AN: Okay, moving along here. Just a short disclaimer... I am not a biologist or a doctor whatsoever. Therefore, if I have made a serious, logical error in terms of "connecting the dots" in this chapter then I apologize in advance for that. I'm one-hundred percent sure there will be some people who just straight up and flat out disagree with what will be explained in the content below. That's fine and I would totally understand, but for this story, I plead and hope that you will be able to accept it as canon going forward. Thank you again everyone!
It was a brisk, autumn afternoon and the ground all throughout Jackson was covered in a red, orange and yellow glow. Leaves and pine needles now littered the road through town as fall was in full swing. The previous night's slumber was the best either Joel or Ellie had slept in weeks, both of them relishing snuggling with the other.
Unbeknownst to Ellie, Joel asked Tommy for the day off from their construction duties so he could take her to the health center. After carefully sneaking out of bed early in the morning so as not to wake her, he tiptoed downstairs and spoke with Maria about who to see and who they could trust with their situation. It was early in the afternoon and Joel and Ellie walked side by side as they made their way through town.
"Joel - do we really have to fucking do this?" Ellie asked with a complaining moan behind her voice.
"Ellie - c'mon, we already talked about this - I - "
"I know - but - ugh - I... I don't want to. We've been fine so far - even during that entire year on the road - dealing with shit way worse than anything around here. Do we really have to?" she pleaded, finishing with a slight, humorous snicker.
Besides, you've taken care of me this whole time - why the fuck do we need a doctor all of a sudden?
"Yes - I ain't backin' down on this one. I just... I reckon it's good to get a checkup every once in awhile - make sure everything's alright - ain't a big deal, 'kay?" Joel responded as he gently placed a hand on her small, bony shoulder.
His touch temporarily eased the nerves within her and untied the knot in her stomach. She hadn't seen a doctor in years and the thought of someone other than Joel being close and touching her caused her insides to churn. Suddenly, as if the two of them forgot where they were going, the large, double doors to the health center were now in clear view, surprising and catching them off guard. Ellie's nervousness resurfaced and a pit formed in her stomach. She stopped in her tracks and wrapped a hand around the opposite elbow as she usually does when at odds with a situation. Joel noticed her sudden absence by his side then stopped and turned around as a look of agitation came across his face.
"Ellie... don't make this difficult - I don't wanna do this either. Will ya just work with me here on this one? Please?" he asked with desperation in his voice as he raised his arms in the air.
As much as he loved her playful and at times rebellious personality, her feisty behavior would occasionally grate on him, especially during moments like these. Getting her to engage in something she had no interest in was always difficult and this was no exception.
She slightly opened her mouth and bit her tongue while letting out a sigh as she drooped her head. After anxiously fidgeting her fingers over her elbow, she crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot as a pensive look washed over her, reluctant to respond.
"Oh c'mon now - I know that look. Spit it out girl - go on - I know you got somethin' on your mind," he said with a smirk, towering before her with a hand on her shoulder.
His touch once again eased away the tension and nerves that gripped her.
How does he always, always fucking know? Well - I always know with him - guess it's the same.
"No - I don't wanna," she softly mumbled as she slowly raised her head to meet his eyes with hers.
Joel started playfully poking her, trying to pull out the truth.
"You ain't gettin' off that easy. Now c'mon - tell me kiddo - tell me - tell me baby girl! C'mon - tell me - tell me - I know you want to!" he jokingly said as he continued to poke and prod her.
She finally gave in, jolting backwards and swatting his hands away. However, she had a slight smile across her lips, unable to resist his attempt at lighthearted fun.
"Okay! Okay! Fucking god... fine," she said, finishing her admit of defeat with a muffled laugh.
She reached behind her head and adjusted her pony tail while letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Well - go on then," Joel implored, placing his hands on his hips.
"How can we trust them?" she bluntly asked.
"What you mean? Trust who?"
"The doctor - or whatever... whoever we're seeing - how can we trust them? I mean - what if they find out... you know - about this fucking thing?" she asked with a deadpan stare, pointing to the scar on her arm.
Joel sighed and scratched his beard.
"Look I... I talked with Maria 'bout it this mornin' - "
"So that's where you scampered off to huh? I knew you got up earlier than normal... leaving me," she said with a playful leer.
Joel rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah - ya caught me... anyway, Maria - she personally knows the doc here an' with my permission... I let Maria brief her on the uhh... situation."
Ellie took an aggressive step forward and shoved him. "You fucking what!?" she exclaimed.
"Ellie - it's okay, it's fine - just trust me on this," he calmly responded, gently placing a hand on her shoulder once again.
"But dad - why the fuck... why? That seems stupid and... unlike you - now everyone's gonna know!" she stammered.
