"His name is Marcus Kane"
Abby shrugged her shoulders.
"And ?"
Thelonious laughed and sat down opposite the petite chancellor.
"4 attempts in the last 2 weeks ... The council have called for you to be protected ... The vote was unanimous"
It was Abby's turn to laugh now.
"They are only doing what we would do if the roles were reversed ... They recognise me as our leader and see me as a threat"
"Abby ... He was Head of Security until the drop and has done excellent work on fortifying the camp since it was set up ... He is the only one we all feel confident enough in to protect you"
Leaning back in her chair and pulling her braid over one shoulder Abby chewed her bottom lip. She watched Thelonious as he reached out towards her with a file in his hand. She leant forward to take it from him and opened the pages. She probably should have been shocked by some of the things she read but in reality it was all nothing to what was going on around them now.
"I knew his mother ... Vera ... She was friends with my mother before she died"
The councillor nodded and went to take the file back before he stood to leave. He stopped as the doors were opening to turn back and look at her.
"He has already been informed of the situation and will be by later this evening to move into the rooms next door"
Abby nodded vaguely and swung her chair to look out of her makeshift window. She didn't move as she heard the doors shut and mentally slapped herself on the forehead.
"What the hell am I going to do with a bodyguard?"
...
It turned out that the pair got on very well. Abby could still remember the very first meeting with Marcus and how she had found herself short of breath as he walked through the door. With his dark hair and sharp features she had been immediately taken in. He had moved into the rooms next door to hers and had taken to following her every step, whether it was to the medical tent or on one of her runs.
"I'm going running Marcus" Abby called out early one morning as she walked into his main room uninvited.
"I know ... You always do" he replied from his perch on the window sill as he looked out at the still dark camp. Turning around he picked up his weapon harness and radio and moved to follow her out the door.
"Do you have to bring that all with you ... It's just a run"
"Shall we?" he said as he opened the door for her.
An hour later and the sun was only just beginning to rise. The pair matched each other step for step and pushed until they reached the edge of Grounder territory.
"It's time to head back" Marcus called as Abby took a few steps forward stretching her arms over her head.
Not quite listening as she took in the early morning light Abby took another step forward and was falling before she could take a breath.
"Marcus"
He scrambled forward and leant over the edge.
"Are you okay?"
Abby looked around and was not disappointed by the smooth walls surrounding her. Only as she tried to stand did she realise her right leg was caught under a log that had fallen down with her.
"I can't move my leg ... I'm trapped" she called back spotting his face hanging over the edge. She placed a hand against the log and pushed against it as hard as she could. It shifted enough for her to pull her leg out but it didn't take long for either of them to realise that her leg shouldn't be bent the way it was.
"My legs broken Marcus … There is no way I am climbing out of here"
Abby brushed a hand across her face and looked back up to sky. Marcus was still hanging over the edge but had his radio clutched in one hand.
"I've radioed the camp … but there's no answer … we're going to have to get you out our selves"
She nodded and did a quick pat down of the rest of her limbs before she answered.
"Nothing else is broken"
"Good"
Abby waited patiently as she heard him shuffling around on the ground above her. Surprisingly the pain in her leg was almost non-existent but she knew better than most that that wasn't a good thing.
"I've found some rope and I'm going to loop it over this tree and lower it down … You'll need to secure yourself in it so that I can pull you back up"
"Well let's do it then"
It only took Marcus a matter of minutes to secure the rope and before she knew it the end had landed on her shoulder. Once she had secured herself as best as she could Abby gave the rope a quick tug.
"I'm in" she called up.
Marcus had wrapped the rope around his waist and arm and braced himself so that he was anchoring her weight.
"I'm going to pull you up as quickly as I can … But you are going to have to try and guide yourself" he replied before he began pulling the rope, moving back a step with each pull.
Abby gripped the rope tightly and did her best to bite her tongue, her leg throbbing with each climb, her arms doing their best to prevent further injury.
By the time Marcus had her up on solid ground Abby was ready to pass out.
"I need to get you back to camp but I'm going to have to splint your leg first" Marcus said quietly as he helped her lean against the nearest tree.
"I know just be quick about it"
Using a strip of wood which he had found with the rope and a few lengths of the rope Marcus had her leg splinted with minutes.
"I should probably start paying you Marcus" Abby muttered as she leant back against the tree, her head tilted back.
He said snorted quietly and moved to pick her up, one arm wrapping around her back and the other coming under her knees. With a quick warning he stood up and lifted her against him, her head lolling against his shoulder.
Once they were moving he looked down at the petite woman in his arms.
"Talk to me about your leg Abby … How badly do you think it's broken?"
Abby said nothing for minute and he almost convinced himself she had passed out.
"Closed fracture … Possible nerve damage if the numbness in my foot means anything"
Marcus lifted her higher and stepped round a tree.
"So not serious then ?"
She laughed a little, the sound muffled against his jacket.
"We'll see … At least this gives you an excuse to stop me from working so much … I won't be walking for at least 6 weeks"
She raised a hand and patted his chest weakly.
"Now stop talking … Let me focus on not passing out"
….
It took Marcus nearly an hour to make it back to camp with his load. The numbness had been replaced the closer they got and by the time they had reached it her head had fallen against his shoulder and her arms had gone slack.
They were spotted immediately, the gates opening and people pouring out. Within minutes Marcus was setting Abby down a bed in medical. He took a step back as Jackson took over and moved to the back of the tent.
In the end Abby had been right about her leg and Jackson had positioned and bound her leg from knee to ankle. She had eventually woken up and had even agreed to take a painkiller to try and help manage the ache in her leg.
"Marcus?"
He looked up from where had been reading a security report and made his way to her side. He sat down next to her and dropped the report onto the floor.
"Are you still in pain … Do you want me to get Jackson again?"
Abby shook her head and took his hand in her hers, pulling on it until she could intertwine their fingers.
"I want to say thank you, for getting me out of that hole"
"It's my job … It was probably used for hunting by the Grounders … If it had been much deeper it would have been a lot harder to get you out"
"Accept the praise Marcus … I don't give it very often"
He laughed quietly and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles before he leaned forward ever so slightly.
"Thank you Abby"
Abby sucked in a breathe as he moved closer, his face close enough for her to feel his warm breaths huff against her cheek.
"I have ever said how grateful I am for you protecting me" she whispered.
He shook his head his head.