: Rick wakes up to silence. The flowers by his bed are withered and dead, and the wall clock has stopped at 2:17.
Rick wakes up alone in in King County, Georgia. He had been in a coma for an estimated 46 to 59 days following a gunshot wound sustained in the line of duty.
As Rick flees the hospital, the scale of the devastation becomes clear:
: Upon exiting his room, he finds the hospital in ruins, with flickering lights, blood-streaked walls, and bullet holes. He encounters the iconic chained cafeteria doors with the message: "DON'T OPEN / DEAD INSIDE" . Discovery of the New World
: Outside the hospital exit, hundreds of decayed bodies wrapped in sheets are neatly arranged in rows, indicating a failed military or medical containment effort.