"Sweetie - stop - no one's gonna find out. No one knows but Maria, Tommy an' Anne - an' it's gonna stay that way - I swear."
"Anne? Uhh... who the fuck is Anne?" she asked in confusion, the intensity of her tone lessening.
"She's the doc, an' she knows Maria personally - they've been real close friends for years. I had a chat with both of 'em - we can trust her - it'll be okay... have I ever steered my little girl wrong?" he responded with a smile.
Right. That's why he always knows - because he's fucking Joel. He always knows what I need... always - sometimes before I even do. Don't know how he does - but I love it.
Ellie sighed and relaxed her muscles as she looked up at him with an endearing expression.
"Tssht - a few times... but - "
"Oh really? A few times huh? Now when have I ever gone and done that? Reckon you can't even name one," he said with a playful nudge, interrupting her in the process.
She simply smiled back with a sheepish look, knowing she lied through her teeth.
Shit. He even saw through that - he does always know... always.
"Ugh! Fine - you're right! You never have... I fucking know," she blurted out, throwing both hands in the air.
Joel beamed with pride and a smile stretched across his lips.
"That's more like it. Now - ya trust me right?"
"Yes... always - I always do I just... still - why though? Why risk it? Why tell her? I thought you said this wasn't a big deal or some shit - just a check up, right?" she asked with worry as anxiety began to consume her again.
God - I feel ridiculous. I'm getting all nervous and scared from just a stupid doctor visit - ugh. He's hiding something though - there's something else going on here.
Joel sensed her sudden change in body language and reached up his palm to cup her cheek, then affectionately rubbed his thumb over the scar on her brow. His touch once again reminded her that, with him, she would always be safe and cared for. Her eyes met his and she tickled from the warmth emitting from his paternal gaze.
Don't pull away - please... I can't help it, but I can never stay pissed at him when he gets all caring and mushy - melts me.
"Baby girl - it ain't a big deal but I just - " he softly cooed, but stopped as he dropped his head and let out a sigh.
"Just what?" she asked, reaching a hand up to his.
I hate it when he does this - he's making me nervous again - something's wrong.
"I worry... that's all Ellie - I just worry 'bout ya," he said, lifting his head and meeting her eyes again.
"Okay... worried about what? Why all of a sudden now? You've taken care of me so far - like you said - you've never steered me wrong."
"Ellie - honey... for Christ sake - look at ya. You're exhausted as hell - got bags under your eyes 'cause ya ain't sleepin' - an' last week ya goddamn passed out on me while we were workin' on the north tower an' I - "
"Well that's because I... never mind - it doesn't matter. I slept great last night! I'll just still sleep with you and... and it'll all be fine - right?" she immediately retorted.
Please don't say no - I can't sleep without you - I've finally accepted that.
"Of course baby, that's fine - you know I don't mind. Like I said... I sleep better that way too anyway."
Phew - thank god.
"It's more... you ain't... you ain't growin' like I thought ya would. You're still so... so goddamn tiny - an' I... I just wanna make sure everything's okay. Alright?"
Wait, what? I know it's only 'cause he cares but I thought we were past this.
Ellie's eyes began to crystallize and her voice started to crack.
"But I... I thought we just accepted that I would eventually grow and I thought... I thought we both sorta... liked it - 'cause, ya know... piggy back rides and shit. It wasn't a problem before, is there something wrong with it - wrong with me now?" she softly and diffidently asked as she wrapped a hand around her opposite elbow again.
A look of paternal care washed over Joel's face and he stepped closer to pull her into his arms.
"Hey, hey - no baby - no, no - not at all. C'mere sweetie - not at all. Okay?" he soothed.
How does he do it? He always knows what I need - every time.
He reached down and brushed the rebellious lock of hair behind her ear.
"Look - I just want ya to grow up to be healthy an' happy alright? That's all. Remember - I love ya an' I'm always on your side, always. Don't ya ever forget that."
Ellie looked up at him and nodded, her pony tail bouncing in conjunction with her affirmation.
"I know - but if that's all you're worried about... I mean - what the fuck do you think happens to a person who spends the first fourteen years of their life malnourished? I went for weeks - sometimes months without a real meal Joel - just barely getting by. I've been little my whole life and... how the hell do you think anyone would grow normally if they went to bed starving every night?" she said, her eyes beginning to water as she recalled the painful memories.
The thought of her falling asleep at night with a growling, empty stomach ached his heart. He hated thinking of her being in such discomfort and only wished he could go back in time to fix it. He grew up before the outbreak, when food was bountiful in the United States. Being malnourished as a child was entirely foreign to him and Tommy, but the current, broken state of the world once again reminded him of how hard her short life already had been.
"Honey, I know - I'm sorry... I wish I... god dammit," he softly growled to himself before giving her a peck on the forehead.
"I know," she mumbled.
