, I need your help." Joel's voice broke her from her chanting, she looked over to him, taking in the sight at hand. Two shallow holes, side by side with two bodies, side by side, she felt sick.
"Ellie." He repeated, eyes trained on the girl's figure as she stood and made her way over, almost like an infected herself. Joel gave a sigh, knowing that this would impact the child and haunt her. Death seemed to surround the two, like a suffocating cloud that choked out any light.
"Y-yeah." She stuttered out, trying desperately to ignore the brothers bodies placed next to their respective holes. A warm wind blew back, the scent of blood making its way past her nose, causing her to swallow back vomit.
"Help me roll 'em in." She nodded, making her way next to Sam, hands trembling. Her knees connected with the bloodied ground and she tried to focus solely on Joel who locked eyes with her.
"On three."
"One."
She could have saved him. Them. She should have gotten bit. Ellie blinked back tears, vomit making its way back up in her throat.
"Two."
She would save them by making it the Fireflies. Her hands shook more as she placed them on his arm, rolling him upward.
"Three."
With a shove, Sam went tumbling down, landing with a soft thud. A thud so similar to the one had made shot to the ground. Ellie quickly struggled to stand, her feet not obeying her demand to run, so instead she stood frozen to the ground.
And there she remained, watching with dead eyes as Joel covered the last to die helping them. She would become the cure in their honor, in Tess's, for Riley! For everyone who had lived and lost to this damn disease.