A sheriffs deputy in King County, Georgia, Rick was injured in the line of duty and lapsed into a coma. When he awoke in the hospital, he discovered that his town and well beyond had become overrun by the undead. A family man, Rick is desperate to find his wife, Lori, and young son, Carl. Another important person in his life is his partner and best friend, Shane. Rick eventually (and somewhat miraculously) finds all three alive and, if not completely well, at least functioning. Thus begins a journey of survival through first urban and then rural surroundings all while being pursued by hungry hordes of walkers.Partly because of his job as a peace officer, Rick is viewed by the growing group of survivors as a leader a role with which he isnt entirely comfortable. For starters, Rick has a strong sense of right and wrong, a personal code, that doesnt always apply neatly to the world in which humans are now food for monsters. Rick ultimately must decide if he will embrace his leadership role and, if so, whether his style with a Rickocracy or a Ricktatorship. Adding to the tension is the fact that Lori and Shane became an item when they thought Rick was dead (Rick doesnt know this secret, exactly, but one strongly suspects that he strongly suspects). Rick grimly tries to keep everyone alive while mending his marriage and shielding his son from the gory horrors of the post-apocalyptic world.