Chapter 8
Clarke stretched her sore ankle with a hiss, she supposed its constant use would hinder her healing, but she couldn’t exactly avoid using her foot when her survival, and that of everyone around her, relied on her.
That morning, before dawn, Lexa had risen the survivors to begin preparation for their move. She had everyone gathering materials that they could use, salvaging the last of the luggage strewn across the beach and ripping apart the fuselage for supplies. Bellamy, Miller, and Jasper gathered the bodies of the dead, piling them up to be burned. No one had the energy to dig and the bodies would be washed up later by the tides anyway.
Monty had approached Lexa with an ingenious plan for transport of heavy materials and the injured survivors. They would drag them along on a makeshift raft in the water, which meant Aden and the passengers that were too hurt or too weak to lift spent the day lashing cushion flotation devices together to make massive rafts. Poor Aden struggled the most though, his arm had been fractured in the crash, and the makeshift splint Clarke had thrown together for him got in the way more than anything else.
Clarke wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm. Lexa was assisting Monty in tearing apart the plane to reach the wiring and cables inside. She was drenched in sweat, and Clarke genuinely struggled not to drool. Lexa was hot. In more ways than one. But with the way her muscles rippled and the sweat dripped down her throat, Clarke couldn’t focus.
Clarke nearly choked on her own saliva when Lexa hopped down from the fuselage and removed her soaked jersey from her body, revealing carefully chiseled muscles and fuck were those tattoos?
Suddenly, Clarke’s mouth was dry, and not because of the beating sun or the never ending store of sand beneath her tongue. She was way too distracted by the tattoo running down Lexa’s spine, the tattoo that wrapped around her bicep, the tattoo on the back of her neck.
Clarke wrenched her eyes away before Lexa could turn and catch her staring. She hoped that she was too sunburnt to reveal the blush she was almost certainly sporting. Of course, her eyes then landed on Murphy, who made direct eye contact with her and smirked. He raised two fingers to his lips and flicked his tongue out between them, an eyebrow cocked, before cackling and turning back to whatever it was he was doing with a large plate of metal from the outside of the plane. One of Lexa’s teammates stood next to him, she threw her own smirk at Clarke before she attempted to help Murphy despite her wrapped hand. He snapped at her with some sort of comment and she immediately retorted before they both laughed quietly and continued fiddling with the rubbish.
Clarke cringed and forced herself to her feet, finally lifting her head to find Lexa standing before her, still shirtless, hand on her hip. “Lexa,”
Lexa tilted her head, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “How do you expect to walk several miles on that ankle?”
Clarke scowled, huffing in indignation. “I’m fine, I hiked no problem through the forest yesterday.”
“I’d hardly say ‘no problem’ but I suppose if you want to continue to fool yourself I should let you. However, time is not on our side, you will slow us down if you walk.”
Clarke drew herself up to her full height, still shorter than Lexa by a couple of inches, much to her frustration. “We can’t let them think that either one of us is weak. Bellamy will capitalize on that. He’ll end up doing something stupid and give us problems.”
“Allowing an injury to heal is not weakness, continuing to injure yourself in order to prove a point that doesn’t need to be proven is weakness.”
Clarke rolled her eyes. “Did a fortune cookie tell you that?”
Lexa arched an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk twitching at the corner of her lips. “Mockery is not the product of a strong mind, Clarke.”
“Unbelievable, I’m going to check on Anya.” Clarke brushed past the brunette with a huff. Bad idea. That girl was made of stone, Clarke ended up nearly knocking herself over rather than bump Lexa’s shoulder away from her. Clarke wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to keep walking, but she definitely felt Lexa’s eyes on her as she marched towards the shade where Anya sulked, watching the action with narrowed eyes.
“Go away,” Anya snapped as soon as Clarke reached her.
“I’m just checking for infection.”
“And what are you going to do if I get one?”
“The idea is to prevent you from getting one.”
Anya scoffed, but allowed Clarke to peel away her makeshift bandage and check the wound. “How bad is it?”
