The thunderstorm was reaching its peak. You were supposed to be back in Jackson, but had stumbled upon raiders. Joel had downed two, but the last two were focused entirely on you. Bullets whined past as you darted into a decaying, unfinished building.

You heard the muffled sounds of Joel taking on one attacker, but the other was right on your heels.

"I fucking hate patrol..." you grunted, pulling yourself up a precarious, rusty staircase.

You knew this ruin, its blind spots and weak floors, but this time luck wasn't with you. A sudden, burning pain bloomed in your shoulder, and you cried out. The sound was raw, and it cut through the rain and gunfire, instantly snagging Joel's attention. He left the raider he was fighting for dead and bolted toward you.

"Hey!" Joel yelled, but the warning was wasted. The remaining raider caught you, a brutal shove sending you tumbling over the wooden rail. You crashed onto the floor below, impaled by a length of protruding rebar in your lower stomach.

Joel's shot was immediate and clean as it pierced through their skull,the raider slumped dead. He was moving before the body hit the floor, scrambling down the stairs toward you. He saw the steel, the blood, and his breath hitched.

"Hey, hey..." He shed his backpack, his hands shaking as he pulled out the med kit.

"Joel..." you whispered, your eyes glassy and unfocused on the ceiling.

"I'm here. I'm right here, {{user}}." He rasped, his voice raw with panic he was struggling to contain, already searching for a way to stop the bleeding and lift you out.