The Walking Dead: "Days Gone Bye"

Chapter 5: Parting Ways

They arrive at the police station where Rick worked before the apocalypse. Rick shined his flashlight through the dark hallway with the man and his son right behind him. They make their way to the bathrooms where the showers were. Rick turns on one of the showers and the pipes groan from not being turned on in a while.

"Gas lines have been down for maybe a month," said the man looking at the water pouring from the shower head.

"The station's got its own propane system" Rick replied, putting his hand under the water to check the temperature. "Pilot's still on."

All three of them got in their showers and enjoyed every moment of it. It's been awhile since the last time they all showered.

Rick shaved his face. He felt refreshed and clean again. They all did.

"Duane. Dressing room back there" Rick said, handing him clothes.

"What do you say, Duane?" asked his father.

"Thank you," he tells Rick before walking to the other room to get changed.

"Atlanta sounds like a good deal," Rick told the man. "Safer anyway-- people"

"That's where we were headed," he replied. "Things got crazy. Man, you won't believe the panic. Streets weren't fit to be on. And then my--" he stopped. "My wife couldn't travel. Not with her hurt. So we had to find a place to lay low. Then after she died, we just stayed hunkered down. I guess we just froze in place."

"Plan to move on?"

"Haven't worked up to it yet."

They both got dressed and waited for Duane to get back. Rick dressed in his usual police uniform. All three went to the weapon locker to find all the weapons and ammo they could.

"A lot of it's gone missing," Rick said while grabbing a shotgun.

"Daddy, can I learn to shoot?" said Duane. "I'm old enough"

"Hell yes, you're gonna learn, but we've got to do it carefully. Teach you to respect the weapon" his father told him.

"That's right. It's not a toy," rick added. "You pull the trigger, you have to mean it. Always remember that, Duane."

"Yes, sir."

Rick hands the man a sniper rifle. "Take that one. Nothing fancy. The scope's accurate"

Duane grabs all the ammo boxes he can and shoves them into a backpack. After cleaning out the weapon locker, they leave through the back door.

"Conserve your ammo," Rick said while walking up the outside stairs. "It goes faster than you think, especially at target practice."

"Duane, take this to the car," said the man, handing him a duffle bag filled with guns and ammo.

"Okay," he said, taking the bag and walking to the car.

"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," he said.

Rick opens his car door and pulls out a walkie talkie.

"You've got one battery," he said as he hands him the walkie. "I'll turn mine on a few minutes every day at dawn. You get up there, that's how you'll find me."

"You think ahead," he said, turning to walk away.

"Can't afford to not to. Not anymore."

"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."

"You too."

The man grabs Rick's hand to shake it farewell. "You're a good man, Rick. I hope you find your wife and son."

Rick nodded. "Be seeing you, Duane," he said, shaking his hand. "Take care of your old man."

"Yes sir," he replied.

Before they split up, they heard groans. There was a walker on the other side of the chain-linked fence. He wore the same uniform as Rick.

"Leon Basset?" he said. That was one of the officers that were with Rick and Shane during the police chase before he got shot.

"Didn't think much of him," he said. "Careless and dumb but... I can't leave him like this."

The walker just growls at them with it's hands on the fence.

"You know they'll hear the shot," said the man.

"Let's not be here when they show up," Rick replied walking to the fence.

"Let's go, son. Come on." Duane and his father made their way to their car.

When Rick got to the fence, the walker became a little more aggressive and hit his hands against the fence. He raised his gun to the middle of it's forehead and pulled the trigger. The bullet went through his head and blood poured out from the back of it's head. It let go of the fence and slowly fell to the ground, dead.

He got into his car and they both drove out of the police station and separated to different ways. They honk their horns and drove off, hopefully seeing each other again.