#pboys

Joel and Ellie are a family. An unlikely pair of post-apocalyptic survivors end up forming a family that eventually allow one more into their family as Joel's companion.

It happened when I was asked to do wound care for Ellie, when she suffered a burn to her forearm. At first Joel and I were like oil and water. He was so overprotective of Ellie that we butt heads. He practically growled at me when Ellie whimpered during my first home visit. He was taken aback when I just looked at him and rolled my eyes. If looks could kill he would've killed me that day.

Eventually I had to treat him like I did other helicopter parents when I used to work the ER. I simply stated, " Mr. Miller, if you'd like me to leave and let you do this, I'm happy to leave you to it."

I began to stand up, then Ellie yelled at him."Cut it out Joel! Stop hovering! Where are your manners?! You haven't even offered her a drink or something!" She shook her head and told me, "Sorry. Please excuse Joel. He's not used to having company, especially female company."

I replied to Ellie, "I get it. I saw this back in the day in the ER from a lot of overprotective parents. It just goes faster and easier without someone growling." I smiled and winked at her. He went to the kitchen and could be heard opening and closing cabinets.

Ellie was intrigued with "the before the events that changed the world forever" and began asking lots of questions about my previous life. After that initial home visit Joel would always have coffee or tea available to me. He never growled at me again.

I continued daily wound treatment visits for Ellie for a little over 3 weeks. Some of her burns were only 1st degree, but most of the surface area were 2nd degree burns. I would go see her every afternoon at about 3pm, at the end of my shift. It took less time to clean as her wound began to heal, but she loved to ask me questions about life before everything went to shit.

On my 4th visit was when I noticed Joel was less tense around me. That's when he said, "Ellie loves to ask a lot of fu… pardon me ma'am. She likes to ask a lot of questions." He was setting my tea on the table when I paused and looked up at him, with my right eyebrow arched. He paused with his hand still on my mug of tea and for the first time I noticed him get nervous under that tough exterior. He quickly looked away from me and his hand slipped off the mug before it was completely resting on the table, causing the mug to tip over and out spilled the tea onto some of my supplies.

I quickly picked up all the gauze I had out before it could become soaked with liquid. Gauze was a precious commodity, and I couldn't afford to lose any of it. That's when Joel began cursing and swung into action.

"Goddammit! I can't believe I did this fucking shit!" He quickly grabbed a dish towel and began soaking up the tea that was trying to make its way off the table. I was just standing with gauze in my gloved hands, away from the whirlwind that was happening in front of me. Ellie sat staring at Joel, smiling with large, surprised eyes. She looked towards me, then back at Joel. That's when I noticed a little pinkish tinge crawling up his face from his neck. Ellie just laughed, "You really fucked this one up Joel!" She continued laughing at him and he gave her a sneer as he finished cleaning up.

Once Joel was finished, I sat back down and began working on Ellie, again. Joel returned a few minutes later with another cup of tea, but while he was gone Ellie had questions that went in a different, more personal, direction.

"So, you married? Or were you married? Kids?"

I kept on working on her arm and stated, "No."

"Oh. So, you have a boyfriend, girlfriend, partner?"

"No, I'm not attached to anyone Ellie."

"Well," she looks towards the kitchen and in a lower voice asks, "would you consider dating Joel?"

I paused and look up at her with my hands stopped midair, "Excuse me?"

She looks at the kitchen and I look in the same direction. I'm thinking about what she just asked me, and I didn't see this coming.

She whispers, "I've never seen him nervous around anyone, so I think he might like you." She grins at me with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

I return to working on her arm without responding just as Joel returns with another cup of tea. He carefully sets it down beside me, "Sorry about that mess earlier. I made you a fresh cup."

I look up at him to see a sheepish smile on his face. I nodded, "No worries. Thank you, Joel. Would you care to join us?"

He smiles, "Um … if I'm not imposing upon y'all." He puts one hand on the back of a chair and pauses.

I look back up at him and smile, "I wouldn't have offered it was an imposition."

I see the pink tinge begin to grow, again, as he gives me a little crooked smile and pulls the chair out to sit. He smiles at Ellie and drinks his coffee.

I continued working on Ellie for a few more minutes, quietly as I feel both sets of eyes on me. I pause and look up at them, from one to the other, "Is there something either one of you want to ask me? You had a lot of questions earlier, Ellie."

Ellie smiles and looks at Joel for a beat, then returns her attention to me. " Would you like to join us for dinner tonight? Maybe at 6?" She looks at Joel, and I follow her gaze. " That's a good time to be finished with your ribs, right Joel?" She tilts her head at Joel, with widen eyes, and mouths 'Yes' to Joel.

I suppress the grin and laughter and just stare at Joel. He looks from Ellie to me and there is no hiding the nervous energy coming from his end of the table or the scarlet red tint rising up his cheeks.

"Uh, yes," he nods. "They should be ready by that time or pretty darn close to it. It would be great to have you join us for dinner tonight." He looks to me with anticipation and smiles.

I returned his smile and nodded, "Thank you for the invitation, but, um," I can visibly see Joel's smile disappear and Ellie look at me with disdain, "you better make it 7 because I still have another house call. Plus, I need to return to the clinic and write up my notes for today. This is normally my last stop, but today I have one more stop."

Ellie relaxes back in her chair and Joel looks relieved as he smiles, "Oh! Okay great!"