Chapter 8
The sound of feet pounding on the forest floor broke the quiet that Clarke and Murphy had been sharing. Monty was still passed out between them.
“Calvary's coming.”
The corners of Clarke’s lips twitched upwards at the broody boy’s fake enthusiastic tone. She pushed herself to her feet and turned toward where she could hear the incoming group approaching. There was no doubt in her mind that it was their friends headed their way. Grounders could somehow move through the forest in complete silence.
“Clarke?!”
Bellamy’s voice reached her a few seconds before the boy appeared between the trees. He was breathing hard as he slowed to a stop in front of her. Dirt streaks stained his skin and there were leaves and twigs tangled in his shaggy brown hair from sprinting through the forest. Sam and Kyle appeared behind Bellamy. They were both panting as well after having made the trip twice in such a short time. Two more boys that Clarke recognized as Thomas and Charlie also joined the group. She didn’t know them personally. They generally joined the hunting parties with Bellamy.
“Clarke, what happened?”
Clarke turned her attention back to Bellamy. His eyes were wide and worried. He scanned her whole appearance as if checking to make sure she was really okay. The blood staining her hands and clothes probably wasn’t the most reassuring sight.
“Monty got a little banged up, but he’s gonna be okay.”
Murphy’s attempt to mask his laugh as a cough drew the older boy’s attention to him.
“You think something’s funny?”
Clarke sighed as Murphy smirked at Bellamy glaring at him. The two always seemed one wrong word away from a physical altercation.
“I do actually. Princess here basically performed surgery in the middle of the freaking woods in order to keep the plant-boy alive, and then the first explanation she gives is that he just got a little banged up. I find that funny.”
Bellamy was ready to fire back in an attempt to wipe the ever-present smirk from Murphy’s face, but it seemed like his actual words sunk in before he got the chance. His face dropped and he turned back to Clarke before finally looking down at Monty for the first time since arriving. His tone softened.
“What happened?”
“He got stung by something. There was some sort of venom or poison coating the stinger. His throat was closing up, I had to get him an airway. Once he was getting oxygen, I had to get the stinger out and drain the poison from his bloodstream before it reached his heart. He’s stable now. Just needs some stitches, water and lots of rest.”
Bellamy let out a shaky breath as Clarke spoke. Since the 100 had landed on the ground it had been a constant fight for survival. Finding food and water, staying warm with fires, creating a camp, and trying to not be killed by various locals. Danger was nothing new, but now they had deadly wildlife to worry about as well. Stinging, venomous wildlife. The eldest Blake was doing all he could to keep everyone safe, but it seemed like there was always something coming at them from all sides.
“Did you bring my medkit?”
Kyle stepped forward and held it out to the blonde. She smiled at him in thanks before dropping to the ground next to Monty. Sam joined Clarke by the boy’s side.
“I brought more moonshine too.”
He handed the bottle to Clarke. Murphy took his place at Monty’s head, ready to brace him should he wake up once Clake started working on him again. Bellamy remained standing, looking on helplessly but not sure what to do. Clarke glanced up at him, reading his posture and facial expression.
“Hey Bell, can you take Kyle, Thomas, and Charlie and put together some sort of stretcher? We’re gonna need to carry Monty back to camp once I get him patched up.”
“Sure thing, Princess.”
Clarke focused back on the task at hand. She opened up the medkit and pulled out everything she would need to stitch the cut she’d made in Monty’s leg and rebandage the incision in his neck.
“Sam, can you open the moonshine and dump it over my hands? Not all of it, but enough to coat them.”
The young boy did as asked. His hands didn’t shake and he seemed keen to help however he could. Clarke studied him. Perhaps she should consider taking him on as an apprentice of sorts. If not him, then someone else who was interested. The group should have someone besides her that they could depend on to patch up injuries.
“Alright, here’s the plan. I’m gonna start with his leg. I’ll unwrap the bandage, disinfect with moonshine, and then stitch him up. Murphy, you’re gonna need to hold his shoulders down. Sam, you’re gonna pin his lower half. The alcohol is gonna sting. A lot. And if he’s still conscious when I start stitching… well let's try to save a few gulps of the moonshine for him.”
