It was already two in the afternoon when the armored vehicle pulled up at the entrance of Harrison Memorial Hospital.
Sunlight shone through the shattered glass doors into the lobby, casting dappled shadows on the floor tiles.
The air was thick with the scent of decay mixed with disinfectant, making one wrinkle their nose.
Wu Fan pushed open the car door and jumped down.
Sandra followed behind with her MP5, scanning the surroundings alertly.
"Boss, what are we going in for?"
Sandra asked in a low voice.
"To scavenge."
Wu Fan replied simply, "Medicine, medical equipment, anything useful. There are many people at the base and consumption is high; these things will be hard currency in the future."
Sandra nodded and didn't ask further.
The two of them walked into the hospital lobby.
In the dim light, traces of the past chaos were visible—overturned registration desks, scattered medical records, bloodstains on the walls, and dried dark brown marks on the floor.
A few flies buzzed around, landing on an unidentified pile of something.
The first-floor lobby was very quiet.
Abnormally quiet.
Wu Fan made a gesture, and the two began searching floor by floor.
Second floor.
Third floor.
Fourth floor.
The corridors on every floor were much the same—dim, silent, with the occasional wandering Walker.
When encountering those half-eaten and only able to crawl with their hands, Wu Fan would raise his hand and fire a shot, putting them out of their misery.
When he came across those handcuffed to hospital beds—likely because it was too chaotic back then and the police fled after bringing in infected prisoners—he also gave them a headshot.
[Walker kill +1, Points +10]
[Walker kill +1, Points +10]
[Walker kill +1, Points +10]
System notification sounds rang out continuously as the points rose steadily.
Wu Fan was in a good mood.
As he reached the corner of the fourth floor, he suddenly stopped.
At the end of the corridor was a double door.
The door was tightly secured with chains and wooden boards.
But there were fresh claw marks on the boards, and the chains were swaying slightly—something was pushing the door from inside.
"Walkers."
Sandra whispered, her muzzle already raised.
Wu Fan's eyes lit up.
Walkers? Those were points!
He signaled for Sandra to cover him, walked to the door, stood sideways against the crack, and slowly pulled it open—
Just as he pulled it open a crack, the door was slammed open by the things inside!
Countless hands reached out from the crack!
Pale, rotting, missing fingers, nails falling off—those hands reached out desperately, trying to grab something.
Roars came from behind the door, one after another, like a pot of boiling water.
Wu Fan took a step back and raised his gun.
Bang!
The first head exploded.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like target practice, he took them out one by one, picking off the heads squeezing through the crack.
[Walker kill +1, Points +10]
[Walker kill +1, Points +10]
[Walker kill +1, Points +10]
The points jumped rapidly.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
The crack was blocked by corpses; the Walkers behind couldn't push the door open and could only continue to roar.
Wu Fan swapped in a new magazine and fired a few more shots, blowing apart every head he could see.
He only stopped when the pile of corpses completely blocked the crack, and nothing inside could be seen anymore.
"A pity."
He shook his head. "There are at least dozens more, but I can't farm them now."
Sandra rolled her eyes. "Boss, you call this a pity?"
"You don't understand."
Wu Fan smiled and didn't explain.
Points were good things.
The two continued their search.
Fifth floor
This floor looked like the inpatient area.
There were patient rooms on both sides of the corridor; most of the doors were open, and the rooms were empty.
Occasionally, corpses could be seen lying on the hospital beds—some had already turned and had bullet holes in their heads; others hadn't turned and just lay there, rotting and stinking.
Reaching the middle of the corridor, Wu Fan stopped.
A patient room door was blocked from the outside by a hospital bed.
The bed was wedged sideways in the doorway, its headboard against the opposite wall, sealing the door tight.
The sheets and bedding had fallen to the floor, covered in dust.
Wu Fan's heart stirred.
He walked over and looked inside through the small window on the door.
In the dim room, a person was lying on a hospital bed.
It was a man.
Golden-brown hair, a face full of stubble, so thin his cheekbones protruded.
He wore a hospital gown, covered by a thin blanket, and his chest was rising and falling slightly—
Alive.
Still breathing.
Just as Wu Fan was about to push the door, a voice suddenly came from behind him:
"Who are you!"
Wu Fan and Sandra turned simultaneously, their muzzles aimed at the source of the voice.
A woman stood at the other end of the corridor, hands raised above her head.
She wore a white lab coat, had short black hair, and her face was stained with dirt and tear marks, but her gaze was steady.
Probably in her early thirties, wearing a stethoscope; she was likely a doctor.
"Don't shoot!"
She shouted, "I'm a living person! I haven't been bitten!"
Wu Fan sized her up, his muzzle not lowering. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"My name is Gail Macones."
The woman said, "The doctor staying behind here."
"A doctor?"
Wu Fan frowned. "It's been half a month since the outbreak. Why are you still here?"
Gail didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Who are you? This equipment—is it military? Or government?"
Wu Fan was silent for two seconds.
Then he began to bluff.
"Umbrella Corporation."
He put away his gun and signaled Sandra to do the same. "We are a security team for a private enterprise. The company focuses on biological research and vaccine development. We've established a survivor base at the CDC."
Gail's eyes lit up. "Vaccine? You're researching a vaccine?"
"Yes, over a dozen doctors are working on it, and there's already some progress."
Wu Fan took a step forward. "You've been hiding in the hospital alone for half a month?"
Gail nodded, then shook her head. "Not alone. There's also a patient."