"Still though - I feel like ya eat well now... an' hell - I reckon ya eat just as much as I do these days. You eat like a damn horse - yet ya still ain't growin'."
Ellie shrugged and looked up at him.
"Yeah I guess I do - never really thought about it but you're right."
"I only want what's best for you - best for my baby girl an'... I dunno - I just worry, that's all. I mean - is everything... ya know - workin' as intended down there? Still able to uhh - "
He paused and awkwardly ran a hand through his hair.
"Ya know - go to the bathroom regularly... like normal? Nothin' wrong with that whole business?"
Ellie blushed in embarrassment, but also slightly smiled knowing how forward he was being when it came to his paternal care.
"Yeah... everything's normal - nothing's changed there - pretty standard in that area," she responded timidly.
"Good," he said with a smile as he gently ran the side of his thumb down her cheek.
"Okay - cool, so... can we go back home now?" she asked.
Please say yes.
Joel let out a laugh then another sigh.
"Not yet - I told ya - I ain't backin' down on this one. I just wanna make sure you're doin' alright - okay? Will ya just please do this? If not for you, then for me?" he pleaded, lifting her chin with a finger.
Fuck. Fine. If it'll make you feel better - I'll do it... for you.
Ellie let out a big sigh and rolled her eyes.
"Sheesh - okay, okay... my god."
"There's my girl - it'll be alright - trust me."
"Okay but - "
"But what?"
"You're - you're not gonna leave right? You'll stay with me while I'm there the whole time... right?" she asked, looking up at him and grabbing his hand with hers.
"'Course - if you want me in the room with ya while Anne is doin' her thing - you got it - I ain't goin' anywhere," he responded with a smile as he gently rubbed her small fingers.
Thank god - I knew he wouldn't - I just like hearing him say it.
"'Kay - let's get this over with," she reluctantly said after a deep breath.
The two of them approached the entrance to the health center and Joel could feel Ellie's palms starting to nervously sweat. The closer they got to the doors, the stronger her grasp became as she gripped his hand tighter and tighter for comfort. Just before taking their first step inside, he stopped and looked down to ease the worry he sensed from the tightening grip on his hand.
"It's gonna be fine sweet pea - I swear. C'mon - we got this - gimme a five," he said, sticking out his other hand.
She obliged and smacked his palm with hers.
"Phew - okay. Yeah - we got this. Let's do it."
Ellie sat on the examination table anxiously swinging her legs back and forth while Joel stood adjacent to her, leaning against the wall. The room was small, but filled with various devices and medical equipment, all of which eventually drew Ellie's curiosity at some point. Everything she saw seemed alien and occasionally her eyes would widen in fear when her imagination would spin out of control while trying to comprehend a mysterious piece of equipment. However, Joel did his best to kept the conversation light, trying to ease her anxiety and nerves while they waited for Anne to join them.
"Hmm okay - what's that - the mallet looking thing?" Ellie asked, pointing to the small, triangular, rubber mallet that lay on the table across from her.
"I uhh... well - don't know the real term for it to be honest but it's for testin' your reflexes an' what not."
"Huh? What the hell - how?"
Joel snickered.
"So - Anne might use it - you'll see - but basically they tap ya on the knee an' your leg should just automatically kick up - without thinkin' 'bout it. Just means your reflexes are workin' right but - I ain't a doctor so I could be full of crap."
"Haha - what!? Really!? That's so weird... there's some strange shit in here," she exclaimed with a laugh.
Joel smiled and finally relaxed knowing that the tension, which previously engulfed her, was dissipating as she simply tried to make the best of the situation, despite her earlier protests. Suddenly, three knocks on the door drew their attention.
"C'mon in!" Joel shouted.
Ellie's heart rate increased and the temporary break from nervousness ceased.
Oh shit, oh shit - okay, okay... everything's cool. You got this Ellie - phew - you got this. Joel's here - everything's fine.
In came Anne with a clipboard and papers in hand. She had light, brown hair with hazel eyes and a fair complexion and appeared to be Joel's age, if not a few years older. Her smile was warming and she gave off a friendly feel. Something which immediately helped put Ellie at ease. Unlike most of the other people she met in Jackson, Ellie could sense a calming and trusting aura that surrounded her.
"Hi Ellie - it's very nice to meet you. I'm Anne," she said, sticking out her hand.
"Like - " Ellie started, but felt her voice nervously crack.
She cleared her throat and met Anne's hand with hers.
"Likewise."
"Anne - afternoon," Joel said, acknowledging her with a nod.
"Hey Joel - good to see you again. So - Ellie, Joel and Maria have told me everything. I want you to know that you're safe here and I understand the situation. I take doctor-patient confidentiality very seriously and no one will hear anything from me, okay?"
"Wait - doctor-patient what?"