Both boys nodded. Clarke had slipped into doctor mode seamlessly once more. Working in tandem, the best they could, the group got to work. Monty indeed woke up once Clarke started the disinfection process. Murphy shoved a spare bit of gauze in his mouth to muffle his screams. Once the stitches were in, Clarke rebandaged his leg and moved onto his neck. She couldn’t stitch the skin closed yet. The internal tear had to heal a bit before then. She stuck to cleaning around the edges and rebandaging with her better supplies. By the time she was done, Monty was fading once more. She managed to tip some water down his throat before he passed out again.
Bellamy and the others had successfully put together a makeshift stretcher while Clarke had been working. Unfortunately, it was a task that the group had mastered fairly quickly since arriving on the ground. Under Clarke’s watchful eyes the boys managed to gently move Monty onto it. The trip back to camp took twice as long as it normally would, but the group made it safely.
As soon as they were through the gate, Clarke found herself immediately engulfed by Raven. The brunette wrapped her arms around the blonde tightly and buried her face in her friend’s neck. Clarke could feel the slight tremor in the older girl’s body and knew she must have been losing her mind with worry the entire time the group was gone. She had no doubt that when Sam and Kyle raced in searching for medical supplies and help, Raven must have been infuriated that her ankle prevented her from coming back with them. Clarke returned the embrace, running her hand through tangled locks and providing reassurance that she was okay. The hug ended abruptly when Raven pulled back and shoved Clarke away.
“What the hell, Clarke? What happened? You’re covered in blood! Why are you covered in blood?”
Clarke fought to keep from smiling. It wasn’t so long ago when she was the one pushing Raven away and yelling at her for scaring her. She reached out and pulled the girl back into her arms, holding her in another hug and not letting go when Raven tried to break away.
“I’m alright, Reyes. Take it down a level. The blood’s not mine. Monty got stung by something and had a reaction. I had to go all doctor on his ass and save his life like the badass I am. It’s all good.”
Clarke felt the tension bleed out of Raven as her body shook with laughter at the blonde’s words. Humor was normally Raven’s preferred method of coping and Clarke had learned that throwing it back at the girl seemed to help calm her down. The trick had been working wonders when it came to keeping the headstrong brunette from overdoing it as her ankle still worked to heal.
The pair broke apart and Raven studied Clarke’s face for a long moment. Whatever she saw must have convinced her that her best friend really was okay because she broke out into a grin.
“Oh, so you’re the badass now? Pssh, I saw that stretcher the boys carried Monty in on. If I had been there maybe the poor boy wouldn’t have had to suffer through such an uncomfortable and bumpy ride.”
Clarke laughed as she pushed past the mechanic and headed towards the dropship where Monty had been taken to rest. Raven fell into step beside her.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice that you were running when you came over to attack me and freak out. You’re supposed to be staying off your leg as much as possible, Raven.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine. Doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
“Just because it isn’t throbbing and barely holding your weight anymore doesn’t mean it’s fine. And I know it still hurts because every night I still have to help you take your boot off. Go tend to the fire by our tent, Reyes. Sit your ass down and I’ll be over once I’m done checking on Monty.”
“Jeesh, you are so bossy. Tell Monty I said thank you for almost dying but not actually dying. Now you can focus on hovering and telling him what to do. It’ll be a nice break for me.”
“Yeah right. I give it 12 hours before you get so jealous that you get yourself hurt again just to win back my attention.”
“In your dreams, Princess!”
The two parted ways, both grinning like idiots. Clarke made her way into the dropship while Raven headed over to their tent. Despite the amount of sass she gave Clarke, the brunette did try to listen to her orders most of the time. Her ankle still tinged whenever she was up on it for too long even with the brace on and she knew it wasn’t even close to back to normal yet.
Inside the dropship, Clarke found Bellamy still with Monty. The boy was still on the makeshift stretcher.
“Hey Princess, I didn’t know where’d you want him or what would be best so I figured I’d wait to hear your orders.”
