'I watched you bring Lincoln back from death, Clarke,' Nyko said, handing her a bottle of water, 'but there was no hope in this case. The Azgeda raiders did their work well.'
'He couldn't have been more than thirteen.' Clarke spat bitterly.
'That is our way.'
Clarke sat down heavily on the bed in the back room. She pulled the top off the bottle and drank it in one go, before handing the bottle back to Nyko gratefully. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve. One way for her and Nyko to get a damn break from the clinic was if all the patients were dead, she thought savagely.
'Why are you doing this?' Nyko asked, in his gruff voice.
'Why are you?' Clarke shot back, her voice flat.
The day Nyko had walked into the clinic and made himself at home had surprised Clarke more than anyone. She was grateful; Jasper wasn't fully trained and it helped to take the pressure off what they were trying to achieve but like most grounders, Nyko had initially treated her with distrust.
'My people will be passing through here more than most,' Nyko answered, 'I am their healer - it is my duty.'
Clarke remained expressionless as she took in his words. They were all supposed to be in this together and yet since the black rain they had all been more fragmented than ever. The Commander had lost her power, the borders had fallen apart but that was being exploited by looters, raiders and xenophobes. They were going to need more than one clinic, but it was a start.
'Now, your turn.'
Clarke regarded Nyko carefully before answering.
'I was their healer - now I'm going back to my duty.'
'You did your duty by saving us all.' Nyko replied, seeing through the defensive response.
Clarke scoffed.
'They still need saving.' Clarke pointed out. 'They need a clinic more than war, maybe they always did.'
'Then why here?' Nyko asked carefully. 'Why not work alongside Abby?'
Clarke looked away briefly, trying not to think of Arkadia.
'I spent more of my time alone in the woods than at Arkadia.' Clarke answered. 'I spent more of my time around Trikru people.'
'So you think that makes you one of us?' Nyko challenged softly.
'No,' Clarke responded, 'but I don't just want to be one of them.'
Nyko nodded, although Clarke thought she saw a momentary glimpse of pride in his eyes at the answer. It had been a huge task for Nyko to trust predominantly Trikru lives in Clarke's hands. Clarke half wondered if he had joined the clinic simply to watch over her - it would have been a fair tactic when she was known as the 'Commander of Death', although Nyko had actually never uttered the title.
'And what of the Commander?' Nyko asked, but Clarke smiled wryly.
'I'm not telling you where she is.'
Everyone had wanted to know her whereabouts. The ousting of the Commander had been a source of jubilance for her enemies but fear for everyone else. The Ice King wanted Lexa's head; it was the only way to claim any authority and every raider in Trikru land posed a threat. Clarke would trust no one with any knowledge at all of Lexa.
'I meant of you leading with her.' Nyko clarified.
'She doesn't need me.' Clarke answered.
'She wants you.'
Clarke blinked rapidly, feeling a twisted smile quirk her lips.
'That's her mistake.'
'Clarke, what happened in the City of Light?' Nyko asked, concerned.
Clarke released a sad chuckle. Nyko had made so many different choices to her. He was clearly strong and understood the ways of this life and yet he had chosen to heal. Clarke had medical training and yet she had chosen to kill.
'I killed my father,' Clarke answered, meeting his gaze but Nyko didn't flinch, 'that's what I faced in the City of Light. I murdered my father to save us all.'
'Your father was already dead.' Nyko replied sadly. 'The dead cannot be taken twice, Clarke. Is this why you do not wish to lead your people?'
Clarke looked wearily at Nyko.
'I'll go back when they need me; I always do.'
She would never completely abandon her people; her time in the woods had taught her that would be an impossibility. There was always something or someone willing to drag her back and she knew that if they needed her, she would go running for them.
'At least you trained your leaders.' Clarke said, although she wasn't sure it was really a better system after everything Lexa had told her but it was effective; Lexa was the greatest leader anyone could ask for, while Clarke felt on the edge of failure with every new problem.
'Lexa was always quiet but focused. She wanted to be ready even when she was not.' Nyko replied.
'You knew her then?' Clarke asked, curious and Nyko nodded.
It was hard to imagine Lexa before she became Heda. Lexa's duty to her people seemed inextricable to her soul.
'She is Trikru. Who do you think gave her those tattoos?'
Clarke looked at Nyko, stunned.
'I thought Titus had,' she said, shocked, and to Clarke's amazement Nyko laughed loudly.
'I did his.' Nyko said. 'I'm the healer, I'm responsible. That fool couldn't have taken care of anyone.'
Clarke hummed in agreement at this. If there had been one good thing to come out of the mess at Polis, it was that Titus would never inflict his horrendous teachings on anyone else.
Nyko watched Clarke closely as silence fell upon them. He was waiting for her to break it but she wished Lexa had never been mentioned. She shouldn't have stopped working and sat down. Every day there was worry, and every day she wanted to disappear inside the secondary Flame. Clarke closed her eyes briefly but Lexa, was not there. Whatever she was doing must have demanded her whole attention.
'Do mine,' Clarke demanded, opening her eyes.
Nyko looked at her perplexed.
'You want me to unite the clans then make me. Mark me as both Skaikru and Trikru.' Clarke clarified.
Nyko's expression hardened.
'I am not yours for hire.'
'I'm not hiring you.' Clarke smirked. 'You're going to do it because you don't want me to be one of them. You want us to work together. You want me to be on your side too: the great Wanheda.'
Nyko swallowed and clenched his fists.
'I will never use that name.' Nyko said. 'They revere evil in that name.'
'People aren't evil, Nyko.' Clarke said, remembering words Jasper had told her Nyko had uttered to convince Lincoln that Mount Weather could be used for medical supplies. 'Neither are names. Why did you choose this place, Nyko?'
Nyko shot her a quizzical look.
'Why didn't you want to work my mother? Because I was here.' Clarke declared, with a smile.
Nyko's lips twitched upwards.
'You are more confident than you pretend.'
'I know when someone wants a leader to follow.' Clarke said. 'You came here looking for that. You wanted to heal but you wanted to follow me - not my mother and not Kane. You don't trust their loyalty to Trikru like you trust mine.'
'You are bound by Lexa.'
'I chose Lexa, and I chose that Trikru lives were equal to my people's.' Clarke responded. 'I'm bound by nothing.'
'Where?' Nyko asked, abrupt.
'What?' Clarke asked, baffled.
'Where do you want your tattoo?'
Clarke smirked. She stood up, turned around slowly and peeled off her shirt.
'Wait a moment.'
Clarke nodded at Nyko. She heard drawers been opened and knew he was readying his equipment. It was several minutes before he spoke again.
'Lie face down on the bed.'
Clarke did as he commanded and she unhooked her bra strap as she lay down. The bed creaked slightly under her weight and she felt her hair fall over her shoulders.
'This will hurt, Clarke.' Nyko said.
'I know,' Clarke replied.
'You don't wish to know the design?' Nyko asked.
Clarke smiled to herself, the thin blanket of the bed scratching her face slightly.
'Lexa trusted you so I will too.'
Nyko grunted slightly.
'Then I will begin.'
