Wildfire (The Walking Dead)

Rick stares at a sunrise over Atlanta as he tries to reach Morgan on the walkie-talkie.

Rick: Morgan, I don't know if you're out there. I don't know if you can hear me. Maybe you're listening right now. I hope so. I found others... my family, if you can believe it. My wife and son, they're alive. I wanted you to know that. There's something else you need to know. Atlanta isn't what we thought. It's not what they promised. The city is... Do not enter the city. It belongs to the dead now. We're camped a few miles northwest, up by a big abandoned rock quarry. You can see it on a map. I hope you come find us. But be careful. Last night walkers came out of the woods. We lost people. Watch yourself, Morgan. Take care of your boy. I'll try you again tomorrow at dawn

Andrea keeps vigil over the body of her dead sister Amy. Lori comes to her.

Lori: Andrea. I'm so sorry. She's gone. You got to let us take her. We all cared about her and I promise we'll be as gentle as we can

The survivors of the attack start to clean up, burning the walker bodies and burying the dead from their group. Daryl swings at dead walkers' heads with a pickaxe as Glenn and T-Dog throw bodies in a fire.

Rick: She still won't move?

Lori: She won't even talk to us. She's been there all night. What do we do?

Shane: Can't just leave Amy like that. We need to deal with it same as the others

Rick: I'll tell her how it is

Rick tries to approach Andrea but she pulls a gun on him.

Rick: Andrea

Andrea: I know how the safety works

Rick: All right. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry

Rick backs off.

[theme music playing]

Daryl: Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb

Rick: What do you suggest?

Daryl: Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance

Lori: No. For god's sakes,let her be

Daryl: Wake up, Jimbo. We've got some work to do

Morales and Daryl drag the body of a dead camper toward the fire.

Morales: Thanks. Thanks

Glenn: What are you guys doing? This is for geeks. Our people go over there

Daryl: What's the difference? They're all infected

Glenn: Our people go in that row over there. We don't burn them! We bury them. Understand? Our people go in that row over there

Daryl and Morales drag the body toward the digging hole.

Daryl: You reap what you sow

Morales: You know what? Shut up,man

Daryl: Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this coming

Jacqui and Jim pile up bodies. Jacqui notices blood on Jim's shirt.

Jacqui: Are you bleeding?

Jim: I just got some on me from the bodies

Jacqui: That blood is fresh. Were you bit?

Jim: No. I got scratched during the attack

Jacqui: You got bit

Jim: I'm fine

Jacqui: Then show me

Jim: Don't tell,please

Jacqui: A walker got him. A walker bit Jim

All the guys come around him, worried.

Jim: I'm okay. I'm okay

Daryl: Show it to us. Show it to us

Shane: Easy,Jim

Daryl: Grab him

Jim takes the shovel on the floor.

Shane: Jim,put it down. Put it down

T-Dog catches Jim back and holds him.

Jim: I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay

Daryl lifts Jim's shirt, revealing a deep wound.

Jim: I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay

Later, the guys, Lori and Jacqui are talking about Jim's case.

Daryl: I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it

Shane: Is that what you'd want if it were you?

Daryl: Yeah,and I'd thank you while you did it

Dale: I hate to say it... I never thought I would... but maybe Daryl's right

Rick: Jim's not a monster,Dale,or some rabid dog

Dale: I'm not suggesting--

Rick: He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?

Daryl: The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be

Rick: What if we can get him help? I heard the C.D.C. was working on a cure

Shane: I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell

Rick: What if the CDC is still up and running?

Shane: Man,that is a stretch right there

Rick: Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C. at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection...

Shane: Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning

Lori: That's 100 miles in the opposite direction

Shane: That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there

Rick: The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The C.D.C. is our best choice and Jim's only chance

Daryl: You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!

Shane: Hey hey hey!

Daryl heads toward Jim with his pickaxe and tries to take a swing. Rick points his gun at Daryl's head.

Rick: We don't kill the living

Daryl: That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head

Shane: We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down. Go on

Daryl puts the pickaxe down and goes away.

Rick: Come with me

Jim: Where are you taking me?

Rick: Somewhere safe

Rick takes Jim with him.

Dale sits beside Andrea.

Dale: I came to pay my respects. Did I ever mention how I lost my wife?

Andrea: Cancer,wasn't it?

Dale: Yeah. I dragged her to every doctor, every test. And after all the surgeries and the chemos, she was ready. She accepted it, you know? But I never could. And I spent the last few years so angry. I felt so cheated. Since she passed, you girls were the first people... That I cared anything for. This is her birthday?

Andrea: Her birthday was always like... like a week long affair. But I somehow always missed it. I was away at college or too busy for kid's parties. She'd call all excited. I always said that I'd make it home and I really always meant to, but I never made it past that phone call

Dale: I know things are hard enough for you without adding guilt into the mix, huh?