“Good call, Bell. We can’t put him in a hammock because we need to try to keep his head and neck flat. Let’s make up a bed with some blankets on the ground.”
“You got it, Doc.”
Clarke rolled her eyes as the older boy moved to gather up as many spare blankets as he could. Bellamy really was different these days. He wasn’t making so many rash decisions and he seemed to genuinely be trying to work with her. It was a pleasant change. Clarke was finding herself more and more grateful each day to have him by her side. She couldn’t serve as a leader to the camp alone and now that he seemed to be acting with a more level head, he was truly a great counterpart to her. She trusted him to take care of their people.
They worked together to create a somewhat comfortable bed for Monty. Bellamy rounded up some others to help him move the boy onto it once it was complete. Clarke managed to get the injured boy to drink some more water and take a few bites of a stew that had been prepared for the camp’s dinner. She checked him for a fever and made sure all his bandages were still secure. Satisfied that he was alright, she let him fall back asleep. Sam had joined them, promising to sit with him for the night and wake Clarke if anything happened.
Bellamy joined Clarke as she left the dropship. She had planned on just going back to her tent and Raven, but the older boy made a compelling argument.
“Come eat something, Clarke.”
“I’m really not that hungry.”
“That’s just the leftover adrenaline and exhaustion talking. You’ve had a long day and probably haven’t had more than the handful of berries I saw you eat before you left this morning. You need to eat, Princess.”
“Adrenaline and exhaustion, huh? I thought I was supposed to be the doctor.”
“What can I say, I’ve picked up a thing or two with you always bossing people around.”
“I do not boss!”
Bellamy laughed loudly at Clarke’s exclamation and accompanying facial expression.
“Whatever you say, Princess. Let’s just go eat something.”
Clarke mumbled under her breath, but allowed him to sling an arm over her shoulder and lead them towards the camp’s designated food area. Everyone took turns on ‘kitchen’ duty. Whatever food was gathered and hunted, that wasn’t being set aside for the winter, was prepared by the day’s kitchen duty group. Tonight there was the stew that Clarke had given to Monty and some strips of cooked meat. Bellamy handed Clarke a portion for each of them before grabbing two cups of moonshine and leading them to the makeshift tables the group had set up for eating at.
“Hey, I let you drag me over here for food. What makes you think that means I’m gonna sit with you and have a drink?”
“You’re sitting with me because we have important things to discuss with winter just about being here. And we’re drinking because you saved Monty’s life today and you deserve a proper toast for that. We can’t toast your heroicness with water.”
Clarke felt her cheeks turn slightly pink at his words.
“I’m not a hero. I’m just the one with some medical experience.”
“Sam filled me in on exactly what you did, Clarke. Sounded pretty heroic to me. Now stop arguing! Sit down and eat. This stew isn’t going to taste any better cold.”
Clarke rolled her eyes but sat down across from the older boy nonetheless. He waited, watching her swallow the first bite. A grin broke across his face at her moan.
“Told you you were hungry.”
Clarke stuck her tongue out at him but didn’t bother with a retort. Bellamy was right. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she actually ate. Now her stomach demanded more and she happily continued to shovel in the meal. Bellamy chuckled once more before digging into his own dinner. They ate in silence until they both had finished their stew.
“Alright, now that you’re not gonna die of starvation it’s time for a toast and then we can talk business while we struggle to chew this tough crap we’re calling meat.”
Bellamy lifted his cup up and stared Clarke down with a raised eyebrow until she did the same with a huff.
“To you, Princess. Our very own medical miracle worker. Monty wouldn’t be here resting comfortably if it weren’t for you. A lot of us wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t for you.”
Clarke bumped her cup with his. She knew that his words held a double meaning. If she hadn’t forced him to think logically and see the bigger picture, he would have left camp weeks ago to go after Octavia. She nodded, accepting his words, before taking a swallow of the drink. She immediately coughed at the burn in her throat which got another laugh out of the older boy. His lopsided smile was making more appearances lately, especially when he was around Clarke.
“Alright. So you’ve gotten me to eat and drink to myself, now what’s this important stuff we need to talk about?”