She pointed to the door blocked by the hospital bed.
"His name is Rick Grimes."
Gail said, "A deputy sheriff from King County. He was wounded in a shootout and has been in a coma for a long time. On the day of the outbreak, the hospital was in chaos. His colleague blocked the door with a hospital bed so those things couldn't get in, and he survived. I also stayed here to care for some elderly people with mobility issues. Unfortunately, they passed away one by one, and now only Rick is left."
She didn't tell the whole truth, but it was a fact that she had taken care of Rick with all her heart.
Wu Fan looked at her, his expression somewhat complex.
This woman had stayed in the hospital alone for half a month guarding a comatose patient?
"Why?"
He asked, "Why didn't you run yourself?"
Gail was silent for a moment, then said, "Because I am a doctor."
Five simple words.
Wu Fan was stunned for a moment, then smiled.
"Good."
He said, "Do you want to join us?"
Gail looked at him, her gaze firm. "If you really are researching a vaccine, if it's truly to save humanity—I am willing to join."
"Are you sure? You've seen those things outside. Living isn't easy."
Gail took a deep breath. "My father was a military doctor who served in the Gulf War. He taught me one thing—a doctor's duty is to save people, no matter when or what the circumstances. Those things outside, they were once people too. If a vaccine can be researched, if the rest of humanity can be saved, I'm willing to take this risk."
Wu Fan nodded.
"Deal."
He turned toward the door blocked by the bed and gave it a push.
The bed was wedged very tightly and required force.
"Wait."
Gail walked over. "He needs to be moved carefully. After being in a coma for so long, his muscles have atrophied and his bones have become brittle. He can't be handled roughly."
She skillfully pushed the bed aside, opened the door, and went in to check Rick's condition.
Pulse, breathing, pupil response—she did it all meticulously.
Wu Fan stood at the door, looking at the thin man on the bed.
Rick Grimes.
The protagonist of The Walking Dead.
The man who woke from a coma, rode a horse into Atlanta, and led a team through the struggle for survival.
The man who would kill anyone for his family.
The man loved by countless viewers for eleven seasons.
Now he just lay there, skin and bones, completely unconscious.
Wu Fan noticed that the famous warning sign—"Don't Open, Dead Inside"—was not on the door.
It seemed that fellow named Paul hadn't arrived yet, hadn't clashed with Gail, and the cafeteria's iron doors hadn't been written on with blood-red letters.
Butterfly effect.
Or maybe it's just a different timeline.
It didn't matter anymore.
"Can he be moved?"
Wu Fan asked.
Gail nodded. "Yes, but we need to be careful. The bedsheet can be used as a stretcher."
Sandra came over to help.
The three of them carefully transferred Rick onto the sheet, each taking a side, and slowly moved him out of the room.
Downstairs, the armored vehicle was still parked where it had been.
Marcus was leaning against the car door on lookout; seeing them come out, he immediately opened the rear door.
"Boss, what's this?"
"New members."
Wu Fan said, "Lend a hand."
Together, they lifted Rick into the vehicle and placed him on the bench.
Gail followed him inside, adjusting his posture to make him more comfortable.
"What about the medicine?"
Sandra asked.
Wu Fan pointed back. "There's another batch. Wait for me."
He turned and ran back into the hospital, heading straight for the pharmacy.
Antibiotics, painkillers, anesthetics, glucose, saline, gauze, bandages, disinfectant—anything he could take, he took. He found a large bag, filled it to the brim, and ran out carrying it.
The space in the vehicle wasn't large to begin with, and now it was stuffed with medicine, medical equipment, and four people, packed like a can of sardines.
"Drive."
Wu Fan panted, "Back to the base."
Marcus started the engine, and the armored vehicle slowly drove away from the hospital.
Through the window, Wu Fan took one last look at the grayish-white building.
Harrison Memorial Hospital.
The place where Rick woke up.
But now, Rick had been taken away by him.
Would the story follow its original trajectory?
He didn't know.
But what he did know was—
Regardless of whether Rick was the protagonist, in this world, survival was the only truth.
The armored vehicle sped along.
At dusk, the silhouette of the CDC appeared in sight.
The rolling shutter door slowly rose, the armored vehicle drove in, and the gate behind them fell again, sealing off the outside world.
Wu Fan jumped out of the car and saw Dr. Jenner waiting for him in the lobby.
"Boss, you're back? How was the haul?"
Wu Fan pointed to the vehicle. "New members, and one who's comatose. Arrange an isolation room and blood tests."
Dr. Jenner glanced at the Rick being carried down and frowned. "This man is in very poor condition; he needs an IV."
"You handle it."
Wu Fan patted his shoulder. "You're a doctor of biology, which counts as a doctor. You're in charge."
Gail followed them into the building, observing the surroundings along the way.
Isolation rooms, blood-drawing rooms, disinfection equipment—everything was very standard.
"This is your base?"
She asked.
"Part of it."
Wu Fan said, "You'll be in isolation for three days. If there are no issues, you can officially start work."
Gail nodded and didn't say much.
She walked into the isolation room, and the door closed behind her.
Wu Fan stood in the corridor, looking at the closed door, as the system notification sounded in his mind:
[Recruited new employee: Gail Macones, Doctor, initial loyalty 78%]
[Recruited new employee: Rick Grimes (Comatose), former Deputy Sheriff, evaluation pending awakening]
Wu Fan smiled.
Two more talents added.
A doctor and a—future combat powerhouse.
This trip was worth it.