Both Joel and Anne let out a small laugh.
"Sweetie - it means she ain't gonna say a word - just like I said. She's on our side... everything's fine - don't worry," Joel assured her, coupled with a pat on the back.
"Huh - alright, well - cool I guess."
She seems nice but I still can't - ugh, no - Ellie, she's trying to help - Joel said she's okay - so she must be alright.
Trusting strangers, especially after Sean and Michelle, was daunting for both of them. However, as time went on, they knew letting their guard down was a necessity at times.
"Alright Ellie, I'm just gonna ask some basic questions and we'll go from there okay?" Anne said.
"Yeah - okay, sounds good," Ellie replied.
Ellie glanced over to Joel with a nervous look. He simply smiled back and rested a hand on her shoulder, easing her worry once more.
The man is fucking psychic - I swear.
Anne scooted her chair forward until she was inches from Ellie's legs which dangled over the edge of the examination table. She crossed hers, clicked her pen then began writing on the paper attached to her clipboard.
"Alright let's see here - how old are you?" she asked.
"Just turned fifteen in July."
"Mmkay."
Joel remained standing, leaning against the wall as he fiddled with his fingers, but still paying close, hawk like attention to the interaction between Ellie and Anne.
"Where were you born?"
"Massachusetts - that's the best I can do," Ellie said with a shy smirk.
Anne let out a snicker as she continued writing. "Hah - well - that's better than a lot of people. Some don't even know which part of the country... but you're far from home I see."
Ellie relaxed her posture, enjoying the easy conversation that was quickly unfolding between herself and Anne. The woman had a calming personality, something that made her oddly approachable, which she liked.
"Heh - yeah - no shit."
"Ellie! C'mon - watch your mouth 'round strangers kiddo - Christ," Joel blurted out.
"Ack! I mean - no crap. Sorry!" Ellie replied with a blush.
Anne let out another laugh. "It's fine - don't worry. I don't care at all - heard much worse from much younger."
"See Joel!? No one cares you old timer!" Ellie playfully shouted.
"Tssht... brat," He responded, lightly shaking his head.
Anne cleared her throat and pressed on with her questioning.
"Any history of serious illness? Allergens? Any physical trauma?"
That word, trauma, hit Ellie like a ton of bricks. She drooped her head, remembering the emotional damage that was done to her and Joel over the past year. Though Michelle and David brought her within an inch of her life, it was the psychological damage from the experiences and the cumulative effect of everything else for that matter, which was far more damning. Joel noticed her sudden change of body language and gently rubbed her back when he heard a sniffle from her nose.
"It's okay honey - I know - you're doin' fine."
I wouldn't be here without you - I don't think I could fucking live if the world took you away from me.
Ellie took a deep breath then lifted her head to meet Anne's eyes, causing the woman to awkwardly fidget in her seat. Anne could sense she hit a sore spot, or at the very least dug at a still healing wound.
"Sorry - I didn't mean to pry - I'm just... doing my job here."
"Yeah - yeah I know it's okay... but no - other than the occasional cold, flu and fever - I've never had any problems."
"Mmkay - and allergens?"
"Allergens? What?" Ellie asked in confusion.
"She's just askin' if you're allergic to anything," Joel assisted.
"Oh - umm... no - not that I know of."
"Okay - how have you been feeling lately? Any problems with eating or... sleeping?"
"Sleeping's been rough - but last night I slept great," Ellie said with an endearing smile as she glanced up at Joel.
"And eating?"
Joel cleared his throat then butted in, answering for Ellie. "Kid eats like a damn horse doc - I tell ya, sometimes I think she eats more than I do," he said with a lighthearted laugh.
Anne snickered. "That's good - any indigestion? Digestive problems? Everything functioning normally on that end?"
Ellie blushed again and scratched her nose. "Uhh yeah - pretty much all good there."
"Good - well, eating a lot at your age isn't really a surprise - generally common for growing adolescents. But from what Joel tells me and from what I can now see on my own, umm... you're not really growing are you?"
"Nope - not really," Ellie softly responded.
"I just... I worry Anne - we wanna make sure everything's alright," Joel immediately said, stepping forward and replanting a hand on Ellie's back.
He said we. I always like it when he says we - makes me feel like I have a say - like we're a team!
"Of course, of course - naturally. I'm sure everything's fine. Look, now a days it's common for kids to be... undersized. It's just an unfortunate side effect of the world we live in - malnourished children are all too common, so I'm not completely surprised to see her current size but - "
"But what?" Ellie nervously blurted out.
"You're still more undersized than I originally anticipated and it's strange that you're apparently eating so much but with little to no change. Now, you could just be a late bloomer - I sure was," Anne said with a light laugh.
She ran her hands through her hair, twirled the pen in her fingers then let out a deep breath.