Bellamy’s smile faltered. He shifted his gaze to his plate, picking up his strip of meat and slowly tearing it into smaller pieces. Clarke slowly lowered her cup back to the table. Blue eyes narrowed as the demeanor of the boy across from her drastically changed.
“Bellamy…”
The older boy sighed heavily before looking back up at Clarke.
“Okay. Just promise you won’t be mad that I haven’t said anything until now. I mean, I know you’re gonna be a little mad, but just keep in mind that everything that happened with Monty definitely had to come first.”
“What happened?”
“Okay, so,” Bellamy took a deep breath, “I led another hunting party today, as you know. And we pushed out further than we have before because it’s getting harder and harder to find game. So we were up the river quite a ways.”
“Wait,” Clarke interrupted, “Is this why you were already back at camp when Sam and Kyle came for help? Because you don’t normally beat the gathering group back.”
“Yeah, we ended up coming back early. Still got three deer though, so no worries that we aren’t pulling our weight in the rush to stockpile for winter.”
Clarke rolled her eyes and nodded for Bellamy to get on with it.
“Anyways, we were in new territory. And we stumbled across what I can only describe as the sight of some sort of fight. There was blood staining the ground. A broken spear, like the ones the grounders use, and this.”
Bellamy reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a dart. The same type of dart that Raven had been hit in the leg with. Her eyes widened as she looked from the dart to the boy holding it.
“The masked attackers?”
“Looks like it. We fanned out and searched for tracks, but didn’t find anything. My best guess is the people who attacked us also got into it with some grounders. There was no way to tell whose blood was on the ground, but based on the broken spear and the fact that there were no bodies left behind, I think it’s safe to assume that the masked attackers took the grounders. Just like they took our people.”
“You’re sure there were no tracks? Do you remember exactly where you were when you found this? Could you get back there?”
“Slow down, Clarke.”
“No Bellamy! This is the first time since the attack that we’ve found anything that even proves that the masked attackers exist! We need to go back! I need to go back! Maybe you missed something. A track or trace or something, anything, that could lead us to wherever they took our people!”
Clarke’s voice was getting progressively louder and somewhere along the way she’d stood from her seat at the table without realizing it. Bellamy reached across and tugged on her jacket sleeve, pulling her back down onto her chair.
“Keep your voice down, Princess. I haven’t told anyone what we found. I instructed those in the hunting party to keep it to themselves for now. Until you and I could talk and figure out our next moves.”
Some of the tension drained from Clarke’s body. Her muscles loosened and she took a deep breath. She glanced around, but no one seemed to be paying them any mind. Looking back at Bellamy, she let out another breath and nodded.
“I knew you would want to go back there. I made sure to pay close attention to our route on the way back so I know the way. But Clarke, I don’t know that we should! And before you start yelling again just hear me out.”
Blue eyes narrowed and Bellamy raised his hands up in defense.
“Just think about it, Clarke! The grounders, from what we’ve experienced of them, know how to use their weapons. I talk a big game about wanting to defend ourselves, but we both know that if it came down to it they could probably wipe us out. And the masked attackers who got us, it looks like they got some of them too. Which means they’re even more dangerous, especially with this high-tech shit that can drop someone before they have the chance to fight back. If we stumbled upon someplace closer to wherever their territory is and we go back there, we could wind up being attacked all over again.”
Clarke turned away from the older boy’s imploring gaze. She studied the camp and its occupants as more fires were lit and the sky grew darker. Bellamy had raised a fair point and she knew that, but it wasn’t going to be enough to change her mind. There was a chance that some clue had been overlooked by the hunting party. Something that could tell them where their friends had been taken. And if there was a chance, then Clarke had to at least try. She hadn’t given up hope on getting her people back yet and she wasn’t about to start now.
Resolved, she turned back and met Bellamy’s eyes. The oldest Blake sighed and sat back in his seat. She didn’t need to say anything, he could already tell what her decision would be and nothing he could say was going to change her mind.
