How Would I Survive - The Walking Dead - Season 1 - Episode 1 - Days Gone Bye

This is currently in Draft Stages and is the completed product.

## Episode 1 - Days Gone Bye

### Intro -

A blue Sheriff’s car drives up to the intersection of a Georgia county road, wrecked and abandoned vehicles are scattered across the intersection the shutter of the engine clicks as the vehicle is turned off and out steps a sheriff’s deputy wearing a brown sheriff jacket with a matching hat and he then proceeds to take a gas can and funnel out of the trunk of the cruiser. He walks past the remains of an eighteen wheeler and multiple other wrecked or abandoned cars down the hill toward the gas station still seeing dusted up windows with black silhouettes in them. As he goes down the hill he sees an empty camp that is littered with children’s’ toys, tents and household items, flies are buzzing around going onto blooded clothes and animal carcasses.

The man looks up a metal sign reads "No Gas" the words sprayed on exasperated he looks around for other options, there is a shuffle in the distance on hearing the sounds the man looks in their direction, he kneels down to look under a car to see the source of the noise, he sees the feet of a child they are wearing small bunny slippers and they pick up a stuffed teddy before proceeding further. The man then bolts upright to go to the other side of the vehicle and sees the back of the child it looks like a young girl with long blonde hair who's probably around the age of eight, they are wearing an unravelled pink dressing gown

The man begins to see the girl begin to walk away, he speaks up to get their attention "Little girl? I’m a police man." the man begins approaching slowly "Little girl. Don’t be afraid, okay?" there is no response the man begins to look worried "Little girl?" on hearing the man uttering that last question, the child turns around. Her eyes are glossed over a pure blue like a corpse at the morgue. Her mouth is gashed like she had been in a recent accident and landed on her face, dried blood stains her pyjamas it's clear they have been like this for a while. The deputy eyes are filled with disappointment and sorrow.

The little girl begins shambling towards the man and begins to gain speed as she comes get closer the man panics an mumbles a quick "Oh my God" as he reaches for the gun on his side he raises the gun it's a Colt Python and he fires the noise ringing out as a bullet is put between the head of Little Girl the man looks guilty as he lowers his weapon before he grabs his gas canister and begins to walk away.

Add The Walking Dead Season 1 Intro here

### Chapter 1 - Some Time Before -

Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh, two dedicated sheriff's deputies, found themselves parked in their police cruiser, devouring the remnants of burgers they had picked up from a local takeaway earlier that day. As they finished their meal, they began dipping their fries into an empty box which has ketchup placed inside. Inside the cruiser, they both share a comfortable camaraderie that comes with years of working together.

With food still in his mouth, Rick, the one with short brown hair, suddenly broached a thought, "What’s the difference between men and women?"

Shane, the one with black hair glanced at him, bemused. "This a joke?"

Rick swallowed, shaking his head. "No, I’m serious."

Shane chuckled, "I never met a woman who knew how to turn off a light. They’re born thinking the switch only goes one way – on."

Rick mumbled in agreement, and Shane continued his light-hearted rant.

"They’re struck blind the second they leave a room. I mean every woman I ever let have a key – I swear to God, it’s like I come home, house all lit up." He laughed, shaking his head. "And my job, you see, apparently – because my chromosomes happen to be different – is I then gotta walk through that house, turn off every single light this chick left on."

Rick raised an eyebrow, curious. "Is that right?"

Shane nodded with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, baby. Mmm. Oh, Reverend Shane’s a-preaching to ya now, boy."

Both deputies laughed as Shane continued, "Then – The same chick, mind you, she’ll bitch about global warming. You see, this is – this is when Reverend Shane wants to quote from the Guy Gospel and say, 'Um, darling, maybe you and every other pair of boobs on this planet just figure out the light switch, you see, goes both ways maybe we wouldn’t have so much global warming.'"

Rick was amused, "You say that?"

Shane nodded, grinning. "Mmm. Yeah, well, a polite version. Still, man, that earns me this look of loathing you would not believe. And that’s when the Exorcist voice pops out." Shane adopted a deep voice and then continued, "You sound just like my damn father!" He chuckled. "Always—always yelling about the power bill, telling me to turn off the damn lights!"

Rick was intrigued, "And what do you say to that?"

Shane leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I know what I want to say. I want to say, 'Bitch, you mean to tell me you’ve been hearing this your entire life and you are still too damn stupid to learn how to turn off a switch?'" Both deputies burst into laughter.

Shane continued, "You know, I don’t actually say that though."

Rick nodded knowingly, "That would be bad."

Shane grinned, "Right, right. I go with the polite version there, too."

Rick gave a nod of approval, "Very wise."

Shane chuckled before adding a jokey "Yes, sir."

Shane then decided to changed the subject, "So how’s it with Lori, man?"

Rick looked thoughtful, "She’s good – She’s good at turning off lights. Really good. I’m the one who sometimes forgets."

Shane pressed further, sensing that something is off "Not what I meant."

Rick sighed, "We didn’t have a great night."

Sympathising with his friend, Shane tried to console him, "Hey look, man, I may have failed to amuse with my sermon, but I did try. The least you can do is –is speak."

Rick's voice held a hint of frustration, "That’s –That’s what she always says. 'Speak. Speak.' You’d think I was the most closed-mouthed son of a bitch ever to hear her tell it."

Shane, trying to help, asked, "Do you express your thoughts? Do you share your feelings, that kind of stuff?"

Rick sighed, "Thing is lately, whenever I try, everything I say makes her impatient, like she didn’t want to hear it after all. It’s like she’s pissed at me all the time, and I don’t know why."

Shane offered some reassurance, "Look, man. That’s just shit couples go through. Yeah, it’s a phase."

Rick's voice was heavy with concern, "The last thing she said this morning, 'Sometimes I wonder if you even care about us at all.' She said that in front of our kid. Imagine going to school with that in your head. The difference between men and women? I would never say something that cruel to her and certainly not in front of Carl."