"Well, Joel also mentioned you passed out the other day over at the north tower. That could mean many, many things - so I'm gonna have a look at you here and we'll run a few tests - see if we can figure out what's going on, okay?" she said with care, reaching a hand out to Ellie's knee.
At first, Ellie flinched from the contact. She hated the touch of anyone other than Joel's, but she was quickly warming up to Anne and at least for now, felt at peace with the woman's gentle contact.
"Okay - let's do it," Ellie responded.
She anxiously watched Anne reach to the table next to her and grab a mysterious, large piece of cloth with a tube extending out of it. Attached to the opposite end of the tube was a small, ovoid, rubber bulb.
"Umm - what the hell is that?"
Anne let out another small laugh then smiled. "This is what we use to check your blood pressure. It's called a Sphygmomanometer."
Ellie burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I'm sorry... a Sphyg-mamo-mamo what now!? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"
Joel dropped his face in his hands and couldn't help but let out a boisterous laugh in reaction to Ellie's response.
"Yep... don't know anyone who can pronounce it correctly to be honest," Anne said with a snicker of her own.
"Now, you're gonna feel a tight squeeze around your arm - it's nothing problematic - that's just what it does," she instructed as she wrapped the strange device around Ellie's upper arm.
Anne rapidly squeezed and released the bulb, filling the arm cuff with air and thus causing it to clench around Ellie's arm.
"Woah - Nelly! That actually feels pretty cool! Haha! Hey Joel - do you see this? This thing is awesome - it's like... I dunno - it feels like it's making my arm huge or something!"
Joel laughed. "Yep - thing feels pretty damn weird I ain't gonna lie."
Anne placed the stethoscope against Ellie's arm as she carefully gave the rubber bulb a few more squeezes, watching for the needle inside the pressure gauge to come to a rest. After a few seconds, she released the pressure from the arm cuff and let the air rapidly escape from the device.
"Man - that thing was cool," Ellie said.
Anne continued to jot down notes and the results of her blood pressure test on the clipboard.
"One-fifteen over seventy-five," she said.
"What's that mean - is that good?" Ellie curiously asked.
"That's great - real good," Joel interjected.
"Yep - healthy as can be," Anne concurred.
"Okay - now I'm just gonna have a look at you here - make sure everything's normal," Anne said as she slowly reached forward to gently touch Ellie's face.
Ellie, out of instinct, sharply jolted backwards and immediately looked to Joel for comfort. Her sudden reaction startled Anne, causing the woman to jump then stare at Joel in confusion and shock.
"Woah - hey, hey - it's okay baby - you're alright - I've gotcha," Joel soothed, again rubbing her back with his large hand.
Shit - I didn't mean to do that. Phew - okay just concentrate on his hand and voice... we're good - we got this Ellie. Anne is okay - she's only trying to help.
"Sorry I didn't mean - " Anne started.
"No, no - it's my fault, I didn't mean to - sorry - just me being... weird," Ellie responded with a deep breath.
Anne noticed Joel rubbing the girl's back, providing her comfort. It was quickly becoming clear that Ellie was only comfortable around him and interacting with strangers was difficult. Anne didn't know all of the specifics, but she knew both of them had been through an entire lifetime's worth of pain and sorrow.
"Go ahead - let's try that again," Ellie said.
Anne slowly lurched her arms forward then softly grabbed both sides of Ellie's face. She gently pulled down on the top of her cheeks to inspect her eyes, then turned her head in both directions to look into her ears. Ellie, intently staring at her, started feeling more and more self-conscious and anxious by the second as she apprehensively watched this woman inspect her.
Oh god - I don't like this - I can't do this for much longer - please be done soon - please.
"Okay - now open wide and say - " Anne said as she moved a finger towards Ellie's lips.
Ellie violently twitched her head away and let out a nervous, anxiety filled squeak as she nudged up against Joel.
"Shh, shh - baby it's okay, it's okay - you're doin' great honey - c'mon - she ain't gonna hurt ya - I'm right here," Joel said, continuing to soothe her.
I can't fucking help it... gah! Dammit Ellie get your shit together. Joel's here - he's got you, you're safe - everything's fine.
"Sorry - sorry... I know - okay... go ahead," Ellie said as she shook her hands, trying to rid herself of the nerves that were scratching away under the surface of her skin.
"Alright - open wide and say ahhhh."
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
She carefully followed the light from Anne's flashlight and her breathing intensified once more as nervousness crept its way back into her veins. Anne quickly swabbed the inside of her cheek with a q-tip, then set it aside. She wrote down a few more notes then heaved a sigh of relief, glad to be done with the brief examination which was making Ellie visibly uncomfortable.
"Okay - all done."
Thank fucking god.
