Chapter 34 — Old Acquaintances
Grady Memorial Hospital.
Wu Fan stood at the edge of the rooftop, watching the Walkers still wandering aimlessly below. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Where is Maddie?"
The name immediately changed the atmosphere.
Hans paused mid-motion, his cigarette frozen between his fingers. The others also went quiet.
That silence said everything before anyone spoke a word.
Hans lowered his hand slowly and exhaled.
"Let me explain."
He took a deep breath.
"When the outbreak started, the hospital received emergency reports of patients suddenly attacking people. At first, we thought it was some kind of violent illness. We tried to restrain them."
He paused, eyes distant.
"Handcuffs. Hospital beds. Anything we could use."
"Some of our people got bitten during the process. But we didn't understand what that meant yet. We thought they could still be treated."
Rick frowned. "And then?"
Hans gave a bitter smile.
"Then they changed."
"Right in front of us."
"Two of them killed Will and Gil instantly. After that, the hospital turned into chaos. Doctors, nurses—anyone who was bitten became one of those things."
Another officer added quietly, "Then the military arrived."
"But it was already too late," Hans continued. "They tried to control it, but people were panicking everywhere. They started shooting the infected, but it didn't stop the collapse."
Wu Fan's voice cut in again.
"Where is Maddie?"
This time, Hans hesitated longer.
"…She was here."
He looked down.
"The day she arrived, the military was organizing an evacuation. They took as many medical staff as they could. Then they gave one order—anyone bitten had to be executed."
Silence again.
"We didn't carry it out," another officer said quickly. "We tried to help people instead. But by then, it was already too late."
Hans continued.
"Maddie was in the lobby. Her leg was crushed in an accident. She couldn't move."
"We were trying to get her out when the Walkers broke in."
Wu Fan closed his eyes for a moment.
"They flooded the hall," Hans said quietly. "We blocked the stairs with beds and equipment. We could only watch from above…"
He stopped.
There was no need to finish the sentence.
Wu Fan stayed silent for a long time.
Finally, he sighed.
"So that's how it ended."
He turned away.
Hans followed quickly. "Wu… I'm sorry. We—"
"It's not your fault," Wu Fan interrupted calmly. "Anyone would've done the same in that situation."
He paused.
"Where is Dawn?"
Hans's expression changed slightly.
"Downstairs. Seventh floor."
He hesitated, then added, "We had a disagreement. I wanted to break out. She wanted to stay. It turned into an argument."
Wu Fan nodded once and headed for the stairs.
Seventh Floor
Dawn sat behind a desk, flipping through papers she wasn't really reading.
When Wu Fan entered, she immediately smiled.
"Well, if it isn't Wu."
She stood up and walked toward him.
That smile—too familiar, too direct—made Wu Fan uncomfortable.
Dawn had always been like this.
From the time he first worked at the police station, she had shown too much interest in him. Subtle hints at first… then direct advances.
He had always avoided her.
Now, in the apocalypse, her husband was likely dead, and her behavior had only become more obvious.
Wu Fan stepped aside before she could touch him.
Her smile stiffened slightly.
At that moment—
Rick, Sean, and Glenn stepped out from the stairwell.
Fully armed.
MP5s in their hands. Tactical gear. Calm, disciplined posture.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Dawn's expression tightened.
Behind her, her people instinctively reached for their weapons.
Rick shifted slightly and stood beside Wu Fan.
Sean and Glenn spread out, forming a loose tactical formation.
No one spoke.
But the message was clear.
Dawn slowly raised her hands in a calming gesture.
"Relax," she said. "We're all on the same side."
Her men hesitated, then lowered their weapons.
Wu Fan ignored the tension and spoke directly.
"I'm taking Hans, his group, and the three patients with me."
Dawn studied him for a moment.
Then she glanced at the armed men again.
Finally, she said calmly:
"Fine."
But her eyes didn't match her tone.
After a pause, she added:
"On one condition."
Wu Fan looked at her. "Speak."
"Take us with you."
Rick's eyes narrowed slightly.
Dawn continued calmly, "You have a helicopter. Get us out of here, and we won't interfere."
Wu Fan considered it briefly.
Then nodded.
"Deal."
Dawn's smile returned—but something about it felt sharper than before.
Departure
Soon, the helicopter lifted off again.
Sixteen people were packed inside, cramped but silent.
No one complained.
Because below them—
Atlanta was no longer a city.
It was a sea of Walkers.
Endless, gray, moving like a living tide.
From rooftops, tiny figures still waved desperately.
But the helicopter never slowed.
Inside, Hans sat beside Wu Fan, staring out at the collapsing world below.
After a long silence, he asked:
"Wu… you're really serious about the cure?"
Wu Fan didn't look at him.
"Yes."
Hans exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
"Then it's worth it."
The helicopter flew forward, leaving Atlanta behind.
And the city—once alive, now dead—faded into the distance.