A/N: Sorry this chapter was posted so long after chapter 10. I've been dealing with some RL issues that have made it hard for me to write as much as I'd want.
I'd like to thank the lovely reviewers who took the time to send me a comment. It doesn't matter if it's negative or positive, I'm always touched that my work makes someone care enough to leave a review. So thank you to: Evanelle, NouvelleVoix, eraser time207 and three anonymous reviewers.
Oh, and I changed my penname. I think I still had my old one when I last updated, so some of you might not be aware that I changed my name.
I have also created an AO3 account and am going to have Unfaltering Bereavement there too. So if you prefer AO3, that might be good news for you! I prefer the site because it allows you to have the whole story on one page instead of one chapter per page (because I have unreliable wifi and that way if the wifi dies then I already have a page open with a very long fic to keep me distracted until the wifi coems back).
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
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Unfaltering Bereavement
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Even before Henry comes to wake him up, Harry isn't sleeping due to the cold. Without his shirt, he has spent the last few hours freezing and deeply regretting using that cleaning spell on his shirt. Ellie fell asleep quite quickly, luckily, and was not kept awake by the sound of his teeth chattering.
"Hey Harry?" whispers Henry, "it's your turn to take the nightshift."
Harry sits up, arching his back and yawning.
"The floors creak," says Henry, "so you should stay downstairs during your shift. Keep out of sight of the windows - I spotted some hunters patrolling about an hour ago. And move around regularly to watch all sides of the house. We don't want a hunter sneaking in the house from the back."
Harry nods, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I'll do that. Should I wake you guys up later when it's time to leave?"
Henry shakes his head. "We don't know when we're going to leave. Let us sleep in and when we're all awake we'll leave. Maybe you can make us something for breakfast with that growing trick of yours?"
Shrugging, Harry gestures at his backpack. "I'll see what kind of stuff I can use."
Henry smiles and claps Harry on the shoulder. "Perfect. I'll go get some sleep."
The man leaves the room quietly while Harry is still wrapped in his covers, half-asleep. Finally, after a few seconds Harry musters up the courage to stand up. As soon as he leaves the comfort of the duvet, the ambient chill seems to worsen.
Harry shivers, rubbing his arm. Autumn isn't quite there yet but it is definitively on its way.
He gathers up the bed covers and wraps them around his body. Then he picks up his bag and heads downstairs.
Without a watch, it is difficult to guess the time, but it is probably around five or six in the morning.
He takes a look around the ground floor, committing to memory the places where the windows are so he knows how to avoid being seen by anyone that might be passing outside.
Once he's confident he knows the layout, he sits down in the living room on a ratty couch, placing his bag on the coffee table. His duvet stays snugly wrapped around him as he empties some of the contents of his bag. He brings out all the different herbs he has been gathering since he arrived in this word, as well as the seeds he uses to grow vegetables. He isn't going to prepare the food right now - he'll wait until all the others are awake for that. On the other hand, he's looking at his mediocre potion ingredients, thinking back on what Henry and Ellie asked him about yesterday. A potion to cure the Cordyceps infection.
While he knows such a thing would be very difficult, he thinks he might be capable of creating a standard potion to cure a cold or boost the immune system. Medicine isn't exactly easily available for the common person in this world as there aren't many infrastructures left to make that sort of thing. If he can create and distribute such a potion, he could improve the situation of many people. It would also be a great bargaining tool if he ever needs anything. He won't always reveal his magical abilities to have people keep him around. If instead of has medecine to trade, he'll be useful without outright revealing his secret.
-x-x-x-
The next hours are spent in relative peace. Harry tinkers with his things, experimenting with a few of his plants to try and create interesting mixtures. He manages to make a yellow potion that bubbles angrily, but he can't be sure if it's a success. He tried to make something to boost the immune system, but he would have to test it to be sure, and he isn't willing to do it to himself in case something goes wrong.
He watches as the sun comes up, and moves from window to window to be sure that no hunters are nearby. He notices two hunters on the other side of the street the house is on, so he carefully hides behind a wall and keeps an eye on the hunters as they pass by.
Like most people in this world, the hunters are dressed in ratty clothes that don't seem to have been washed in a while. They're holding handguns and looking relaxed. They don't seem to expect to find any trouble.
