Phone Call
Song : Skin and Bones by Stu Larson
Tuesday 12 a.m., and Octavia and Bellamy were very worried, waiting for the others to come back from work. They had decided to have lunch with the others today, to see if any of them had news about Clarke and Ayden. John Murphy and Emori were there first. Bellamy nodded at Murphy when he came into his apartment, trying not to start a fight and act like civilized people.
Murphy never had been close to the rest of them, but he and the others had had a big argument, few years ago; John had been wrongly accused of killing Wells in the shooting where he had died. Murphy didn’t have anything to do with killing Clarke’s best friend, but everyone had believed it, and Bellamy had nearly executed Murphy, until Charlotte confessed she had done it. After that incident, Charlotte killed herself two days after by jumping out of the window.
Charlotte had been the youngest of their group, and had followed them after high school because she felt like she didn’t fit in the society, like all of them. She confessed she couldn’t live because of who Wells’ father was.
Thelonius Jaha was a former police captain, and during his time, he had killed a lot of people, always pretending self-defense. Charlotte’s fathers were two of his victims. Her death affected the group a lot, making them feel guilty for not noticing Charlotte’s condition. Bellamy tried to blame Murphy for pushing Charlotte to commit suicide, and Clarke couldn’t stop blaming herself.
After that incident, Murphy had had a rough time forgiving the others for believing he was guilty, but then, they all crashed, and he made himself useful, following Clarke’s and Bellamy’s orders, trying to save her new girlfriend, Emori. Now, he was beginning to get along again with the others. He was even worried about Clarke. Even if he wasn’t her greatest fan, he was thankful for all of the things she had done for them, sometimes at the price of her own well-being.
Monty and Harper were the next ones coming into the apartment. Bellamy always found it funny how those two took such a long time to get together; Monty used to be always stuck with his best friend Jasper, after all. But then Jasper fell in love with Maya, and Monty got closer to Harper, ending dating. She was smart, Harper, and fearless too; she never hesitated to brave the danger to save someone or help the boys getting out of troubles.
When he thought about it more, Bellamy could say the girls in the group were all brave and strong. They didn’t get the chance to be one of those cliché girls, spending all of their time and money on shopping, having girls’ night and sleepovers every Saturdays to talk about boys. Nah, Octavia, Clarke, Raven and Harper had learned everything about life in the hardest way possible. But they had never given up, and were always fighting back.
Raven entered the tiny living-room and hugged Octavia, smiling at Bellamy. Few minutes later, everyone was there, and they started eating. Unfortunately none of them had heard from Clarke, and they spent dinner worrying. The doorbell rang, Octavia got up to open the door to Lincoln, her boyfriend.
“God Lincoln, why is there cuts on your forehead? Did you get into a fight?” Octavia asked, taking a look at the cuts which were almost cicatrized.
“Nah, I just had a little car accident last Saturday. Some jerk bumped into me, but I’m fine, it’s superficial.”
Octavia frowned, not happy with his answer but let him sit without asking more questions.
“That’s what happen when you don’t see me for three days”, Octavia said, snapping gently his head.
Lincoln rubbed his head, pretending her girlfriend had hurt him. No one believed him, naturally. After all, Lincoln was the strongest man in the group, seconded by Bellamy. Jasper and Monty were geeks so, no muscles, and John Murphy well, nobody really knew if he was able to fight back or not.
Lincoln wasn’t really a member of their group in the way that he hadn’t gone to school with them, he hadn’t been on the plane when it crashed, he wasn’t sharing that part of their past.
But Lincoln had helped them a lot, when they first came to live in Arcadia. The building was around a lot of drugs dealers’ hiding places, and the crime rate had been at its top when they all had moved in. Lincoln saved them a couple of time. He gained their trust while he was slowly but surely falling in love with one of the girls, Octavia. The others had first a lot of suspicions about him and his intentions, because they didn’t trust him. But one day, as Octavia was walking home alone, a group of guys had begun to prey on her, and if it wasn’t for Lincoln’ intervention, Octavia would have probably be reaped a couple of times and left to die. That day, Lincoln became one of them, by protecting her. That day, Octavia gave her entire trust to Lincoln, and even more.
“So Lincoln, I heard you were going to work as a private driver for Coalition Corp?” Jasper asked, serving the food.
