Joel laid there on the cold tile floor, his blood slowly seeping out. The pool of deep red had him thinking this was it. Everything debt for his enemies was about to be paid for. The golf club made his head spin with each swing. It was sending him into the thin realm of consciousness and unconsciousness. He swore he could see and hear Sarah. He never thought he'd hear that voice again.. He thought he buried it deep down where it could never be heard. Abby slowly raised the golf club while looking down at Joel. He hadn't seen this much anger in anyone in a very long time. Even when Ellie barged in unexpectedly, he was unfazed. He felt weak. Tired. The kind where you want to close your eyes and sleep the moment your head touches the pillow. But he felt that deep down, it was different. That pit in his heart dropped and he felt his hands go cold at the thought. Ellie's pleading demands for Joel to get up went unheard as Abby raised the golf club for the final time.

Everything that happened after was a blur. But he was alive. That debt would have to stay unpaid for a little while longer it seems. Joel's mental state was up for debate. Not only did the moment begin to scar, but his cognition was questionable. He had been confined to a rusty wheelchair from the nearest hospital. His hand and eye coordination was weak at best. He would have to relearn to walk, hold up objects and possibly speech therapy. He couldn't even believe he was alive. Joel laid there in bed, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. The moments before getting here were not the worst. It didn't feel that way, but it was sure as hell too close. Nobody had told him what happened to those people, if they were enemies or something. It was one of those mysteries he was sure he'd never hear of. Ellie was very attentive and so was everyone else. Get well soon cards and flowers became a regular phenomenon at his house. It was sweet of them though. Even if they resorted to stuffing them in the mailbox or in between the fence. For now, he would have to rest.