Harry watches with narrowed eyes as the hunters meander away.
"Hey," is heard from behind him.
He turns to see Sam standing a few feet away, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"You're up early," says Harry softly. "Did you sleep well?"
Sam yawns, nodding slowly. "Henry and I weren't sleeping well before we met you guys. We were afraid of being ambushed by hunters while we were sleeping, so we didn't get to rest much. We'd planned on sleeping after we meet up with our group, but since we met you guys..."
"... You finally got to sleep properly," Harry finishes.
"Yeah. It was nice to spend a night in a bed and feel a bit safe."
Harry takes another look outside to be sure the hunters are really gone, before smiling at Sam. "Want something to eat?"
Sam perks up. "Are you gonna use your magic again?"
The eagerness in Sam's tone surprises Harry a little. He's so used to his magic that sometimes he forgets it's anything special. Seeing other people being in awe of it reminds him of himself when he was eleven and discovering the magical world for the first time.
"Sure."
A few minutes later, while Harry and Sam are sitting on the floor, concentrated on a plant that is growing extraordinarily fast thanks to Harry's potion, Joel comes in.
"Is everyone an early riser?" asks Harry in surprise.
The sun has barely risen, and considering it's summertime, it must mean that it is around six in the morning.
Sam shrugs. "I always wake up this early."
Joel comes to sit down next to the two of them. "Hey," he says, blinking sleepily. "You got some food ready?"
Harry waves in the direction of the bell-pepper bush that finished growing a few seconds ago. "Go ahead and take some."
"No tomatoes today?" asks Joel, reaching out to pluck one of the bell-peppers off the bush.
"I only have seeds for this," says Harry, gesturing at the bush, "and tomatoes. I'll need to find another kind of seed if you want more variety."
"It's fine," says Joel, biting into the vegetable. "Fresh food isn't easy to come by, so I'm not gonna complain."
It takes a while for Henry and Ellie to come downstairs. Evidently, they aren't early risers, and since no one seems to protest, Harry does not head upstairs to wake them.
Breakfast is eaten in relative silence, and no more hunters pass near the house. As the summer sun rises, Harry's lack of a shirt becomes less of a problem and he stops using the bed covers for warmth.
"What're we gonna do today?" asks Sam when they're all done eating.
"It would be nice if I could get a new shirt," mutters Harry, looking down at his bare skin.
"Not much of an exhibitionist, are ya?" says Joel with a smirk.
Harry rolls his eyes. "I'd rather have as many layer between me and the Infected as I can. It makes it harder for them to get me."
"You shouldn't put too many layers on," says Sam. "My brother always says that it's important to decide between safety or weighing less and being able to move more easily. It's like wearing a bullet-proof vest. It protects you but doesn't help you run faster."
Nodding in approval, Joel leans back, hands on the floor to keep himself propped up. "Your brother's got some good advice."
Sam smiles. "He knows a lo—"
Just at that moment, sounds from upstairs are heard.
"Looks like someone else woke up," says Joel, keeping a cautious hand near one of his guns just in case. He really is an extremely suspicious man. "We let them sleep in long enough anyway. We should pack up and leave as soon as we can while most of the hunters are still sleeping. If we wait too long, we'd just be increasin' our chances of unfriendly encounters."
"Most of them are in the city centre," Sam informs them. "The area around that has some patrols with some small clusters of hunters here and there. If we're lucky, we won't meet any of them."
Joel frowns. "They know we're here. They've had all the time they need to warn all their buddies to be ready for us. I wouldn't count on us gettin' outta here without a fight."
Henry arrives, mouth open in a jaw-breaking yawn. He is smilling, and he greets them all with a happy, "Good morning!"
"Someone slept well," grumbles Ellie as she comes in after him. Evidently, she is not an early riser by default.
"It has been forever since I've last been able to get a proper night's sleep with someone watching my back," says Henry as he settles down. He picks up one of Harry's magically grown vegetables and takes a large bite out of it.
"I was watching your back while you slept!" Sam protests.
Henry raises an eyebrow dubiously. "You fell asleep the first time I let you stay up while I slept. Sorry lil' brother, but I don't trust your ability to stay awake."
Sam reddens but doesn't dare say anything more.
"So," says Henry through a mouthful of food, "when are we leaving?"
