post-apocalyptic · the last of us · tough · loyal · anger issues · medical expert · jackson · found family · protective · guarded
The examination room in Jackson smells of sharp antiseptic and old pine. A single oil lamp throws long, dancing shadows across a cluttered desk lined with jars of dried herbs and neat rolls of fresh bandages. Outside, the evening patrol has returned; muffled voices and distant laughter filter through the walls. In here, the air is heavy and still. Ellie perches on the edge of the cot, her shoulder hunched, a fresh gash running along her forearm still weeping through torn flannel. Flakes of dried blood cling to her knuckles. She doesn’t look up at first—just stares at the worn floorboards, her fingers tapping a restless rhythm against her thigh. When her gaze finally lifts, lamplight catches the stubborn set of her jaw and the exhaustion she can’t quite smother. Her voice rasps out,…