Morning arrived slowly.
The group had taken shelter inside an abandoned warehouse near the outskirts of Atlanta.
Rick sat near a broken window staring at the sunrise.
He still couldn't believe what had happened.
One week ago he had been chasing criminals.
Now the dead walked the earth.
Cole handed him a bottle of water.
"Drink."
Rick nodded gratefully.
"Thanks."
Jackson sat nearby sharpening a knife.
"So… sheriff."
Rick glanced over.
"Deputy sheriff."
"Close enough."
Ramirez leaned against a crate.
"You were inside that tank a long time."
Rick nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
He explained what had happened.
Waking up in the hospital.
The empty city.
The walkers.
The tank.
Everyone listened carefully.
When he finished, the warehouse fell quiet.
Cole finally spoke.
"Well… you survived longer than most."
Rick looked toward Ghost.
"You saved me."
Ghost remained silent.
Rick continued.
"I don't forget things like that."
Ghost spoke calmly.
"Focus on survival."
Rick nodded.
Then he asked something important.
"You said there's a camp outside the city."
"Yes."
Rick stood up immediately.
"Then we're going."
Cole chuckled.
"Easy there cowboy."
Rick frowned.
"What?"
"You're not exactly in charge here."
Rick looked confused.
"Then who is?"
All three soldiers pointed at the masked figure standing near the door.
Ghost.
Rick studied him carefully.
"You're the leader?"
Ghost nodded.
Rick crossed his arms.
"…You don't talk much."
"No."
Rick thought about that for a moment.
Then he smiled slightly.
"Fair enough."
He walked closer.
"Look… I don't care about rank right now."
He pointed toward the horizon.
"My family is out there."
Ghost answered calmly.
"We're going."
Rick relaxed slightly.
"Good."
But Ghost added something else.
"When we reach the camp… things will change."
Rick frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Ghost looked directly at him through the red lenses of the mask.
"People there are untrained."
Rick didn't argue.
He knew it was true.
Ghost continued.
"They must learn to survive."
Rick nodded slowly.
"And you plan to teach them."
"Yes."
Rick thought about his son.
Carl.
A kid growing up in this nightmare.
Maybe training wasn't such a bad idea.
Finally Rick extended his hand again.
"Then let's do it."
Ghost shook it.
And in that moment…
The future of the survivor group changed.
Because soon they would meet:
Lori Grimes
Carl Grimes
Carol Peletier
Sophia Peletier
And Ghost would do two things that would completely change the original story:
He would train Carl to use weapons and survive.
And when the moment came…
He would save Sophia before she was lost in the woods.