Rick Grimes: Surviving Hospitalization And The Zombie Apocalypse

In the pilot of The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital. The world around him is now a zombie apocalypse. It is unclear how long Rick has been in a coma, but it is theorised to be at least a month, maybe more. This raises the question of how Rick survived without food and water for so long. One theory is that Rick was being cared for by a doctor named Gale Macones (Ellen Greene), who stayed behind at the hospital after the army left. Another theory is that an intern named Kate was looking after Rick. A third theory is that Rick was simply lucky, and that the IV bag was completely empty when he woke up.

Rick Grimes' IV bag

In the pilot episode of The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital. He wanders through empty hallways, and there are no signs of people. However, he has an IV bag attached to his arm, indicating that someone was providing him with fluids.

The presence of the IV bag raises questions about how Rick survived his coma. Typically, a body can only go without water for three to five days, and IV bags usually only hold one litre of fluid, running at 75-150 mL per hour. Given the apparent duration of Rick's coma, the IV bag would have needed to be refilled regularly, suggesting that someone was checking on him and providing care.

One theory suggests that Doctor Gale Macones, played by Ellen Greene, was the one taking care of Rick Grimes. In the web series "The Oath," which takes place in the same universe as The Walking Dead, Doctor Gale stays behind at the hospital even as the outbreak worsens, trying to keep the place safe and helping survivors. Her presence in the web series and access to medical supplies explain how Rick received the necessary fluids and remained in relatively good health despite his prolonged coma.

Another possibility is that an intern named Kate, who was also at the hospital for an undetermined period, could have been the one providing care to Rick. It is suggested that Kate, like Doctor Gale, stayed back to uphold her oath and take care of patients. This theory also accounts for the IV bag and Rick's survival during his coma.

The mystery surrounding Rick Grimes' survival in the hospital has sparked numerous fan theories and discussions, with some speculating that he was still in a coma, dreaming the events of The Walking Dead. While the show doesn't explicitly address all the details of his survival, it does provide hints and clues through flashbacks and web series set in the same universe, leaving fans with some answers and plenty of room for speculation.

Doctor Gale Macones' care

In the first season of The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital. He wanders through empty hallways, and there are no signs of people. However, there are also no signs of zombies, and Rick appears to be in good health.

The fact that Rick was receiving fluids through an IV bag suggests that someone was checking on him regularly. It is likely that Doctor Gale Macones, played by Ellen Greene, was the one taking care of Rick. Doctor Gale stayed behind at the hospital after the army left, attempting to keep the place safe from zombies and helping survivors. She had access to medical supplies and was willing to help people despite the dangerous circumstances.

The webisode "The Oath" also supports this theory, as it features a character named Gale Marcones, a doctor who remained at the same hospital as Rick during the outbreak. In the webisode, she treats a patient named Paul and reveals that she has been at the hospital for "a few months". This timeline aligns with the theory that Gale took care of Rick while he was in a coma, as it is estimated that Rick was in the hospital for at least a month, possibly longer.

Some viewers have pointed out that Rick's bandages looked relatively new, indicating that someone had been caring for him. Additionally, the zombies that were roaming the hallways in an earlier flashback episode seemed to have been rounded up and locked away by the time Rick woke up, further suggesting that someone was looking after him and keeping him safe.

The presence of Doctor Gale Macones, or possibly another caregiver like Kate, an intern at the hospital, explains how Rick survived his coma without succumbing to dehydration or hunger.

The hospital wasn't completely abandoned

The hospital that Rick Grimes woke up in was not completely abandoned. In the pilot of The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, wakes up from a coma in a hospital that is seemingly deserted. However, it is later revealed that Shane, played by Jon Bernthal, left Rick behind as chaos erupted in the hospital. This means that someone had to be checking on him regularly, refilling his IV bag, and changing his bandages.

There are several theories as to who was taking care of Rick while he was in a coma. One theory suggests that it was Doctor Gale Macones, played by Ellen Greene, who stayed behind after the army left to keep the hospital safe from walkers and help survivors. In the webisode "The Oath," Gale reveals that she has been at the hospital for “been a few months," which aligns with the timeline of Rick's coma. Doctor Gale had access to medical supplies and was willing to help people despite the dangerous and violent environment.

Another candidate could be Kate, an intern who was also at the hospital for an undetermined period. Kate, like Gale, may have stayed to uphold her oath and take care of the remaining patients. Additionally, some fans have speculated that Rick was receiving care from a group of people, as evidenced by the relatively clean environment and the rounding up of zombies into one room.

The presence of a dedicated medical professional or a group of survivors taking care of Rick explains how he survived without contracting an infection or dying of dehydration and hunger. This also allowed him to wake up in relatively good health, despite the length of his coma, which was estimated to be around four to five weeks by "Fear the Walking Dead" showrunner Dave Erickson.

The survival of Rick Grimes in the hospital, despite the outbreak and the seemingly abandoned state of the building, adds an intriguing layer of mystery to the show and has sparked ongoing discussions and theories among fans.

Rick's coma protected him from infection

Fans of The Walking Dead have long debated how Rick Grimes survived in a hospital during the zombie outbreak. In the pilot, Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital. He wanders the empty hallways, and there are no signs of people.

One fan theory is that Rick's coma protected him from infection. A human can go a maximum of 3-10 days without water and 1 day without food. Rick was in a coma for around four to five weeks, and his IV bag would have needed to be refilled regularly. This means someone must have been checking on him and providing him with fluids.

The theory suggests that Doctor Gale Macones, who stayed at the hospital even as the outbreak unfolded, was the one taking care of Rick. She had access to medical supplies and was willing to help people despite the dangerous situation. Another possibility is Kate, an intern who was also at the hospital for an undetermined period. Their presence explains how Rick survived without contracting any outside infections and didn't die of dehydration or hunger.

Additionally, the fact that Rick's bandages looked relatively new when he woke up indicates that someone was taking care of him and changing his dressings. This could have been Gale or Kate, or possibly another survivor who took refuge in the hospital.

The Walking Dead universe has provided some answers to the question of Rick's survival, and the presence of selfless doctors or survivors who stayed behind offers a plausible explanation for how Rick's basic needs were met during his coma.

The timeline of events

Day 0: The beginning of "Fear the Walking Dead" when zombies first start appearing.

Day 59: Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital. He wanders through empty hallways and finds no signs of people.

Before Rick Wakes Up: A flashback reveals that Shane, who was with Rick at the hospital, left him behind as chaos erupted. Shane barricaded the door as the hospital fell, and Rick woke up a few days later.

While Rick Was in a Coma: It is estimated that Rick was in a coma for around four to five weeks. There are speculations about how he survived without food and water for that long. Theories suggest that he had an IV, which was refilled regularly, indicating someone was taking care of him.

Candidates Who May Have Taken Care of Rick:

• Doctor Gale Macones: She stayed behind at the hospital even as the outbreak got underway. She had access to medical supplies and was willing to help others despite the dangerous situation.
• Kate, an intern: She may have also been at the hospital for an undetermined period, honouring her oath to care for patients.
• Other survivors: Some fans theorize that other survivors periodically checked on Rick and provided him with the necessary resources.

After Waking Up: Rick finds himself in a new apocalyptic existence. He sets out on a journey, and the events of "The Walking Dead" season 1 unfold, marking the beginning of his story in this new world.

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