VIVIAN TRIED TO REMAIN CALM.

But it was easier said than done.

Nicholas fired the flare, causing a red hue to fill the warehouse. It distracted most of the walkers, sending them to the opposite side of the building.

They got to Aiden and began to assess the situation, like how to get him off the spikes without killing him,

One was through his shoulder, while another in his side. It was clear it didn't puncture any organs since he wasn't dead yet.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna get you out of here." Glenn comforted him, "All right? Everything's gonna be okay. I need you to stay quiet, okay? Can you do that?" 

Aiden nodded and the three of them grabbed onto him, ready to lift him off,  while Noah kept watch, "One, two, three."

He began to scream as they moved him, and Vivian didn't blame him. She was sure he was in a lot of pain.

"The flare. It's burning out." Noah informed them,

The walkers would be coming back at any moment.

Nicholas began to back away and Vivian turned to him, "Come on. Come on, again."

He shook his head, "We're not gonna make this."

Glenn pulled him back, "Hey, yes, we are. But we need your help. You can do this."

"Nick. Nick, don't- don't leave me." Aiden begged his friend.

Noah began shooting rotters while the other three tried to pull Aiden off the spikes, "Almost there, almost there." Vivian kept telling herself.

Nicholas leaned close to Aiden's ear, "You left them. We both did. That's who we are." He pulled away, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Vivian's eyes widened as she watched the coward run away, "Hey!" Glenn got her attention, "We gotta do this now!"

She nodded and before they could pull again, Aiden spoke, "Okay, it was- it was us. The others before. They didn't panic. We did. It was us."

"You were scared, and that's okay." Vivian told him, "We all get scared. I'm scared right now, but we're not gonna leave you." She went to pull him again but he stopped her,

"No."

"They're here!" Noah pulled them away and Vivian struggled in his arms, 

"No!" She wasn't gonna be the one to tell Deanna. 

"Viv, we've gotta go!" Glenn yelled, grabbing her.

Walkers were surrounding. Vivian knew it was too late. She pulled out her gun and aimed it at Aiden's head, "I'm sorry."

"So am I."

Tears streamed down her face as she pulled the trigger. The walkers began to devour his body as Glenn dragged her away.

They began following after Nicholas, who was desperate to find an exit. Which happened to be the front door. He went through the revolving door and got met with dozens of walkers. 

Noah, Vivian, and Glenn were in the lobby, trying to find another exit. More walkers kept coming, and it wasn't long before they were out of bullets.

"Come on!" Noah pulled them into the revolving door at the same time as Nicholas.

The four of them were stuck, with walkers on both sides of the door. There was nothing keeping them apart but some glass.

Vivian wasn't sure how they were going to make it out of this one.

All she could hear was the sound of her heartbeat in her ears.

"Hey, maybe-maybe we can shoot our way past them." Nicholas called out over the sound of the rotters, "You guys still have guns."

"And you have the ammo." Glenn yelled back.

"We've got to do something, man. We're gonna die in here." Nicholas stated,

"There has to be another way. There was to be a way." Noah pressed his back to the glass to keep it from moving,

The sound of a horn caught their attention. Eugene pulled up in the van, honking the horn to distract the walkers. He blared Aiden's music, and drove slowly to lead one half of the horde away from the doors.

But there was still a problem. They can't escape without putting the other group in danger.

Glenn got their attention, "I need you guys to keep the door steady, all right? I'm gonna break the glass." He stared at Nicholas, "We get out, you push out. We get the rifle and we're good. All right? All right?" They all nodded and Vivian braced herself agains the door to try and keep it steady while Glenn raised his gun,

"Ready?" He began to smack the glass and the door shifted slightly on Nicholas' side,

"No! No, stop! It's not safe!"

"This is the only way." Glenn assured him,

Vivian knew he was right. It was the only way for all of them to get out alive.

"No, it's not gonna break."

"It will. We can hold it." Vivian told Nicholas, 

It needed to work. Because she needed to get back to her family. She couldn't leave them behind, not with people like Nicholas back in Alexandria.

