Is This The End?

04

Ricks POV (But in 3rd person)

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 "Are we sure they're dead? I have to ask at least one more time" Rick said unsure "They are dead, except for something in the brain. That's why it's got to be the head" Morgan said Rick approaches the walker It gets up to attack but Rick hits it in the head over and over with a baseball bat he's still sore from his wound. He reels and collapses to the ground. He looks like he might get sick "Y'all alright?" Morgan asked "I need a moment" Rick said, Rick walked into his house with Morgan and Duane behind him "They're alive – my wife and son and daughter. At least they were when they left" Rick said "How can you know? By the look of this place –" Morgan said "I found empty drawers in the bedroom. They packed some clothes. Not a lot, but enough to travel" Rick said "You know anybody would have broken in here and stolen their clothes, right?" Morgan said "You see the framed photos on the walls? Neither do I. Some random thief takes those too, you think? Our photo albums, family pictures – all gone" Rick said "They're in Atlanta, I bet" Duane said "That's right" Morgan said "Why there?" Rick asked "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" Morgan said "Plus they got that disease place" Duane said "The Center for Disease Control. Said they were working out how to solve this thing" Morgan said Rick walks to the kitchen, opens a cupboard and takes keys from a cup hook.

A door opens flooding a darkened kitchen with light. Rick Morgan and Duane enter cautiously. Rick leads the way with a flashlight. They end up in the Sheriff's Department locker room where Rick tries the showers. The water comes out clean and strong "Gas lines have been down for maybe a month" Morgan said "The station's got its own propane system" Rick said, Rick puts his hand in the water "Pilot's still on" Rick said 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 "Duane, dressing room back there" Rick tells him "What do you say, Duane?" Morgan said "Thank you" Duane said "Mm-hmm" Morgan said " Atlanta sounds like a good deal. Safer anyway – people" Rick said "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" Morgan said "Plan to move on?" Rick asked "Haven't worked up to it yet" Morgan said, Rick, in his uniform, opens the door to a weapon cage. Duane and Morgan walk in with him "A lot of it's gone missing" Rick said, Rick takes a rifle down, checks it out "Daddy, can I learn to shoot? I'm old enough" Duane asked "Hell yes, you're gonna learn, but we've got to do it carefully, teach you to respect the weapon" Morgan said "That's right. It's not a toy. You pull the trigger, you have to mean it. Always remember that, Duane" Rick said "Yes sir" Duane said "Here Load up" Morgan said Rick picks up a Remington rifle with a scope. He checks out the sight before he hands it to Morgan "You take that one. Nothing fancy, the scope's accurate" Rick said Morgan looks intently at Rick and checks the weapon. Duane loads ammo, and Rick checks a shotgun.

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 "Conserve your ammo. It goes faster than you think, especially at target practice" Rick said "Duane?" Morgan said "Uh-huh?" Duane asked, he gave Duane a bag "Take this to the car" Morgan said "Okay" Duane said " Are you sure you won't come along?" Rick asked " A few more days. By then Duane will know how to shoot and I won't be so rusty" Morgan said Rick opens the car door; Morgan looks around to check on Duane "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" Rick said "You think ahead" Morgan said "Can't afford not to, not anymore" Rick said "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" Morgan said "You too" Rick said they clasp hands "You're a good man, Rick. I hope you find your wife, daughter and son" Morgan said "Be seeing you, Duane" Rick said he shakes Duane's hand "Take care of your old man" Rick said "Yes sir" Duane said 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 "Leon Basset?" Rick said Morgan pulls Duane close "I didn't think much of him –Careless and dumb but I can't leave him like this" Rick said It's stopped by a chain link gate topped with razor wire "You know they'll hear the shot" Morgan said " Let's not be here when they show up" Rick said "Let's go, son. Come on" Morgan said Rick walks up to the fence Walker Leon pushes against the fence, trying to get at Rick as he nears it Rick puts his Colt Python up through the fence against Walker Basset's forehead and pulls the trigger It falls.