Chapter 4
10K POV
"So how'd you get out here? You couldn't have always lived in this cabin." He asked after they'd returned from scavenging and Ellie got to work on prepping dinner.
"I've been living in California for a while now, I've lived in Virginia, Texas, but New York was my favorite."
"Is that where you met that really good friend?" he asked unbuttoning his shirt knowing the routine they'd fallen into, once she had gotten the fish cooking she'd be adamant to change his dressing and make sure his stitches were still intact.
"Tommy."
His eyes flashed to her thinking she'd called him by his name but he saw she was smiling to herself as she worked by the stove. It could be another Tommy, he thought, it wasn't like it was a very unique name, pretty common actually. It had to be another Tommy.
Flashback:
He'd been helping his Pa do his afternoon check of the park, he'd had to beg him to go along especially after his mom had given Pa that 'look'. The look that said nine was too young to be out there, that he wasn't old enough yet to be helping out with something so important. But in the end his Pa had let him go, on the one condition that he didn't wander off, and he didn't, well . . . he did, but he wasn't that far. He could still hear his Pa at one of the ranger stations as he did his inspection. Tommy loved it out here, whenever they went into the town for something everything seemed so much busier, like everyone was rushing, he didn't like it. It was loud, it was crowded and he mostly just clung to his mom or his Pa whenever they were out which thankfully, wasn't often.
He much rather preferred the forest, he turned and saw a chipmunk scurry by, he heard the birds in the trees singing to each other, heard the light babbling of the stream that ran downhill next to him and. . . was that. . . crying? He listened harder and yeah, it was crying. Small little sobs nearly hidden behind the other sounds of the forest but still there. He followed the sound going deeper into the thick trees and further from his Pa. The low bushes got thicker and harder to walk through, some had prickers that stuck him through his jeans but he kept on going. Then between a thick tree and a huge boulder was a small figure sitting in the dirt. They had their knees pulled up to their chest and their head bent over hidden by their arms as they tucked into a ball. He saw their back move with each sob and took a step forward making a twig snap under his feet. The person looked up in fright and looked at him with wide blue eyes. It was a little girl, maybe around his age and her eyes and face were red from crying. When he took another step closer she tried to back up but couldn't fit between the thin space between the rock and the tree.
"It's okay. I'm nice." Nine year old Tommy said taking another step but the girl still looked afraid as she sat in the damp leaves and dirt, her shoes and the bottom of her pants were covered in dirt along with her hands and a little up her wrists. "Are you lost?"
She nodded slowly, "My family was hiking down one of the trails, I saw some fish in the stream and stopped to watch, when I looked back up Momma and Daddy were gone." She said as more tears fell down her face.
"It's okay." He said moving closer and this time she didn't back away, "My Pa's a ranger here, he'll help you find them." he said close enough now that he crouched down and held his hand out. "I'm Tommy."
She sniffled and wiped her button nose with the back of her hand before shaking his with her clean one, "I'm Ellie."
"You're going to be okay Ellie." He said smiling as her crying stopped.
"Tommy!" he heard his Pa shout, "Tommy!"
"Over here Pa!" he yelled back standing up and taking a few steps away from Ellie so his Pa would see him easier. He saw him come around a tree and relief washed over his face.
"Tommy, you promised your mother you'd stay close." His Pa scolded him but his tone was soft, still happy he'd found his son alright.
"But Pa, look." He said pointing over to Ellie and he saw his father's demeanor change snapping from concerned father to on duty park ranger. He walked over to Ellie who's eyes went to the ranger badge on his Pa's beige uniform shirt.
"You get lost sweetie?" Pa asked crouching down with his elbows on his knees and she nodded again.
"Her name's Ellie." Tommy told his Pa who looked to his son and smiled.
"Well, Ellie, why don't we get you back to your family? I'm sure they're very worried about you."
They brought Ellie to their jeep and she got in the back with Tommy. His Pa drove down the dirt road as he radioed to the local police that they'd found a lost little girl.
"Dark blonde hair, blue eyes." Pa was saying into the radio, "Ellie how old are you honey?"
"I'll be nine next month." She answered softly.
"I'm nine!" Tommy spoke up excitedly making Ellie smile. "My birthday was two weeks ago."
"Happy birthday." She said.
"Ellie?" his Pa spoke up, "What's your last name?"
"Davenport." She answered leaning into Tommy's shoulder as his Pa radioed the information to the officer on the other end.
