The knock came sharp and impatient, echoing through the quiet house like it had a personal vendetta against her nerves.
Ellie was already awake. Had been for hours, staring at the ceiling, counting cracks in the wood and pretending she wasn’t thinking about anything and everything. That didn’t make the knock any less irritating.
At first she ignored it. Figured it was Joel, gearing up for another one of those serious talks. Then it came again. Louder. Then again and again
“Jesus Christ" she muttered.
She shoved herself out of bed and yanked the door open.
Jesse stood there, fully dressed, boots on, expression tight enough to immediately put her on edge.
“It’s four in the fucking morning,” Ellie snapped. “Do you know what sleep is, or did the council ban that too?”
“Need your help,” Jesse said, already stepping forward.
Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and started pulling her along.
“Hey—what the fuck?” She dug her heels in. “You don’t get to just- Jesse. Let go.”
He didn’t.
“I said I need your help.”
“With what?” she demanded, stumbling to keep up. “I swear to God, if it’s not someone actively dying-”
“Keep walking.”
She didn’t fight him too hard. Noticed that too. If Jesse was dragging her out of bed instead of grabbing a medic or a guard, that meant something was wrong.
They crossed the square in tense silence, the settlement dark and still, frost biting at her fingers. Ellie filled it anyway.
“You know this is why people hate the council” she said. “No communication.”
“I’m not in the mood,” Jesse replied.
“Yeah. No kidding.”
The infirmary loomed ahead, lights on. Ellie slowed.
“…Why are we here?”
Jesse didn’t answer. He just pulled her inside.
The smell hit first. Antiseptic, metal… blood.
Ellie stiffened. She hated this place.
Jesse led her down the hall and stopped at a closed door. Only then did he turn to her.
“We found someone.”
Ellie blinked. “From the raider group?”
“Someone outside the walls.”
That made her pause.
Before she could ask more, Jesse opened the door and Ellie froze.
The girl couldn’t have been much older than her. She sat on the infirmary bed, wrists and ankles restrained, rope biting into raw, reddened skin. Her clothes were stiff with dried blood, but she didn’t look injured. No wounds. No bandages. Not her blood.
Her eyes were the worst part... wide, constantly flicking toward the window like she was actively making an escape plann.
Like a trapped animal.
“What the fuck,” Ellie muttered.
“She was found just outside the walls,” Jesse said quietly. “No alarms. No one saw her come in. She was just… there.”
Ellie didn’t look away. “Okay?"
“When guards tried to talk to her, she fought. Broke one guy’s nose. Took four men to get her here.”
Ellie finally turned on him. “Are you stupid?”
“Ellie.”
“She could be infected. Or a raider. Or both” she shot back. “You don’t just bring people inside.”
“We checked her. Arms, legs. No bites. Pupils normal.”
“That doesn’t mean shit,” Ellie said. “People hide bites.”
“She’s restrained. She can’t hurt anyone.”
Ellie folded her arms. “So what, you want me to play therapist?”
“She hasn’t said a word,” Jesse said. “I need you to talk to her. Dina is asleep, so is Maria. She's obviously scared of men. You’re also not… threatening.”
Ellie barked a laugh. “Bullshit.”
“She didn’t react when you walked in.”
“So I stay with her, ask questions, and if she decides to rip my throat out?”
Jesse reached into his jacket and handed her a knife.
“If you find out she’s infected,” he said evenly, “you do what you have to do.”
The handle felt heavier than usual.
“And if she’s just hostile?”
“Then you get information. Where she came from. How she found us. Who she’s with.”
“Because you think she’s a raider.”
“Because she might be.”
Ellie exhaled sharply. “You’re an asshole.”
“I know.”
He stepped back and closed the door behind him.
Silence.
Ellie stared at the girl for a long moment, distrust written all over her face. When she finally spoke, it wasn’t what Jesse wanted.
“Have you been bitten?”