Chapter 14
“Hurry get him in the tent” Miller yells. “Get him in the tent.”
“Move,” Bellamy demands.
“Nobody else comes inside,” Clarke requests. The tent is already too full with herself, her patient Obika, Miller, Octavia, Bellamy, Cooper, Indra, and Lexa. The tent is full of rising tension between Lexa and Octavia, but Clarke does her best to not let it distract her. “Help me get his jacket off.”
“Clarke what is this?” Indra asks.
“I don’t know,” Clarke answers with rising frustration. “Miller, you need to tell me exactly what happened.”
“Nothing happened.” Miller says. “We stopped to eat, and then we separated again and the next thing I knew he was screaming.”
“Your rations, show me.” Clarke commands.
“Nothing is wrong with our rations,” Cooper informs her.
“He was eating when it happened,” Clarke points out.
“Cooper’s right, if it was the rations, Miller would have it to.” Octavia responds. “We share everything.”
“Well it got in him somehow.” Clarke argues.
“Wait,” Bellamy speaks up. He moves his bloody hand off Obika’s leg, revealing a small round wound. “Look.”
“It came from the sand.” Clarke quickly realizes. She knew that sand. It could cut like glass. “We have to go back.”
“No,” Octavia responds.
“Octavia, he told Miller that they were everywhere.” Clarke argues.
“Yes, but everywhere could mean everywhere inside him,” Octavia points out.
“I agree with Clarke, we need to return to the bunker.” Lexa includes her input.
“Of course you agree with Clarke,” Octavia rolls her eyes. “Or is it just that you don’t agree with me?”
“We really don’t have time for this,” Clarke reminds them.
“I understand, stabilize him and we go.” Lexa orders. Clarke nods.
“No, we listen to Blodreina,” Cooper speaks up.
“We need to continue forward,” Octavia insists.
“Into the sand? Octavia, I know this sand. It will shred us all.” Clarke reasons. “And anyway, I’m not sending my five year old out there.” Clarke shakes her head. “We’re wasting time. Everyone out. I need to get whatever is in him out, and I can’t risk it infecting anyone else.” Indra and Cooper leave, after receiving a nod from Octavia, but the rest stay.
“Clarke,” Octavia starts.
“What, O? You really want to bring Madi through that?” Clarke asks, pointing to the sand storm. “I know you want to pretend you don’t care about anyone or anything, but I see how you look at her. It’s how Bellamy looks at you. You wouldn’t put her at risk.” Octavia’s eyes shift between the hard, uncaring Blodreina, and Octavia, the girl who would do anything for her family.
“We return in the morning.” Octavia declares, walking out with Bellamy and Miller on her heels.
“That was hot,” Lexa smirks.
“Lexa!” Clarke says in surprise.
“It’s something they taught me on the Ring.” She explains with a shrug. Clarke rolls her eyes, and continues her work.
“We can’t do this right now, I’m working," Clarke says, smirking. “Don’t your people need you?” She reminds her.
“Yes, but I like watching you work.” Lexa sighs, “I should go, Octavia is probably plotting against me as we speak.” Lexa agrees. As she walks out of the tent, Clarke speaks up.
“Can you check on Madi? In between fighting with Octavia, of course.” Lexa gives her a sharp nod.
An hour later, Obika is ready to be transported. Clarke was able to remove the entire parasite, with minimal complications. She is secretly impressed with herself, it has been a while since she’s performed any type of surgery. The closest she came to in the past six years was removing splinters from Madi’s hands and feet, but she wouldn’t call that practice. Her skills are rusty, but she still managed to pull it off.
The entire group has left their campsite and marches home. Clarke was busy setting Obika up on planks of wood and helping his transporters, that she didn’t catch up with Madi until they were already a couple of miles into their journey. She searches the group to try to find Harper and Madi.
“Excuse me,” Clarke says, pushing people out of the way. Finally she sees Harper carrying little Madi, who is passed out on her shoulder. Clarke makes a beeline over to them. “Hey, Harper.” Harper looks at her the best she can with Madi’s head in the way.
“Hey Clarke,” She responds with a small smile. She’s tired, Clarke observes. Madi can do that easily, tiring people out. Clarke is always reminding her that not everyone has the energy of a five year old, which makes Madi laugh and get more hyper.
“Do you want me to take Madi?” Clarke asks, already reaching out. Madi’s little, skinny and petite, but she is getting heavier everyday. Harper’s arms must be ready to give out, carrying her for an hour.
“Please,” Harper laughs. Clarke reaches in and grabs Madi by her armpits and brings her close to her chest. Madi stirs a little bit, but turns her head and goes back to sleep.
“Thank you so much for everything you’ve been doing. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.” Clarke sincerely tells her.
“It’s really no problem, Clarke. I love Madi, she’s so sweet. She started calling me Auntie Harper.” Harper responds. Clarke smiles. Clarke’s friends quickly became family, so it makes sense that Harper would be Madi’s aunt. Clarke has only ever called Octavia Madi’s aunt, explaining that since Octavia and her dad are siblings, O is her aunt. Clarke finds it so sweet that Madi loves her friends so much that she also considers them family.
“She’s a sweet girl,” Clarke says, beaming. She is so proud of how Madi has handled all of these big changes. She has stayed her sweet, funny, smart self. “It feels so weird to leave her with anyone. I obviously love and trust you one hundred percent with her, but we have spent 24/7 together for the past five and half years, and I don’t know it’s just weird.” Clarke admits.
“That makes sense.” Harper validates. “You know it’s not just me that is willing to help? I mean obviously Bellamy, and even Monty loves being around Madi. I never thought that he was really the kid type, but I guess we just haven’t really talked about it.” Clarke grins into Madi’s shoulder. She would love for Madi to be around other kids, especially cousin-type kids. Clarke secretly hopes maybe they’ll have a baby next. “Even Lexa has a sweet spot for Madi. What’s going on with you two anyway?” Clarke sighs. What is going on with them?
“I don’t know.” Clarke confesses. “I don’t even know if there is anything that can happen, you know with everything going on with the prisoners and the valley. And then there’s Octavia. They’re going to kill each other.” Clarke sighs again. “I don’t know.”
“Well, yeah that is all understandable, but didn’t your relationship start while our peoples were fighting? There was the Azgeda threat, back when they were calling you Wanheda.” Harper reminds her. “There will always be some war or threat happening, I mean it seems like there’s always something with us. It doesn't mean you have to stop living.” Clarke listens carefully. She’s right, of course.
“But at that time we didn’t have this one,” Clarke says, resting her head on Madi’s. “I just don’t want to do anything to hurt her.”
“What are you talking about?” Harper laughs. “She loves Lexa. She kept asking me to tell her Heda stories. I think Madi would be thrilled with Lexa as like, what her step mom?” Harper laughs again. Clarke blushes at the thought. It’s not like she hasn’t imagined what their life might be like with Lexa.
“I guess we’ll just have to see,” Clarke responds, neutrally. Maybe she should be having this conversation with Lexa. “We’ll have to see if she and Octavia haven’t killed each other before morning, and then maybe we’ll have to talk.” It’s the best she can give for now. She doesn’t even know if Lexa wants something serious. She’s the commander, she could have anyone, Clarke thinks, she shouldn’t have to settle.