"You brought an infected boy here!"
"He's not bit!"
"Oh, really? Look at him, he's covered in walker blood! I'm sure there's a bite hidden under all that shit!"
"Dad, calm down, please."
"I say we throw the boy out… or bash his head in."
"Kenny, stop him!"
Clementine glanced around the room, her light amber eyes wide in fear as the adults began to yell. Her group had decided to stop at Macon- Lee told them it was safe- but the whole town was worse off than her neighborhood. There were walkers everywhere. The only reason why they were still alive right now was because of a pretty lady with a good shot. Without her, they would have been trapped and Duck would be digesting in some walker's gut. She led them all to the drugstore she and her group were staying at; their welcome didn't last long, in fact, there wasn't any at all, and the group was met with curses and shouts.
She had never seen adults talk to each other like that before. She had never heard swears like the ones being thrown before. Whenever people started cursing in the movies, her parents would change the channel. Her anxiety grew as an older man began to get right up into Lee and Kenny's face, his fists tightly clenched and ready to start swinging.
But, that wasn't the only thing that was growing. The pressure in her bladder was becoming unbearable. All of a sudden, Clementine really, really had to pee.
She held onto Lee's hand and tugged gently. "Lee," she began, "Lee."
"What?" he asked, well, snapped, but his anger wasn't directed towards her.
"I have to go pee."
"Can you hold it in?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Clementine, I'm kind of busy here."
"I-I don't think so."
He groaned. "The bathroom's over by the water fountain."
Slowly, Clementine crept over to the bathroom, ignoring the argument behind her. Her bladder was ready to burst! How embarrassing would it be to pee her pants in front of Duck? Though, to be fair, he probably didn't care at the moment. He had far more important things to worry about, like, not having his skull smashed by an angry old man.
"Everyone needs to calm down," she overheard Katjaa plead. "You're upsetting him."
"Upsetting him?" The nasty old man guffawed. "Upsetting him? You're all going to be upset when he rips your goddamn throat out."
"He's not bit! I'm cleaning him off and I don't see anything!"
"That's because it's hidden. Maybe they got him under his shirt… through his jeans… Either way, he's going to turn and I'm ending this. Now."
"No you're fucking not!" Kenny cries. "Nobody threatens my boy."
"You're going to fucking take me on, hillbilly?" the old man growled. "I'd like to see you try. Hey, little boy, before you eat your daddy, you can watch me break his nose."
Lee pushes him back. "Sit down now, you old fuck!"
"Or what? Are you and your little homo, butt-buddy here going to kick my ass?"
"Yeah, we are!" Kenny hissed.
"Everyone needs to chill the fuck out!" The woman who saved them stepped forward.
Clementine reached over to the doorknob. It jiggled. Great, it was locked. She turned around, hesitating a bit. She didn't want to make the grownups mad… well, they already were, but she didn't need them angry at her. What if Lee got yelled at by the old man because of her? Still, she really, really had to go…
"Lee!" she cried. "Lee!"
"What, Clem?"
She pointed at the door. "It's locked!"
"There's a key behind the counter," he paused. "Probably."
She sighed and ran over behind the counter. Lee was right- the key laid on the floor in a puddle of blood. Clementine cringed. There was a large, long trail leading to the door labeled "Employees Only." She didn't know what happened, and she didn't want to. Slowly, she picked up the key, holding the edge that wasn't stained, and made her way back to the bathroom.
"Dad, don't let him get me!"
"He ain't touching a hair on your head, son. Not while I'm alive!"
"Don't you people fucking get it? First, he'll turn and bite the hillbilly and his mail-order bride's necks-"
"Dad, stop!"
"You got a lot of nerve talking to my wife like that!"
"Then, he's going to bite your little girl's neck. We'll have three of those things around and we'll be fucked!"
"That's not going to happen!" she can hear Lee cry.
Clementine jammed the key into the hole and struggled to unlock it. She had never been good at unlocking things; her dad always had to help her. However, this felt different than her just having butter fingers. There seemed to be pressure on the door- as if something, or someone, was leaning on it. The whole store was abandoned, though. Perhaps, one of the members of this new group were inside, but usually, stores such as these have stalls…
"Hello?" she asked after turning the lock. "Is anyone in there?"
