Octavia groaned from her spot in her tent as she re-sewed a patch onto Jasper's trousers. She swore that boy came back with another hole in his pants every day. She had just finished sewing up the knee when shouting broke out from outside. Hurrying out of the tent she prayed it wasn't her brother or her boyfriend being hauled back injured from a hunt. She had had their blood staining her hands far too many times for her liking.
Octavia sprinted to the gate where the noise was coming from but apparently whatever god she was praying to wasn't listening because there was her brother being dragged in, covered in mud and… tar?
She ran up to the group of yelling kids to find Monty rambling on about sap and plant species.
"Monty what happened?"
"Poisonwood! It's in the freaking name why am I the only one who knows these things? He fell in a pile of its sap it causes serious skin irritation you need to get it washed off. I'm serious it can cause burns."
The grounder looked to her brother as they moved towards the showers but he seemed distant and his breathing was far too fast.
There was mud all over him and the dark sap was sticking her fingers to his skin. She could already see where his skin was turning red from the poisonous sap and she gripped his arm to try and pull him towards the showers but he was fighting off everyone's hands.
"Bellamy? Can you hear me?"
Monty shook his head. "I don't know why but he started panicking, he's pretty freaked out he won't talk to you. Believe me I've tried."
There were about four other boys on the Blake trying to get him to where he needed to go but he had his heels dug into the dirt and was brushing off hands as well as he could in his current trance.
He was muttering something though and Octavia leaned closer to hear what he was whispering so desperately to himself.
"We went the wrong way. The tunnels. Lincoln took the red stuff."
Octavia gasped as she realized what he was talking about. He was reliving Mount Weather, the stinging, burning sap bringing up memories of the torturous chemical they had used on him in his capture.
Even with so many people helping they were making little progress and Monty was shouting about the sap and how it needed to be washed off as soon as possible. Finally managing to manhandle Bellamy enough to get him to one of the showers in the med tent they dragged him into the stall and turned on the water.
Bellamy, still mumbling, stopped dead when he saw the water. Octavia's hand was ripped from his sticky arm as he started screaming, thrashing against the arms that still held him.
"NO, NO! Not again, please it stings, it hurts!" Though he was panicking he seemed more aware of what was happening. He was fighting so hard to get away from the water and it broke Octavia's heart to see her usually fearless older brother so terrified of a shower.
She knew what they had done to him in Mount Weather. She knew what those monsters had done to the most important person in her life. But she also knew in great detail what Lincoln did to the man that caused it all. Knowing he suffered helped her sleep better at night.
Placing her hands on his face she forced his eyes to hers. "Bellamy I need you to get in the shower. I know you don't want to but it will make it stop stinging. It's really important Bell."
The man was losing ground fast and could do nothing to stop his approach to the running water as its crashing decent echoed in his ears. But then pale blue eyes, ones he had known all his life met his and she was talking to him. He couldn't make out the words but his little sister was there and that was all that mattered.
Bellamy was crying in absolute terror but ultimately accepted his fate as Octavia pulled him into the falling water. His skin was burning terribly and the cold water hit his skin like slaps but his sister had her arms around him now and she helped to ground him.
Octavia hugged her brother under the water and pressed his face to her neck. Monty handed over some antibacterial soap and motioned that the sap would only come off with the soaps help.
Bellamy was whimpering into her neck as she lathered the soap over the parts of him she could reach. He was shaking, whether from the cold, the memories or the stinging sap she didn't know but Octavia was trying to soothe her big brother the best she could.
"Bellamy your safe, it's okay you got out. Your home now and I'm right here just calm down okay the stinging will go away I promise."
The boys hands gripped the back of her shirt as he nodded and began muttering.
"I'm safe, I got out, I'm home, O's here. I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid."
The sap was slowly slipping from Bellamy's skin as Octavia rubbed the alcohol smelling bubbles over his now red arms. Cautiously Octavia released her grip on her brother and pulled away from his grasp to pull at the hem of his shirt. His shaking hands wouldn't relinquish their hold on her to get out from his water heavy sleeves so Octavia ripped the worn cloth off him instead; mentally apologizing for ruining one of his only tops.
Bellamy's poor skin was red and raised and he flinched every time O's hands ran over it but the cold water was helping lessen the sting and the sap was washing away to puddle near his feet.
Still battling the images of the mountain that flashed behind his eyes, Bellamy stayed still as his sister scrubbed him down the best she could. The memories from his time in the mountain were not easily blocked away and the images of the faces that tortured him were clear and sharp in his mind from seeing them every night in his nightmares.
He scrunched his eyes shut and muttered to himself again, trying to relax under his sisters ministrations. Bellamy sighed as the nightmarish memories drifted father away and focused instead on the hands that were gently scrubbing at the nap of his neck, the fingers tugging at his still sticky hair, and warm palms that wiped away the drips from his eyes.
When he was sufficiently clean Octavia asked Monty to fetch Abby and pulled her brother to her again.
"It's okay Bell you did really good, it's all gone now. We just need to let Abby check you over but I'll stay with you if you want alright?"
Bellamy nodded as she pulled his face to her neck where he could hide for just a little longer.
They both stood in each other's grasp, dripping, till Abby came and took them to the med tent. Bellamy was exhausted at this point and dropped heavily onto one of the cots as Abby talked with his sister. He was probably supposed to listen but he really just wanted to sleep. Of course sleep would mean nightmares and after today they were bound to be worse. Maybe Monty's moonshine would be better.
Octavia gently patted herself and her brother dry with an old towel as Griffin talked about poisonous plants and different creams she could put on Bellamy's skin to help it heal from the burns that the sap caused. The doctor eyed the sleepy man warily knowing Octavia had been having trouble getting him to sleep.
"You know I have a tea that might help with the pain and calm you a bit?" The doctor directed the question more toward the younger of the two Blake's and gestured to the hall.
"Bell I'm just gonna talk to Abby for a bit you just stay here." Octavia patted her brother's knee and followed the Doctor a little ways out of the tent.
"I have a tea that should help him sleep, I know he might not want to but it would be best if he rested."
Octavia nodded and followed Abby back inside where Griffin went to fetch the tea.
Getting Bellamy to sleep more than a few hours a night was a challenge and worried Octavia more and more each night. Bellamy was everything to her and if drugging him into sleep was what she had to do to keep him healthy than fine.
The older Blake grumbled about stupid healing tea but drank it unaware of its true purpose. It helped to calm him and the pain certainly faded some but his eyes grew heavier and when hands pushed his shoulders down and arranged him on the cot he could do nothing but comply.
Octavia pulled a blanket over her brother and sat beside him as he fought to keep his eyes open.
"You need sleep Bell. Just relax I'll be here when you wake up."
Eyelids closing of their own accord Bellamy reached towards Octavia till he found her hand and gripped it tight as his breathing slowed.
"Love you Little sister."
He felt her kiss his forehead and smiled as he began to drift.
"Love you too Big Brother."
