Chapter 8
Bellamy winced.
Jackson looked up at Bellamy’s face, pinched in pain. “I’ve never known you to complain,” he said sarcastically as he continued to stitch Bellamy’s stab wound. “Should’ve let me numb your leg. I told you this would hurt.”
“I’m fine,” Bellamy grumbled. He relaxed his face. “I’ve had worse.” No one disagreed with him on that. Those who came down on the dropship had to deal with some pretty serious injuries. And they didn’t have medicine to help with the pain. But even now Bellamy still refused “unnecessary” meds, insisting they should be saved for someone who really needed them.
Clarke stood in the back of the room. Once they had gotten to the medbay she helped Bellamy to the examination table and refused to be looked at. Now she was just counting the seconds until her mother barged into the room. Kane had disappeared somewhere along the way to the medbay, no doubt to go find Abby and tell her what happened.
“Okay, you should be good now. Come back in two days so I can get another look at it, make sure it’s not getting infected. Try to stay off of it as much as you can, let it heal properly.”
“Okay, two days,” Bellamy agreed. Clarke took her attention off the doorway and looked at Bellamy. I’ve never seen him actually listen to medical instructions so easily, she thought. It usually took telling him he would lose a freaking limb if he pushed himself too much. Or that he could pass out in a very crucial moment and endanger whoever’s with him. He’s never just… listened.
Before she could think more about it two figures appeared in the doorway.
Mom.
Abby stood there, staring at her daughter. She looked calm and relieved and prepared… Prepared for what, Clarke couldn’t tell. But Bellamy could. He understood why, too. Abby was prepared for Clarke to brush her off and to push her away. Kane must have told her how she’s been acting.
“I’ve just finished stitching up Bellamy’s leg. The gash was pretty deep but it seems Clarke did her best cleaning it out before they got here,” Jackson informed Abby, breaking the silence.
Abby looked over at Jackson, thanking him, before looking back at her daughter and Jackson left the room. Clarke stood still as a statue. Abby took a few steps into the room towards the table Bellamy was sitting on.
“I was told you had a wound, too, Clarke. On your shoulder,” she said, indicating towards her own shoulder. “Can I have a look?”
Clarke took in the sight of her mother. She hadn’t seen her in three months. She was trying hard to keep the casual expression on her face. If she cracked and burst into tears they would never let her leave.
“It’s been cleaned and bandaged already,” she said as steadily as she could.
“So I’ve heard. I’d still like a look.”
Clarke hesitated so Abby turned to Bellamy. “How about you go find Octavia, yeah? Let her know you’re okay.”
Bellamy nodded, refusing the help Kane offered him before making his way towards the door. Clarke sat on the vacated table.
“Wait,” Abby stopped them. “Bellamy what are you doing? Here.” She crossed the room and grabbed the crutch someone had leaned against the wall. She walked back over to the doorway where he was waiting and said something that was almost too low for Clarke to hear. Almost. “And why don’t you find Gina while you’re at it? I’m sure she’s worried about you.”
Bellamy nodded and left the room. Kane gave Abby a look before she shooed him off as well.
“Okay,” Abby said as she shut the door. “Let’s see it.”
Clarke took off her shirt and one bra strap so Abby could take off the makeshift bandage Niylah had put on the wound. She stayed quiet as she heard Abby’s small intake of breath when she saw the claw marks on the back of her shoulder. Abby stared at it for a few moments more before asking Clarke where she got them.
“It was nothing,” Clarke said. “I was hunting. The panther got one good swipe in before I put it down.”
Abby was glad she was standing behind Clarke. She couldn’t keep the flash of fear from crossing her face. A panther. She’s out there by herself going up against panthers. Who knows what else she’s had to face…
“A panther,” Abby repeated, her voice shaking. “And you--” she swallowed the lump in her throat. “You bandaged yourself up?”
Clarke didn’t know how to bring up Niylah. She didn’t know if she should. Niylah was the only person she frequently saw in the last three months, and even then they weren’t friends. Especially not after what happened two nights ago, after she bandaged her up and then left while Niylah was still sleeping.
“Not really,” is all she said. Abby didn’t want to push Clarke but she wanted to know what she had gone through all by herself in the woods. She was stuck between grilling Clarke on everything that had happened and letting Clarke tell her in her own time.
“Well, it doesn’t look like it’s infected. I’m just going to clean it again and rebandage it just in case.”
Abby took long cleaning the wound. It was like she thought that the longer she took to clean it the more Clarke would let herself relax. If anything it was doing the opposite. Abby couldn’t see it but Clarke was getting restless. This was her mother and she had all her walls up against her. Even if she wanted to open up to her, just a little bit, she didn’t know how to. And here she was, stuck in a room with her, not knowing what to say. The silence was deafening.
“Okay, you’re all good,” Abby announced once she finished her work. Clarke pulled her shirt back on and they both stood there awkwardly.
“You must be hungry. I’ll walk you to the mess hall, we’ll grab you something to eat. And maybe you could tell me more about the panther.” Abby threw in the last part in the hopes that Clarke would open up and tell her everything. She was already thinking of ways to make her stay.
Clarke stayed where she was before Abby stopped in the doorway and looked back at her. “Clarke?”
Clarke rolled her shoulders and took a step forward. “Yeah, food.” She didn’t want to encourage her mother on asking her questions. She already saw the hurt behind Abby’s eyes. She didn’t want to cause anymore pain by telling her about her time away. Besides, she wasn’t staying anyways. Telling Abby everything would only cause her to worry even more than she already did. Clarke couldn’t wait until she could just hole up in a room later by herself and rest.
This is going to be a long day.