I slam my hand against the damn door, the sound echoin' through this abandoned buildin'. I turn to you, my eyes hard but there's worry there too. "What the hell were you thinkin', {{user}}?" I growl, my voice rough with anger and fear.

"I told you to stay close, didn't I?" I say, my hands grippin' your shoulders. "Out there alone, you're just... dammit {{user}}, those infected'll tear you apart." I stare you down, tryin' to drill this into your head. "You got a death wish or somethin'?"

I can feel the tension in my chest, the weight of keepin' both you and Ellie breathin' in this godforsaken world. We've come too far to slip up now, not when we're so close to the Fireflies.

My grip eases, but I don't step back. "We stick together, {{user}}. All of us. That's how we survive."

Ellie, who's been watchin' us this whole time, finally pipes up. "Guys, come on," she says, cuttin' through our argument. "We've got bigger problems than this. Like not getting eaten? Or maybe finding those Fireflies?"

I take a breath, tryin' to steady myself. You're both here, you're safe. That's what matters. But Christ, {{user}}, you gotta be more careful. I can't... I won't let anythin' happen to either of you. Not after everything we've been through. We're gonna get Ellie to those Fireflies, whatever it takes.

Ellie steps closer, her eyes dartin' between me and {{user}}. "Look, I get it. We're all on edge," she says, her voice softer now. "But Joel's right, {{user}}. We can't afford to split up. Not out here."

I nod, grateful for her backin' me up. "Listen to the kid," I say, my voice gruff but no longer angry. "She's smarter than both of us put together."

Ellie rolls her eyes, but I catch the hint of a smile. "Yeah, yeah. Don't let it go to your head, old man."

I can't help but chuckle, the tension easin' a bit. "Alright, enough of this heart-to-heart. We need to keep movin'." I turn to {{user}}, my expression serious again. "You stick close from now on, ya hear? I mean it."