It didn't take long to get back to their cabin where they found Tommy's mom in the kitchen making dinner, it was trout – his favorite. His Pa went into the kitchen to tell his mom about Ellie while Tommy brought her into the small living space where his family spent most of their time when there wasn't work to be done. Tommy had some coloring books and board games in a cupboard in the corner next to his mother's bookcases filled with her favorites. There were a few of his Pa's guns on the higher shelves which Tommy wasn't allowed to touch – not until he was older anyway. He watched Ellie look around the room with wide eyes, which grew wider when she saw the guns and Tommy remembered not everyone lived the way his family did. He remembered back when he was in school he got teased a lot for not having things the other kids had. He didn't have a television so he never could join in on conversations about the cartoons the other kids were watching, he didn't have a phone so any friends he did make had trouble reaching him and those friendships always seemed to fizzle out quickly. As he got older the teasing only got worse, while other kids were talking about movies and video games all Tommy could ever say was he liked to fish which made him an even bigger freak. His parents eventually had to pull him out of school and his mom started homeschooling him herself. He liked that much better, now when he passed a test she'd give him Oreos. He suddenly got worried, what if Ellie was the same way? What if she wanted to talk about her favorite show and he had no idea what to say? What if she got scared by his Pa's guns and thought they were crazy people?
"No Tv?" she finally asked and he felt his heart drop as he put his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet.
"Nuh-uh." He shook his head.
"Then what do you do all day?"
He shrugged, "I have some coloring stuff and some games." He gestured to the cabinet, "And. . . I like to fish." He mumbled and Ellie surprised him and smiled.
"Really?" she asked and he perked up a bit at her excited tone, "I've never fished before. What's it like?"
He smiled and talked to her about fishing until his mom called them into the other room for dinner. She laid out two plates of food for them as they got into their chairs.
"Can we have Oreos after?" Tommy asked.
"Only if you finish your dinner hun." She said and he scooped up a big bite on his fork and shoved it in his mouth but he immediately regretted it as he struggled to chew the huge bite which made Ellie laugh, though she was kind enough to try and hide it behind her hand.
"Ellie, I hope you like trout." His mother said to her and she looked at her plate.
"I've never had trout before." she said taking a hesitant bite but then chewing more as she hummed in approval.
"Well, the officer my husband was talking to was able to get in touch with your parents." Tommy's mother explained, "They should be here after supper."
"Thank you." Ellie replied after she'd swallowed. His mom smiled and left to make plates for her and Pa.
"Your mom's pretty." Ellie said and he nodded still chewing the huge bite he'd taken. His mom had the same dark hair and green eyes he did, though she had tanner skin. He'd inherited his Pa's pale complexion and the freckles that dotted the bridge of his nose. They ate the rest of their dinner pretty quickly as his parents ate at the kitchen counter. The kids only stopped eating when Tommy pulled out the new slingshot his Pa had gotten him for his birthday. He'd only had it two weeks but was practicing with it every day and was still really excited about it. Ellie listened to him talk with bright eyes listening intently. When they finished dinner they each got three Oreos which they scarfed before heading back into the other room where they spread out Tommy's crayons and coloring books.
It wasn't much later than that when there was a knock on their cabin door and his mom answered it.
"Mr. and Mrs. Davenport." she greeted knowing it wouldn't be anyone else. She invited them in and the adults all introduced themselves. They made their way into the room where Tommy and Ellie had been playing only to find them both fast asleep on the couch surrounded by coloring books and crayons. Ellie's mother went over to her and shook her awake a bit as she picked her up and rested her head on her shoulder.
"Hi Momma." She whispered still sleepy.
"Hi, baby." She replied rubbing her back, "We're going home now okay."
"Can she come back?" came Tommy's tired voice as he sat up on the couch rubbing his eye.
"Please, Momma can I?" Ellie asked.
"Maybe, but we'll talk more in the morning, you've had a long day."
"Bye Tommy." Ellie waved over her mom's shoulder, Tommy waved back watching her parents leave with her, the door closing behind them.
.
.
Ellie had begged and begged her parents to let her go back and see Tommy. He was the first friend she'd been able to make since they'd moved to New York. It was summer vacation now and that made it harder for little Ellie to meet people, it'd be easier if they were in school and she was spending seven hours a day getting to know a bunch of kids her own age but left with only the neighborhood kids – who were all much older than her – Ellie had been left to play alone most days. Her parents were a bit reluctant given that Tommy's father had so many guns in the house and that the family lived in the middle of the woods. But when they saw just how sad Ellie was in the days after she'd met the boy they decided they'd try to get in touch with Tommy's parents.