Just as their conversation took a sombre turn, the police radio beeped, cutting through the tension the radio roars to life "All available units, high-speed pursuit in progress. Linden County units request local assistance. Highway 18 eastbound. GTA, ADW, 2-17, 2-4-3. Advise extreme caution."

With a sense of urgency, Rick started the engine, and Shane hastily discarded their meal remnants in a trash can. The patrol car roared to life, sirens blaring as they sped off to join the pursuit.

On a rural blacktop roadway, a couple of crows feasted on the carcass of a cat, oblivious to the unfolding chaos around them. Two sheriff’s cars, one is Rick and Shane's and the other filled with two other deputies Leon Basset and Lambert Kendal, approached the scene with sirens blaring causing the crows to fly away from the carcass, the radio blars out in Rick and Shane's vehicle "Suspects are two male Caucasians. Be advised they have fired upon police officers. One Linden County officer is wounded."

The tension in the air grew palpable as the deputies prepared for what lay ahead. Their cars came to a stop on the road, forming a makeshift barricade. Rick hit the trunk release, and Shane swiftly retrieved a spike strip, an essential tool in their line of work. Together, they ran up the road, about thirty feet from their vehicles, preparing to deploy the strip as the radios on their uniforms now start going off with the same voice as in their car "Unit 1, unit 3, to eastbound Route 18, two miles west of Interstate 85. Will patch in Linden County Sheriff radio."

Rick and Shane finish laying down the spike strip across the road, their movements quick and precise. They then returned to their patrol car and backed it into position, effectively blocking access to oncoming traffic as another voice this time different begins coming through their radio "Roger that. We’re five minutes south of the Route 18 intersection."

Inside the second sheriff’s car, an older black deputy Lambert Kendal answers over the radio "Dispatch, Unit 1 and Unit 3 we are 10-97 and code 100, Highway 18, E.B. of interstate. Please advise." he lets go of the radio to await a response to which the voice from not longer before responds

"10-9, we just got word from Linden County that they’re off 18, now southbound –" The radio was suddenly drowned out by the screeching tires of approaching vehicles.

Rick and Shane, along with the other two deputies, took their positions between their vehicles, fully aware of the impending danger, radio transmission coming through "Old French Road is closed down there so they’re gonna head back onto 18" causing the adrenaline to course through their veins, they focused on the task at hand. Shane took off his ball cap and stood behind Rick, who knelt with his weapon drawn. The other two deputies mirrored their stance, ready for whatever was about to unfold.

The older deputy Lambert looks at Rick with his gun trained on the location they will be coming from "Sounds like they're chasing those idiots up and down every back road we’ve got."

"Maybe we’ll get on one of them video shows, you know? Like 'World’s craziest police chases.' What do you think?" Leon Basset, a younger looking deputy with a moustache says in a jokey tone to try and lighten the mood. Rick, however, was unwavering in his commitment to the mission not taking Leon's joke lightly he then looked at Leon and reminded them sternly, "What I think, Leon, is you need to stay focused and make sure you’ve got a round in the chamber and your safety off" after the comment Leon check over his gun to make sure he follows what Rick said.

Shane couldn't help but let his mind wander momentarily, "Would be kinda cool, getting on one of them shows." Rick shook his head, the gravity of the situation not lost on him. "That’s not what we're here for." he says trying to stay focused as the sound of police sirens grew louder in the distance, indicating the pursuit was closing in on their location.

A silver two-door muscle car, reminiscent of a 1970s Buick GTO or a modified Le Mans designed to look like one, skidded across the highway. It was closely pursued by two slightly different police cars to what Rick and Shane drive it has Linden County plastered on the side so these are probably the people they were communicating with earlier. The driver of the muscle car however shows exceptional skill, narrowly avoiding collisions of the police cars the chase begins getting closer.

The chase was about to reach the point where Rick and Shane had strategically placed the spike strip. As the muscle car approached, its tires were shredded by the spikes, causing it to skid along the road for a considerable distance before flipping end over end. The police cars that had been following it skid to a stop to avoid the spike strip, as the fugitives' vehicle came to a rest in a nearby field. Shane couldn't help but exclaim in both amusement and surprise, "Holy shit." The Linden County officers that had been in the pursuit, exited their vehicles cautiously, guns drawn. Uncertain of the fugitives' conditions, deputies from both counties slowly and carefully approached the overturned vehicle.

The overturned car's door opens as the first fugitive a man with shaggy black hair emerges, armed with a SIG-Sauer P228. "Gun! Gun! Gun!" one of the officers shout in panic as Rick shouts out "Put it down! Put the gun down!" tensions escalated as the officers shouted orders as the first fugitive, undeterred, opened fire at his pursuers, before he directed his attention and aim towards Rick. As a barrage of gunfire begins going towards the suspect he shoot and manages to hit Rick in the chest, just below his protective vest "Ah!" Rick cried out in pain before collapsing to the ground.

All of the deputies continued to fire, before the first fugitive falls down and succumbing to his injuries but unfortunately, a second fugitive an older man with a black trucker hat also emerges from the wrecked vehicle, armed with a shotgun, and began firing at the officers. The law enforcement officers proceed to return fire with determination. Rick, still on the ground, gasping for breath scrambles towards some kind of cover, while Shane dodges the incoming shots and decides to use their patrol car as a shield against the shotgun fire before finally, a deputy manages to shoot the second gunman in the chest, ending the firefight.

## Incomplete

Shane:  RICK!

Rick:  (wheezing) I’m all right!

As he reassures Shane he reloads. Breathing raggedly Rick struggles to his feet.

Shane:  I saw you get tagged, man. That scared the hell out of me.

Rick:  Me, too. That son of a bitch shot me.  Can you believe that?