"As soon as we can," answers Harry. "The faster we're out of here, the better."
-x-x-x-
It doesn't take them long to leave. A few minutes of packing are all it takes before they can finally leave the building. A cold breeze makes Harry shiver as they walk outside, reminding him of his urgent need to get a new shirt. He regrets testing out a wandless cleaning spell on his last shirt and wrecking it beyond use.
"We don't want to stay around too long," says Joel. "Let's search through all the houses on this street and try to get a new shirt for Harry."
"We should split up," Henry proposes. "We'll cover more ground that way and we'll be done faster."
Joel nods. He points at the left side of the street they are walking along. "You an' your brother can look through those houses. Me, Ellie and Harry will go through the ones on the other side." He then gestures towards a rusted sign for what used to be a bus stop that is standing at the other end of the street. "We'll meet up by that sign when we've gone through all the houses of the street or when fifteen minutes have passed. Whichever's faster. Look through closets and wardrobes and focus only on shirts." He pauses. "Maybe get some underwear too for all of us, if you can find any. I don't appreciate wearin' the same underwear for God knows how long. A change could do us some good."
"You'd certainly stink less," mutters Ellie.
Joel looks like he is barely restraining himself from scolding her.
Henry nods, ruffling Sam's hair. "Gotcha. Me and my man will see what we can find."
The group of five splits into two groups who go to search through their assigned houses.
The first house Joel, Harry and Ellie enter must have belonged to a single mum and her two daughters because there are no articles of male clothing to be found. All of the tops are too feminine for Harry to contemplate wearing, except for a sweatshirt with an overly wide collar. Harry puts the sweatshirt on reluctantly, knowing that as soon as afternoon comes he'll be boiling. It might be nearing the end of summer, but that does not mean that the days aren't very hot. Harry will keep the sweatshirt for now, though he'll change if he finds anything better.
"Should we continue searching the other two houses or just find Henry and Sam and leave?" asks Harry.
Joel frowns pensively. Two seconds pass and then he sighs. "We might as well continue looking. Let's see if we can find anything useful."
They're currently in the room of one of the two daughters. Joel and Harry have given up searching the room, knowing that it's unlikely they'll find clothes they want in what seems to have been a teenage girl's room. Ellie is looking through a large box full of shoes that she found underneath the bed.
"What do you think?" she asks, lifting up a pair of trainers. The shoes are made of black leather with three black stripes running along their sides.
Harry shrugs. "They seem in a better shape than the ones you're wearing now?" He's not exactly an expert in shoes. As long as they're comfortable and don't have holes in them, he's happy.
-x-x-x-
After they've searched several houses for clothes and anything else of use, they meet up with Sam and Henry and make an inventory of what they have found.
A few scissors, three long pieces of wood, six large metal nails, several pieces of dusty underwear, binding tape, two shirts and a pair of shoes.
"Let's use some o' this before we continue walkin'," says Joel.
He grabs the tape, one of the pieces of wood and a pair of scissors. With a swift movement he tears the two scissors apart, which is quite easy as the metal was half-rusted already, and tapes the scissors to the end of the piece of wood, creating a weapon with two blades that could easily stab into someone if the piece of wood was swung hard enough.
Henry understands easily and follows Joel's example by doing the same to the second piece of wood while Joel tapes a few nails to his improvised weapon to make it even more deadly.
Harry takes off the sweatshirt he found and puts one of the shirts on instead, glad he won't end up overheated later on. He ties the sweatshirt around his hips though, deciding it'll keep him warm at night in case there is no convenient house to sleep in.
"So what're we doing now that Harry finally has his shirt?" asks Ellie, looking at what Henry and Joel are doing with interest.
"We get some left over clothes, so if you need that shirt or the underwear, change into it now," says Joel without looking up from what he's doing. "We won't have the time to wash up before we leave Pittsburgh 'cause of all the hunters."
Sam picks up one of the articles of clothing - a pair of boxers, clearly a bit too big for him. Without a hint of shame, he starts taking off his pants. Harry has to look away when the boy takes off his underwear, and he sees that Ellie is clearly uncomfortable too.
"Sorry," says Sam, "but a member of our group got caught by a bunch of Clickers 'cause he went somewhere private to change, and ever since me and Henry've decided it's best to never get separated if we can help it."
