Chapter 36 – Nursing Home
As night fell, a strange silence covered downtown Atlanta.
It wasn't truly silent.
Occasional walker roars echoed in the distance, followed by shattered glass and the wind scraping through broken buildings.
But that only made the night feel even more lifeless.
Rick and Sean were inside a fifth-floor apartment.
They had just finished off the last walker in the building.
With a tired breath, they pushed the corpse outside, shut the door, and collapsed onto the sofa.
"Damn…"
Sean cursed as he ripped off his tactical jacket and dropped it on the floor.
He didn't even bother removing his vest before lying back, staring at the ceiling.
Rick did the same, sitting down heavily and loosening his gear.
The room was dim.
Only moonlight slipped through the broken window.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Rick asked quietly.
"Do you regret it?"
Sean turned his head slightly.
"Regret what?"
"Jumping down with me."
Sean let out a short laugh.
"We've been partners since the academy. You think I'd leave you alone?"
Rick smiled faintly.
Silence returned.
Then Sean spoke again.
"But honestly… that Wu Fan guy is cold. He just left us behind like that."
Rick shook his head.
"He has his reasons. The helicopter can't land on every rooftop. And there were too many people. Someone had to be left behind."
Sean snorted.
"Still defending him?"
"I'm not defending him," Rick said calmly. "I just think he's thinking about more than just us."
Sean didn't respond.
The room slowly fell quiet again.
Eventually, both of them drifted into uneasy sleep.
Morning came.
Sunlight slipped through torn curtains, painting broken patterns across the floor.
Rick and Sean woke at the same time.
Instinctively alert.
They ate a few dry rations, then went to the rooftop.
They had already studied the surroundings the night before.
The gap between buildings wasn't too wide.
If they could connect them…
They could move without going downstairs.
Sean found rope.
Rick found wooden planks.
Within an hour, they built a shaky bridge between rooftops.
It wasn't stable.
But it worked.
Rick went first.
Carefully stepping across.
Then Sean followed.
They continued building.
One building.
Then another.
Slow progress.
But compared to fighting walkers on the ground, it felt like freedom.
Just as they were crossing into the next rooftop—
A shadow burst out from the side.
A man swung his fist straight into Rick's face.
THUD!
Rick staggered, vision blurring.
Before he could react, the attacker grabbed for his weapon.
Rick struggled instantly.
Both of them wrestled on the ground.
"Don't move!"
Sean turned—but another man appeared behind him.
A shotgun aimed straight at his head.
"Move and I shoot!"
Sean froze.
Hands raised.
But his eyes never left the gun.
Rick was still fighting.
The attacker ripped off his vest and gun.
Then pointed the shotgun at Rick.
"Drop yours too!"
Sean slowly bent down and complied.
But halfway through—
He suddenly slammed his vest into the man's face.
BANG!
The shotgun jerked sideways.
Sean lunged forward instantly, grabbing the barrel.
At the same time, Rick broke free and charged in.
Punch after punch.
The attacker collapsed unconscious.
Within moments, both attackers were subdued.
Rick wiped blood from his lip.
"Why did you attack us?"
The man on the ground coughed, blood dripping from his nose.
"To take your weapons."
He said simply.
"To protect my family."
Sean sneered.
"By stealing from people?"
The man didn't answer.
After a pause, he added quietly.
"They're just over there."
A few hundred meters away.
Rick and Sean exchanged a look.
They followed him.
Through broken streets.
Down a narrow alley.
Past blocked entrances and piled debris.
Until they reached an iron gate.
It slowly opened.
Behind it stood several people.
Seven or eight.
Some holding bats.
Others holding axes.
A few had old guns.
Their eyes were full of suspicion.
A man stepped forward.
He looked at Rick and Sean, then at the captured attackers.
"What happened?"
The story was explained.
The man listened quietly.
Then he patted the attacker on the shoulder.
"It's fine. You did what you had to."
He turned to Rick and Sean.
"Sorry about that. He was just trying to protect everyone."
Then he gestured.
"Come in."
Rick hesitated… then entered.
Inside was a courtyard.
Neat.
Strangely peaceful.
Grass still grew.
Wheelchairs were lined up under the sunlight.
Elderly people sat quietly, some chatting, some sleeping.
One old woman knitted slowly.
Further inside stood a three-story building.
More elderly people rested nearby.
Rick froze.
"This is…"
The man smiled.
"A nursing home. St. Bernard's Nursing Home."
"When the outbreak started, we brought everyone underground and cleared the area bit by bit."
He looked toward the elderly.
"They've lived here for years. This is their home."
Sean looked around.
No walls strong enough.
No real defense.
Only fragile people.
In any other place… they would have been abandoned already.
But not here.
Rick finally spoke.
"How many of you are there?"
"Thirty-seven including the elderly. Twelve who can fight."
Rick nodded slowly.
"Do you want to leave Atlanta?"
The man blinked.
"Leave?"
"There's a place," Rick said. "Safe. Walls. Food. Protection."
Hope flickered in the man's eyes.
But it faded quickly.
He looked back at the elderly.
"They can't leave."
Rick also looked at them.
Some were too weak.
Some didn't understand anything anymore.
Some just stared into space.
Rick exhaled slowly.
"There's a way."
He didn't know why he said it.
But he meant it.
Somehow.
There had to be a way.