He remembered running. He remembered racing through trees, careening around corners, and splashing into streams as he crossed through them. He remembered getting up each time, pushing harder, moving forward though his breath felt like needles in his chest and a pain in his side threatened to bring him to his knees. Running was all he could accomplish to stay alive and there was no other choice but to live. As long as he was moving, he was living and that was important. He didn't know why it was important, that he live, only that it was the one thing he had do. Dying was not an option. Looking behind, he couldn't see if his pursuers were still following and he slowed to listen to the trees around him. Breathing heavy, he strained for any noises that would send him running again. As he rested, he tried to think about where he was heading, or where he was,and when no answers came, tried to think of who he was. Panic rose in his chest as he found that he couldn't remember anything, not his name or where he was running to.
I should find…I have to get…somewhere…my name…what is my name?
Realizing that panicking wasn't going to help his situation, he took three large deep breaths through his nose, and out his mouth, concentrating on slowing his heart rate. There was a familiar flicker of something about heart rates or how to check if his pulse was too fast but as soon as he tried to chase the memory, the flicker disappeared and panic threatened to set in again. He didn't have time to calm down again as he heard a thumping sound of signal drums from behind him and he took off through the woods once more, trying to follow the last words he could remember, "whatever you do, don't die."
Running. Feet pounding the earth and his heartbeat pounding in his ear. "Don't die. Don't die. Don't die." Like a prayer in his mind and the focus of all his energy, the litany carried him onward. He couldn't die without..he couldn't die without…he couldn't remember why he couldn't give up and that missing knowledge seemed more frustrating then not knowing his own name. He would love nothing more then to lay down on the grass and rest for eternity.
"I still don't know what all the fuss was about," the shorter guard said as he scanned the woods to his right, "just because I was a little tipsy while off duty was no reason to put me on grounder shift instead of my normal duty of watching the Chancellor."
"Man Forrest, you weren't just a little tipsy, you were calling Byrne 'babe' and asking her where her tent was," the other guard commented with a laugh, "you are lucky you didn't get shock lashed. Besides, whats wrong with grounder shift? I happen to like walking in the woods."
"Yeah Tyler, all I wanted to do today was walk in the woods, jump at shadows, and wonder when I'm going to get impaled," Forrest said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "this is so much better then following the hot doctor around all day."
"I dare you to call her that to her face," Tyler said, stopping abruptly when Forrest moved to stand in front of him. "and if Kane had heard that kind of disrespect, you would be fucking floated so fast."
"How is anyone going to get floated down here?" Forrest asked mockingly, "besides, Kane isn't here to care. According to Major Byrne, the chances of him coming back are slim to none."
Tyler pushed him back onto his side of the path, "I just think you should have more respect for the man. He might have given his life trying to establish peace. Plus, he is still our superior until he is officially pronounced dead."
A snort from Forrest made Tyler look from the woods he was scanning to focus on his shift partners face.
"There is no way that Chancellor Griffin is pronouncing that man dead," Forrest said with confidence, "she will think he is coming back until she is on her death bed."
Giving Forrest a look of disgust, Tyler sighed, "just do your job and stop being an ass."
They made their way to the halfway point on the path in silence. In one of the gardens set up outside the gate, they took a short break for water and to eat their rations. Movement in the woods drew their attention and the two guards smoothly moved their guns into firing position while dropping their food and water on the ground. They had orders to capture only, not kill, any grounder unless completely necessary but the fierce warriors didn't go down easy. The movement turned into crashes and when a man, bloodied and filthy, stumbled out of the brush and into their path, Tyler had to swallow hard and remember his training.
Pointing his gun at the man's left leg, Tyler spoke with authority, "what are you doing here? Answer me!"
Forrest kept his gun trained on the man's bowed head, waiting for any indication that he would attack. Lifting his head, the man stared at them through a mask of blood and dirt but his features were undeniable and they both lowered their weapons.
"Sir! Holy shit, how did you get here? You left over ten weeks ago! We thought you were dead!" Forrest exclaimed, not quite believe what he was seeing.
"Sir, you need medical attention immediately!" Tyler said, his mind more focused though no less surprised.
The questions were met with blank stares and he shied away from the two men when Tyler tried to take his arm. The lack of acknowledgment in his eyes had Tyler worried.
"Chancellor Kane, are you alright? Do you know where you are?" Tyler asked in a voice he hoped was soothing.