Noah nodded, "We can."

Glenn grabbed his attention again, "Trust me, okay? Count of three. Count of three. One, two-"

Before he could finish, Nicholas shoved himself against the door, moving it to free up his side. Vivian pushed the other side, trying her best to even it out again. The gap on their side was large enough for walkers to get through, and they grabbed Noah's leg.

Vivian grabbed his arm while Glenn tried to stop Nicholas.

The man was free and Noah was being dragged by the rotters. Both Vivian and Glenn grabbed onto him,

"Don't let go." Noah begged.

Vivian screamed, trying her best to keep a grip on him. But there were too many walkers. Noah was dragged from their grasps and through the door. Glenn cried as he leaned back against the glass and Vivian kept the door steady to keep the walkers out.

Noah pressed himself to the glass, and they couldn't look away as he was ripped apart. He kept his eyes on them, silently begging them to save him.

But there was nothing they could do.

He screamed, and blood splattered everywhere. They tore him apart.

And just like that, they lost another.

Vivian buried her face into Glenn's shoulder, unable to keep the sobs in. He held her tightly, but didn't look away from Noah.

Her eyes may be closed, but she could still see his face.

Finn was in the back of the van, keeping pressure on Tara's wound while Eugene drove around the corner. 

The driver's side door opened and he could heard Nicholas' voice, "Move over. We're leaving."

Eugene turned the car off and got out, "Get back in the van." Nicholas ordered,

"Not until you tell me where they are."

Finn moved away from Tara and peeked his head around, looking for the others, "Where's my sister?"

"Either you come back with me or you stay here and you die with your friends." Nicholas stated, "Those are your choices."

Finn climbed out through the driver's side, getting up into Nicholas' face, "Where's my sister?!" Nicholas went to grab the gun that was in Finn's waistband and the two began to struggle.

Eugene went to reach for his own gun, but the fight was interrupted by Vivian, who pulled the coward off of her brother and punched him hard enough in the jaw to knock him unconscious.

Finn stared at his sister, who was covered in blood, "You're alive." He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her.

She began to cry into his shoulder while Eugene and Glenn stared down at Nicholas, "Help me get him in the back." Glenn said, his voice cracking.

Vivian pulled away from Finn, "We should leave the fucker behind."

Eugene glanced around, "Where's Noah?"

Neither of them answered. Finn and Glenn went to grab Nicholas while Vivian sat in the passenger seat. Eugene stayed in the back, holding his gun in case Nicholas woke up and attacked them again while Finn helped Tara.

They left with eight. Now they were coming back with six, and one of them they weren't even sure was going to make it.

It felt like forever before they saw the walls of Alexandria. The pit in Vivian's stomach fell even deeper.

They had all come to really like Noah. He was a genuinely good kid. Beth vouched for him. Now he was gone.

And Aiden. They didn't get off to the best start, but he was coming around. And Vivian was the one who pulled the trigger.

"I can't breathe." Vivian began to panic as Glenn pulled inside the gate, "I can't..." She gasped for air as she opened the door, collapsing onto all fours onto the pavement.

Glenn began to call out for help, the back door of the van opening. A crowd had gathered and it didn't take long before they noticed the missing group members.

Nicholas and Tara were wheeled away towards the surgery, while Vivian stayed on the ground.

Debbie stood there holding Liam's hand, watching with a horrified look as she noticed the blood covering her sister. Finn ran over to them, trying to distract them from the scene, "Debs, take Liam home now."

"But Viv-"

"Go. Now."

Glenn kneeled down next to her, "Viv, look at me." He grabbed her face and forced her to look up, "Viv!"

"Where's my son?" They all turned to see Deanna and Reg standing in front of the crowd, "Where's Aiden?"

"And Noah?" Maggie spoke up,

Vivian stood and punched the side of the van, her knuckles splitting upon contact. Glenn wrapped his arms around her and she began to sob,

"I know." He told her, pinning her arms to her side so she couldn't hurt herself further, "I know."