Lee held Clementine's hand as they walked down the stairs, slowly passing the walkers that were beginning to climb the steps. The place was already packed with the dead, it happened faster than Lee thought it would.
Clementine was scared, her body was a little shrunk as she walked past so many dead bodies, but Lee's firm hand holding hers made her a little more relaxed, and she concentrated on looking at the ground, trying not to make a wrong move and do something that would draw attention.
Lee was rooting for this to work, rooting for them to get out of there as soon as possible, but he was realistic, Clementine might make it, but he had a good chance of not getting out of there.
With each step he took in that walker infested corridor, the more gravity pulled him stronger, more and more his body gave way, and more and more darkness filled his eye.
Until he could no longer stay awake, could no longer force his legs to walk, or his body to move.
Clementine felt Lee's grip on her hand grow weaker, so she squeezed harder, afraid that he would let go. It was then that she saw him fall to the ground, unconscious, blood seeping out of the bandages around his arm, his breathing was shallow, and he was pale.
She became desperate, tried to call out to him, to shake him, but he wouldn't wake up. Her heart raced and she began to breathe harder, fearing the worst.
She didn't know what she was going to do, she was in the middle of a horde of the dead, and the only person she trusted, the person who had gone through hell just to find her, was lying on the ground, and she could only watch, watch him force himself to walk, watch him force a warm smile and lie so that she wouldn't worry.
The walkers around seemed to be able to smell Lee's blood, and were searching among the dead for the source of that smell.
Clementine looked around, looking for any way out, anything she could use to get Lee out of there.
It was then that her eyes focused on a room with a door half-open, it seemed empty.
She had no other options, this had to do.
Clementine grabbed Lee's arm and began to pull him, using almost all her strength, since Lee was a large man, even compared to other adults.
She looked up, her eyes widening as she saw a walker approaching, apparently only one seemed to notice the source of the smell of blood.
Clementine temporarily released Lee's arm, grabbing his machete from his back, kicked the zombie's leg, knocking him down, and killed him by driving the blade into his head.
Another walker noticed the movement, and tried to grab her. Clementine took a few steps back and repeated what she had done, kicked him in the leg and killed him with the machete.
Realizing that the others had not noticed the movement, she put the blade away in Lee's back, and pulled him back toward the empty room.
She pushed herself against the door, slowly opening it and scanning the place with her eyes for walkers, fortunately, there were none.
She pulled Lee completely into the room, and as soon as she did, she closed the door, walking desperately towards Lee's inert body.
- Lee... please... please wake up... wake up...
She begged softly, shaking Lee's body, hoping that he would wake up at any moment.
He wasn't moving, the only thing that showed he was alive was his torso, which slowly rose and fell as he breathed.
She felt her throat close up again, and a bad feeling dominate her chest, but a spark of hope sprang up in her when she heard a low moan from Lee, and his arm move a little.
He opened his eye slowly, turning his head around, looking confused at the room he was in, until his gaze fell on the girl who was looking at him with a mixture of despair and relief.
- Lee, I...You collapsed suddenly, I didn't know what to do I...I thought you had left me.
She said quickly, gently hugging Lee's neck, trying to ignore his obvious state.
-... Clem...
He said her name in a slurred, tired, weak voice, he had expended an enormous amount of energy just calling her name.
He forced himself up once more, trying at least to sit up and brace his back against the wall. Clementine helped him, feeling every groan of pain he gave pierce her chest.
Lee picked up the radio he had put in his pocket, pressed a button, and brought it close to his mouth.
-... Carley...
He called out for the woman, a few seconds passed in silence, and he began to worry, thinking something had happened to her.
"- Thank God, Lee, is everything okay in there?! I tried to call you on the radio but when I saw all those walkers coming in, I was afraid to put you in a bad situation, my God, all those desperate people, the shooting... Lee?! Are you okay?!"
She said all that quickly, giving Lee no time to respond, and he smiled at the woman's agitation, a sad smile.
-...Clementine...I found her...go to the...the place we agreed on.
He said slowly, saying a few simple words was taking what little breath he had, and he laughed at himself mentally for the pathetic situation he was in.
"-...You didn't answer my question..."
She said after a few moments of silence, noticing Lee's weak voice, fearing the worst, causing Lee to let out a nasal laugh.
"Smart as ever."
He thought.
-...Just get Clementine...the radio will...will be with her.
He said, and ignored the woman's calls, extending the radio toward Clementine, who was looking at him with a tearful expression.
She tried to ignore Lee's words, tried not to think about what would happen to him, what she would have to do.
Again.
Even though she knew Lee would say otherwise, she couldn't help but blame herself, he was in that situation because she had trusted a stranger.
- Get the radio Clem... find Carley... fast.
He said, almost in a whisper.
The girl just ignored his hand, grabbing his wrist and pulling him, trying to get him to stand up once more.
- Then get up, the door is right here.
She tried hopefully, refusing to go through that again.
Lee smiled sadly at the girl's attempt.
- Clem... I can't move... not anymore.
He said, feeling the pain in his body multiply, what was left of his arm throbbed violently, the gunshot wounds that had not healed properly seemed to burn in his torso, his face burned in several places from the fight he had earlier, his back ached after falling from the second floor window, he was lucky he did not break any bones.