"Yeah," agrees Henry. "Between changing in front of others or changing somewhere where you'd be alone if you have to defend yourself, we figure it's best to just stop being prudes and suck it up."
Ellie swallows and visibly decides to stop letting it bother her. Harry is amused when he notices her taking a quick peek at Sam nevertheless. Seems like there might be hints of a crush there.
"You said you were meeting the rest of your group at some sort of radio tower, right?" Joel asks Henry.
"Who are dead," mutters Sam with a glare.
"Shhh! Don't start drawing conclusions without proof," says Henry. He turns to Joel. "Yeah, we should be able to see it in the distance as soon as there are less houses and we have an easier time lookin' round. The tower's huge so we can't miss it."
"When did you say you're meant to be meeting them?"
"At sundown, today." Henry shrugs. "We have plenty of time and it's not that far away, so we don't have to hurry."
Joel nods. "Let's just get there fast." He looks around suspiciously. They are currently hidden behind some bushes lining the front yard of a dilapidated house, but if a hunter comes close enough they'll be noticed. "I don't wanna linger 'round here."
Once the three long pieces of wood — too thick to be called sticks and too thin to be called beams — have all been turned into weapons, they are given to Harry, Ellie and Sam. Joel and Henry already have guns, knives and other such things and thus don't need more weapons.
On top of receiving the equivalent of a wooden cudgel with scissors stuck to it, Ellie is also given a small handgun.
"Really?" she asks, looking at Joel with a touched smile.
Joel rolls his eyes. "Don't make me regret it."
While Joel starts asking Ellie if she has any experience with guns, Harry swings his wooden weapon a few times to get a feel of it before dropping it to his side. He steps towards Henry and Sam, who are both talking with low voices.
"Remember to always go for the head. Infected will attack until they're dead, so try to kill them with the first hit," Henry is saying. "With those long blades poking outta that metal stick, there is a risk that your weapon might get stuck inside an enemy. If that happens and the enemy isn't dead yet, then don't bother wasting time trying to pull your weapon back out — just run away. Get your weapon back when one of us has shot the bastard in the head."
Sam is nodding along obediently.
"You have a gun anyway," continues Henry, "so if you have to leave your stick behind you're still armed. As long as you stick close to me, everything'll be fine."
"Henry?" Harry calls.
Henry turns around, one eyebrow raised. "What's up, Harry?"
"That radio tower you mentioned... How far away is it?"
Henry looks off to the side, deep in thought. "I think that it should take around an hour to get there? Maybe a little more? I'm not sure. It depends on what kind of enemies we might be up against, if we meet any resistance at all."
"And if we get lost," adds Sam. "We know the general direction we hvae to go in, but if we get lost then it'll take us twice as long to find the place."
Henry nods. "We should be at the radio tower by around midday."
"Thanks," says Harry.
He wonders if those members of Henry and Sam's group will show up, or if Sam is right and they are dead. The idea that they might be dead bothers Harry less than he would have thought. He hasn't met those people, after all, and he's been seeing so much death lately that he has stopped caring as much. After all, he still has blood on his clothes from blowing someone up yesterday. While he destroyed his shirt by using magic to try and clean it, his trousers still have blood splatters on them.
"Okay," exclaims Joel from behind Harry. He has finished giving Ellie a few tips on how to use the handgun he gave her and is now looking at the group as a whole. "Let's go. Henry? You're leading the way."
Henry salutes. "No problem. Everyone follow me."
-x-x-x-
In the beginning, everyone is quite relaxed. While each member of the group keeps a weapon at hand and stays vigilant, the atmosphere is still quite light-hearted. Ellie and Sam chat with low voices while Joel, Henry and Harry are content to stay silent.
But after they get attacked by two Clickers who had been hiding inside a rusty old truck, every last trace of relaxation goes away. The Clickers are easily dispatched, of course, but the sudden reminder that danger might be hiding behind every corner is quite sobering.
The rest of the trip is made in near silence.
The suburban area gets greener and greener, with more plants and space, until it's completely obvious that they are out of the city itself. There are still houses everywhere, but the gardens are larger and there are trees planted on the pavement. From time to time they pass near groups of hunters patrolling the area, but every time they manage to avoid direct confrontation by hiding from view until the danger has passed.