The two men acted as if they knew him but he couldn't take any chances. He couldn't think of what to do next when he heard more movement behind him and his legs were moving before his brain caught up. He took off in the opposite direction of the garden and looked back to see the two men chasing him. Facing forward again, he picked up as much speed as his tired legs could muster. He didn't see the shorter man pull a small brick shaped device out of his back pocket and fire. He felt a bright pain in his shoulder and his head connected with a protruding rock as he went down. The last image he saw was two faces peering down at him with looks of sadness and then blackness.
Don't die.
"Did you have to do that?" Tyler asked, picking up his half of the limp body between them.
"Yes," Forrest said while trying to keep his head steady, "he needs medical attention be back at camp and he was headed away from the drop site. If I hadn't shot him with the taser, he might have run and never come back."
Tyler couldn't argue with that so he just grumbled under his breath about trigger happy partners and wrapped his arms more firmly around Kane's legs. The good news was that their chancellor was about to be very happy with them. The bad news was that Byrne would probably lash them for shooting their leader. Looking down at the unconscious man between them, Tyler let himself smile for a bit. He had missed his terse commander and with him back Byrne might not be so bad.
When Forrest and Tyler came back from their patrol early, carrying the limp form of Marcus Kane, Abby was focused on physical therapy with Raven and didn't lift her head to register the crowd heading to the gate. A young guard came racing into the tent, skidding to a halt in front of the busy doctor/chancellor and her impatient charge.
"Chancellor, you are needed right away in the medical tent."
Abby didn't look up from her slow but firm movements with Raven's leg while the young woman focused on not whimpering, "Jackson can handle whoever they brought back with them Garrett. I am busy."
"They have Chan - they have Kane."
Abby froze in her movements, her hands going limp, and Raven's foot slipped off her leg to land with a thump on the ground. The sound brought Abby back to herself and she shook the disbelief from her head at the first mention of Marcus in weeks.
"Please Chancellor, you are needed right away. He looks pretty bad," Garrett said, hoping to finish his errand so he could run and inform the other guards. Major Byrne would want to know immediately.
Raven had watched the color drain from Abby's face at the news and knew the doctor had to leave immediately, "Go Doc, I can go for a walk to finish this session off."
When she saw Abby staring at her leg, Raven gave a gentle push to the older women's shoulder, "go Ms. Griffin, I'll find Clarke and tell her to head your way."
This motivated the shocked doctor and Abby nodded mutely, running out of the tent and catching the waiting guard unawares. He spat a few cusses before hurrying after his chancellor. Raven watched Abby race through the camp with a twisted smile on her face before grabbing her cane and heading out to find the younger Griffin and Abby's favorite doctor in training.
When she reached the tent, Abby took a few minutes to stand outside the flap, calming herself down before entering. She didn't know how bad it was but she had to keep her head about her if she was going to help. She entered the tent to see that Jackson had already cut off Marcus' clothes and he was busy cleaning out a few of the wounds on his back.
"Jackson, what condition is he in?" She asked as professionally as she could, her voice only catching slightly on the last word. It was hard to look at how damaged he was and not think that all was lost. Her mind drifted to how she could possibly take care of this camp by herself when Jackson touched her arm and brought her back to the world. Nodding for him to begin his prognosis, she focused on the injury list instead of on the person who had endured them.
Jackson spoke with all the professionalism she had instilled in him, "He is dehydrated, multiple lacerations on his back, chest, and legs, some bruising on his throat and I think he has suffered a traumatic brain injury. The guards said that when he came stumbling from the woods, he didn't know who they were and he trained them both. He tried running and they stunned him but were not close enough to catch him so his head hit the dirt hard enough to knock him unconscious. I have checked for any bleeding from the ears and nose but so far, they are clear."
Abby took a couple of deep breaths to calm down again once Jackson was finished listing what he had found. The injury list was extensive and it was clear that the lacerations were caused by whips, repeatedly as she saw the some marks already healed beneath the newer slashes. Bruising on his torso indicated that his ribs were broken but the most critical was the head injury as that could lead to bleeding in the brain and he would be dead before they could do anything. Hooking up an iv into his arm, Abby hooked it to the saline bag and stepped around to the front of the bed.
"I didn't want to deal with his head when you have more experience then me with those kind of injuries," Jackson said as he continued to clean blood from Marcus' body, "so I started cleaning out these cuts. His back is the worst and if my assessment in correct, I estimate that he has suffered days of extensive torture."
He said the last part with a gentle look at his mentor but she still drew a sharp breath and steadied her hands on the metal board they had for an operating bed. He winced at the pressure she put on the bed and handed her the alcohol to wash her hands without another word.
