Part 4: The truth
Ellie opened the doors inside one of the floors in st Mary's hospital. In Salt Lake City. Over two years had passed since she was last here. As she looked through the rooms she found files relating to how both she and Johnny were examined. She also found out the group here separated.
One of the reasons she came back here on her own is because of what happened a few days after Dave and his family arrived in Jackson.
Flashback:
"Oh I'm so full," Ellie said with a hand on her stomach. Thanks to their allies from Daves old group and Johnnys team doing so well on supply runs. They now had more food and their farms were doing well. Plus they now had their own vehicles to get around after a few mechanics moved to Jackson.
She would never forget the smile on Tommys face when they saw him watching one of the mechanics work on an old motorbike. "You know in this kind of world that's a good thing," Johnny said.
"Its really her," a female voice said ahead of them. The two of them looked to see Dave and his wife. His wife looking surprised to see Ellie.
"Oh sorry, I guess we haven't met yet," Ellie said.
"No its alright, I'm just glad to see your okay," she said making Ellie look confused.
"What do you mean," Ellie said before Dave spoke up.
"We were fireflys at Salt Lake City hospital," he said. "We left a few days before you, Johnny and Joel arrived," he said. Ellie noticed he looked at Johnny when he said that.
"Well we got out okay," Johnny said calmly. "Anyway you guys are probably hungry so will go ahead," he said.
"Right thanks, see you Johnny," said Dave.
"Nice meeting you Ellie," his wife said waving at her before they headed to the restaurant.
"Yeah you too," Ellie said still looking confused as she and Johnny headed home.
Flashback end
Ellie then ended up at the entrance to the operating room. She walked in and noticed a small bag on the ground. She crouched down and found a tape recorder. A while later she sat outside the hospital still listening to it. Her horse nearby.
"Even if they found her it wouldn't be worth it," a female voice said from the tape recorder. "Since both the last of the serum and the only man who can make the cure are gone,".
Ellie hit the rewind when she heard the sound of a horse. She looked to see Joel riding his horse and Johnny flying over.
"Ellie," Joel called out as he stopped and Johnny landed on the ground next to him.
"What are you doing," Johnny said before stoping. He then held his arm in front of Joel making him look confused.
"What is it," he said.
"He probably noticed this," Ellie said before putting the tape recorder on the stone next to her. She then hit play while Joel and Johnny listened.
"Everyones already gone by now," the female voice said. "I was one of the people who wanted to go after the three of them,".
"But they said it wouldn't matter, even if they found her it wouldn't matter,".
"Since both the last of the serum and the man who could make the cure are both gone. Before Dave left us he said Dr Isaac wanted to make humans better, well all that came from that experiment was a monster," she said.
Joel looked at Johnny who had been looking down for the entire recording. The recording stopped and Ellie hit stop before she stood in front of Johnny. "Joel asked you to let him handle the explaining didn't he," she said.
"I told him," Joel said but Ellie put up her hand. Meaning for him not to interrupt.
"No matter what you say ill go back to Jackson and still love you," Ellie said sounding serious. "We've been through so much together so please tell me what happened," she said.
Johnny took a breath before speaking. "They found a way to make a cure from your immunity, but it would have killed you," he said sounding serious. But Joel noticed a tear going down his face.
"We stopped them," said Johnny. Ellie stepped back a little.
"Marlene tried to stop us after we got you," he said and Ellie looked surprised.
"She what?" She asked.
"Johnny don't," Joel said but Johnny then spoke up.
"I shot her," he said.
"Why did you shoot her," Ellie said now looking sad.
"She said my parents didn't have to die for nothing," he said as Ellie then stood right in front of Johnny. Now noticing both of his eyes tear up. "They didn't die for a cure, they died so that I could live," he said now looking right at Ellie.
"I couldn't lose anyone else," he said before Ellie quickly grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug. He looked shocked and then heard Ellie sobbing.
"You shouldn't have kept this in for so long you idiot," she said.
"What?" Johnny asked. She then pulled back and Johnny now noticed the tears in her own eyes.
"What did they say about your immunity," she said looking serious.
"It would have killed me trying to look for one," he said.
"Oh god," she said before hugging him again and they both fell to the ground. "I'm so sorry," she said.