Shane:  What? It catch you in your vest?

Rick:  Yeah.

Rick looks down to see the damage the bullet did to his uniform and vest. Meanwhile, an unknown third man crawls out of the car and through the grass.

Rick:  Shane, you do not tell Lori that happened– ever.

The third man raises a pistol and aims.

Rick:  You understand?  AH!

Rick turns and points at Shane to emphasize his words. The unexpected fugitive shoots at what would have been the center of Rick’s chest. Instead he hits Rick just under and behind his armpit where the vest doesn’t cover.

(Gunshot)

Shane’s shotgun neutralizes the third man.

Man [Officer Kendall]:  Police, move in!

Shane:  Rick! No No no no no no no. Shh shh shh shh. No no no no no no no no. [Yells] He’s hit! Leon! You get that ambulance down here! You tell them there’s an officer down! You do it now!  Okay, shh shh shh shh.  I’m here. Hey, you look at me. You stay with me. You hear me? Shh shh shh. Okay. I’m right here, Rick. Stay with me. You hear me? Shh shh. That’s it. Do you hear me? Shh shh shh. Okay.  I’m right here with you. Stay with me.

(Distant sirens)

Shane:  Shh shh. That’s it. I’m right here.

Leon over radio:  Dispatch, we have an officer down. Request paramedics please respond. Highway 18 four miles west of I-85. Repeat, officer down. Request immediate response.

### Chapter 2 -

(Ventilator hissing) (Heart monitor beeping) (Labored breathing)

Shane (distorted):  Hey bud.  We’re still here.  We’re still hanging in. I’m sorry, man.  I know I say the same crap every time I come in here. (Sighs)  Everybody pitched in on these.  They uh, they wanted me to bring’em down.  They send their love, and they just – They hope you come back real soon.  (Chuckles) Linda and Diane from dispatch, they picked these out.  Probably could tell, huh? I’m just gonna set these on your side table, okay?

Behind the sounds of the equipment is the sound of a steady but very slow heartbeat and voices over the hospital’s speakers. By the time he’s done speaking the heartbeat is joined by the ticking of a clock.

(Silence)

Rick:  That vase – That’s something special. ‘Fess up; you steal it from your Grandma Jean’s house? (Laughing)  I hope you left her that spoon collection. [His laughter turns into] ( coughing) Shane?

Rick is in a hospital bed, connected to a heart monitor an automatic blood pressure cuff and an I.V. drip. Unidentified medical equipment is parked in front of the window.

Rick: Shane? You in the john?

(Crackling)

Rick looks at the flowers in the vase, the flowers are now dried and wilted. He pinches and crushes a bud between his fingers. The petals fall to a table top that’s already littered with shriveled flowers. Looking around he sees the clock is stopped at 2:17:37. There is complete silence. Distressed he blinks rapidly and then tries to sit up.

(Grunting)

He shakes off the finger sensor and pulls the canula over his head. Rick struggles onto his side, trying to get out of bed. He’s still heavily bandaged around his midsection. He tries getting up by using the IV pole but he topples over and onto the floor. Rick yanks the I.V. out of his hand.

Rick (hoarsely yelling):  Nurse, help! Nurse help!

He opens the door to the bathroom still tearing sensors off. Rick looks in the mirror and sees he has a beard. He turns on the faucet and drinks greedily directly from it.

(Lights humming)

Rick pulls his door open and pushes a gurney out of his way. The hall is deserted and littered with papers. The few lights are flickering. Rick stumbles down through the corridor in his bare feet and hospital gown.

(Phone clicks, clatters)

Hicks up the phone but there is no dial tone.  In the near dark he fumbles around at the desk and finds a book of matches.  He lights one and looks around.

(Electrical humming)

Down past the nurse’s desk a bright light flickers and buzzes. Rick stumbles toward it. The light is coming through the windows of a double set of doors. He stumbles over and through the window he sees a half eaten corpse lying among the litter. Shocked he sees that although her face and head appears untouched she’s been eaten almost down to bones. Horrified he turns and walks unsteadily back down the other way. This hall is littered but in addition Rick sees bullet holes and blood splatters on the walls and a puddle of blood on the floor.

(Chains clinking)

He walks through a ruined set of doors. Electrical wiring hangs from holes in the ceiling and glass covers the floor. Rick approaches double doors that are locked and chained.  A 2×4 has been inserted through the door handles. A spray painted sign reads “don’t open, dead inside.”

(Thumping, moaning) (Glass shatters) (Groaning)

Confused and scared Rick backs away from the doors. Fingers come through the cracks and the moaning, groaning and sighing get louder. Rick bangs through another set of doors to his left. He tries the elevator but it doesn’t work. He goes through the stairwell door and slams it shut. In complete darkness he lights match.

(Rick coughs)

He retches at the smell in the stairwell.

(Coughing)

Rick: AH!

The match burns down to his fingers. He lights another and stumbles down the stairs till it goes out. He lights a third and with it he finds the exit. He opens the door to blinding daylight. He continues down the back stairs of a loading dock. He has to walk past dozens of shrouded corpses that have been lined up in rows across the parking area. Many show gunshot wounds to the head. Flies are buzzing all around them. Rick still horrified stumbles through to the grass where he climbs to another parking area. Humvees are parked among military tents. Several ammo cans and barrels still lie in place near a 7th Cavalry helicopter, crates and shrouded heaps of even more supplies. But even here he can’t escape death. Shrouded bodies lie nearby. Behind the camp and back down the hill, the front of the hospital show fire damage. Rick doesn’t stop.

(Birds chirping) (bugs chittering)

Rick has made it to a neighborhood street. On the side of the road in a park he finds a bicycle. In the grass nearby is what’s left of a rotted corpse. Its tail bone and entrails hang down where its legs should be. As he picks up the bike and gets ready to mount it, the corpse takes a breath.