"Everything on the outside looks normal to me. I don't see any obvious signs of infection or anything."
"Awesome! So... we're done here right? Time to go home!" Ellie excitedly said as she started to hop off the table.
"Hold your horses - not yet there kiddo - got one more thing - the uhh... the big one," Joel said, placing a hand on her shoulder and keeping her propped up on the table.
"Awww man - c'mon what now?"
"Ellie - I need you trust me here okay? I'm just gonna draw a little bit of blood so we can run some tests alright?" Anne said as she prepared a syringe.
Ellie's eyes darted over to the pointy object and immediately widened. She gulped, then flinched as she nervously readjusted her posture.
"Oh shit - is it... is that gonna hurt?"
"Ellie - c'mere - look at me - up here sweetie. Just look at me," Joel said, snapping his fingers.
He gently grabbed her by the shoulder and looked into her eyes, imploring her to keep eye contact.
You know what he's trying to do - just go along with it Ellie - it's okay - just do what he says and this will all be over soon.
"Hey - why did the scarecrow get a promotion?" Joel asked in a leading tone with a smirk.
Ellie managed a small smile and could feel an oncoming laugh as she held her focus on Joel.
"'Cause he was outstanding in his field! I always liked - ow! Shit!" she shouted, suddenly feeling the short, prick of the needle.
Anne smiled and winked at Joel, silently thanking him for drawing Ellie's attention away from her sneaky withdrawal of blood.
"There ya go! All done! See? That ain't so bad right?" Joel said with a smile as he ran a hand through her hair.
"Well it hurt... but yeah - thing wasn't so bad."
"Really? You've killed runners, clickers an' bloaters... an' a damn needle scares ya?" Joel sarcastically asked with a wink.
"Pssht - whatever," Ellie responded.
"Why don't you two go wait outside for awhile - it will be a bit before I get everything done," Anne said.
"How long?" Joel asked.
"Couple hours."
"Yikes - what the hell are we gonna do for a few hours?" Ellie asked.
"We'll figure somethin' out - c'mon kiddo."
"Alright - lead the way," Ellie said with a sigh as she hopped off the table, eager to leave the confines of the examination room.
More than a few hours passed and Joel sat in the waiting room twiddling his thumbs as Ellie napped on the couch adjacent to him, sound asleep. He was getting impatient and after they ran out of ideas of how to pass the time, they simply resorted to sitting and waiting. He sighed, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face.
"Why the hell is it takin' so long... ain't likin' this," he whispered to himself.
Finally, Anne stepped into the room, ready to explain her findings, if any. She glanced over at Ellie's little frame sound asleep on the couch and curiously rose an eyebrow then cleared her throat.
"Okay - come on back you two."
Joel stood up, stretched his arms above his head and let out an exasperated yawn then tapped Ellie on the shoulder.
"C'mon Ellie - up, up. Let's go," he said before kissing her hair.
"Mmmmm... ugh - fine," she quietly mumbled as her eyes fluttered open.
She rolled over and after awkwardly peeling herself off of the couch, her and Joel followed Anne back to the examination room.
"Alright - have a seat Ellie," Anne said.
"Okay... will do," Ellie nervously replied as she lifted herself up onto the table.
"Not likin' your tone here doc - ain't gonna lie - what's goin' on?"
"Well - the good news is I didn't find any signs of serious illness or anything like that. I checked for diabetes, hepatitis, mono - many others... but I didn't find anything out of the ordinary - she seems healthy as can be. However - "
"However what?" both Ellie and Joel asked, slightly leaning forward in earnest.
"The virus - it's... it's clearly there. It's really active in your blood - and I mean really active. Now, again... I'm not an expert on it - because quite frankly we still don't know a whole lot about it yet but, I do know this... one of the reasons people turn so quickly is because of how fast it goes to work on the body - overtaking the host. It's extremely quick when it comes to integrating itself into the body's cells."
Ellie nervously reached for Joel's hand and nestled her way up against him at the edge of the table. He glanced down, feeling her contact then wrapped an arm around her to bring her even closer. She let out a deep breath, relaxing in his embrace then intertwined her fingers with his, yearning for his comfort.
Still fucking amazes me how much I relax in his arms - I love it here - safest place on earth.
"Yep - two days max was the longest I saw - most turn even sooner," Joel responded.
"Right - we think it has something to do with the extremely high metabolic rate of the infected cells, which was something we observed years ago when we first began studying it. Once the virus takes over, the host's metabolism goes through the roof. It puts the body into overdrive, rapidly metabolizing food into energy, therefore speeding along the process of infection. However, the host also expends enormous amounts of energy just to keep the body alive and thus requires a constant intake of sustenance. We think it's partially why there's such a sharp increase in aggressive behavior and the need to perform one of life's most basic and primitive instincts - and that's to feed."