There was silence.
"O-Okay, I'm going to open the door. Please, don't be mad at me-"
She didn't need to open the door. It flew open by itself. Clementine's brows furrowed for a second before she heard a nearly inhuman groan. There was barely any time to react- the walker collapsed, tripping over its own feet, and immediately grabbed onto her tiny ankle. She screeched.
The adults grow quiet, just as shocked as she is, but only Lee and the lady with the gun attempt to rush to her aide. "Clementine!" Lee calls nearly panicked, shoving the old man's daughter out of the way. His injured leg fails him and he falls to the ground with a thud. "Clementine!" he calls out to her again as he quickly gets back on his feet.
She tried to run away, but the heavy, bloated corpse acted as an anchor. Clementine stomped on its head, or tried to- no way was she strong enough to make a dent. If anything, it just seemed to piss off the walker even more. The decaying body hissed with every kick and reached out to grab her other leg.
Finally, Lee limped over, pushed her out of the way, and yanked the walker upright. "You don't touch her, you sonuvabitch!" he roared. Clementine fled around the aisle and watched Lee and the undead wrestle on the floor. For a good minute, Lee had the leverage, but unlike those who are alive, walkers don't tire out. It became soon apparent that Lee's strength was fading. He grunted as the lurker leaned forward and chomped on the air, waiting for just the right moment his prey would be vulnerable. Clementine covered her mouth and turned away to avoid the inevitable…
Bang!
Smoke is still coming from the lady's gun, and she seems a little shaken, but the walker fell into a crumbled heap. Dark, almost black blood, began to seep out of its skull and onto the floor- Lee stepped over the quickly growing puddle somewhat dazed, but unharmed.
Clementine peered out and whimpered. "Lee?"
The older man rushed over to her. "Clementine," he began, checking her for any wounds. "Clementine, are you alright?"
"I-I think so." She rubbed her arm. "I thought I was going to die…"
"Hey, hey," Lee smiled and tipped her hat. "As long as I'm here, nothing's going to happen to you."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Clementine grinned before looking down at the floor. "Uh… I-I don't have to go to the bathroom anymore."
"Oh Dear God…"
Clementine stared at her reflection in the mirror. This didn't feel real. None of this felt real. She still felt like she was dreaming. Everything about this felt like a dream, but no matter what happened, she would never wake up. It never ended. Never in her life did she think that she would be back here again- back to where it all started.
She was standing in the bathroom of the Everett Pharmacy.
She had never been inside it before; her attempt to do so ended in disaster and she avoided it like the plague during her brief time in the store. It was pretty damn cute. Bathrooms aren't supposed to be cute, but this was a breath of fresh air after some of the ones she had seen… literally. Unlike most of the chain convenience stores like WaWa and Piggly Wiggly, there was a bit of a personal touch, even in the restrooms. There were tiny decorative soaps on the counter in the shapes of sea turtles, shells, and fish- there was not a hint of any graffiti in the stalls and the toilets were, surprisingly nearly spotless.
If only the ones she had been in before were this clean.
Right beside the mirror was a typed up notice in comic sans that said: "All employees please wash your hands, thank you." It must have been written up by Lee's parents because there was no way anyone younger than forty would unironically use comic sans. The little smiley face at the end made Clementine smile. They seemed like a nice group of people; they had to be if they raised Lee.
She didn't know how long she had been there, she had gotten lost in her daydream, but it was time to get back to the others. Duck lacked in patience and the last thing she needed was him barging in. This was a unisex bathroom, though, given Duck's brashness and overall stupidity, it wouldn't shock her in the slightest if he ran into the women's bathroom to get her. Hell, he probably accidentally stumbled into the wrong restroom at least once- or multiple- times in his life.
His body had grown but inside was the same goofy ten-year-old.