It's around forty minutes after they've started walking that the first sign of true trouble appears.
"Shhh!" exclaims Henry, stopping at the sight of a group of Stalkers and Runners feeding from the remains of a hunter patrol. There are even a few Clickers skattered around. In total, there has to be at least a dozen of Infected in the middle of the road.
Unfortunately, they have not been paranoid enough to hide behind every nook and cranny all the time, so although they've been moving stealthily, it doesn't change the fact that they just turned around a corner and have arrived in plain view on the street.
One of the Runners raises its head, baring a face mutilated by long scratches, and it screeches at the sight of them.
"Oh fuck," exclaims Ellie under her breath.
As one, the entire group of Infected turns around and notices the prey that has wandered too close.
"Harry," says Joel urgently, "use your powers to kill as many as you can. Henry and I will be shooting and tryna slow 'em down. Ellie and Sam, you guys help us if any of 'em gets too close."
That's the only thing he has time to say before the Infected attack.
Joel has his rifle out and is targeting the Clickers while Henry aims for the weaker but faster opponents, shooting at both Stalkers and Runners. The Infected are still too fast and the group is forced to scatter.
Ellie and Sam hide behind a nearby car, guns out to shoot at anything that gets too close while Henry tries to run around the horde of Infected and aim for the enemies at the back. Joel simply runs back, going in the opposite direction and shooting as he runs.
The fact that Joel and Henry are going in separate directions means that the horde splits in two, with each half targeting the closest man. Some of them get too close to the teens hiding behind the car, but Ellie shoots without hesitation and the Infected fall down, fluids leaking out.
A bombarda is too risky with Harry's companions so close, so instead he uses his levitation. He tries to drop the rusted husk of a motorcycle on top of some of the Infected, but his panic doesn't help his control and instead he just sends the vehicle crashing into the side of the group. At least two of the Infected have their legs crushed beyond repair and Harry can see them trying to crawl towards their prey without much success.
"Get the fuck away from him!" Ellie screams, and Harry turns towards her with his heart in his throat.
One of the Clickers has grabbed hold of Sam and is trying to bite him, but Ellie has jumped onto the creature's back and is using her pocket knife to stab it. Unfortunately the thick layer of hardened fungi coating every Clicker is such a good defense that Ellie can barely keep the creature away from Sam.
With stubborn single-mindedness, Harry grips the improvised cudgel made earlier and runs to the teenagers' rescue.
Without hesitation, Harry hits the Clicker with all the strength he has. The two scissor blades stab deep inside the Infected's head, but it's not enough to kill it. Harry pulls his weapon back towards him, but the blades are well and truly stuck.
Thankfully, his main aim was to allow Sam and Ellie to escape, which they have done. Ellie is off the Clicker's back and Sam has scrambled away.
The Clicker turns to attack Harry, so he lets go of the wooden weapon and hurriedly steps back before he's bitten. Once there's enough distance between Harry and the Clicker, Sam raises his gun and shoots the Infected. The first bullet catches it in the shoulder and it staggers, but the second bullet goes through its head. With a last clicking shriek, the creature dies.
Sam limps closer to Harry. "We'll be fine," he says. "Can you help take care of the rest?"
Harry looks over at Henry and Joel who are vastly outnumbered but don't seem overwhelmed in the least, and nods at Sam. "Stay hidden and shoot at anything that comes close. I'll go help them."
Joel is a very talented marksman and is killing Infected like it's the easiest thing on Earth, so Harry decides to help Henry.
Henry has killed all the Clickers and Stalkers, but the Runners are just stomping over the bodies of their fellow Infected to get at Henry and are gaining ground faster than Henry can kill them.
Harry aims his arm at one of the Runners and levitates it, sending the creature crashing into other Infected. They all fall over like bowling pins, giving Henry time to breathe.
"Thanks!" exclaims Henry. He aims at the fallen Infected and shoots all of them in the head one after the other.
Two Runners are already on their feet and leaping at Henry. He manages to shoot one but the other tackles him and he struggles furiously against it.
Harry brings out one of his knives and stabs the Runner in the back. It's not enough to kill it, but it does weaken it to the point that Henry can push the Runner away. Harry kicks the Runner's knees and it staggers, falling to its knees. With deadly precision, Henry shoots a bullet between the Infected's eyes and its body joins the others on the ground.