"Yeah, alright I'm with ya so far - kinda makes sense - the hell this has to do with my little girl though?" Joel said, tension rising in his voice as he tightened his embrace around Ellie.
Uh oh - he's getting nervous. When he gets nervous - I get nervous - I don't like this.
"Let me ask you two a few questions. Ellie, you said you slept well last night, correct?"
"Yeah - I did eventually, yes."
"Yet you were completely out, fast asleep on the couch no more than five minutes ago, why?"
"I - I dunno... I was just tired I guess."
"Are you tired a lot? Did you feel tired when you passed out last week?"
"Now that I think about it... yeah - yeah I am often... and last week I... I felt weak - almost shaky and like... totally out of energy - I felt like I really, really wanted to fucking eat something - anything. It was weird - never really felt that way before," Ellie replied as she scrunched her face.
"Mmhmm - exactly. Now, Joel, does she put out a lot of body heat?" Anne asked, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.
Joel scratched his beard and searched his thoughts, hoping to provide Anne with an accurate answer.
"Actually - yeah - reckon she does - I remember last night when she was sleepin'... damn near cooked me alive. But I don't mind it - keeps me warm," he said with a smile as he and Ellie exchanged tender glances.
"Uh-huh, right - another sign of high metabolism. Also, I noticed her resting heart rate is actually much higher than normal, yet you would never know it by just looking at her."
Ellie latched onto Joel's sleeve and pressed her back against his torso, feeling more and more uneasy by the minute.
"Joel! What - what's going on - is something wrong?" she quietly peeped, looking up at him for comfort.
He quickly lowered his other hand to her cheek and leaned down to softly whisper another assurance. "Shh - no, no - no one said that - we're fine baby girl - let's just let Anne finish."
He lifted his head and glared at Anne. He was annoyed and getting agitated with where the conversation was going, but he knew it wasn't her fault, even though she was the one currently receiving the brunt of his nagging worrying.
"Cut to the chase doc - c'mon - tell us what ya think."
"Alright well, again - this is just a theory. But I think it falls in line if you just hear me out."
"Okay - go on then," Joel said.
"In my opinion, the virus has her body working overtime - I can't explain exactly why, because again, I don't know enough about the virus yet, but that's what I believe. And, therefore, in conjunction with that, her metabolic rate is extremely high - I mean, way higher than normal - higher than anyone I've ever seen to be honest. She's immune to its decaying effects - obviously, but, the other symptoms I think are very prevalent. Her metabolism is... inhuman to be honest. It's why she eats so much, yet never gains an ounce of weight or grows at all. It's why she's always tired, because her body can never, ever get enough nutrients to sustain a stable energy level for an extended period of time. Also, let me guess, the day you passed out, you didn't eat enough for breakfast or lunch did you?"
Ellie twitched in Joel's embrace then tried to remember what she had that day.
"Huh... you're right actually - I skipped breakfast entirely 'cause we were running late."
"Right, it is my opinion that the virus has your body working three, maybe even four or five times harder than normal to keep itself functioning. The virus is so demanding, so hard on you, that your body is expending so much energy just to maintain its current state that growing at a healthy rate, even at all, is going to be extremely hard. So if you couple this with... what? Thirteen or fourteen years of being constantly malnourished? Your body is really going to struggle to develop. Now, again, I could be wrong - this is all theory at this point, but it falls exactly in line with what I've studied," Anne continued to explain.
"Okay but... I didn't always feel like this - why all of a sudden now?" Ellie anxiously asked.
"Well, you're now going through puberty - your body is undergoing drastic changes and requires even more sleep and energy just to function. Your immunity is a gift Ellie, but it's also a burden. If you don't mind me asking, have you menstruated yet?"
Ellie blushed and Joel let out an awkward cough as he twitched his head and pretended to look away.
"Umm... yeah - the first time was just over a month ago," she sheepishly responded.
"You're fifteen right? Well, for most girls it's much, much earlier than that - like, way earlier."
"Huh - okay... yeah - Maria did mention that when I talked to her."
"I think the virus, as much as it has probably saved your life, has also been a burden on your body - severely stunting your growth. Basically, if the average adolescent develops at rate 'X' you're developing at maybe 'X' times a half - does that make sense?"
"Yeah, sure doc - but, this is still all just theory... I mean - we ain't even sure we really know if this is right, correct?" Joel growled.
"True - that's right. But, you asked for my help and opinion and I'm giving it to you," Anne responded with a tilt of the head, taken aback by Joel's tone.
Joel sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Where'd you go to school? Before the outbreak - where'd you get your M.D?"
"Stanford - undergrad. Johns Hopkins University - M.D," she bluntly and succinctly responded, leering back at Joel.
"Ah... well - fuck," Joel quietly responded with a smirk and a small snicker as he rubbed his fingers over his brow.