“Yeah”, Lincoln sighed, “I’m not so sure about that now. Their CEO was in my car when this guy bumped into me, but...”
“What? Don’t tell me you killed the beautiful Lexa Sexy Woods Lincoln. I’m gonna be really mad at you”, said Raven.
“I didn’t kill her, alright? Let me finish the story!” said Lincoln, raising a brow at Raven.
“Fine”, the girl huffed.
“So she didn’t seem to like me, but yesterday she was back in my cab again, and we actually talk a little, like we were some kind of friends, so maybe hope isn’t completely lost after all”.
Octavia put an arm around his shoulders.
“That’s cool to hear. Maybe she’ll see your CV and remember you”.
Lincoln nodded, and asked the group the question they were all trying to forget; if they had news from Clarke and little Ayden. No one had heard anything. Like the rest of them, he spent his evening worrying.
Lexa walked out her office to go to her meeting room. Today, some commercials were coming to discuss the profits the companies, and see where progress was needed.
On the elevator, her phone began to ring into her pocket. Lexa first ignored it, thinking it was probably Titus telling she was late, wanting to remind her that she had a meeting. Lexa wasn’t that type of person, she never forgot a meeting; her head was like a virtual agenda.
Lexa frowned when her phone rang for the third time. Titus would already have stopped calling her after the first two times. She took her phone from her pocket, her professional one. Nothing on the screen. She frowned even more, and took out her personal one. Three missed calls, from an unknown number. Who could it be? A very few people had her personal number, and they were all registered. She didn’t have time to think about it more though, because the phone started to ring for the fourth time in the past five minutes. She got out of the elevator, and answered it.
“Hello? “
“Yexa?” someone said with a tiny voice.
Lexa’s eyes widened at the recognition of the voice.
“Ayden?”
“Yeah it’s me! Do you remember me?”
Lexa was taken aback by the little voice. Ayden was calling her. The little boy and his homeless mother were calling her. And they had done so four times. She was starting to feel like something was wrong.
“Yeah, of course I remember you Ayden. Are you ok?”
“I don’t know, hum, I’m just cold, but Mommy, she... Mommy is...”
He began to sniff, and Lexa was suddenly very worried, eager to get out of that elevator.
“Ayden, breathe. What’s going on?”
“It’s mommy, she doesn’t want to wake up”, he sniffed a little more.
Lexa was hearing his stressed voice, and she could swear he was trying to be brave and not to cry.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to get up now?” Lexa said, trying to calm the little boy.
“No, you don’t understand”, he said with a teary voice, “she doesn’t move much, and her lips are blue. She coughs a lot, I think Mommy is very sick Yexa, what do I do?“
His voice broke, and Lexa didn’t have troubles believing him; the next time she had seen Clarke, the girl was already looking sick. But right now, she had to do something; there were a five year old kid alone in the streets with his sick mother who wasn’t going to be better if she wasn’t going to do anything about it.
“Ok”, said Lexa, rushing out of the corridor to get her coat in her office, ready to go get them. “Where are you Ayden?”
“I don’t know...”
He was crying harder now, and Lexa was trying her best to keep him from panicking.
“Ayden, listen to me. You did well by calling me. Now, I’m gonna come and get the two of you, alright?”
She heard Ayden nod in the phone.
“Can you describe me where you are? What can you see around you?”
Lexa knew well the city, because when she was younger she used to walk on the streets for hours, and right now she was hoping it would help her to find the Clarke and Ayden.
“Yes. Hum, there are a lot of trees and a fountain just next to us”, he began.
“A fountain? How is it?”
Meanwhile Ayden was trying his best to describe his surroundings, Lexa sent a text to Gustus, telling him to wait for her outside.
“There is a statue on top of it, it’s a guy and a sword.”
The commander’s statue, Lexa thought.
“Ok Ayden I know where you are, stay calm, alright? I’m coming.”
“Please be quick, Mommy needs you Yexa.” He was now begging, and Lexa could hear his broken voice.
“Stay on the phone with me, I’m going to be here soon.”
“Okay.”
Lexa almost jumped into Gustus’ car, telling him where she wanted to go. If he was surprised about her destination, he didn’t say a word. During the trip, Lexa stayed on the phone with Ayden, telling him how far she was to him, and promising him she was on her way.