.
.
Tommy was sitting on the small deck that wrapped around half of their cabin, his feet were dangling off the edge as he held his slingshot in his hand. He let go and the rock in it only shot a foot or two before rolling along the ground, though really Tommy wasn't trying his best, he was too sad. His mom came out and crouched behind him putting down a plate of Oreos.
"Thought you might want a snack." She said trying to raise her son's spirits but he only muttered a tiny thank you, picking one up and nibbling on the end, his eyes still sad. Ellie had been the first and only friend he'd ever had over his house to play and now a week had gone by and he was worried he'd never see her again. He heard his Pa's jeep roll up to the house but he didn't look over his shoulder to wave hello he just kept kicking his dangling feet back and forth.
"Hey, your Papa's home." His mother said, "And it looks like he brought your friend."
The effect of her words was instantaneous as Tommy turned and lit up seeing Ellie get out of the jeep. A huge smile spread across the nine year old's face as he stood up.
"Ellie!"
"Tommy!" she shouted back rushing up the steps and hugging him. "You've been practicing some more?" she asked stepping back and looking at the slingshot in his hand.
"Yeah, come on I'll show you how it works." He said and they rushed back down the steps looking for small rocks to use while Tommy's parents watched them with smiles.
.
.
A few days later Tommy was at the table drawing a picture with his crayons when his mom came in and brought him a sandwich for lunch.
"What's that sweetheart?" she asked sitting next to him.
"A fish for Ellie. Her birthday's this month. Remember Pa?" he asked as his dad walked through the room smiling at his boy, "The day we met her she said she was turning nine this month."
"I do remember Tommy." His Pa said grabbing the keys to the jeep as he prepared to make a trip into town for some supplies they needed.
"Ellie likes fish." Tommy said remembering that that was how she'd gotten lost to begin with, she'd stopped to watch the fish swim. "Do you think she'll like it?"
"I think she'll love it." His mom said standing up and kissing the top of his head, "It's lovely sweetie."
.
.
The next time Ellie visited Tommy took her fishing with him by the lake, they were still close enough to the cabin that his mom could see them out the kitchen window as they hung out in the sun. Tommy was holding the fishing pole while sitting on the wooden bench he'd helped his Pa make from a fallen tree while Ellie sat next to him. It didn't take long before he had a tug on the line and was showing Ellie how to reel it in, he'd show her how then pass the pole to her so she could try, then after a minute she'd pass it back and so on and so on. The fishing rod was in Tommy's hands when they finally got the fish and Ellie was giggling at how it wriggled on the hook as it hung in the air.
"Here, hold it while I get the hook out." He said.
"Ew!" she replied at the idea of holding a fish.
"I thought you liked fish." He said.
"Yeah, when they're swimming pretty in the water, but I don't like touching them!"
"Have you ever touched a fish before?" he asked laughing and Ellie shook her head, "Then how do you know you don't like it?"
Nervously, Ellie reached out and took the fish in her hand, she gave a tiny squeal but didn't let go as Tommy got the sharp hook from its mouth.
"What now?" she asked as the fish flapped its tail back and forth trying to get out of her hands.
"Well we bring them home and eat them if they're full grown, but this guy still looks young." He said taking the fish from her hand and bending down.
"So we'll throw him back." He said dipping the fish in the water and letting go as they watched it swim away. While he was crouched down Ellie kicked her foot splashing water at him, it wasn't much but a descent few drops did hit him in the face making him turn to her with a smile.
"Hey!" he shouted before sticking his hand in the water and throwing it up at her getting her wet too. She let out another shriek and jumped back but it was too late, the water war had already begun and they stayed out by the lake splashing each other until it was time for Ellie to go home.
.
.
For nearly a year Ellie and Tommy spent as much time together as they could. It was harder once school started and Ellie couldn't play for most of the week but weekends were spent making up for it while they fished and played with Tommy's sling shot. When the weather was bad they'd stay inside and color or play one of his board games.
Then it changed when Ellie's dad got a new assignment at work. Ellie was used to moving a lot, even for a nine year old, but this time the news made her sadder then ever. She hated the idea of moving away from Tommy and she locked herself in her room as she cried. It lasted so long that she skipped dinner, having cried herself to sleep without even eating that night. Tommy's reaction was different though no less sad. He stayed quiet and looked at his shoes as he walked upstairs and went to his room. The first friend he ever made was moving away and he'd be all alone again.