Andrea pulls out the mermaid necklace and wraps it around Amy's neck.

Nearby, Daryl continues to swing the pickaxe into dead walkers' skulls. When he gets to Ed, Carol stops him.

Carol: I'll do it. He's my husband

She swings the pickaxe down on Ed's skull repeatedly and all of her anger against her abusive husband is let loose.

Andrea hears Amy breathing. On the ground, Amy begins to stir. She opens her eyes.

Andrea: Amy. Amy,I'm sorry

Amy reaches for Andrea. Her eyes are bloodshot and she moans and paws at the air.

Andrea: I'm sorry for not ever being there. I always thought there'd be more time. I'm here now, Amy. I'm here. I love you

She's a walker now. Andrea sobs and shoots Amy in the head.

Rick and Shane dig graves near the campsite.

Rick: Say it

Shane: Okay. I'm thinking if you'd of stayed here, if you'd have looked after your own... Instead you went off. You took half our manpower with you. I'm thinking maybe our losses wouldn't have been so bad

Rick: If we hadn't gone off and brought those guns back when we did, I think our losses would have been a lot worse. Maybe the entire camp

The truck approaches and Daryl gets out of it.

Daryl: I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?

Shane: At first

Daryl: The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are

Rick: There are no rules

Lori: Well, that's a problem. We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do

In the RV, Jim is lying and hallucinating. He sees zombies growling.

Jim: Oh no. No no no no. No, not this, please. No no no. Oh, no no no. No no

The survivors stage a funeral. Andrea and Dale are carrying Amy's body and putting it into a digging hole. Andrea is crying.

Andrea: I can do it. I can do it. I can do it! I can do it

Dale: Hey

The survivors are leaving the quarry to come back to the camp.

Rick: Burying other people is bad enough, but the thought of one of us...

Lori: Shh

Carl: Are we safe now,dad? Now that we're together?

Rick: I won't leave again. I promise you that. Not for anything. Now give me a chance to discuss some things with your mom, okay?

Carl: Yeah

Rick: All right. All right

Carl goes back to the camp. Rick takes Lori's hand.

Rick: Shane blames me for not being here. Do you? We got guns now. We're stronger

Lori: And we have fewer people. That makes us weaker. You want me to say I think you were right? I understand that. All I can say is that neither one of you is entirely wrong. It's the best I can do right now

Rick: What about the CDC?

Lori: Rick--

Rick: We're at the ragged edge here. We need relief and we got a sick man who needs help. I don't know why people can't see that

Lori: Well, look at their faces. Look at mine. We're all terrified. If one of us suggested, based on a hunch, that we head toward that city, you'd have no part of it. Tell me something with certainty

Rick: I love you. That's all I got

Lori: I love you too

They hug.

In the RV, Rick and Lori enter and join Jim and Carol.

Carol: His fever is worse

Lori: You need anything?

Jim: Uh... Water. Could use more water

Lori: I'll get some

Jim: Okay

Lori: Carol,you help me?

Lori and Carol get out of the RV. Rick sits next to Jim.

Jim: You save a grave for me?

Rick: Nobody wants that

Jim: It's not about what you want. That, uh... that sound you hear, that's God laughing while you make plans

Rick: What I want, Jim, if... if God allows, is to get you some help

Jim groans and spits. Jim starts being delirious.

Jim: Watch the mangroves. Their roots will gouge the whole boat. You know that, right? Amy is there swimming. You'll watch the boat, right? You said you would

Rick: I'll watch the boat. Don't worry

Jim: Okay

Shane joins Lori.

Shane: I need you to help talk some sense into Rick. Look, this C.D.C. thing, Lori, it's a mistake. So you're backing him?

Lori: What else would I do? He's my husband

Shane: Look, it may be time for you to play the dutiful wife, but you can't tell me that fixing your marriage is worth putting people's lives at risk

Lori: I think folks around here can make up their minds without bringing my marriage into it. It's a habit you need to break

Shane: I guess I'll just add it to the list of habits that I'm breaking whether I like it or not

Rick emerges.

Rick: What habits?

Shane: Just talking about my need for a plan, man. So what is it? Are we leaving or not? Maybe y'all just want to stay here. We could hang some more tin cans

Rick: We can't stay here. We both know that

Lori: I was just telling Shane I think we should trust your gut

Shane: Let's go do our sweep

Rick, Shane and Dale depart to sweep the forest for walkers.

Shane: Tell you what, man, these people, man, they're not convinced. You know? You head to the C.D.C., you might be on your own. You gotta really consider whether you want to put Lori and Carl in that kind of spot

Rick: I got to do what's best for my family

Shane: Best for your family? What's that? Exposing them to all kinds of risks?