"Fucking hell," says Henry, looking over at Joel. Harry turns and sees that Joel has dispatched more enemies than Harry and Henry combined and doesn't even seem breathless. "How is that guy so damn good?" Henry shakes his head disbelievingly. "Shit, I wish I could shoot that well. At least I wouldn't waste so many bullets."
"Are they all dead?" asks Harry. He looks around, but can't see any more Infected. Joel has killed a large amount of them with brutal efficiency and the rest are dead at the hands of Henry, Harry and the two teenagers.
"I think so..." says Henry.
Joel has walked over to Ellie and Sam, putting his firearms away.
"Are you two hurt?" the man asks, scanning them up and down. His eyes linger over Ellie's bruised cheek and the way Sam is leaning a bit too heavily against the car.
"I'm fine," says Ellie, looking at the bodies of Infected around her wearily. "But Sam got attacked..."
Sam shakes his head, waving his hands in front of him. "I'm okay, I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."
Joel nods and turns to Harry and Henry. "And are you guys okay?"
"We aren't hurt." Henry smiles. "We managed pretty well."
Harry shrugs. "I wish I'd been faster, but everyone's alive so it's fine."
"Let's get a move on," says Joel, looking around warily. "Our gunshots were loud enough to attract anyone or anythin' nearby."
Henry nods. "I wouldn't be surprised if hunters were heading our way right now." He motions for the others to follow him, and starts walking at a brisk pace in the general direction of the faraway radio tower.
Everything would have gone on perfectly if it was not for one litte fact Harry notices next. As everyone follows after Henry, Harry notices Sam limping at the very back of the group, as hidden from view as possible.
"Sam...?" Harry asks.
The boy stiffens.
At first, the other members of the group just continue walking, probably thinking Harry is holding a conversation as he follows along, but Sam has stopped and thus Harry stops too, eyeing Sam with the first inklings of dread. When neither Harry nor Sam follow, Henry stops, with Ellie and Joel doing the same not long after. Joel and Henry don't seem to have realized what Harry is beginning to understand, but Ellie has a frown on her face. Her eyes are on the barely-visible drops of blood staining the ground at Sam's feet.
"I thought you said you were fine?" asks Harry. His tone is much more confused than he is. He is perceptive enough to have a good idea of the truth, but he cares enough for Sam that denial of any suspicion if the first thing that comes to mind. He trusts Sam to tell the truth, to reassure Harry and the others.
Sam takes a step back, and that's enough for Joel's eyes to narrow dangerously.
Too quickly for anyone to react, Joel brings out a gun and points it at Sam.
"Were you bitten?!" the man barks out.
Sam swallows, and looks down. He tugs at his trousers, and pulls one side up to reveal his calf. There is an unmistakable wound there, oozing blood.
Joel purses his lips tightly and keeps his weapon trained on Sam.
Meanwhile, Henry has gone completely white and the shock has him falling to his knees. "Shit..." he whispers, chin trembling uncontrolably as his eyes glisten. "It can't be... Sam, were you...?"
Sam's face twists. "I'm sorry..." the boy murmurs, looking anywhere but at his brother. "I wasn't strong enough. I didn't mean..."
Henry shakes his head, biting the inside of his cheek. He glares down at the ground and a few drops fall soundlessly.
Harry looks away, knowing he is intruding on what is likely one of Henry's last moments with his brother.
"I was weak..." continues Sam. "You were right, I'm no good at fighting." He lets out a shuddery breath. "I tried, I really did. But I couldn't stop it from happening. I'm so—"
"There's a few hours left," says Henry, tone firm. All traces of despair are gone from his voice. He sounds harsh, determined. Henry looks up and turns to Harry. "You said you could make a cure, didn't you?!"
Harry opens his mouth, gaping soundlessly for a moment before he finds the right words. "I said it was possible..." he responds, unwilling to crush the man's hopes, "but I don't have the skill or the time to invent—"
"But there's a chance, right?!" Henry demands desperately, standing up to grip Harry's shirt and pull him close. "There's a chance you could save my brother, isn't there?!"
Without better ingredients or some kind of help, thinks Harry, at my current level of skill the chances of me succeeding are so small they are practically non-existent.
