Harry

Harry sat outside the room where Rick was. He had a pack of cards in his hands and was trying to shuffle them the way T-Dog had shown him, however his hands weren't quite big enough and he kept spilling cards on the floor. Sighing, he picked the spilled cards on the floor and tried again. As he collected all the cards in his hand, the door behind him opened, and Carl walked out. Harry scrambled to his feet.

"How's your daddy?"

"He's good. Ben thinks we can move back into our room soon, because he won't need to keep an eye on him all the time. And Georgie has been helping to look after him too."

"Yeah." Harry wrinkled his nose. "She was suppose to stay in our room with us, but she only stayed one night. She was in there for a week and then she went back and stayed in her old room on her own."

"How come Dale doesn't want Sophie to stay with Georgie anymore." Carl opened the door to the room he and his daddy use to share and beckoned Harry to come in.

"I don't know," Harry perched himself on the sofa and started to share out the cards. "Probably because he's a..." he shot a glance towards the door. "...a crazy old coot." Carl giggled loudly.

"That's what Daryl calls him all the time."

"Daryl's right." Harry finished dealing the cards. "Dale thinks he and Georgie are wicked people. But they killed those people. THEY were evil. So that makes Daryl and Georgie the good guys." Carl frowned.

"Dad says that there is no such thing as good people and bad people. He said that most people are good, but they sometimes make bad choices. And that nowadays, we have to make choices that we use to think were bad to stop something worse from happening." Harry shrugged.

"I still think Dale is a crazy old coot." Picking up his cards Harry started to order them; Carl did the same. Harry glanced at the pile of cards that was left. "Have you spoken to Sophie? Is she still sad?"

Carl nodded. "She won't talk now. She just sits and stares at things."

Harry scowled. "It's all those cannibals fault. They ruined everything. Everyone's sad, or angry and it's because of what they did." He fell silent. He remembered vividly the morning Daryl and Georgie had come back from the wood. He and Matthew had waited in the reception for them both, even when Andrea had placed her hand on Matthews shoulder and suggested they should wait in bed.

"Harry won't be able to sleep unless he knows Daryl's ok," Matthew had replied stubbornly. Harry had known that he had really meant that he wouldn't be able to sleep, although he was worried. They had both been half asleep when the doors had slid open. Harry had felt arms pick him up and had opened his eyes to see Georgie smiling at him. Daryl had his arms around Matthew.

"Did you get them all?" Georgie had sshhed him, and stroked his hair, carrying him up the stairs. Harry looked groggily at Daryl. "T-Dog is ok. Miao cried when she saw him. I don't know why." Daryl grunted and the four of them went into their room. Georgie had gone to leave, but Daryl had stopped her, suggesting she stay in their room so she wouldn't be alone. Later in the night, Harry had needed the bathroom. Creeping from the living room where he and Matthew had the sofa bed, through the main bedroom, he had seen Daryl and Georgie curled up in the big bed. Georgie's head had been on Daryl's chest and Daryl's arm had been around her. Both were still clothed, as if they had fallen asleep as soon as the door had shut. Neither stirred when he closed the door to the bathroom, nor when he left the room. He'd poked Matthew awake when he got back into bed and asked him if he thought Georgie was going to be like a new mother to them. Matthew had mumbled something in response, but Harry thought he had said yes. But when they woke up, Georgie had gone, and they hadn't spoken to her for over a week. He looked at his cards.

"Any threes?"

"Go fish." Harry pulled a card from the pile. It wasn't fair. They had been so close to having a family. What had happened? Why had Dale become so angry with Georgie and Adele? They hadn't done anything wrong. Why was everyone shouting all the time now. Or worse, pretending they didn't want to shout. Even T-Dog, who was usually so easy going, seemed tense and angry.

"Any Queens?" Harry pulled a queen from his hand, and handed it over to Carl. "Any Jacks?"

"Go fish." Carl pulled a card from the pile.