Rick: As opposed to what? Crossing 100 miles of hostile territory? If we're looking for a lifeline, I say swim toward the closest ship, not further out to sea. Why can't you back me up?

Shane: Look,I want to it's just...I don't see it

Rick: If it was your family,you'd feel differently

Shane: What did you say to me? I kept 'em safe, man. I looked after them like they were my own. That's what I did

Rick: I didn't mean it that way

Shane: Well, how'd you mean it? Go on, man. How'd you mean it?

Rick: You're misinterpreting me

Shane: All right

Rick: You're just hearing it wrong

Shane: Yeah?

Rick: Look, you know... You know I can never repay that debt, okay?

A branch snaps. Rick draws away. From a distance, Shane's aim lands on Rick. Glaring, he drops the gun, then notices Dale watching him.

Dale: Jesus

Shane chuckles.

Shane: I know. Gonna have to start wearing reflective vests out here. Seriously. Come on, man. Come on, man, let's go. Nothing out here

Dale watches Shane leaving, worried.

Dale, Rick and Shane come back to the camp.

Shane: I've been, uh... I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no... There are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?

At dawn, Rick tries to once again reach Morgan to advise him of their plan.

Rick: We're moving out, leaving the quarry. If you heard me yesterday, you may be coming here. If you are, we'll be gone by the time you arrive. I'm leaving a note and map behind for you taped to a red car so you can follow our trail. We're heading to the C.D.C. If there's anything left, it's got to be there, don't you think? Morgan... I hope you were right about that place. I need you to be

Suddenly, Jim wakes up and coughs.

Shane: Everybody listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?

Morales: We're,uh...we're--we're not going

Miranda: We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people

Shane: You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back

Morales: We'll take the chance. I got to do what's best for my family

Rick: You sure?

Morales: We talked about it. We're sure

Rick: All right,Shane

Shane: Yeah,all right

Rick: .357?

Shane: Yeah

Rick hands Morales a gun and Shane hands him ammo.

Shane: The box is half full

Miranda: Thank you all...for everything

Lori and Miranda hug.

Lori: Come here

Shane: Good luck,man

Morales: Appreciate it

Shane: Yeah

Eliza hugs Sophia.

Eliza: Bye

Miranda and Jacqui hug.

Eliza gives her doll to Sophia, who is crying.

Sophia: Thank you

Eliza: Bye

Rick: Channel 40 if you change your minds. All right?

Morales: Yeah

Carol takes her daughter in her arms.

Carol: I know

Morales, his wife Miranda and children go away.

Shane: What makes you think our odds are any better? Come on. Let's go. Let's move out

They part ways. A note is sitting on the sports car for Morgan.

Dale is driving his RV, while Jacqui takes care of Jim, who is in pain, and Glenn is next to Dale. Rick is driving a car with Lori by his side, Carl and Sophia in the backseat, followed by Shane's car, T-Dog's car with Andrea,Dylan,Gray and Alexandria, and Daryl's car with a motorcycle on it and with Zach and Lucas in the back seat.

En route to the CDC, the RV's radiator hose bursts.

Dale: I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van

Rick: Can you jury-rig it?

Dale: That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape

Shane: I see something up ahead. A gas station if we're lucky

Jacqui gets out of the RV.

Jacqui: Y'all, Jim... It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore

She goes back to Jim.

Shane: Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back

T-Dog: Yeah, I'll come along too and I'll back you up

Shane: Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back

While Shane and T-Dog drive ahead to find a replacement, Rick checks on Jim, who is in agony.

Rick: We'll be back on the road soon

Jim: Oh no. Christ... My bones... My bones are like glass. Every little bump... God, this ride is killing me. Leave me here. I'm done. Just leave me. I want to be with my family

Rick: They're all dead. I don't think you know what you're asking. The fever... You've been delirious more often than not

Jim: I know. Don't you think I know?

Jim groans.

Jim: I'm clear now. In five minutes I may not be. Rick, I know what I'm asking. I want this. Leave me here. Now that's on me. Okay? My decision. Not your failure

Rick: It's what he says he wants

Carol: And he's lucid?

Rick: He seems to be. I would say yes

Dale: Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer

Shane: We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that

Lori: It's not your call,either one of you

Rick and Shane carry Jim to a nearby tree.

Rick: Yeah. That's it

Jim groans.

Jim: Hey,another damn tree

Jim chuckles.

Shane: Hey, Jim... I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this

Jim: No. It's good. The breeze feels nice

Shane: Okay. All right

Jacqui: Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight

Jacqui kisses him on the cheek. Rick takes a gun and shows him.

Rick: Jim,do you want this?