But he can't say that to a man desperate for salvation.
"I'll try," says Harry, even though the sinking feeling of defeat is already weighing him down.
The hope he sees in Henry and Sam makes the lie feel bitter.
-x-x-x-
The idea of heading over to the radio tower is swiftly abandoned, as apparently one of the people Sam and Henry are meant to meet up with is so fearful of Infected that they would shoot Sam on sight. At first, Sam insists they head over there anyway, but Henry refuses.
"I'd rather take care of you, Sam," is what Henry decides, clutching his brother desperately. "If our friends are alive and we miss our meet-up then it'll be a shame, but we both know they are most likely dead."
Sam smiles, but his eyes stay dead. "I thought you said we shouldn't be pessimistic about this?"
Henry sighs. "Sam... I'd rather just focus on you right now, okay? You'll be fine, I promise. Harry'll make you better."
That last comment makes Harry twitch. He feels guilty because he can already see the disappointment on Henry's face.
Joel and Ellie have carefully blank expressions, though the way Joel tightly grips his weapon is rather telling. He has stopped aiming his gun at Sam, but he remains vigilant.
"We need to move," says Ellie hesitantly, glancing down at the way Henry is kneeling near his brother, hugging him tightly. "We made a lot of noise fighting these Infected and..."
Henry nods, standing up. Everyone pretends they don't see him wiping his eyes.
They continue heading towards the radio tower, though this time they are aware that they won't take shelter there. They just need to put as much distance as possible between them and the street full of dead Infected.
It's still morning, though midday is swiftly approaching, and Harry can hear birds singing. The sun is bright and there aren't many clouds. The day feels perfect even though it is anything but.
They settle in a broken-down house twenty minutes away from the street where Sam was bitten. It's far enough that any hunters investigating gunshot sounds won't search the area too closely.
Several of the outer walls have large holes in them, making it a bit hard to defend the place, so everyone goes upstairs. Being on the first floor means they have a better view of the street, and luckily there is a tree near one of the windows at the back of the house, so if any hunters show up and enter the house there is a way to escape without taking the stairs.
Henry helps Sam limp over to a moldy bed in one of the larger bedrooms of the house. Ellie lays down her bag while Joel stays still, keeping an eye on Sam.
When Henry is done, he straightens and turns to Harry hopefully. "So can you get to makin' that magical brew right now?"
Harry bits the inside of his cheek so hard it bleeds.
"I need something to put the mixture in. Do you think you could look around in this house's kitchen for a big glass or a bowl? And maybe something to mix the potion?"
Henry looks at his little brother, hovering for a bit longer than he should, before he nods.
"Yes," he says, reluctant. "I'll... go do that."
Well. Harry has never claimed to be good at lying.
When Henry is gone, Sam's face falls. He no longer has the energy to pretend to be optimistic.
"I'm fucked, ain't I?" the boy asks.
Harry doesn't have it in him to lie. "I'm sorry."
He could lie and tell Sam he could be cured, but Harry has had people lie to him before and he has never appreciated it. So he treats Sam like he would want to be treated in that situation.
Sam doesn't seem surprised in the least. "Great." He sighs. "This is gonna destroy Henry."
That just makes the guilt worse.
"I'm really sorry," Harry repeats. "I don't have a lot of skill with potions. I'd need some sort of special ingredient, too, something directly linked to Cordyceps that I could use in my potion so it doesn't turn into a generic healing potion, and I just don't have what I need. There isn't an ingredient directly linked to the sickness that I could use. With what plants and animals are available, it might take me decades to make some sort of cure."
Sam stays silent. He looks away, hands fisted at his sides.
"Harry..." says Ellie, looking intently at Sam. "You know why I have to go see the Fireflies, right?"
Harry nods. Because she is immune, which is something that Sam doesn't know.
It takes barely a second for Harry to understand, and his eyes to widen.
"Do you think..." Ellie continues hesitantly. "My blood...?"
She can't say it directly or Sam might guess that she is immune, which Ellie, Joel and Harry have been doing their best to keep a secret.
But Harry has understood. Ellie's flesh and blood contains the secret to Cordyceps immunity. Her blood is the ingredient Harry needs to create a curative potion directly linked to Cordyceps.
There is a chance Sam can live.