“I hear what you’re saying, but it’s worth the risk. We’re not safe anywhere. The people who attacked us here still know we’re here. The grounders know we’re here. We’re the only ones who have no clue where our highly aggressive neighbors live. And we owe it to our missing friends to at least try to find some trace of where they’ve been taken. And if that means going back to the scene of a fight between the masked people and the grounders, then that’s what it means.”
“I knew that would be your answer. I hoped I’d be able to change your mind, but I knew.”
Clarke smiled.
“For what it’s worth, it was a good effort. You used logic instead of emotion to make your argument. If this debate was about anything else, you might have actually stood a chance.”
“Gee, thanks Princess. Don’t think I won’t keep that in mind for our future disagreements.”
The pair laughed, breaking the last bit of tension that had crept in when Bellamy had started the conversation. Their laughter was cut short by an empty plate being dropped and clattering on the table between them. Both looked up to see Raven standing there.
The girl’s face was unreadable. Clarke immediately felt guilty. Since she’d left her friend to go check on Monty, quite some time had passed if the nearly dark sky was anything to go by. She had meant to get the injured boy situated and then join the mechanic back at their tent, but Bellamy had sidetracked her with food and then dropped the bomb about what had happened on his end of things today. Needless to say, she’d left her friend waiting for longer than she’d planned and if the mask of a facial expression was anything to go by, Raven wasn’t exactly pleased.
“Hey Rae, did you already eat?”
“Yeah, I did. And I gave the portion I’d grabbed for you to Sam, who’s sitting with Monty.”
Clarke winced. Raven’s voice was flat and clipped.
“Sorry I didn’t come find you sooner. Bell and I just had some stuff to talk over and he knew I hadn’t eaten since this morning so we figured we’d go over the stuff with some food.”
“Right. Stuff. Well I’ll leave you guys to it.”
Clarke looked at Bellamy with wide, pleading eyes as Raven turned and started to walk away. The older boy rolled his own before turning and raising his voice.
“Reyes, you can join us. Might as well stay for a drink and the details since I know Clarke will tell you everything anyways.”
The mechanic paused but didn’t turn around. Bellamy looked at Clarke who was staring at her friend’s back, but not moving. He sighed to himself, realizing that the blonde really was sometimes the dumbest smart person he knew. He reached across the table and nudged her causing her to break her gaze away from Raven. Once she was looking at him again he tilted his head towards the brunette and raised an eyebrow, waiting. It took Clarke only a moment to catch on.
“Bell is right, Raven. I was already planning on telling you so why don’t you turn that ass around, grab a cup of this disgusting drink and join us.”
As soon as Clarke extended the offer, Raven turned and made her way back to the table. Clarke let out a quiet sigh of relief and smiled her thanks at Bellamy. He just rolled his eyes once more and nodded, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward, returning her smile.
Once Raven sat down, Clarke pushed her own still full cup of moonshine towards her.
“You can have mine. That stuff is way too strong for me.”
Raven smirked before picking up the cup and downing it in one go. She barely even flinched. Clarke’s jaw dropped and Bellamy let a low whistle.
“Damn Reyes!”
“What can I say, I’m a girl of many talents.”
She followed up her statement with a wink at Clarke who still hadn’t managed to pick her jaw up off the ground. Bellamy laughed and reached across the table, using one finger under the blonde’s chin to gently force her mouth to close. Raven tensed slightly at the action and reached under the table to rest her hand on Clarke’s leg. The double whammy of physical contact seemed to shake the girl out of her daze and she grinned at her two friends.
“Alright so back to business. Raven, we’re gonna loop you in but please just make sure to keep everything we discuss to yourself. This isn’t something we’re ready to make general camp knowledge yet.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Bellamy leaned back in his seat, breaking contact with Clarke. Raven, however, left her hand resting on her friend’s leg. The blonde didn’t seem to mind so she wasn’t in any hurry to pull away.
“Bellamy, why don’t you fill Raven in on what you found today.”
The older boy nodded before turning to angle his body towards the brunette and recapping everything he had just told Clarke. Raven was more composed in her reaction to the news. Her brow furrowed as her mind took off, already trying to think ten steps ahead on what this would mean for the group. By the time Bellamy concluded, expressing his opinion that they should leave well enough alone, but that Clarke felt they should return as soon as possible to see if anything was missed, Raven was nodding.
