Clarke had been working all morning, from darkness to light. She hadn't relieved herself when Georgie said she wouldn't mind taking over. But Clarke couldn't let another person die. Her eyes were beginning to tighten and she had a sickness and wary feeling all over her body, reminding her she'd been awake too long. No. Clarke pushed the thought of sleep from her mind and went back to her patient's needs. It was a boy about her age and his name was Dex. He'd come down with the illness just twenty-four hours earlier and didn't show any signs of improvement, even with Monty's herbal teas and paste. However, it was early days and the boy hadn't gone through phase three yet. Phase three was the most terrifying of phases Clarke had witnessed with the illness – patients would bring up blood, their skin would turn bright red as if they'd lie in the sun and yellow blisters would form around their mouths.
When Georgie reappeared about two hours since her last visit asking Clarke once again to go and rest, she insisted to help with something since it was meant to be her hours. When Clarke realised the time of day and knew Bellamy would need a check-up she asked Georgie to do that. It wasn't that Clarke didn't want to see Bellamy per say, she just didn't want to remember what happened the day before. Murphy¸ Clarke's mind raced about the dead boy's body that was waiting to be buried since the weather had been poor. She was pleased to hear Bellamy wasn't going on a reckless escapade burying his friend's body whilst there was a suspected hurricane over their heads.
Clarke sighed, thinking of Bellamy. She could barely focus on making a new pot of paste and she wondered if she'd have just of been better letting Monty do it instead. This thought was the last thought she had before the madness landed. The sound was shocking.
'CLARKE!' a voice screamed.
'CLARKE! CLARKE! COME QUICK!' another voice screamed.
There was no hesitation and Clarke soon found herself outside in the pouring rain with winds battering furiously against her body. She looked to the direction of the destroyed tents with no doubt many casualties underneath the fallen tree.
'Clarke! It's Octavia! Her leg's caught in the tree!' Lee shouted and led the way to where Octavia was squirming and whining in pain.
'Oh my god, oh my god,' Octavia whispered.
'Oh my god! Oh my god!' Octavia began to screech louder than Clarke had ever heard before. This made sense since she'd never suffered such a severe injury before, even when she'd been shot in the arm.
'Octavia!' Clarke's medical brain took over and assessed how far Octavia's leg was underneath the tree. 'Octavia, can you feel your leg?' Clarke asked. She received a painful nod, and Clarke then instructed Lee to gather as many people as possible to attempt to lift the end of the tree where Octavia's leg was trapped. Clarke knew it was perhaps a long shot since it was a very large tree but they had to try something since Octavia could feel her leg. Not only did this mean she was in a lot of pain, but it gave a good indicator the damage wasn't as bad as it could get. Clarke knew without a doubt Octavia had to have fractures – it was just how bad the fractures were going to be, not including nerve damage and a hell of a lot more.
'GET OUT OF MY WAY!' Clarke didn't need to look to know who was charging in her direction. His voice was above any and he stood out like a stunning tree amongst the average.
'O, are you okay? Are you in pain?' Bellamy asked before turning and screaming at people to hurry up.
'It hurts,' was all Octavia managed to say. Clarke didn't expect anything more than a couple of words. Octavia could barely breathe from the pain and Clarke could see that written across her face.
Clarke and Bellamy exchanged a glance and before he could ask anything of her, Clarke stepped aside and allowed more people close to Octavia for the tree's uplifting. Monty, Georgie and Clarke were standing by waiting for their best opportunity to grab Octavia's arms and pull her away from the tree. It was rather nail biting Clarke thought. Not only was this one of their most horrendous weather strikes but she knew what would happen if the outcome didn't please Bellamy. She knew Bellamy – better than she knew herself – and she knew when he was mad he'd say things he wouldn't dare to think when he was calm. If Octavia couldn't be moved from the tree Clarke didn't want to know who Bellamy would blame.
