**Back at the Pharmacy**
As Kenny watches Eddie and Glenn return, he rushes toward his son. "Are you two alright?"
"Y-yeah... we got gas... and... we're fine." Eddie nods, casting a glance at Glenn, who solemnly mimics the nod.
"I've got a few gas cans for your pickup in the trunk of my car," Glenn adds.
"Good to hear," Kenny replies gratefully.
"What about here? Is everything okay?" Eddie inquires, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it without a second thought. Although none of the others comment on it, his mother shoots him a disapproving look, as does Lilly.
"Quiet. Our 'friend' is still in there, and he won't survive any more stress," Kenny warns, gesturing toward the area where the injured lay.
At that moment, Lee approaches. "I cleared the way to the storage room, but we still need the key. I saw one of the employees outside—they're stuck. I'm going to head out with Doug and grab the key. After that, we can leave."
Eddie and Glenn find a corner of the pharmacy to chat. Glenn leans against the wall, while Eddie sits on the ground, his cigarette smoke curling upward.
"Glenn? You good?" Eddie asks, looking up at him.
"You know..." Glenn shrugs, his expression downcast.
"She was bitten, man... She was dead. That's that." Eddie takes a long drag, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.
"Then you'd better hope you're not bitten," Glenn shoots back, a glare in his eyes.
"No shit," Eddie mutters, finishing his cigarette. Curiosity gets the better of him. "What's your story, Glenn?"
"I deliver pizzas around here. I've brought a couple to the Everetts—the folks who owned this place. Just really good people. It's heartbreaking to see it like this now." Glenn looks around, sadness etched on his face.
Eddie nods, unsure of what else to say.
As Lee steps outside with Doug, Eddie decides to engage with Clementine. He recalls Lee mentioning he isn't her father, and a nagging thought surfaces—where are her parents? Are they dead? Did they leave her behind?
"Hey, Clementine. How are you?" he asks, softening his tone.
"I'm okay," she replies, looking up at him and nodding.
"Are you hungry or... something?" He crouches down to her level, noticing she's perched on a crate.
"I'm okay. Lee gave me an energy bar. It wasn't much, but I know there's no food here—after all, it's a pharmacy," she explains, her voice steady.
"Alright then," Eddie says, standing up.
"Are YOU okay?" she asks innocently.
"Yeah...?" Eddie raises an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"When you and Glenn came back, you both looked... sad, I guess." Her young voice is laced with concern.
"...Nah. We're okay. Don't worry about it," Eddie reassures her, though he knows it's a half-truth.
Clementine nods uncertainly, sensing the tension but unsure of how to navigate it.
Just as Eddie is about to head over to his family, Lee and Doug re-enter the pharmacy.
"I got the keys!" Lee announces confidently as he approaches Lilly and Larry.
"Great! God, you're amazing! Let's get in there." Lilly stands, her excitement palpable.
The pair heads toward the storage area. But just as Eddie prepares to follow them, the building is suddenly filled with the blaring sound of an alarm.
Lee had unlocked the door and stepped inside the storage room, triggering the alarm. Outside, hordes of zombies are drawn to the sound and begin pounding against the door and windows.
"Duck, c'mon, baby, it's time to go!" Katjaa urgently tells her youngest son.
"I'm going to pull the truck round back!" Kenny shouts, his voice booming with authority.
"Do it fast! I've got to get my dad out of here!" Lilly insists, grabbing Larry's arm as they dash off.
"I don't plan on wasting time! Honey, take Duck into the office and barricade the door behind me! Glenn, when you hear me honking in the alley, start getting people out of here!" Kenny begins barking out orders. "And I better take that axe in case I run into any of them on my way to the truck!"
"You got it!" Glenn exclaims, tossing Kenny the axe, which he catches easily.
"Doug, Eddie, Carley, and Lee—you all need to make sure our defenses hold until then!" Kenny commands, his focus unwavering. He turns to Eddie, urging him to stay behind, showcasing his faith in his 17-year-old son.
Suddenly, they hear the gate before the main door creaking as Lee, in his haste, had inadvertently destroyed the lock to rush outside for the key.
"Guys, that door isn't locked anymore!" Doug shouts, his voice quaking slightly with fear.
"Shit! You four, get on it! I'll get back as fast as I can!" Kenny yells, bolting out the door as Doug, Glenn, Eddie, and Carley scramble to hold the doors shut.
"Stay away from the windows," Lee warns Clementine, glancing at her anxiously.
"Glenn, we need your help! Please, hurry!" Katjaa calls out, her urgency increasing.