Clarke huffed as she gently touched the edges of the wound. “Little red, slightly swollen, need to change the bandages more frequently and clean it as best as possible, but we’re on a beach. Beaches aren’t exactly sterile environments. You’ve got some fluid leaking, but nothing abnormal, nothing to worry about, but we have to be incredibly careful.”
“I’m going to end up on that raft aren’t I?”
“Absolutely, the less movement with you, the better.”
“It’s a chest wound, I can walk.”
Clarke glared heavily at the girl. “I’ll make you a deal. I tie up a sling for this arm so that you don’t aggravate the wound so much, and you can walk and move around. If, and only if, as soon as you start getting winded, sore, or tired, you settle for the raft.”
Anya’s eyes lit up. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Princess.”
Clarke nodded, a heavy sigh escaping her as she searched for the materials she’d need for a sling. Some torn clothing would do, but that meant walking by Lexa again, and Clarke wasn’t sure she was physically ready for that.
Aden was talking to Lexa again, she wasn’t sure Lexa was even comprehending what the kid was saying, Aden was talking so fast, but she was patient. She nodded and responded in all the right places as Aden began to make large gestures, occasionally wincing as he twisted his arm the wrong way. Lexa nodded and crossed her arms, looking towards the forest behind him. Then Lexa was talking, and Clarke was surprised to see she really had been paying attention. Aden watched carefully, nodding in excitement.
Lexa shrugged a shoulder, a lopsided smile sent to the boy before her had Aden laughing. Lexa nodded and ruffled Aden’s hair. She turned away and ordered a few of her teammates elsewhere towards the edge of the forest. Clarke grabbed a spare shirt and started ripping as she returned to Anya’s side.
Lexa jogged past them, stopping another teammate, Indra, as she and Octavia walked by carrying driftwood. “Indra, I want you to scout ahead tomorrow when we start walking, make sure there won’t be any problems moving all these people, no rocks to snag the raft and check for drones as we walk. You’re more observant than some of the others.”
Indra nodded silently, but Octavia pushed forward, settling her driftwood down to stop Lexa from turning away. “I want to go with her. It’s best if we stick together, that way if something happens while she’s out of sight I can report back yeah?” She looked to Indra for reassurance, it was clear they had developed some sort of friendship in the last two days, but Clarke didn’t have time to wonder about the details.
“Will Bellamy have a problem with that?” Lexa arched an eyebrow.
“I don’t care if he does.” Octavia scoffed, crossing her arms in a classic rebellious teenager pose. “I can help, I’m able bodied and I’m not scared.”
Lexa shrugged. “Accompany Indra tomorrow. It’ll help her I’m sure, Indra?” Indra nodded once. “Very well, if Indra doesn’t mind I don’t.”
They nodded, Octavia puffing up her chest a little in pride and following Indra when the older woman beckoned for her. Lexa huffed, rotating her shoulders and stretching her neck. Clarke finished up with the sling and helped Anya into it as Lexa approached them squatting at her cousin’s side. “Yu ait?”
Anya grunted. “Chit don yu seken biyo?”
Lexa tilted her head. “Aden?”
Anya smirked, glancing over at Aden as he struggled with his task once more. “He’s smart and strong.”
“Ai laik yongon. Ai nou ogud lev on seken op.” Lexa gave Anya a warning glance.
“Your tattoos say otherwise.”
“I’m sorry but what?” Clarke looked between the two, entirely lost. “What about Aden?”
Lexa rolled her eyes. “Anya is suggesting that Aden is my second, and I am Aden’s fos, or in other words, mentor. It’s how people in our tribe enter adulthood and gain the skills necessary to join the workforce.”
“Oh,” Clarke sat back on her heels. “What was your mentor like?” She looked to Lexa.
Anya snickered. “Yes, tell us Heda.”
Lexa pinched Anya’s thigh and glared. “Anya was my mentor, and she was worse than you’re imagining.”
Anya aimed a kick at Lexa’s midsection, missed, and tried a second time. “Well look at you now, I’d say I did well.”
“Nicest thing you’ve said to me in a long time.”