Ten minutes later, Lexa was back in the park next to her loft where she saw the blonde and her son for the first time. She took no time to find them; Ayden was curved in a ball, crying next to her mother. Lexa gasped when she saw her; her skin was nearly as pale as the snow.
“Yexa!” Said Ayden, getting on his feet, tear streams down his face.
“Hello Ayden, don’t cry, I’m here now.”
She sat next to the woman, trying to get her to open her eyes. Lexa shivered when she touched the girl; she was cold as hell.
“Clarke? It’s Lexa. Can you hear me? Open your eyes.”
Clarke moved slightly, trying to speak.
“Ayden...” she whispered, just loud enough for only Lexa to hear.
“He is ok”, Lexa said, “He is right here”.
“I told him not to call you”, she murmured, having a hard time keeping her eyes open, “I don’t want us to bother you...”
“Clarke. You’re not well, let me do something”, Lexa almost begged. She put both her arms on Clarke’s face to warm her a little with her touch.
Clarke looked away. She wanted to say no, she didn’t want this woman’s charity, but she was so cold, God how cold she was, and Lexa’s hands on her cheeks were so warm...
“Clarke, please. For Ayden”, Lexa gently insisted.
A single tear rolled onto Clarke’s cheeks, and she weakly nodded. She knew she had to let someone help them. Ayden couldn’t stay on the streets while she couldn’t look after him.
“Good”, approved Lexa, “I’m going to take you to the hospital”.
Clarke’s eyes suddenly widened and she reached for Lexa’s arm. Her mother was working there. All of her formers co-workers were working there.
“No Lexa please, no hospital”, she implored, whispering. “No hospital”. She coughed a lot, having troubles finishing her sentence.
Lexa raised a brow, surprised by Clarke’s behaviour, and put a hand in her back to help her get rid of the cough.
“Ok, no hospital. But I’m going to take both of you at my place.”
Clarke sighed, but she didn’t protest when Lexa put her arms around her to help her up, supporting most of her weight.
The brunette was glad Gustus had followed her when she jumped off of his car without being asked to, she gave him her keys and told him to grab the bags around Clarke and carry them into her loft. Ayden was still sniffing, and Clarke had difficulties to stay awake.
Once in the apartment, Lexa thanked Gustus and asked him to call Anya for her before sending him away, while she was laying Clarke on her couch. Ayden was staying close to her, not leaving Lexa’s side. Lexa took off Clarke’s coat from her, because it was completely soaked. I don’t know how she is still alive, thought Lexa. Clarke unconsciously leaned on Lexa, half-sleeping. Lexa began to rub her hands up and down Clarke’s cold arms, under Ayden’s worried eyes.
“Mommy, you’re ok?” the little boy asked, tears in his eyes when he didn’t hear her mother’s answer.
Lexa grabbed a blanket from under the couch and wrapped Clarke into it, until Anya was there to help her. She noticed Ayden’s lips shaking, and was quick to reassure him. The last thing she wanted was to see him cry.
“She is very tired Ayden, that is why she doesn’t answer to you. She’ll be better in a few hours, okay?”
The boy nodded, believing Lexa’s words.
A few minutes later, Anya was making her way into Lexa’s flat.
“Lexa what the...” she stopped herself seeing the little boy.
Lexa didn’t even look at her cousin, and kept rubbing Clarke’s arms with both of her hands.
“Who is she?” Asked Anya, completely confused by the situation.
There was a woman and her child in Lexa’s loft. Since Costia, she hadn’t brought someone here again, and it was almost a year. Who the fuck were they? The older girl noticed how the blonde looked sick, and understood it was probably the reason why she was laying on Lexa’s couch.
“It’s Clarke, Ayden’s mother. I’ll explain later,” Lexa responded, “Could you make lunch for Ayden please? “
Anya raised a brow at her cousin.
“Ayden, go with Anya while I help your mother feeling better, okay?”
Lexa was focused on Clarke, so she didn’t see the sad look on Ayden’s face, and the fear he was feeling to be ordered to go with a stranger. But he knew Lexa would help her mommy, so he didn’t protest.
Anya sighed, and told Ayden to follow her into the kitchen.