"I hate it here now Harry." Harry looked up at Carl. "It's not a nice place. Only bad things have happened here. And now everyone's fighting. I want to go somewhere else." Harry looked at his cards. He felt the same. Like the hotel was a curse.

"Me too. Maybe if we ask your daddy and Daryl...they'll take us away." Even as he said it, he knew it wouldn't be that easy for Carl. But he didn't say anything.

"Yeah." Carl brightened. "Maybe, he'll take us to hide at Disneyland. I don't think the haunted house would scare me at all anymore."

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing card games and talking about their favourite theme parks and rides. When it was time for dinner, Carl went back to Rick's sickroom, waiting for him to come downstairs. Harry went to sit at the table.

Harry use to like mealtimes at the hotel. They were loud and full of laughter. People use to tease each other across the table. Sometimes he would try to join in, and everyone would listen to him, which made him feel important and grown up. But all that had changed. Now the meals were uneasy. With the absence of Rick, Georgie, who had spent most of her time in Rick's room, and occasionally Ben, as well as the two empty spots where Katie and Carol should have sat, the table was far too quiet. Harry cast his eyes around the table. People tended to talk to the person next to them, rather than across the table. As Harry was usually sat in between Matthew and Daryl, the conversation was minimal. He was halfway through his meal, when he noticed everyone looking at the doorway. He looked up to see Rick walking through the door, lead by Carl, and with Georgie holding onto his arm. Ben followed behind.

"Good to see you up and about Rick." T-Dog spoke first, with the first genuine smile on his face Harry had seen since the cannibals. "Here man, have a seat." He indicated two chairs next to him and Miao, which Rick and Carl took. Ben walked around to Adele, taking the chair by her and kissing her on the check as he sat down. Georgie hesitated: the only two chairs left were by Dale and Daryl. Harry looked at Daryl to see how he had taken the appearance of Georgie. He was ignoring her, still shovelling food into his mouth. Georgie opted for the chair next to Dale. Neither of them looked particularly comfortable about it. Rick took two mouthfuls, and then spoke.

"Anyone want to enlighten me on what's happened since I've been in my room?" No one spoke. "No? Because it's like a morgue in here." He looked around. Harry snuck a look too. Most people were looking at their food. Rick put down his fork.

"Look. I know we have all been through hell and back. We have lost two members of our group. We've had to fight and do things that we...that we knew were wrong, in order to do what was right. But we did it for the group. The reason we've survived this far is because we work as a group. We can't let ourselves fall apart now. If we stop trusting each other, we're not going to survive." Everyone was silent. Ricks words hung in the air. Harry looked at Georgie. She was playing with her food. Her eyes were the only ones not looking at Rick. Everyone else's full attention was on him. Some were shamefaced, some simply listening. Rick paused before he continued.

"I know we thought this would be a safe place. And, for a time, it was. It still is. But now, it's full of bad memories. The longer we stay here, the weaker our bonds will get. I think we should move out." Harry stopped eating and stared at Carl across the table. He'd managed to get Rick to agree. Carl grinned at Harry. "The weather is milder. We'll be vulnerable to walkers, but we can find another shelter like this. There must be other hotels like this across the state. We can get away and make a clean start. I won't go without you all. But I think we should leave. Tomorrow. All those in favour..." He raised his hand. Harry held his breath.

T-Dog's hand was the first to go up, followed by Adele and Ben. Slowly, but surely, every hand around the table raised into the air. Rick nodded.

"We should try to be out by midday. Raid as much from the hotel as you can." He sat down. A quiet buzz of chatter grew around the table. It wasn't quite like the meals before, but it was infinitely better then the gloomy silence that had been the norm at recent meals. Harry wiggled around to look at Matthew, who was already looking at him around Daryl. He was smiling at his little brother, a look of relief on his face. Harry started to bolt down his food, so he could pack, ready to go. He didn't know where he would end up, but he knew he was surrounded by people who would do anything necessary to keep him safe.