Harry's mind was made up– he was going to do it.
The man recognised the decision in Harry's determined stride, for he halted him and reached into his shoulder bag, pulling out a white t-shirt, "Here, take this, you'll need it," he said.
"What for?" Asked Harry.
The man drew his finger across his throat, "Cutting the jugular's messy, you're bound to get drenched in her blood." He looked down at Harry's legs, "Your jeans are black, if you soak them, it'll just look like you pissed yourself," he said, laughing uproariously at his own vulgarity.
###
In the Young Person's mental Health Institute, Harry's audience was assembled and waiting patiently.
It consisted of: Gwen, Beth and her best friend Tina.
Luckily for Harry, the large lady staff member, the one who had warned him not to get too close to the girls because of their fragile mind's, was not on duty. So, it seemed circumstance was already on his side.
But Harry didn't know this as he signed in at the reception desk, so when his arrival resulted in an exultant cheery clapping from Beth and Tina, he immediately went on the offensive, "Shhhhhhhhhhhhh, he said, with his finger on his mouth and making a 'lowering, quiet' gesture with his other hand.
Beth understood where he was coming from and was swift to reassure him, "Oh don't worry, it's Humpty Dumpty's day off today, and Wayne's cool with us all interacting at visiting times," she said.
Harry saw that Beth had made an effort with her appearance, as had her friend Tina, who was standing loyally by her side. Gwen Carter stood slightly behind him, a look of apprehension made her face look taut and tight.
In an effort to help her relax, Harry smiled at her. Beth, noted their interaction and looked from Beth to Harry, "I just saw that spark fly between you two, are you sure your cousins, seriously?" She asked.
Harry although seriously impressed by Beth's intuition, acted quickly to deflect her observation, "Of course we are– now come on you three, let's take a selfie," he said, turning his back to them and holding his fold aloft. However, his action caused an almost violent reaction in Tina, as she howled, dropped to the floor and shrieked, "DO NOT TAKE PICTURES OF ME WHEN I'M THIS FAT!"
Beth dropped to her knees to confront her distressed friend. Harry moved forward and spoke without thinking, "You're so not fat, Tina."
Tina's head shot up, revealing tear filled eyes as she bellowed, "Shut up you! You're just the same as the rest of them, pretending that I'm skinny to force me to eat." She jabbed her finger, repeatedly into her head, "I'm not stupid you know, none of us in here are stupid," she raged, with a potent anger.
Harry was about to explain himself, but Beth put her hand up to halt his words, "No Harry!" She glanced over at Gwen, "Can you and Harry go into to the dining room for a few minutes; leave me alone to deal with this," she said, with a warm empathy.
###
In the dining room, Harry was a little shell-shocked, "Blimey, that was an extreme reaction, I was only telling her the truth, like she's far from fat," he said. Gwen responded with a hushed tone, "The girl's far too thin, she's like a walking skeleton." She looked at Harry with understanding and empathetic eyes, "And that's why she's in here. Don't forget that this is a hospital, Harry, and our words can have a negative effect on troubled minds, which is why we have to choose everyone very carefully, " she said, supportively rather than critically of him.
Harry nodded his head to affirm his understanding; then he smirked, "Talking of walking skeletons, I met Ian this afternoon," he said. Gwen's face lit up, "Really, how is he,' she asked. Her response showed the depth of feeling she still had for him, and Harry felt an odd pang of jealousy, "He's fully decayed now; doesn't smell, and other people can see him, although he's all wrapped up, obviously," he explained. Gwen radiated, "I'm happy the horror's over for him; I just hope he can adjust to his new life." Her attention snapped back to urgent issues at hand, "Have you decided what you're going to do," she lowered her eyes, "you know, about Beth?" She asked, with a hint of shame in her voice.
