Chapter 24:
Closure
Shane knew he shouldn't have left Paula by herself but he needed to do this, it was the whole reason he had agreed to go to the hospital.
It was sad to say but Paula wasn't going to save Duane, she wasn't a surgeon and the faith she had in herself was misplaced. She wouldn't be able to handle the pressure.
Shane recognised the corridor as the same one he was running through when the whole apocalypse began, looking for the same door as he had last time, the same one that he had shoved a stretcher in front of to block the door.
It wasn't just him who needed to know, he knew that if he could say to Lori and Carl that Rick wasn't a walker or he was 'put down' then there would be some closure there. It would be harsh but would be just what they would need to get over Rick.
Shane held his shotgun aloft as he moved closer to the room, the stretcher was on the opposite side of the door from where he left it… that could mean someone got out…
Or something got in.
Shane looked around in the room where he had left Rick, it was completely empty. There were no remains but also no blood… Rick could have easily have crawled outside and died somewhere in the hospital. Shane even checked the bathroom which was also empty, he walked outside and was growing even more concerned about the lack of walkers.
Where the hell were they?
Shane walked down the hall, he stepped over a eaten corpse showing that the walkers were indeed once here in their numbers. He walked down another hall only to be confronted by a double-door sprayed with graffiti.
Don't Open Dead Inside
Shane gave the door a slight nudge, something pushed against the door on the other side however the chain and lock stopped it from opening, a single rotting hand forced its way through but could reach out, a foul stench and groaning accompanied it.
That answered the question as to where the dead were.
Shane sighed and lowered the shotgun having raised it in defence, he didn't like the chances that there was a walker version of Rick stumbling around in there, the chances of someone throwing him in there were very high. The hospital looked like it had been ransacked but by the time Shane was leaving to get Lori and Carl there were people taking things even then.
A clatter from another hallway got Rick's attention.
"Paula?" he asked out loud, when he received no answer he walked over tentatively to the reception area where the clanging came from, he breathed in and lowered the shotgun before pulling out a knife, if it was only one he didn't need a gun, he didn't want to alarm anyone.
He paced the shotgun on another stretcher, he held the knife tightly as he rounded the corner.
No one was there.
Shane sighed but heard another clatter from around the corner, the thing making the noise was on the move. Shane rounded the corner and saw a male walker in a hospital gown stumbling through the hall, Shane stared for a while as he approached slowly, his preoccupation meant he wasn't watching where he was stepping and he accidently hit a small bucket on the floor, the noise got the walkers attention who turned around quickly.
Shane stood in shock as he looked at the face of the walker.
Except it didn''t look like a walker.
"Help…" the walker said as he leant against the wall, Shane was still in shock as he spoke his first words since seeing the face of his best friend.
"Rick?"
Authors Note: That concludes the first story arc, I know it took a LONG time but I will write more of the second story arc this time and post it later instead of posting as I write since it is more difficult. I would like to thank everyone who read, reviewed and followed my story and I welcome you to read the second story which will be titled The U-Turn: A Full 360 Degrees.
Feel free to review this story and let me know how you thought the story was as a whole.