He would not get out of there, not in that situation, not at that moment.
If the situation was different, and he wasn't so screwed up, they could get past the horde without any problems, or even wait for dawn and leave at sunrise.
But if he died there, locked in an empty room with Clementine, she would have to do something he didn't want her to do, and that would be to put a bullet in his head.
He knew that Clementine would have to kill eventually, things would only get worse from then on, it was inevitable. But he didn't want the girl to kill him, not him.
And once he took a life, she would change, forever.
Lee wasn't dumb, he considered himself a smart guy, in most situations. He noticed the difference in the glint in Clementine's eye.
He noticed the change the girl had around her.
And he would not forgive the man who had kidnapped her for changing his little girl like that.
Clementine just shook her head, refusing to listen to him.
- No no no Lee you have to get up!
She tried again, pulling him tighter, and raising her desperate tone.
- Clem... I can't.
The girl let go of his arm and hugged him tightly, beginning to cry softly into his chest.
- Please, please Lee, try to get up.
She begged, beginning to cry harder as she felt Lee's hand on her cap.
- Clem... You can take care of yourself... you're a strong girl... smart, smarter than all of them out there... you'll be fine.
His vision was starting to fail, and he felt that at any moment he would pass out again.
- No... I thought you were dead, I was so scared when you were shot, I already lost you once, why do I have to lose you again?
She said in a sad whisper, between the sobs that escaped her throat.
- You can't stay here sweet pea... Carley should be on her way by now... there is a manhole a few yards... a few yards from some parked cars... you can't miss it... once you get in, go straight down the hall... turn left at the tunnel with the three bloodstains on the wall... Carley will be waiting for you at the end of it.
He explained, pulling the sheathed machete from his back with difficulty, and holding it against Clementine's trembling body.
- Please... don't leave me...
She begged once more, softly and in a defeated tone.
- You'll be fine... you can do anything Clem... You gonna see bad stuff... you gonna do bad stuff... but you're strong... You will change because of it, sometimes you won't even recognize yourself. But it will be necessary Clem... necessary to stay alive... to protect those around you.
He forced the sheath of his machete a little harder against the girl's body, causing her to let go hesitantly, and grab the machete with both hands, hugging it against her body and looking deep into Lee's eye.
A tired, broken look stared back at her, and she knew he was struggling to control his tears, suffering as much as she was.
-... Wha-what about...?
She tried to ask, but not having the strength to complete the question.
Lee raised his body forward a little, reaching for the pistol at his waist.
- I'll take care of it.
She looked at the gun for a few moments, staring intensely at the pistol in his hand, closing her eyes soon after and turning her face away.
She was broken, and seeing Lee die, once again, right in front of her, made her even worse than she already was.
To have that previously lost hope reborn in her chest, only to be destroyed again, was... crazy.
Clementine stood up slowly, without taking her suffering golden eyes from Lee's tired brown one.
To Lee, it was as if her eyes glowed in the darkness of the room, the noise of the walkers just behind that door was muffled, and all he saw was the beauty behind those golden eyes he loved so much.
He didn't need to worry about the girl, even though he wouldn't be around to keep her safe, he knew she could take care of herself.
She was a special girl, unique.
- Please... Don't go... not again...
She said in a whisper, pressing the machete tighter against her body and lowering her head, letting her heavy tears fall toward the ground.
-... I'll miss you...
That was all he could say, his body was getting more and more numb, and his eye was getting heavier.
The pain he had felt before was gone, everything was numb, and he even found it a bit ironic, he had always thought that dying was painful, especially with so many wounds in his body.
But in fact, he felt nothing, unlike the torturous pain he imagined he would feel, dying was somewhat... peaceful.
-... Me too...
She whispered once more, turning towards the door, but not before taking one last look at Lee's face.
He was smiling at her, a proud smile, even a little happy.
And his one eye gave her such a special feeling, she could see the love that Lee's gaze directed at her.
Such a proud smile, such a loving gaze, would be imprinted in her mind forever.
She gathered the little strength she had, and took small steps toward the door.
-... I love you Clem...
All she wanted to do now was to collapse on the floor and cry, to stop trying to be strong, to stop fighting the horrible feeling in her chest, to turn around and hug Lee as tight as she could.
She will remember that.
Those words would forever be imprinted in her heart.
She tried to turn to Lee, to tell him that she loved him too, how much she blamed herself for him being in that situation, how much she loved the moments they had spent together.
But she couldn't say anything, she didn't have the strength to fight the sobs that insisted on coming out of her throat.
She turned her face away, but was stopped by Lee's voice.
- Don't look back.
His voice sent shivers through her body, and she fought the urge to turn to him.
But she obeyed him.
She walked to the door, gathering all the strength she had, and even using the energy she didn't have to open it.
And without looking back, she left the room, closing the door behind her as soon as she did, feeling her heart breaking into a thousand pieces, and a part of herself being left in that room with Lee.
She would never be normal again. Not after that day.
A part of her died in that place.
Lee bowed his head as he heard the door close, relieved that he had managed to rescue her, and happy to have gotten those words off his chest, words he had wanted to say for a long time, but didn't feel he had the right to do so.
And with all that peace inside him, he surrendered to the darkness that took over his gaze, he felt a warm feeling in his chest.
And soon after, he didn't feel anything else.