Ellie's dad started his new job in Virginia at the end of the month so Ellie ended up spending a lot of time with Tommy while her parents packed up the house. They tried to forget about all the sad things and have fun but that didn't stop the day from coming when Ellie had to leave.
She held on to Tommy tightly while her parents waited by the car and Tommy's mom and pa stayed on the deck watching the kids. The hug lasted a long time – to the point where they worried that they'd have to actually pull the kids apart. Then Tommy sniffled trying to hold back his tears and pulled away.
"Here, have this." He said holding out his slingshot.
"Tommy, that's your birthday present." She said.
"I want you to have it. So you won't forget me."
Slowly reaching out she took it then looked up at him, "I could never forget you Tommy." Then she hugged him again and he hugged back. All four parents watched wishing they didn't have to make the two ten year olds let go, but they did. Ellie's mom called her from beside their car and Ellie pulled away from him. She had tears in her eyes as she listened to her mother and got in the vehicle with her head hung low. Tommy sat on the bottom step of the porch as he watched them drive off and his own tears started falling. When it was too much he put his head in his hands and cried. His Pa sat down next to him and rubbed his back trying to comfort his son by telling him it would all be alright. But it wasn't, and it only got worse three months later when Tommy's mom got sick.
AN: and now back to your regularly scheduled apocalypse. . .
"How did you meet him?" he finally asked as Ellie continued to work on the fish.
"It's a long story." She said chopping fish into smaller pieces for dinner. He licked his lip nervously taking a deep breath and just going for it.
"He found you in the middle of the woods didn't he?" he asked and she flinched in surprise turning to him shocked and slicing the tip of her finger with the knife. She hissed in pain and he immediately got the first aid kit and pulled out a band aid. He went over to her as she was wiping the blood from her finger and he laid the band aid over the cut.
"How did you know that?" she asked still in shock.
He bit his lip, licking it again nervously as he kept his gaze on her finger also so happy at the same time, then he looked up at her. "Because I gave you the slingshot my Pa got me for my birthday."
He saw her eyes go wide in realization as she stared at him trying to see the nine year old in the guy standing in front of her.
"Tommy?" she said his name hesitantly like she couldn't believe it but also knew only one person would know about the slingshot. He nodded slowly letting it sink in while his own subconscious kept calling him names for being so stupid and not figuring it out sooner.
"You. . . You're. . . taller." She finally got out and he chuckled.
"So are you." He said smiling so much his face hurt then a wide grin broke out on her face before she stepped forward closing the small distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a hug that he returned just as fiercely. God, he thought, it felt just like when they were kids. The way she held onto him, how good it felt, how warm it made him.
"You're alive." She said and he felt her start to weep into his shoulder.
"I'm alive." He said rubbing her back in comfort as he started to feel overcome with emotion too, "You're alive."
He hadn't thought much about her since the outbreak happened, actually, he made himself push away every thought about her. After losing his Pa the idea that somewhere Ellie might have been walking around as a Z and he wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of finding her to give her mercy was just too painful of a thought. Luckily, his kill count had been a great distraction from all the pain the apocalypse caused. But now holding her again, feeling her breathing, knowing she was okay, it was. . . he didn't have words that described it.
She nodded into his shoulder sniffling before she pulled back, "How did you get here from New York?"
"It's a long story." He said not wanting to get into the whole Operation Bitemark thing right now, wanting to focus only on her, that it was really her, that he really had his best friend back.
"I missed you Ellie." He said bringing a hand to cup her cheek and she lifted her hand to rest it over his own. He would have asked her how she'd been doing except he knew the answer, it was the apocalypse, she was hanging in but was still alive. He knew she said her family was dead so there was no point in asking how they were either. Even with all the bad that must have happened to her since the outbreak she still smiled and leaned into his touch.
"I missed you too Tommy." She said and he pulled her back into a hug wanting to never let go so he couldn't lose her again. Then the moment was ruined when that little voice in his head spoke up. Now you've got a problem, the others are still out there, Murphy is still out there up to lord only knows what. They're going to need you, and you can't drag Ellie into that mess, you can't let her near Murphy. An image of Cassandra with a bite in her cheek flashed into his mind, you can't let that happen to Ellie. So who's more important, the group or her?