(Hissing)

It  turns over and begins crawling towards Rick.

Rick:  Ah. Ah. Oh Shit.

Rick falls to the ground, scared and startled.

(Growling)

It reaches for him but only inches along. He quickly gets on the bike and unsteadily rides off. After a time he brakes the bike, jumps off and throws it to the ground. Rick stumbles up the front steps and through the open front door of his house.

Rick:  Lori LORI! Carl Carl! Shoot.  Lori! Carl!

Rick passes through every room but when he doesn’t find anyone, he falls to the floor.

(Sobbing)

Rick:  Lori! Carl. Ooh!

In the living room he lies on the floor and breaks down crying. He can’t control his tears. He looks around again. He looks at his hand, the floor, pats the floor.

Rick:  Is this real? Am I here?

He slaps his head over and over.

Rick:  Wake – Wake up.  (Sniffles)

He walks out the front door and sits on sidewalk steps.  He sees the figure of a man walking down the street toward him but his eyes are blurry and he doesn’t recognize him. Behind him a figure creeps up.

(Twig snaps)

Rick looks around and gets hit in the face with the flat of a shovel.

Duane:  Daddy Daddy!

Rick:  Carl. Carl. I found you.

Duane:  Daddy, I got the sumbitch. I’m gonna smack him dead!

(Footsteps)

A second man walks up to the first one Rick saw. With a small pistol he shoots the first man in the head and quickly walks to Rick and Duane.

Man:  He say something? I thought I heard him say something.

Duane:  He called me Carl.

Man:  Son, you know they don’t talk. [To Rick] Hey, mister. What’s the bandage for?

The man aims his gun at Rick.

Rick [dazed and with blood running from his nose]:  W –what?

Morgan:  What kind of wound? You answer me, damn you. What’s your wound?  You tell me [cocks the revolver] or I will kill you.

Rick’s eyes roll back in his head as he passes out.

### Chapter 3 -

(Footsteps)

Rick comes to. He sees that he’s lying tied up in a bed in an unknown house. Duane is guarding him with a baseball bat.

(Rubber gloves snap)

Man [washes his hands in a basin]:  Got that bandage changed now.  It was pretty rank.  What was the wound?

Rick:  Gunshot.

Man:  Gunshot? What else? Anything?

Rick:  Gunshot ain’t enough?

He walks over to the bed where Rick’s tied to the headboard.

Man:  Look, I ask and you answer.  That’s common courtesy, right?

He leans down close.

Man(emphatically): Did you get bit?

Rick:  Bit?

Man:  Bit, chewed, maybe scratched– Anything like that?

Rick:  No, I got shot.  Just shot as far as I know.

He reaches out with his hand, Rick flinches back.

Man:  Hey, just let me.

The man touches his hand to Rick’s forehead.

Man:  Feels cool enough. Fever would’ve killed you by now.

Rick:  I don’t think I have one.

Man:  Be hard to miss.

He takes out a switchblade and holds it in front of Rick’s face.

Man:  Take a moment, look how sharp it is.

Rick leans his head away from the knife.

Man:  You try anything, I will kill you with it and don’t you think I won’t.

He cuts the bungee cords holding Rick to the bed.

(Knife clicks)

Man:   Come on out when you’re able.  [To Duane] Come on.

Lying on his side, Rick holds his wrists. He composes himself.

(Ladle scrapes)

Rick comes out of the room wearing a blanket over his shorts. He looks around. Morgan is at the dining room table with Carl serving a meal.

Rick:  This place – Fred and Cindy Drakes’?

Morgan:  Never met ‘em.

Rick:  I’ve been here. This is their place.

Morgan:  It was empty when we got here.

Rick walks to the window but before he can pull the curtain back Morgan stops him.

Morgan:  Don’t do that. They’ll see the light. There’s  more of them out there than usual. I never should’ve fired that gun today. Sound draws them. Now they’re all over the street.  Stupid – using a gun.  But it all happened so fast, I didn’t think.

As he talks Morgan picks up a large tin can with towels and sets it on the table. He picks up a sterno can and blows it out. Rick walks away from the window and to the table. Morgan sits.

Rick:  You shot that man today.

Morgan [shrugs]:  Man?

Duane:  It weren’t no man.

Morgan:  What the hell was that out of your mouth just now?

Duane:  It wasn’t a man.

Rick:  You shot him in the street out front – a man.

Morgan:  Friend, you need glasses. It was a walker.  Come on. Sit down before you fall down.  Here

Morgan spoons food onto Rick’s plate. Suddenly hungry he sits and spoons up a mouthful.

Duane:  Daddy, blessing.

Morgan:  Yeah.

Morgan looks at Rick. Duane takes his father’s hand and Morgan puts his hand on one of Rick’s. Duane reaches out for his other. Rick hesitates. Duane looks at him expectantly. Rick, with disbelief, puts down the spoon and takes Duane’s offered hand. They bow their heads.

Morgan:  Lord, we thank thee for this food, thy blessings.  [Morgan opens his eyes and looks at Rick] And we ask you to watch over us in these crazy days.  Amen.

Duane:  Amen.

Rick and Duane eat.

Morgan:  Hey, mister, you even know what’s going on?

Rick:  I woke up today in the hospital, came home, that’s all I know.

Morgan:  But you know about the dead people, right?

Rick:  Yeah, I saw a lot of that out on the loading dock, piled in trucks.

Morgan:  No, not the ones they put down. The ones they didn’t– the walkers, like the one I shot today. ‘Cause he’d have ripped into you, tried to eat you, taken some flesh at least.  Well, I guess if this is the first you’re hearing it, I know how it must sound.

Rick:  They’re out there now? In the street?