Clementine took a breath and opened the bathroom door. She had never gotten a good look at the pharmacy before rushing to the restroom. God, she could barely recognize the place. The once knocked over, messy aisles were perfectly stacked and orderly; the floors were almost sparkling, a contrast from the blood stained tile from before. Katjaa was examining some of the postcards on a rack by the front door. Lee had given her one with Atlanta on it before they left, but she had lost it when Carver took her backpack. Maybe, she could find it again. Kenny was getting himself something from the snack bar, David was tapping the counter, annoyed and waiting to leave, and Kate was ogling Javier. The baseball player and his model girlfriend were over by the pet section and snatching boxes upon boxes of doggy diapers. Mariana stood behind them looking slightly concerned.
Duck, sitting in the exact same stool he sat in all those years ago, stood up and waved her over. "Yo, Clem!" he called in between sips of his water. "Hey, I thought you, like, fell in or something. You alright?"
"I'm fine," she replied. "This is all just overwhelming, I guess."
He paused. "Oh, yeah, I get it! I'm a little overwhelmed myself right now, too. Maybe that's just from all the sugar I've had, though. I feel like my heart is, like, in my ears."
"Please don't tell me you're drinking more sugar-"
"It's Kool-Aid powder, yo!" He leaned back and let out a mighty, long roar. "Oh, yeah!"
"You're going to be in a diabetic coma."
"Clem, dude," he took another sip, "I'm here for a good time; not a long one."
She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Gabe. The other boy was inspecting the shaving products, staring at the numerous razors on display intently. He stroked his chin.
Duck groaned. "Yo, dude! You don't have any facial hair, stop it!" He laughed when Gabe gave them both a death stare. "Hey, I'm speaking the truth and you damn well know it."
"I felt some stubble this morning," Gabe replied as he walked over.
"That's probably just your acne, dude." Duck patted his shoulder. "Sorry, bro."
Gabe pushed his hand away. "No, it's definitely coming in. I mean, you see some of the beards the freshman have? They're like grown ass men!"
"That's because they probably are grown ass men."
"Well, whatever they are, I want what they're taking."
Clementine awkwardly coughed into her fist. "So," she began, changing the subject, "you're going to have a cousin, huh? That's pretty exciting-"
"Oh, you missed it," Duck snickered. "David was, like, questioning them about it, and they're not expecting at all! Jess' dog is, though!" He points to David and snickers. "That's why he's so butthurt."
"She treats that thing like it's her baby," Gabe said. "She told Dad that she was going to be a grandmother."
"That's really, really weird," Clementine cringed.
"All the girls in Hollywood do that, you know? They dress their dogs up in weird ass tutus and shit, shove them in their purse, and make them their children… their dog-children."
"Thanks, Duck, for that wonderful explanation," she replied while Duck grinned with pride. "Maybe it's best that they're not reproducing."
Gabe shoved his hands in his pocket. "Uncle Javi and Jess told my dad they prefer dogs over children. They don't grow up to be disappointments."
"Well, I mean, they're probably scared their child could be like you." Duck cackled and Gabe slapped him across the shoulder, fighting a smile himself.
"Says you, asshole."
"Hey, at least I don't wear a beanie in August!"
"Lots of people wear beanies during the summer."
"Yeah, in Alaska!"
Clementine sighed. "We get it, you're both awful children, now can we move on?" she asked. The two boys stop their banter and blink at her. "I want to look around this place-"
"Dude, it's just a pharmacy. It's got the same layout as any other pharmacy."
"I know that!" she snapped. "I'm just looking for someone. My friend's family owns this place."
Duck's eyes narrow and Clementine can hear the Jeopardy music playing in his head- it takes a minute, but then the lightbulb comes on. His eyes light up. "Oh!" he began while the hamster wheel in Gabe's brain still ran. "Oh, I get it! That's why you wanted to come here!"
Duh!
"What's his name?" Duck stood up and glanced around the store. "Who is he? He can't be that old guy right there…"
Sitting in an old rocking chair behind the counter was an elderly man wearing a plaid sports shirt and khakis. He was staring right at Duck while tightly holding onto his cane. The two made eye contact for a good thirty seconds until the teenage boy slowly backed up- the old man slowly pushed up his glasses, but his gaze never left him. That could only be Mr. Everett. Oh my God, Clementine actually was seeing Mr. Everett with her own two eyes!