"What's that mean?" Ellie asked, looking up at him.
"Means she knows her shit - means she's probably right... look - sorry ma'am I didn't mean nothin'... just ya know... this is a lot to take in."
"I understand - you clearly love her as your own. And for the record, I think it's really cute and sweet how much you care," Anne said, trying to ease the tension in the room.
Her empathetic statement caused Ellie to tilt her head and look up at Joel with a smile, meeting his eyes for another tender moment.
"I mean... it does make sense and honestly it... it would explain a lot," Ellie said before breaking his eye contact.
He sighed in frustration once again. "Yeah - yeah... I know... so basically we just need to keep her fed, yeah? All will be good then?"
"It definitely can't hurt. Ellie - make sure you eat breakfast okay? Every day - also, I would suggest having another, small meal in between lunch and dinner. Try not to let yourself get hungry."
"Yeah - okay, we can do that," Ellie said with a nod.
Oh no - this means I'm gonna be eating some of Joel's food... I know it.
"There is one worry I have though," Anne said after clearing her throat.
Shit. There's always something.
"I goddamn knew it - had to come at some point - everything ya said has been more of an inconvenience than anything - nothin' bad. But I knew somethin' was gonna come along," Joel said as he returned to gently rubbing Ellie's back.
Anne sighed and rubbed her brow.
"Yeah... look."
Ellie again anxiously readjusted herself, pressing her head harder against Joel's torso and tightening her grasp around his arm.
"I don't... I don't know how long her body can keep this up. I mean - everything within her is working so, so, so hard to keep itself going. Ellie, your organs - everything - is working, like I said, three maybe even four or five times as hard as mine or Joel's do. That's not... sustainable. I don't know how long that can... you know... keep up. You're young now and can handle it but - when you get older... who knows at what age - I don't know when things will simply get too tired and just... break down. I'm - I'm sorry."
Wait, what? What the fuck does that mean? What's gonna happen to me? Wait, wait - don't freak out - it's okay - Joel's here - everything will be fine. We can manage this - just like everything else.
Ellie blew a big shot of air through her lips and ran a hand over her face, urging every fiber in her being to hold back the tears which were quickly collecting in her eyes.
"Well... shit... that - that kinda sucks," she said with a forced, humorous tone, trying to keep up her facade.
She heard a sniffle escape from Joel standing beside her and felt him reach a hand up to wipe his eyes. A deafening silence filled the room as all three of them contemplated what to say next.
"Alright, well - thanks for everything here today Anne. We appreciate it... though I reckon it wasn't what we were hopin' to hear."
"I know - I'm generally the bringer of bad news in this day and age. Just - make sure you stay well fed and get lots of sleep - whatever it takes to keep those good, restful sleeps going, okay Ellie?"
Ellie could feel Joel's fingers tickle her shoulder, then glanced at his face to see a smile after hearing Anne's request.
Yes! We both know what that means... way to at least look on the bright side of things Ellie - my god.
"Sure thing doc," Ellie replied with a nod.
"Yeah - you got it - I'll take good care of 'er. She's my little baby girl an' she's all that matters," Joel said with a big smile before giving Ellie a kiss on the cheek.
Awwww - big sap... but I admit it - I love it - no one's ever cared for me this way. It's nice to actually feel fucking important to someone for once.
His statement and affection pulled a big grin across her cheeks. Actually hearing him express how much he cared always sent a tickle of warmth through her.
"Oh uhh... one last thing doc."
"Mmhmm?"
"If she does pass out again... what's the uhh... ya know - best thing for me to do?"
"Well - I would keep her warm and once she wakes up... do whatever you can to get some sugar in her as soon as possible. If this were before the outbreak I'd say just give her a glass of orange juice but... don't think you're gonna find much of that anymore."
"Tssht - yeah no kiddin'."
"But - anything with sugar... even something that digests quickly with some carbs will help too," Anne continued.
"Alright - well, reckon we'll do all we can to avoid havin' to do any of that. But, figured I should ask just in case. Anyway, thanks again Anne," Joel said.
"Of course, not a problem at all - just doing my job. And I'm sure you will... take good care of her - she's in good hands," Anne responded with a smile.
"Hell yeah I am!" Ellie blurted out, not able to restrain herself.
Her quick and sudden response pulled a boisterous laugh from Joel.
"Alright - c'mon kiddo - let's head home. Get ya somethin' to eat alright? Maybe some hot chocolate too?"
Ellie smiled then looked up at him with her familiar endearing expression.
"Yep - sounds good to me coach," she said with a nod.
"Piggy back ride home?" Joel asked as he playfully pinched her nose.
She simply smiled and reached both arms around his neck and shoulders.
He always knows what I need. Every. Single. Time.