Morgan:  Yeah.  They get more active after dark sometimes. Maybe it’s the cool air or hell, maybe it’s just me firing that gun today.  But we’ll be fine as long as we stay quiet. Probably wander off by morning. But listen, one thing I do know – don’t you get bit. I saw your bandage and that’s what we were afraid of.  Bites kill you. The fever burns you out.  But then after a while…you come back.

Duane:  Seen it happen.

The memory makes Duane sad. Morgan squeezes his arm and smiles at Duane.

Morgan:  Come on.

They finish eating.

Leaning up against the wall by the dining room Morgan sits on the sleeping pallet he and Duane share. Across the room Rick lies on a bed made of couch cushions. He’s still wrapped in his blanket.

(Crickets chirping)

Morgan:  Carl — he your son? Well, you – you said his name today.

Rick:  He’s a little younger than your boy.

Morgan:  And he’s with his mother?

Rick:  I hope so.

Duane lies in the bed, almost asleep.

Duane:  Dad?

Morgan:  Hey.

Duane:  Did you ask him?

Morgan (chuckles):  Your gunshot? We’ve got a little bet going. My boy says you’re a bank robber.

Rick (laughs):  Yeah, that’s me, deadly as Dillinger. Kapow!

(Morgan chuckles)

Rick:  Sheriff’s Deputy

Morgan:  Uh huh.

(Car alarm blaring)

Carl jumps, startled.

Morgan:  Hey. It’s okay. Daddy’s here. It’s nothing. One of them must have bumped a car.

Rick:  Are you sure?

Morgan:  It happened once before.  It went on for a few minutes. Get the light, Duane.

Rick and Morgan get up while Duane turns down the lantern light. Rick turns down the second one.

(Alarm continues)

Morgan goes to the bay window at the front of the house. It’s been boarded up loosely then covered with blankets to keep in the light. He carefully pulls them apart and peers outside. He stands aside for Rick. The street outside is crowded with shambling shuffling corpses. Several of them walk toward a late model sedan; its lights flash in time with the alarm that had startled Duane.

Morgan:  It’s the blue one, on the street. The same one as last time. I think we’re okay.

Rick:  That noise– won’t it bring more of them?

Morgan:  Nothing we can do about it now.  Just have to wait ‘em out till morning.

Duane (gasps):  She’s here.

A walker that used to be a very attractive woman walks toward the house. Duane is looking through his own gap in the blankets.

Morgan:  Don’t look. Get away from the windows. I said go. Go on.

Reluctantly Duane leaves the window and lies on the bed.

Duane (sobbing)

Morgan goes over to him, not just to comfort him, but to make sure his cries aren’t heard by the walkers outside.

Morgan:  Duane, Duane, quiet now.  Come on, quiet now. Shh shh.

The walker that used to be Duane’s mother walks toward the front porch. Rick leaves the window for the front door. He looks out the peep hole and sees her come up the steps and over toward the door. Morgan sits on the bed. Duane lies in his lap unable to stop crying. Morgan picks up one of Duane’s pillows.

Morgan:  It’s okay. Here, cry into the pillow. Do you remember?  Shh shh.

The walker looks closely at the door, the peephole. It tries the doorknob.  Slowly Rick backs away as quietly as he can.

Morgan:  She, um… She died in that other room on that bed in there.  There was nothing I – I could do about it. That fever, man, her skin gave off heat like a furnace.

Duane (crying)

Morgan:  I should’ve – I should’ve put her down, man. I should’ve put her down. I know that, but I – You know what? I just didn’t have it in me. She’s the mother of my child.

(Rattling continues)

Rick Morgan and Duane come out of the Drake’s house the next morning. All the walkers are gone except one lying against the picket fence.

Rick:  Are we sure they’re dead? I have to ask at least one more time.

Morgan:  They dead, except for something in the brain.  That’s why it’s got to be the head.

Rick approaches the walker.

Walker (hisses) (growling)

It gets up to attack but Rick hits it in the head over and over with a baseball bat.

Rick (grunting)

He’s still sore from his wound. He reels and collapses to the ground. He looks like he might get sick.

Morgan:  Y’all all right?

Rick:  I need a moment.

Rick walks into his house with Morgan and Duane behind him.

Rick:  They’re alive – my wife and son. At least they were when they left.

Morgan:  How can you know? By the look of this place –

Rick:  I found empty drawers in the bedroom. They packed some clothes. Not a lot, but enough to travel.

Morgan:  You know anybody could’ve broken in here and stole them clothes, right?

Rick [gestures with the baseball bat]:  You see the framed photos on the walls? Neither do I. Some random thief take those too, you think?  Our photo albums, family pictures – all gone.

Morgan (laughs):  photo albums.

Morgan sits down in a chair.

Morgan:  My wife – same thing. There I am packing survival gear; she’s grabbing photo alb…

He breaks down, unable to speak.

Duane:  They’re in Atlanta, I bet.

Morgan:  That’s right.

Rick:  Why there?

Morgan:  Refugee center. A huge one they said, before the broadcast stopped. Military protection, food, shelter. They told people to go there, said it’d be safest.

Duane:  Plus they got that disease place.

Morgan:  The Center for Disease Control. Said they were working out how to solve this thing.

Rick walks to the kitchen, opens a cupboard and takes keys from a cup hook.

(Lock clicks)

A door opens flooding a darkened kitchen with light. Rick Morgan and Duane enter cautiously. Rick leads the way with a flash light. They end up in the Sherriff’s Department locker room where Rick tries the showers. The water comes out clean and strong.

(Knobs squeak, pipes groan)

Morgan:  Gas lines have been down for maybe a month.

Rick:  The station’s got its own propane system.

Rick puts his hand in the water.

Rick:  Pilot’s still on.

Rick shaves, Morgan washing his hair and  Duane free styles.

Duane:  Whoo Hoo!

Morgan:  Oh my Lord.

Duane:  Hot water!

