PetrA

Chapter forty-three: Joachim

Joachim had never in a million years thought he'd see Ellie rolling on the floor dying from laughter. Both Ellie and Henrik had been leaning against each other trying to stay on their feet, but that had failed long ago. Every time Henrik managed to stifle his laughter, Ellie snorted loudly and he was back on the floor. Joachim glared down at Bob who was clinging to his leg, sucking on his tomb. The big oaf had jumped him when the doors shut behind them and knocked Joachim to the ground. He tried to shake him off his leg, but Bob would just start to cry loudly and cling on harder. Joachim was starting to lose the feeling in his leg. "Can you shut up?" he snapped at them. Ellie's laughter was hilarious. It reminded Joachim of somebody about to die of an asthma attack.

It was as if a switch had been turned on in Ellie's head as her expression suddenly changed from mirth to something like panic. She started up a coughing fit and from the sound of it, she couldn't breathe. Joachim was vaguely aware of the running feet coming towards them. He managed to pry Bob off him and rushed over to Ellie. Henrik had already sobered and was trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Everything Ellie tried to say came out a wheeze and was impossible to understand. Behind him, Bob gave a cry, which Joachim ignored. He stared at Ellie who seemed to panic, he didn't understand a thing. What was wrong with her all of a sudden? "Freeze!" A new voice said loud and clear. Joachim stopped moving and Henrik shut up, the only one who wasn't still was Ellie who kept pointing at her bag frantically trying to say something. "Turn around." Slowly Joachim turned around. In front of him was a girl, her hair pulled back in a bandana, behind her a boy was looking at them. Joachim could have screamed in relief. Instead, he scrambled to one side so Ellie was visible.

"I said freeze!" the girl barked. The boy cast a look on Ellie and his eyes widened. He rushed forwards avoiding the girl who tried to stop him. "Ellie!" The girl frowned. "Gordon, do you know them?" He cast a quick look at her. "That's my sister, and she's having an asthma attack." Joachim stared. Ellie was still trying to get a hold of her bag. Gordon grabbed it and emptied it all on the floor, he poked around the pile and picked up a small blue and white box. With quick secure fingers, he opened the box and pulled out a puffer. "Hold her head up." He said to no one in particular. Henrik lifted Ellie's head and watched as Gordon shook the plastic thing and stuffed it in Ellie's mouth pressing it.

Slowly Ellie started to breathe again. Her face pale, the girl had moved closer watching. "Hmm they look alike." She said glancing at Ellie. With some help, she managed to sit up, and Joachim made a mental note. Never get Ellie to laugh too much. It seemed odd to him, he'd never seen Ellie have an attack before, and they'd been in plenty action, they'd run a lot too. Gordon spoke up for Ellie, "She's asthmatic, but it's a mild form. Normally she's able to control it." He said. They all stared at him, he did not sound like a nine-year-old boy. "Maybe we should get her to a bed, so she can rest." The girl said frowning at Ellie who looked like she was about to pass out. "Fuck-my-life." Joachim hear her mutter before Henrik picked her up and followed the girl through the building. "I'm Stella by the way." She said opening a door into a room where several old beds stood. Over a couple of them, somebody had spread fresh sheets, "Wouldn't want to sleep on those. They're full of bed bugs and what not." Stella said wrinkling her nose. She led them through another set off doors, into a room where two sleeping bags had been spread on the floor.

Henrik put her down on one of them and Ellie fell asleep faster than you could say sleep. "Where's Daniel?" Henrik asked. "Not here." Stella said shortly. "Did he die?" Joachim asked hopefully. She fixed him a stare that wasn't much unlike Ellie's. "He wasn't when we left him." She said. "How did you get behind us?" Gordon asked suddenly. "Behind you?" Henrik echoed. "Yeah, we followed Ellie's messages, but then a while back they stopped. So we decided to find somewhere to stay in case... you know." Henrik frowned. "We've been held up by the rain and a couple of times by large flocks of wandering dead people. You might have passed us during the night." He said. "How long have you been here?" Joachim asked. "Since yesterday. We had to escape one of those wanderings as you called it." Stella said looking at Bob with a weird stare. "Daddy, is mommy sleeping?" He asked in that annoying baby language. Henrik sniggered behind his hand. "Yeah daddy is she sleeping?" He asked teasingly. Joachim shot him a look "Yes, Ellie's sleeping." He said stiffly.

"Gordon didn't tell me Ellie had an um over grown child." Stella said. Joachim scowled "She doesn't. We found him this morning, he started calling Ellie mommy and Henrik made him call me daddy just so he wouldn't have to deal with it." Gordon stared at Bob. "Bob stop that. My knife is not a toy." Henrik said pulling his knife out of his hands.