Lee rushes over to help while Glenn dashes to assist Katjaa and Duck, leaving Lee to brace the doors.
"Hey, Lee, if we don't make it through this, I just want you to know... I think you're a great guy," Doug says, fear creeping into his voice.
"Shut up, Doug!" Lee snaps, frustration bubbling beneath his calm exterior.
"We ain't dying. At least not me! I'm not checking out before getting laid again!" Eddie chimes in, laughter tinged with anxiety.
"You too, Eddie!" Lee growls, trying to maintain focus.
"Doug, if we don't make it through this, I want you to know—" Carley begins, but her voice is cut off as a zombie violently pounds against the door, shoving Lee forward.
In a panic, the four of them push against the door again, forcing the undead back.
"I should know what?" Doug presses, his brow furrowing as he exchanges glances with Carley.
"What?" Carley responds, feigning confusion.
"You said I should know—" Doug is cut off again when the zombies shake the door, causing Lee to stumble back.
The four of them redouble their efforts, but the zombies keep pushing relentlessly.
Suddenly, the pressure from the undead loosens a shelf that had been blocking the window near Doug, allowing some of them to start climbing inside the store.
"On it!" Carley declares, her determination renewed.
"Are you sure?" Lee asks, his concern palpable.
"Oh, shit!" Carley curses as she spots the incoming horde.
"Wha...? Oh, shit!" Lee echoes her alarm.
Carley fires off a few rounds, taking down several zombies that encroach on Doug.
"Good shot, baby!" Eddie exclaims, his instincts overtaking the gravity of the situation, but surprisingly, no one seems to acknowledge his interruption.
Carley whirls around, moving to shoot more zombies as they close in.
"Clementine, can you find something to wedge between the handles? Something really strong, okay?" Lee urges, his voice steady despite the chaos.
"Okay!" Clementine nods eagerly, darting off to search. Lee and the others struggle to keep the door shut as the undead apply relentless pressure from the other side.
"Clementine, did you find anything?!" Lee calls out, desperation rising in his tone.
"Nothing! Oh, wait!" Clementine shouts as she runs back in their direction.
Just then, the nearby windows shatter under the weight of the hungry walkers. "That window is screwed!" Eddie exclaims.
"Go! Me and Lee will hold this door!" he shouts, his voice filled with urgency.
Doug takes off, and Lee and Eddie devote all their strength to keeping the front door from giving way. Suddenly, Clementine rushes up, holding Lee's late father's cane. "I found something!" she exclaims.
Lee swiftly takes the cane and shoves it through the handles of the front door to secure it.
"Alright, let's go!" Eddie shouts, but then he and Clementine hear two desperate shouts.
"Get off, get off! Lee, help! Get them off me!" Doug screams, panic lacing his voice as zombies latch onto him from the boarded-up window.
"Shit, I'm out! I'm out!" Carley cries, one of the undead gripping her ankle. "Lee, help! Ammo! In my purse!"
Eddie's eyes widen as he glances back and forth between the two, weighing the dire choices before him. The reality that both Doug and Carley may not make it bears down on him.
Eddie gulps, the weight of the decision settling heavily on his conscience. In the blink of an eye, he makes a choice that will undoubtedly haunt him. The pharmacy may soon be flooded with zombies from both sides of the store.
Eddie rushes forward, scooping up Clementine in his arms. "Hurry, Lee! Choose one of them, and make it fast!" he urges, sprinting toward the office where they can escape to his father's truck.
With Clementine holding on tightly, she doesn't say anything, merely glancing over his shoulder, likely waiting for Lee to appear. Eddie trusts the 37-year-old will be on their tail.
As Eddie dashes for the truck, he catches a glimpse of Larry re-entering the pharmacy just as Kenny runs back, confirming his promise to return as soon as possible.
Eddie quickly places Clementine in the backseat beside Duck, who watches wide-eyed. He was about to run back to the pharmacy, but seeing Larry and Kenny rush outside to safety, he hops into the backseat, gesturing for the 8-year-old to make room.
Moments later, Kenny, Lee, and Katjaa tumble into the vehicle, and they peel away, Glenn just behind them. Larry and Lilly are likely with Glenn, but Eddie can't be sure who else made it out. As for whom Lee chose to save, he's left wondering.
Eddie leans against the car window, exhaling slowly, the breath leaving his lungs like a weight off his shoulders.
And yet, guilt envelopes him for leaving Lee behind, forcing him to choose one life over another. How is it that he killed swarms of walkers alone at the motel, yet faltered at the pharmacy? Sure, there was a horde there, but still…
He shakes his head and closes his eyes, seeking rest until they reach their next destination.