Morgan:  Ah! That feels good, right? (Laughs)

Duane [spontaneously rapping]:  Bring it around, bring it. Bring it around, bring it around uh uh. Yeah, I’m wet. Take that. What?  Whoo!

After their shower Morgan and Rick sit on a locker room bench. All three are in towels. As Duane walks by, Rick hands him his clothes and points through a door.

Rick:  Duane, dressing room back there.

Morgan:  What do you say, Duane?

Duane:  Thank you.

Morgan:  Mm-hmm.

(Door closes)

Rick:  Atlanta sounds like a good deal.  Safer anyway – people.

Morgan:  That’s where we were headed.  Things got crazy. Man, you wouldn’t believe the panic. Streets weren’t fit to be on. And then my –my wife couldn’t travel. No, not with her hurt. So we had to find a place to lay low. And then after she died, we just stayed hunkered down. I guess we just froze in place.

Rick:  Plan to move on?

Morgan:  Haven’t worked up to it yet.

Rick, in his uniform, opens the door to a weapon cage. Duane and Morgan walk in with him.

Rick:  A lot of its gone missing.

Rick takes a rifle down, checks it out.

Duane:  Daddy, can I learn to shoot? I’m old enough.

Morgan:  Hell yes, you’re gonna learn, but we’ve got to do it carefully, teach you to respect the weapon.

Rick:  That’s right. It’s not a toy.  You pull the trigger, you have to mean it.  Always remember that, Duane.

Duane:  Yes sir.

Morgan:  Here [indicates a weapon bag] Load up.

Rick picks up a Remington rifle with a scope. He checks out the sight before he hands it to Morgan.

Rick:  You take that one. Nothing fancy, the scope’s accurate.

Morgan looks intently at Rick and checks the weapon. Duane loads ammo, Rick checks a shot gun.

Rick, his hands full, kicks open the outside door and walks up a flight of steps to ground level. Morgan and Duane walk with him. They are similarly burdened.

Rick: Conserve your ammo. It goes faster than you think, especially at target practice.

Morgan:   Duane?

Duane:  Uh-huh?

He give Duane a bag.

Morgan:  Take this to the car.

Duane:  Okay.

Rick:  Are you sure you won’t come along?

Morgan:  A few more days. By then Duane will know how to shoot and I won’t be so rusty.

Rick opens the car door; Morgan looks around to check on Duane.

(Walkie-talkie clicks, whines)

Rick:  You’ve got one battery I’ll turn mine on a few minutes every day at dawn.  You get up there, that’s how you’ll find me.

Morgan:  You think ahead.

Rick:  Can’t afford not to, not anymore.

Morgan:  Listen, one thing –They may not seem like much one at a time, but in a group, all riled up and hungry –Man you watch your ass.

Rick:  You too.

They clasp hands.

Morgan:  You’re a good man, Rick. I hope you find your wife and son.

Rick:  Be seeing you, Duane.

He shakes Duane’s hand.

Rick:  Take care of your old man.

Duane:  Yes sir.

As they are about to leave Morgan looks over Rick’s shoulder. Seeing his demeanor change Rick turns around. A  walker, in a sheriff’s uniform, approaches from the street, a restraint chain hangs from his left hand.

Rick:  Leon Basset?

Morgan pulls Duane close.

Rick:  I didn’t think much of him –Careless and dumb but I can’t leave him like this.

Walker Basset (growls)

It’s stopped by a chain link gate topped with razor wire.

Morgan:  You know they’ll hear the shot.

Rick:  Let’s not be here when they show up.

Morgan:  Let’s go, son. Come on.

(Car door opens)

Rick walks up to the fence.

(Car door closes)

Walker Leon pushes against the fence, trying to get at Rick as he nears it.

(Gun cocks)

Rick puts his Colt Python up through the fence against Walker Basset’s forehead and pulls the trigger. It falls.

Morgan makes a right turn in his jeep onto the road outside the Sheriff’s station with Rick behind in a Deputy’s car.

(Honks)

Morgan honks his horn.

(Siren blares)

Rick turns left and whoops his siren twice.

Morgan hammers nails into a piece of wood he’s barricading the  door of the Drake’s former home with. Duane is putting blankets over the bay windows. They’ve been reinforced with wood too.  The two exchange smiles.

Rick pulls off the side of the road where he’d picked up the bicycle. He gets out and walks onto the grass where the half walker had been. He puts on his hat and looks deeper into the park.

Morgan:  Read your comic books a while. Daddy will be upstairs.

He picks up a suitcase and the rifle.

Morgan takes the ammo bag and scope rifle.

Rick walks across green grass and through shady trees. The clover studded lawns are empty. He keeps searching.

Inside the suitcase was a box of loose candid photos. Morgan flips through a small photo album; smiling images of himself, Duane and a pretty woman.

Rick has walked further into the trees.

Morgan finds a studio shot of his wife; she is smiling, very happy.  He picks up another of her, a candid shot where she’s smiling into the camera with him beside her, his profile solemn and looking down.  Emotions overcome him; he tears up and covers his mouth.

Rick is walking along in the green of the trees. Birds are chirping.

Morgan tapes the studio photo of his wife to the window frame of an upstairs window. He  moves a wooden desk chair up against the window. He kneels behind it and places the rifle on the back of the chair. Below walkers in the street wander aimlessly. He sights through the scope.

(Groaning)

The walker has left a darkened trail across the grass as it’s worked its way through the trees. Rick kneels beside it.

(Whistles)

Morgan’s whistles attracts a walker as he passes Morgan’s target area.

(gunshot)

He aims and puts a bullet through the walker’s head.  He ejects the cartridge and loads another.  Several walkers turn toward the sound. Downstairs Duane runs to the bottom of the stairs.

Duane:  Daddy?

Morgan:  It’s all right, Duane! You stay there, son. Don’t you come up here.

Duane (crying)

Duane goes to his bed and starts reading under his breath and covers his ears with his hands.

