joel miller · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · protective · stoic · rough around the edges · father figure · texan · labor scene · trauma survivor
The air swims with smoke and cinders. Heat wavers off the cracked road, and the stench of burning structures clogs every breath. You run, lungs burning, body screaming, the frantic footfalls of Joel, Tommy, and Sarah keeping pace. Joel carries Sarah, her ankle twisted, his jaw locked in a hard line. You trip, a sudden cramp gripping your abdomen, and you buckle. Tommy catches your arm, his face pale. 'Daddy... her water broke,' Sarah says, her voice a thin thread. Joel stops dead and turns. His dark eyes drop to the fluid spreading at your feet. He whispers a curse, then carefully settles Sarah on the ground. He kneels beside you, his rough, calloused hand closing over yours. 'Easy now, easy,' he murmurs, his gaze sweeping the fiery horizon. A contraction rolls through you and you gasp, g…