“Shof op, Leksa.” Anya rolled her eyes.
Clarke smiled, watching them banter usually either amused her or annoyed her to no end. Today was the former. “So how would that work? Aden isn’t Trikru.”
“Exactly.” Lexa shrugged. “He wouldn’t understand the importance of it, nor would it really affect him would it? He’s not learning a trade and hopefully we’ll be off this island soon anyway. Besides, I’m too young.”
“Bullshit, Lexa.” Anya grumbled. “You know being someone’s fos is about more than teaching a trade, and you’re perfectly capable of mentoring him. I was young when I took you as my seken.”
“Yes, but you’re my cousin, you’d been mentoring me informally for all of my life. It’s different.” Lexa shook her head. “Anya, he’s not Trikru, and we have more important things to worry about.”
“Like?” Anya sat up, groaning at the pain, but sighing at the feeling of being upright.
“We don’t know how we’re going to carry our drinking water on this walk. Aden told me he’s been seeing monkeys and wild boars around. He suggested we do some hunting while we set up camp. I figured I’d have some of the girls collect materials. You can probably put together a bow better than Tris and I. It’d give you something to do.” Lexa sighed. “We’re going to need food soon if we keep exerting ourselves like this.”
“What about that idiot with the gun?” Anya hissed, looking around and finding Bellamy grunting with the weight of another body.
“I’ve got him busy doing something that’ll appease the others.” Lexa shrugged.
“That’ll make him look good though…” Anya warned.
“We have to get rid of the bodies anyway, they’ll just spread disease.” Clarke reminded her.
“We’re leaving the site tomorrow.” Lexa shook her head. “No, I wanted him doing grunt labor while I kept things organized the way it needs to be. I knew that no one would leave unless due respect was given to the dead. I wasn’t going to let them waste time digging though, this is what we agreed on.”
“It makes him look good. He’s gaining sympathy by doing right by the dead.”
“But they’ll see that my priority is with the living.” Lexa retorted. She looked between the two women before her. “The dead are gone, the living are hungry.”
“Some of them might think you’re cold.” Clarke shrugged. “Disregarding the dead makes you seem kind of heartless.”
“I don’t need to be loved.” Lexa stood. “Just obeyed. The fewer that question me as the leader, the better, we’ll get more done that way.”
“Sha, Heda.” Anya smirked.
“What does Heda mean?” Clarke asked, eyebrows knit, looking between the two.
“Commander.” Lexa answered, then she turned and jogged off, still shirtless, muscles moving fluidly underneath inked skin.
“Stop ogling my cousin, there’s work to be done.” Anya jabbed Clarke’s ribs, reveling in her startled yelp.
Clarke relocated four shoulders, two fingers, and a hip. With the hip, she had to ask Monroe for help, she held down the girl, Harper, and they ended up chatting afterwards while Monroe gave her care instructions.
Clarke got the distinct impression that she just accidentally played matchmaker. But she didn’t have the time to chat with them, she needed to change bandages and do what she could to ward off infection. Monroe had been helping her, but mostly she was helping Lexa with the more laborious tasks needed. Monroe was one of the only unscathed passengers, and Lexa wanted to get things done immediately and quickly. Efficiency was key, and she just didn’t have the time to wait on people who couldn’t keep up. Clarke had mostly allowed the injured passengers with dislocated joints to do small things like boil water for washing injuries and looking for things they could use for medical supplies, things she’d have Monroe doing. But even with their help she was getting overwhelmed. So far they had two first aid kits, a package of band aids, half a dozen ace bandages the athletes had, and the last dregs of Aloe Vera, already used on the sunburned passengers in the past forty eight hours.
They were fucked. Medically speaking.
But that didn’t stop Clarke from doing absolutely everything she could. She hadn’t lost anyone yet, fortunately.