"Yo, what the fuck," Duck whispered. "Why's he staring at me like that?"
"He knows you're a dumb ass," Gabe retorted.
Duck scowled. "No, look at him!" He pointed to the cane and shuddered. "He's got it in a death grip. What's he going to do?"
"Beat morons like you with it," Clementine giggled. She remembered the stories Lee would tell about shoplifters who would get a whack.
"Hardy, hardy, har," Duck rolled his eyes.
By this point, everyone is done shopping. Jess and Javier can barely hold the amount of doggy diapers and supplies they have, Katjaa picked out a nice card, and Kenny's finished his food. Mr. Everett's brows furrow when the young couple throws the diapers down. "What's all this for?" he asked, motioning to everything on the counter.
"We're expecting puppies soon," Jess grins. "I want to prevent any accidents with my babies!"
He stared at them and deeply exhaled. "Ah, I see, congratulations."
"Thank you!"
Mr. Everett says nothing, but bangs his cane against the door leading to the staff's room. "Bud!" he cried. "Bud, get your ass out here! We got customers!"
Clementine had only seen the photo of Lee's brother, so seeing him in person was jarring. For a moment, she thought he was her former guardian. The two men looked like they could pass as twins, especially with the beard Bud was growing, but the blue pharmacist uniform made it obvious who this was. Besides, Bud looked to be in his early thirties at the most while Lee had to be over forty now.
Bud rubbed the back of his neck. "Jesus, calm down, old man," he muttered before turning his attention to them. "Hi, how are y'all doing?"
"Nice place you got here," Kenny says.
"Thanks, this is all family owned-"
"Forty years running and damn proud of it!" Mr. Everett cried. "My wife and I built this place from the ground up!"
Kenny tipped his hat. "I can tell."
"Damn right!" Mr. Everett grinned.
Bud smirks as he checks everything out. "Where are you guys from?"
"Atlanta."
"Atlanta? My brother doesn't live too far from there-"
"He's a history professor!" Mr. Everett interjects.
"Yes, thank you, dad," Bud continues. "He teaches up at UGA, but he and his wife moved to the city for her job. She's got a nice gig going for her over on Channel 2."
A reporter? Lee was married to a reporter? Her breath hitches. No… no, it couldn't be- could it? It could just be a coincidence, right? Back at the Motor Inn, Lee and Carley's attraction for one another was undeniable, but there was no way they would be together. At least Clementine had the peace of mind to know he didn't murder anyone, but this would eat at her.
Mr. Everett adjusts in his seat. "She's a real nice girl- gorgeous, too. I like her more than the last wife-"
"Dad!" Bud moaned, rubbing his temples.
"Oh, show them the picture of us at your mother's birthday party, Bud!"
"Dad, they probably want to leave-"
"Show them the damn pictures!"
This got a chuckle out of some of the others but Clementine's fists were clenched so tightly they were white. Mariana was about to ask if she was alright when the pharmacist pulled out his phone and went through his photos. Clementine shoved them all out of the way to see.
Mr. and Mrs. Everett sat at a table with Bud beside them, there was a chocolate cake in the center covered in candles, but that wasn't what she was focused on. As delicious as the cake appeared, she was more focused on the couple sitting beside them. The man had a few gray hairs and looked a little bit older than she remembered, but that was Lee. Lee was okay- he was happy, seemingly healthy, and alive. And the beautiful woman wrapped around his shoulders lovingly? Her jaw dropped.
It was Carley.
A/N: The search for Lee continues and the Macon Arc ends! Now, Clem has a way to see Sarah again and become one of the Breakfast Club Members before school starts. I know a lot of people have been asking for Lee, so here he is in a flashback and an update on him! I think most people would assume he would be with Carley, but damn do I ship them. He is graying, he is not old fart like Kenny... teaching college students just is getting to him. At least Clementine knows he's in Atlanta.
I've just remembered all the shit Duck has eaten over the past couple chapters and how is he still alive? He should be in a diabetic coma.
Also, Javier and Jess are not expecting. God, can you imagine them with kids? Hell, no. Other people will be though...