Duane (mumbling)

Upstairs Morgan sights on another walker and shoots him down.

(Gunshot)

Morgan:  Jenny.  Come on, baby.

Walker (groaning)

In the park the half walker in the grass senses Rick, turns and reaches weakly up toward him.

Walker (growling)

Rick:  I’m sorry this happened to you.

Takes out his gun, steels himself and shoots her through the head. He tears up, visibly shaken.

Several walkers are approach the Drake’s house. Morgan scans the crowd and sees Walker Jenny.

Morgan (exhales)

He puts her in his sights. She looks up at where he is. Crying, Morgan can’t shoot her.

Morgan:  Come on, come on.

Morgan (sobbing)

Morgan:  Come on. Yeah.

He lifts the rifle again, sights on Jenny again but lets her walk away.

Morgan (crying)

Rick walks away from the now silent corpse.

### Chapter 4 -

Rick drives the patrol car out a paved country road past houses and fields.

(Radio crackles)

Rick:  Broadcasting on Emergency Channel. Will be approaching Atlanta on highway 85. Anybody reads, please respond.

(Radio crackles)

Rick:  Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice? Anybody out there? Anybody hears me, please respond. Hello, can you hear my voice?

Rick (over the radio):  Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice?

Dale and Lori are sitting in camp chairs by a fire turns around at the sound of Rick’s voice on the C.B.  Nearby Amy throws down an armload of firewood and runs to it. Behind her against the sky an R.V. is parked. Sam stands guard on top of it.

Amy:  Hey. Hello?

Rick (over the radio): Can you hear my voice?

Amy:  Yes, I can hear you. You’re coming through. Over.

Dale runs up. Amy looks up at him questioningly.

Rick (over the radio):  If anybody reads please respond.

Rick continues to talk over the radio, unaware that anyone has heard him.

Rick:  Broadcasting on emergency channel. Will be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. If anybody reads, please respond.

(Radio crackles)

Back at the camp the man watches the young girl  speak into the C.B. mike.

Amy:  We’re just outside the city.

(Radio crackling)

Amy:  Damn it. Hello? Hello? He couldn’t hear me. I couldn’t warn him.

Dale:  Try to raise him again. Come on, son, you know best how to work this thing.

Behind Amy, Lori is sitting with Carl gets up and walks over to the C.B. Shane slams an axe into the tree stump and picks up the mike.

Shane:  Hello, hello. Is the person who called still on the air? This is Officer Shane Walsh broadcasting to person unknown. Please respond.

(Radio crackling)

Carl stands near to Lori who looks concerned.

Amy:  He’s gone.

Lori:  There are others. It’s not just us.

Sam:  We knew there would be, right? That’s why we left the C.B. on.

Lori:  A lot of good it’s been doing.

Sam:  Okay.

Lori:  And I’ve been saying for a week we ought to put signs up on 85 to warn people away from the city.

Amy:  Folks got no idea what they’re getting into.

Sam:  Well, we haven’t had time.

Lori:  I think we need to make time.

Shane:  Yeah that – That’s a luxury we can’t afford. We are surviving here. We are day to day.

Dale:  And who the Hell would you propose we send?

Lori:  I’ll go. Give me a vehicle.

Shane:  Nobody goes anywhere alone. You know that.

Lori [walking off]: Yes sir.

Carl starts to go with Lori.

Shane:  Hey hey hey. Go on, take a seat, bud. You’re all right. Go on. You’re all right.

Carl turns back and Shane follows Lori

Shane:  What, are you pissed at me?

Lori continues to walk away and goes into a tent.

Shane [also going into the tent]:  You can be pissed at me all you want. It’s not gonna change anything. I’m not putting you in danger, okay? I’m not doing it for anything.  That make you feel like sometimes you want to slap me upside the head – Tell you what, girl– you feel that need, you go right ahead. I’m right here. Go on.

Lori turns around, exasperated.

Shane:  You cannot walk off like that, all half-cocked. Look, you not want to do it for my sake or your sake, that’s fine.  You do it for him. That boy’s been through too much and he’s not losing his mother too, okay?  Okay?

Lori [whispers]:  I’m a good mom.

Shane:  You tell me “okay”.

She nods.

Shane:  Hmm? (Chuckles)  It’s not hard. All right? Hey.

Shane looks out through the tent windows and sees no one about. He steps in close to her and they kiss.  Shane continues kissing Lori, more passionately.

Carl:  Mom?

He breaks off and walks out of the tent.

Man:  What’s up, bud? She’s in there. Go on.

Lori:  Hey, I don’t want you to worry. Your mama’s not going anywhere, okay? Yeah? Yeah?

Carl nods and smiles.

Lori:  Go finish your chores.

Carl:  Okay.

### Chapter 5 -

Rick pulls down his visor to look at his photo of him, his wife and their son. The woman is the same one as in the camp. The boy is the same, too. He takes the photo down and puts it in his uniform pocket.

(Trunk clicks)

He releases the trunk and gathers his things. Leaving the car he walks down the highway with his ammo bag and a gas can.

He stops in the driveway of a farm house.

Rick:  Hello? Police officer out here. Can I borrow some gas?

He leaves his bags in the drive and walks toward the house where he puts the gas can down, too. Rick walks up the front steps to the door.

Rick:  Hello? (Knocks) Hello? Anybody home?

He peers in through the door window but doesn’t see anyone. He walks down the porch and looks into another window and finally the living room window.  Flies are buzzing around inside the house. Rick, horrified, sees a man on the couch, gunshot to his head, a shotgun dropped nearby. On the floor is a woman, also shot dead. On the wall above the couch is a message written in blood “God forgive us.”

Rick recoils, shaken. He goes back into the yard and sits down under a tree and spits. Looking up he sees a pickup. He doesn’t find the keys inside. Rick starts walking back to the house.

