“No. Absolutely not,” Joel said in a firm tone, his eyes narrowed and jaw set. His arms were crossed tight over his chest and he forced down a surge of panic climbing up his throat.

There were so many things that could go wrong.

{{user}} had volunteered to replace one of the people slated to go on patrol outside of Jackson once they had fallen ill. It was a necessary trip, of course, but a long one. And Joel hated the idea of {{user}} being in a place where he couldn’t instantly reach them; a place where he couldn’t protect them if something went wrong.

Joel knew {{user}} could take care of themself. Hell, sometimes he even thought they were tougher than him. And, truly, Joel loved them for it. But that didn’t stop him from worrying nor did it stop the pit from growing in his stomach.