"No," Johnny said grabbing her shoulders and looking at her. "I knew I would have to tell and I didn't do it sooner," he said.
"But I would have done the same thing," Ellie said. "We've been through so much together, I cant lose you Johnny," she said.
She then hugged him. "I love you," she said and Johnny hugged her back as he cried.
"I love you too," he said as they both held each other. The two of then felt a hand on their shoulder and looked to see Joel.
"Lets get you two home," he said.
"Yeah," said Ellie as she and Johnny got back up. Neither of them letting go of each other.
"Sorry for taking off with just a note," she said.
"Its alright, I'm just glad your safe," Joel said.
After heading back to Jackson Johnny told the entire team they wouldn't be going anywhere for the next few days. They understood when they saw the looks on the looks on the young couples faces. Ellie had found out the truth.
Johnny and Ellie spent most of their time off at home. Either working on songs or sitting on the couch in Joel's house watching movies. Then one morning when Johnny and Ellie were lying in bed together.
"I wish we could have more mornings like this," Ellie said.
"Really, figured you would like to get some target practice," Johnny said.
"Yeah but I like times when its just the two of us," said Ellie smiling at him.
Johnny felt his face go warm but looked at her. "Yeah same here," he said as the two of them kissed.
"So what do you want to do, after everything settles down?" She asked.
"That's tough," Johny said before sighing. "Ive spent so much of my life fighting I never really thought about it," he said.
"Well that means you can stay at home and help with the kids," she said almost making Johnny almost fall out of the bed.
"What," he said before he noticed she was smiling.
"Hey I'm serious, I would like to have some one day," she said.
"Yeah that does sound nice," said Johnny. "But I would like to get married first," he said before noticing she sat up looking surprised.
"Wait did yo just propose," she said.
"What no," Johnny said quickly sitting up. "All I'm saying is that it would be nice to," he said now looking nervous.
Ellie then smiled before jumping onto him and kissing him. "I'm expecting a ring when you propose by the way," she said after pulling away.
"You got it," he said as they both laughed. They started kissing again when someone knocked at the door.
"This better be important," Ellie said looking annoyed as she got out of bed. Johnny sat up when Ellie opened the door. Revealing Dave who seemed to be out of breath.
"You okay, did you run over here," Ellie said.
"Sorry for disturbing you two," Dave said before standing up. "But your both needed at the doctors office now," he said before running off.
Johnny and Ellie looked at each other before quickly getting dressed and heading to the doctors office. There they found Dave with the towns doctor, Tommy, Maria and Joel.
"How you two holding up?" Tommy asked. They hadn't seen him since they got back from Salt Lake City.
"Were doing better," said Ellie.
"Glad to hear, your teams worried about you," Maria said. She then looked at the two doctors.
"Care to explain why you brought us out this early?" She asked.
"This," Dave said holding up a syringe with liquid in it. Johnny looked surprised recognizing it looked similar to something.
"Wait hang on," Tommy said looking serious. "The color almost looks like," he said looking at Johnny.
"Similar to the one that gave him his power, yes," the doctor said.
"But you werent suppose to make that," said Joel.
"No we only took one thing from it," Dave said.
"Shit," Tommy said looking surprised.
"No way, it cant be," said Maria.
"My immunity," Johnny said.
"Exactly," Dave said. "If were right then when someone is injected with this their body will be able to fight off the infection forever," he said.
"Even if they come into contact with spores they'll have no effect," the doctor said.
Everyone one in the room looked surprised after they finished explaining. "This is unreal," Maria said taking a seat.
"Yeah," said Tommy.
"How do we Test it," said Joel looking serious.
"Well," Dave said before the door was quickly opened. They looked to see Steve gasping for air.
"Johnny its urgent," said Steve.
"Take a breath what happened," Johnny said.
"We just got a call from Daves old town," he said. "Some of their people went on a supply run but only one of them made it back," he said.
"What happened to the rest?" Tommy asked.
"They were captured," he said.
"Do they know where their being held?" Johnny asked.
"Conners on the radio waiting to give you the details," Steve said. Conner is the name of the leader from Daves old group.
"Alright," Johnny said before looking at Ellie. "Looks like our time off is up," he said.
"Then lets get to it," she said looking determined.