(Horse knickers)

Rather than face walking into that house, Rick gets a lead, goes through the field gate and approaches the horse.

(Neighs)

Rick:  Easy now. Easy.  I’m not gonna hurt you, nothing like that. More like a proposal. Atlanta’s just down the road a ways. It’s safe there—food, shelter, people. Other horses too, I bet.  How’s that sound?

He puts the rope around his neck.

Rick (softly):  There we go. Good boy.  Good boy. Good boy. Now come with me. Come on. Come on. Good boy.

With the lead around its neck the horse lets Rick take him to the barn to be saddled.

Minutes later Rick is up on horseback.  He rides through a field.

Rick:  Just go easy, okay? I haven’t done this for years.

Horse takes off at a canter.

Rick:  Whoa, whoa whoa whoa!

Horse neighs and begins to run.

Rick:  Easy now. Easy boy, easy. Easy. Easy. Easy. Eas –Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa.

Rick rides the horse up  a divided highway just outside Atlanta. All the outbound lanes are lined with abandoned cars.

(Birds cawing)

Rick walks the horse into the town across a bridge and over paved streets lined with skyscrapers.

(Bugs chittering)

(Whinnies)

As Rick and the horse go deeper into Atlanta the streets become littered with trash, wrecked cars, abandoned cars, and even a helicopter left in the middle of the street. They ride past crashed bus.  A few walkers sitting in the bus are roused and begin to follow Rick.

(Growling)

(Horse whinnies)

When the horse whinnies at the walkers Rick urges him to a canter.

Rick:  Steady. There’s just a few. Nothing we can’t outrun.  Okay whoa whoa whoa.

Far enough away from the walkers Rick slows the horse and turns down a different street.

(Horse knickers)

(Birds cawing)

He walks past a tank, overturned vehicles and an abandoned roadblock.  Crows are scavenging on a soldier’s remains up on the tank. As Rick walks the horse past the tank he hears a helicopter.

(Helicopter approaching)

Rick looks up and around, searching for it. He sees the helicopter reflected in the windows of a sky scraper.

Rick:  Hyah!

The horse, urged to a run, neighs and takes off. Rick runs the horse down the street with his eyes up in the air on the craft. He turns the corner where the street is full of walkers. They see Rick and the horse and begin toward him, growling.

(Walkers groaning)

Horse (whinnying)

Walkers (growling)

The horse rears in disgust; Rick turns him around running him back the way they came with the walkers following after.  Rick approaches the tank which is now surrounded by more walkers.

Rick:  Oh shit.  Oh God.

Every way is blocked by walkers who are now close enough they start tearing into the horse. Rick tries to keep his seat and find a way out but the walkers’ attack sends the horse into a panic.

Rick:  Oh God.

Rick falls to the ground, dropping his gear. Most of the walkers are too busy with the horse to notice. He kicks away the one walker close to him. He looks up and sees a crowd more of them in front of him.

Rick:  Shoot.

He crawls under the tank but walkers follow him from all sides.

Rick:  Oh God. Oh God.

He shoots at the nearest until he has only one bullet left.

Rick: Lori, Carl, I’m sorry.

He rolls onto his back with his gun pointed to his head.  But instead of shooting he climbs up into the tank through an open hatch. Quickly he closes it behind him. He crawls as far away from the hatch as he can till he’s up against the side.

Rick (Panting)

Beside him he sees a dead soldier and a grenade on a shelf.

Rick:  Oh… God

Rick reaches for the soldier’s gun, a Beretta 92, which rouses the walker. He turns snarling at Rick.

(Growling)

(Gunshot echoes)

Reacting in fear, Rick shoots the walker in the head. The gunshot echoes, temporarily deafening Rick.

(High-pitched ringing)

Rick:  Ah.

He continues to gasp. He sees the top hatch is open. He goes and looks out.

(Muffled groaning)

He sees his bag of guns and his hat on the ground.

(Ringing fades)

Walkers notice him and start climbing the tank. Rick goes back down, closing the hatch behind him.

(Pounding)

The walkers can be heard through the tank. Rick checks the gun clip and looks around.

(Pounding)

In despair he puts the gun up beside his head.

(Radio crackling)

Man over the radio:  Hey, you.  Dumb ass. Yeah, you in the tank. Are you cozy in there?

(Pop music playing)  [Wang Chung’s Space Junk]

Rick stares at the radio unable to believe it.

Outside the tank walkers continue to feed on the horse’s carcass. The entire area is overrun with them. A few walkers still try to get into the tank and it’s still surrounded but some leave to go feed on the horse.

## Kill Count

- Little Girl Walker - Walker Kill #1 - Rick Grimes

- Roadkill Cat - Animal Kill #1 - Unknown Presumed Runover

- Convict 1 - Human Kill #1 - Rick Grimes/Leon Basset/Shane Walsh/Lambert Kendal

- Convict 2 - Human Kill #2 - Leon Basset

- Convict 3 - Human Kill #3 - Shane Walsh

- Leon Basset - Bitten #1 - Off-Screen

- Jenny Jones - Bitten #2 - Off-Screen

- Wavy Walker - Walker Kill #2 - Morgan Jones

- Bicycle Walker - Walker Kill #3 - Rick Grimes

- Walker Leon Basset - Walker Kill #4 - Rick Grimes

- Buttons - Animal Kill #2 - Walker Horde

## Trivia

- First Appearance of Rick Grimes

- First Appearance of Shane Walsh

- First and Last Appearance of Leon Basset

- First and Last Appearance of Lambert Kendal

- First Appearance of Dale Horvath

- First Appearance of Morgan Jones

- First Appearance of Duane Jones

- First and Last Appearance of Jenny Jones

- First Appearance of Carl Grimes

- First Appearance of Lori Grimes

- First Vocal Appearance of Glenn Rhee

- First Appearance of Amy Harrison

- First Appearance of Sam