Escape the Walking Dead // h.s.

6

Harry's POV

After the meeting with the town about what had occurred over the last 48 hours, I went back to my office to decompress and collect my thoughts privately. I hadn't been alone since Rachel died in town. And I was feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and hesitant about our three new neighbors...well, just Jane really...

The town went to eat early supper before they would say their goodbyes to those we've lost when the sun went down. As I heard them walking along the sidewalks outside, I sat down in my chair, threw my head back, and covered my face with my hand.

I took a few deep breaths and then slammed my fist down on the desk in front of me when I couldn't calm myself. My nostrils flared and I wanted nothing more in this world than to go back in time and figure out another way to have done the supply run. The once very silent room grew loud as my breaths grew shallower with my upcoming fit of desperate anger.

Knock, knock, knock.

The only door in the office opened and I sat back in my chair to play head chief again, but I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was what felt right and what felt wrong. But ethics were the most controversial part of this new world, and it was slowly and painfully taking every bit of my humanity with it.

"Harry, bro," Will came rushing into the shared office space and sat down in one of the maroon chairs that had to have been decades old in front of the desk I sat at. "I cannot believe you found my sister. I haven't seen her...in-in years! Seriously, I'm about to cry that's how thankful I am right now."

I looked at him with his shoulders held back and the biggest smile I've seen on his face since the first time Leslie had sex with him. His happiness was pure but I couldn't help but be unsure of her still, even with as much trust I held in him.

He must have seen the look on my face once he stopped talking and assessed my reaction toward him. It was business now, me and him. His sister was a threat to our camp and a threat to me.

"I don't trust her and..." I cringed at having to say this but I knew people would begin to feel uncomfortable around her. She was a ticking time bomb and I wasn't going to wait around to have her explode in my camp.

"No," Will shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Will," I sighed and ran my hands back over my extremely tired face. "I can't. I can't have her here. She thinks I'm some rapist and she pulled a knife on me several times and she pulled a knife on Sawyer!"

"C'mon!" he laughed as if this was a joke.

"I'm not fucking playing with you, man!" I slammed my palm on the table and stood up from my seat to point my finger at him. "She's lost it. You don't know who she is anymore, apocalypse or not!"

"Apocalypse or not, she's my sister!" He stood up now challenging me and my given authority. His brown eyes were wide and I felt horrible for having to do this to him, but I had families and children to keep safe. "You've been through a lot in the last two weeks with little to no sleep and a lot of struggling alone with your own demons and I'm not sure you're thinking about this clearly. That's my goddamn sister! Give her a chance, Harry!"

And maybe I was overreacting. This change of environment had to be overwhelming after fighting for your life every second since the beginning. Jane had to have been through a lot, just as I have with this camp. Maybe Will was right... Maybe I've been exhausted over the last few weeks and I needed to take a step back and understand and fully assess the situation. I could barely remember the days ending anymore, the past two weeks seemed like only three or four days not almost fifteen.