[A blink in time where he can either let that incoming hand hit him, take the slap that he knows he deserves, or stop it from connecting by yanking at Tess' wrist and yanking her hand away from his face. He chooses option two at the last second, shaking her so she can feel the anger behind that decision. I don't regret it. I won't.]

It wasn't just an hour ago for me, Tess!

[A reminder. Her pain and her frustration makes sense to him, but she has no way to grasp his. And there's no way to make her grasp it. Joel tries to find the words that will fit around a decent explanation to someone who's been dead for a year, killed by the infection he refused to try and cure.]

It has nothing to do with any of that. I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it.

[His body is tense, his grip on her hard just in case she tries to keep fighting him, but lord, if he doesn't start to sound helpless.]

Ellie -- she didn't have any choice at all. I told her they would take a blood sample from her, Tess. I told her it wouldn't hurt.