Abby didn't trust her voice to be steady while she confirmed Jackson's hypothesis and her junior doctor needed to count on her expertise so she merely nodded and placed her hands gently on Marcus' skull to feel for any hidden damage. Taking his condition into consideration, she tried to be gentle with her ministrations since the last thing she wanted was to have him wake up before she was done. Finishing her examination, she concluded that he had suffered severe trauma to his skull at least twice and it was a wonder that he had been able to move after the first one.
He may never wake up.
Abby's thoughts were pulled away from their pessimistic musing by her daughter entering the tent and she knew just the thing Clarke could do to help.
Wiping her hands on a nearby cloth she spoke softly, "Clarke, can you and Bellamy go pick out some new clothes for him from the bins? We had to destroy his old ones to get them off so tell anyone who asks that they are for a patient. Bellamy should be a close judge in size and make sure you get a few layers to warm him up."
Clarke took a look at the man on the table and winced, "he isn't looking good mom, what did they do to him?"
"Torture as far as we can see and he will look better once we can get everything stitched up and get new clothes on him."
"Do you think you can save him mom?" Clarke asked, doubt coloring her voice.
Abby pushed her daughter out of the dwelling, "I am going to try my hardest and if he is still the same man then he should be alright. He is stubborn enough to live just to piss off the people who did this to him. I would like to get him clean and changed into warm clothes though. Go to his tent and bring all his blankets here as well."
Nodding, Clarke hugged her mom before taking off through the camp, calling for her partner in crime and upsetting the people standing outside the medial structure. They were crowding the doorway, trying to get a look at the patient on her table but Abyy had no time for their curiousity. She ducked back in to the well lit room and started helping Jackson clean up the multitudes of wounds on Marcus' back and legs. It looked as if he had been hung from his feet, judging by the rope marks around his ankles, and then whipped with leather flogs on his back, calves, and thighs. The flogger had to have made with chips of bone or wood in it as the skin looked jagged where it had torn. The same flogger was used on his chest and arms though the wounds were not as extensive. Abby kept a running commentary in her head, guessing how each wound was made so she could catalog which injuries to close first. They stitched his back first as it had the deepest gashes and when they were done with his back, they rolled him onto his side and Jackson bandaged up his back while Abby worked on cleaning every inch of his skin of blood and grime.
I can hardly see any skin that isn't bruised or split. How did you survive this Marcus? How did you escape from whoever did this? Your stubborn streak knows no bounds so you keep that up ok? Don't you die on me.
Deciding that she needed to say something out loud, even if he couldn't hear her, Abby said, "you listen to me Marcus, I demand that you wake up and tell me what happened to you. You tell me how you survived this and where it happened so we can keep our people safe. Your number one goal was to keep this place safe and our people alive. I need you here to help me make that happen so you better wake up."
Jackson didn't say anything about her little speech to the unconscious man but merely smiled at her demanding tone. He was too torn up at the idea that Marcus was alive. He had hoped the man was dead so that he wouldn't be able to influence the camp anymore There was something strange about working on a man who, up until he walked out of the camp searching for peace, Jackson was sure he hated. Knowing Abby, failure to save Marcus Kane wasn't an option and so he whispered his own words as he worked his stitches into Marcus' back.
"You better listen to her Kane, she gets what she wants remember?"
Clarke came back as Abby was working on wrapping up Marcus' chest with long strips of gauze. Placing the clothes on a chair next to the bed, Clarke stood behind her mother and watched her progress.
Feeling her daughters presence behind her, Abby motioned to Marcus' feet, "can you start cleaning and bandaging his feet and legs for me? He wasn't wearing much in the way of footwear when the guards brought him in and the soles of his feet are in rough shape."
Grabbing her med kit, Clarke sat down to her task, "mom, can I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why is it so important that we save him? He pressed charges against Dad and he killed all those people on the ark and-"
Abby kept her head down and worked on cleaning off his face and neck before answering her daughter, "because I have to believe in second chances and because we need him here. He has changed from the man you knew up there Clarke. Trust me on this, we need Marcus Kane if we are going to make it down here."
Her daughter didn't say anything as she cleaned the gashes on the feet in front of her but her brow was furrowed so Abby left her to think while she went out for some fresh air.
Taking in the camp and the bustle of people trying to make sure they survived the winter and the hostile grounders, Abby took her deep breaths with only one thought circling in her mind.
Please let him come back to us.