Jim: No. You'll need it. I'm okay. I'm okay

Dale: Oh. Hey. Thanks for, uh, for fighting for us

Jim: Okay

The group departs after making goodbye signs to Jim.

Wildfire MSB3417 Active - Begin Transmission: A video monitor crackles. An unshaven man, Dr. Jenner, speaks into the camera.

Dr.Jenner: Jenner here. It's day 194 since wildfire was declared and 63 days since the disease abruptly went global. There's no clinical progress to report. Item... I finally got the scrubbers in the east sector shut down to save power. Wish I could have done it a month ago, but it took me that long to figure it out. Too bad I never studied engineering. Could have saved a lot of amps. Item... I'm still not sleeping well. Can't seem to keep regular hours. Living underground doesn't help, not knowing if it's day or night. I'm just feeling very off-kilter

Wildfire MSB3417 Active – End Transmission.

In a biohazard suit, Jenner passes through an airlock into a laboratory. He opens a tissue sample labeled TS-19 and begins an experiment. Reaching for a beaker, he accidentally knocks corrosive fluid on the tissue. An alarm sounds as Jenner runs to a decontamination chamber and disrobes.

Computer voice: Alert status. Air qualifiers indicate corrosive fumes. All personnel must clear the room. Corrosive element is deemed poisonous if inhaled. All personnel clear. Full decontamination in effect

From the safety of the airlock, Jenner watches helplessly as the lab, and all of the remaining TS-19 samples, are engulfed in flames — an automatic safety protocol.

Dr.Jenner: No!

Computer voice: Full decontamination complete

Later, a drunken Jenner speaks into the monitor.

Dr.Jenner: The TS19 samples are gone. The tragedy of their loss cannot be overstat. They were our freshest samples by far. None of the other samples we gathered even came close. Those are necrotic, useless dead flesh. I don't even know why I'm talking to you. I bet there isn't a single son of a bitch out there still listening, is there? Is there? Fine. Saves me the embarrassment. I think tomorrow I'm gonna blow my brains out. I haven't decided. But tonight, I'm getting drunk

He pours drink.

Dr.Jenner: Speaking of which, how far do you think I can chuck this, huh? Pretty far I bet

He throws the bottle away, shattering glass.

Dr.Jenner: Oh! It is out of the stadium!

The caravan arrives outside the compound. Surrounding the building are a lot of corpses, as well as swarms of flies. Rick's caravan approaches the CDC, where hundreds of bodies lay dead on the ground. The group quietly approaches the building.

Shane: All right, everybody. Keep moving. Go on. Stay quiet. Let's go. Okay, keep moving. Stay together

Rick: Keep moving. Come on

Jacqui: Shh

Lori: Carol

Shane: Shh

Glenn: Oh,god

Inside the CDC, Jenner's proximity alarm sounds. Stunned, he watches the group's approach via a security monitor.

Dr.Jenner: No

They reach the building which is locked and shuttered.

Shane: Keep it together,come on

Lori: We're almost there, baby. Almost there

Shane: Nothing?

Shane pounds on door.

T-Dog: There's nobody here

Rick: Then why are these shutters down?

Daryl: Walkers!

Lori: Baby,come on

Daryl shoots the walker in the head.

Daryl: You led us into a graveyard!

Shane: He made a call

Daryl: It was the wrong damn call!

Shane: Just shut up. You hear? Shut up. Shut up! Rick, this is a dead end

Carol: Where are we gonna go?

Shane: Do you hear me? No blame

Lori: She's right. We can't be here, this close to the city after dark

Shane: Fort Benning,Rick--still an option

Andrea: On what? No food,no fuel. That's 100 miles

Glenn: 125. I checked the map

Lori: Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now

Rick: We'll think of something

Shane: Come on, let's go. Let's get out of here. Let's go. Please

Rick catches sight of the security camera's movement.

Shane: All right, everybody back to the cars. Let's go. Move

Rick: The camera--it moved

Shane: You imagined it

Rick: It moved. It moved

Shane: Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on

Dr.Jenner: No,just go away

Shane: Man, just listen to me. Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead. You need to let it go, Rick

Rick slams on the shutters.

Lori: Rick,there's nobody here!

Rick: I know you're in there. I know you can hear me

Shane tries to drag him away, with the help of Lori.

Shane: Everybody get back to the cars now!

Rick: Please, we're desperate. Please help us. We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left

Lori: Rick. There's nobody here

Rick: We have nowhere else to go

Rick pounds on the door.

Rick: Keep your eyes open. If you don't let us in, you're killing us! Please!

Shane: Come on,buddy,let's go. Let's go

Rick: Please help us. You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us!

The group is just about to leave when the door to the CDC opens, drowning the survivors in light.