By the end of the day, Clarke deemed everyone healthy enough and ready for travel. Murphy and Emori, one of Lexa’s teammates, had put together something resembling a human led wagon. Except, without the wheels. They had tied off pieces of metal that would carry supplies that two people could harness into, dragging along the sand. It was brilliant, frankly, and Clarke had told them as much. But Murphy shrugged her off, saying that he and Emori would carry their own weight and that was all, but Emori had rolled her eyes behind his back. Clarke assumed that meant that she would talk him around at some point. Murphy sulked off to get some rest, and Emori suggested a rotation of pulling that would give everyone a chance to rest. They had only made one extra sled, but Clarke thanked her profusely anyway, this would allow them to carry more supplies than they had planned on taking. Extra water was always a good thing.
Lexa had been almost as enthusiastic about the idea, though she didn’t express it the same way. She had clapped Emori on the shoulder and turned away to check on Monty’s raft, there had been a few pitfalls during the day, but he had managed to get everything straightened out. They’d have Harper steering on board while the walkers rotated hauling.
Lexa herself had been hopping around from task to task, she had been aware of all of the problems facing everyone, and helped to straighten them out, but sometime near the late afternoon she and Tris had disappeared briefly, returning with several monkeys and a bird Clarke didn’t recognize.
It wasn’t much food for everyone, but it raised morale heavily, and they hadn’t used a single one of Bellamy’s bullets, Lexa had reminded Clarke later as they built the fire they would use to cook everything.
They held the bonfire that burned all of the dead at sundown. There were plenty of tears, and Clarke couldn’t help but wish that the bodies of her mother and Raven were also in that pyre. At least they wouldn’t be eaten by animals or rot in the harsh metal fuselage of the plane like they probably were now. Clarke would have some semblance of closure, something along the lines of a funeral for them.
Later as the survivors settled down for sleep, Clarke found herself next to Lexa once more by the fire. Their stomachs weren’t full, but they certainly felt better. After the emotional outpouring of the funeral pyre, some food, and the cool night air, she felt considerably lighter. They had solved a lot of problems today, they had a lot yet to be solved, but they were getting somewhere.
Lexa smiled at Clarke briefly before stretching out her arms and shoulders. Clarke returned the smile. “Long day,”
“Productive day,” Lexa corrected her, grin stretching further. “It’ll be a long day tomorrow though. Looking at some of the more injured people, I’m not sure everyone will make it.”
Clarke nodded grimly. “No infections yet, but with some of those injuries, I wouldn’t be surprised if some do become infected.”
Lexa laid back to look at the stars, heaving a heavy sigh. “I don’t want any more to die. But we have to do this. We need reliable shelter, and somewhere safe to act as base while we try to figure out what is going on.”
“Oh fuck no!” Someone shouted from behind them. “Scout my ass!” Clarke closed her eyes as she recognized Bellamy’s angry voice approaching them from behind. “Lexa, get your ass up, who the fuck gave you the right to tell my sister what to do?” He screamed.
Lexa didn’t move at all. Only Clarke heard the slightest sigh of resignation Lexa gave. “I didn’t tell her to do anything. She volunteered. She’s an adult Bellamy, let her make her own decisions.”
“She’s barely eighteen!” Bellamy was red faced, spit flying from his mouth. “She’s my little sister and it’s my responsibility to take care of her, and I’m telling you right now to leave her the fuck alone.”
Lexa turned her head to look at him. “She’s an adult. Take care of her all you want, but it’s still her decision. I didn’t order her to do anything. She volunteered to help one of my friends so that she’d stay safe. If I were you, I’d be proud of her for wanting to help and keep people safe and alive.”
Bellamy hissed, kicking sand up as he stormed away. He grabbed Octavia’s arm and dragged her away, kicking and hissing insults all the while. “He’s a very angry man.” Clarke observed.
Lexa snorted quietly. “He is, but I suppose he has the right to be. We’ve been abandoned on this damn island. Don’t get me wrong, I love nature, but personally I prefer waking up without sand crabs tangled in my braids.”
Clarke felt a laugh bubbling up in her throat. “That’s definitely true. I miss air conditioning.”
Lexa grinned. “Toilet paper.”
“Toilet paper.” Clarke agreed, giggling as she tilted her head back to look at the sky.