“Well, Clarke is right. There’s a chance something was overlooked that could be the opportunity we’ve been waiting for that will help us get our friends back.”
Clarke’s hand suddenly gripped Raven’s under the table. She threaded their fingers together and squeezed, silently expressing her appreciation at the older girl backing her up. Raven had to work hard to control her facial expression and not react, but on the inside, she was grinning and fist-pumping like a fool. Bellamy may have gotten dinner with Clarke, but she was the one whose hand the blonde was now holding.
Bellamy rolled his eyes at the mechanic’s words. He didn’t bother arguing since he’d already conceded to Clarke’s decision on the matter. He wasn’t surprised that Raven was of the same opinion. Part of him did wonder if she was agreeing because she really thought that Clarke had a point or just to be on her side and not his. It didn’t matter either way, but he was curious. He’d been trying to get a read on the girl for almost a week now, but he wasn’t sure whether or not her feelings for Clarke were more friendly, even familial, or if there was something more going there. The only person that he had a harder time figuring out other than Raven was Clarke herself. And maybe Murphy.
“So we’ll go tomorrow then.”
Clarke’s eager exclamation shook Bellamy from his wandering thoughts. The light of the nearby flames dancing in her bright blue eyes and the excited smile on her face almost had him agreeing, but he forced himself to push logic to the forefront of his mind. It wasn’t always the most natural pattern of thinking for him, but he was working on it.
“Slow down there, Princess. I think we should at least wait a few days.”
Clarke’s face fell at his words. Raven just raised her eyebrows, inviting him to continue.
“Look, we don’t know exactly how many more days we’re going to have with weather that allows us to continue hunting and gathering. That needs to remain the priority. And I think if we’re gonna risk going back to an area of the forest we know holds a potential threat, that we should at least let some time pass between visits. Just to be on the safe side.”
“He makes some valid points.”
Clarke sighed. If Raven was agreeing with Bellamy then she knew she wouldn’t win. One of them on her side against the other she stood a chance on most things. Both of them against her though, those odds would never be in her favor.
“Fine. We’ll wait, but not too long. Can’t have you forgetting how to get there, Blake.”
“Hilarious, Princess.” Bellamy’s voice was flat but his lips curved upward.
“Sometimes the reality that we’re all being led by you two idiots is slightly terrifying.”
“Hey!”
Raven laughed at the look of indignation on Clarke’s face. The blonde huffed before rolling her eyes and matching her friend’s smile with one of her own.
“Well if we’ve moved on to the part of the night where Raven starts throwing around insults, I think I’ll take my leave. You two enjoy the rest of your evening and try not to get into any trouble.”
Bellamy stood up as he spoke. He threw back the remainder of his cup of moonshine with a grimace before giving each girl a nod.
“Goodnight Bell!”
“See ya, Blakey-boy.”
He rolled his eyes at Raven and gave Clarke one more of his smiles that seemed to be reserved specifically for her before turning and making his way towards his tent. Raven watched as Clarke tracked him with her gaze for a moment before her blue eyes snapped over to meet her own.
The two girls seemed to stare at each other for an unmeasurable span of time, not saying a word. The mechanic still had Clarke’s hand and she gave it a gentle squeeze. The corners of Clarke’s mouth twitched and she returned the pressure. Without speaking both girls stood. Raven reluctantly let their hands be pulled apart by the motion as they turned and collected the dishes from the table. After dropping them off in a tub filled with water, the pair made their way to their tent. As they passed the dropship Clarke slowed and studied the entry, but Raven reached over and looped her arm through the blonde’s.
“Sam is still with Monty. He’ll come find you if anything happens. Let the kid rest, you can check on him tomorrow.”
Clarke allowed Raven to pull her away. They made it to their tent and ducked inside. The events of the day seemed to finally have caught up with the young leader now that she’d eaten and had some time to process. An overwhelming level of exhaustion seemed to hit her out of nowhere, and Clarke collapsed gracelessly onto her bed with a groan.
“You really should at least take your boots off.”
Raven’s voice was filled with humor that was reflected in her face as she studied her friend’s now horizontal position. Clarke just buried her face further into her sleeping bag and mumbled something unintelligible, but clearly conveying that she had no intention of moving.
“Alright Princess, jeesh. If you wanted me to help you take your clothes off all you had to do was ask. No need for the dramatics.”
Clarke’s body shook with laughter. Raven stooped down and began to tug at the laces of the girl’s boots. Feeling the effort being made, the blonde let out another groan before rolling over enough to make the job slightly easier on her friend.
“What’d you get up to today?”
“Same old nothing. Sat around and rested my ankle. Helped with some of the preserving process for the shit you’ve been gathering for us.” Raven grinned in triumph as the first boot finally came loose. “It sucks hanging back while you get to go out and explore.”
“Miss me too much?”
“Pssh, no. Just sick of being trapped in these camp walls all the time.”
“Well, that’s too bad. I thought if you’d just been missing me that I’d be making your day when I told you I was gonna have someone else lead the gathering missions for the next few days. But I guess if my company isn’t wanted I’ll just-”
“You’re hanging around here tomorrow?” The excitement in Raven’s voice as she cut off Clarke brought a huge grin to the blonde’s face.
“Ha! I knew you missed me!”
“Yeah, yeah almost as much as you missed me. Is that why you’re not going out tomorrow? Suffering from withdrawal? I know my sheer brilliance and beauty can be addicting.”
“You’re a sheer pain in my ass. And no, as much as I’d love to pad your ego and give you credit as the reason, I am not going out tomorrow because I’m going to hold a class for anyone interested in learning some basic first aid.”
“Why?”
“Because it would be a good idea to have some people other than myself who are at least somewhat competent in simple medical practices. The ground has proved itself to be dangerous in many ways at any given time and there is no guarantee that I’ll always be around when someone gets hurt.”
“Makes sense, I suppose. You think anyone is actually gonna wanna attend this class of yours though?”
“Are you doubting my ability to attract others?”
“That question sounds like a trap,” Raven finally freed the other boot from Clarke’s foot and moved to sit on her own bed. “I just meant do you think anyone will be interested in wanting to learn that stuff? It’d be a shame if I was the only student in attendance.”
Clarke smiled at Raven’s nonchalance in stating that she would be there supporting her. She sat up from her cot, moving to the edge directly across from the brunette and patted her knee. Already knowing the drill, Raven lifted her injured leg to rest her foot in Clarke’s lap. Every night her friend helped the mechanic to remove the brace and her boot before checking the healing progress and guiding her through some light strengthening movements.
“I’m sure you’ll have company. Sam did really well today helping me with Monty and I think he’ll be eager to learn more. I also am planning on extending the invitation to Murphy.”
“Murphy? As in most likely to be a homicidal maniac Murphy?”
Clarke rolled her eyes.
“Be nice. He’s actually not all that bad. He helped even more than Sam today and I dunno… I just have a feeling about him. Underneath all that anger and sarcasm I think there’s a good guy. I can’t explain it, but after today I trust him.”
Raven stared at Clarke, eyebrows raised in disbelief. She seemed to wait a moment to see if this was actually some sort of joke. The genuine look on Clarke’s face was enough to back up her words. So Raven dropped the shocked expression in exchange for one of acceptance.
“Well alright then. We trust Murphy now. Gotta admit, today did not play out the way I thought it would.”
“We’re on the ground now!” Clarke grinned at Raven, “I doubt we will ever have a day again where things will go as we plan or imagine.”
“Touche’, Princess.”
“You really need a better nickname for me.”
“Oh do I now?” Raven gave Clarke a sly grin, “How about babe? No wait, sexypants! Hmm, nope. Oh! I got it! Future wifey!”
Clarke gently pushed Raven’s leg off her lap with a laugh and shake of her head. She laid back on her bed and turned to watch as her friend did the same. The mechanic reached over to flick off the lantern that had been glowing between them, casting them into a darkness only broken by the shadows of the flames dancing from the fires outside.
“Goodnight, Dork.”
“Goodnight, Princess.”