Not so long ago Clarke wouldn't let Bellamy treat people so brazenly, she would stand up to him and tell him where to go. But since what happenedshe couldn't find it in herself to do so, and she didn't know if this made her weak or if she was just a coward. She'd spent so many nights wondering in her confusion and despair about what it truly was.
But that couldn't be dealt with right now.
When the group's seventh attempt to lift the tree failed, Clarke's nails had had a serious cut down. She was losing hope by the second that Octavia would get through this without losing a limb.
Clarke turned to Monty and Georgie with a solemn look upon her face.
'I think we need to get ready for procedure,' Clarke whispered hoping no one else heard her but the two intended.
'Procedure? Clarke, we can't. There's no pain relief… There's… There's just, nothing!' Monty huffed and gave Clarke a dumfounded look as if she really couldn't seriously be considering amputation.
'She can't stay under the tree. The weather isn't helping either. I don't see any other choice Monty… Georgie, go get the moonshine and equipment,' Clarke paused taking a deep breath before shakily continuing;
'And I'll tell Bellamy.'
'Wait! Clarke,' Georgie halted Clarke's plan.
'Clarke, what equipment!? The closest thing we have is a butchers knife which, which, we can't use on Octavia. Clarke. It's… We can't!' Georgie begged Clarke through silent contact – eyes to eyes – not to consider this and think of something else.
It was done though. There was nothing else that Clarke could do off her own back. It was either amputation or leave Octavia in the state she was… Helpless and in pain. Clarke knew Octavia well enough to know she wouldn't want either but wouldn't be able to live a life of stillness. Therefore, it was done. The decision was made and nothing could be done. The only thing left to do was for Clarke to beckon on Bellamy to tell him and that's just what she did.
'What is it?' He asked, a little rougher and brutish than he had intended. But what did Clarke expect? His sister was in excruciating pain.
'Let me finish. Please. But, I'm considering procedure and obviously I don't want to do that but Bellamy…' What Clarke was meaning finally dawned on Bellamy as it was evident all over his features. His eyes widened, his lips parted, his nostrils flared lightly and even his head shook involuntarily.
'No.'
'Bellamy, just listen. Consider.'
No. No. There was no possible conclusion that was going to leave his sister. His sister… Octavia, innocent sister without her leg. That's why Bellamy cut Clarke off and turned around and barked at everyone there and anyone else in sight, including Monty and Georgie to lift the tree. Clarke was the only exception so she could move Octavia once the tree was gravitated high enough.
'LIFT!'
'LIFT!'
LIFT!' Bellamy shouted and shouted with as much power and air his lungs could expense as his arms shook with the heaviness of the tree. He refused to believe that the people around him and he couldn't lift a tree. He repeated this in his head, sometimes with more venom and with more gull but it was his mantra and it would make this work. He was sure of it, somehow.
Clarke watched on frowning, looking across everyone's brows down and sweat forming. Some couldn't even bear weight as their feet slid in the mud. Mud. Mud. Clarke examined the tree more thoroughly and saw it wasn't a very wide or fat tree but long and she was trying to remember about trees ages but that piece of information, or that memory, just wouldn't come and assist her.
But within a minute Clarke thought of something. It was something so stupid and unlikely but maybe something brilliant and amazing – if it worked.
'Lee!' Clarke shouted and waved him over. She could see Bellamy looking over his shoulder with an aggressive and accusing glare but if this theory was possible, she didn't have the time for him.
'Uh huh?' Lee said, breathless and panting.
'You know trees. I mean, you know building material, evenness and proportion right?' With a nod she continued her idea.
'Look at the ground, it's as much as a bog as it'll ever get. Instead of trying to lift an impossible tree, is it possible to dig the opposite end and the middle to levitate the end Octavia's stuck?' Clarke felt mildly embarrassed sharing this idea with Lee and when she heard it aloud she knew she'd be red like a tomato. It even sounded stupid¸ she thought. She turned away from Lee's gaze not sure whether he was really considering her proposal or… she didn't know.
'That could work.' Clarke finally heard him breathe.
'No, it could work Clarke. Sure it isn't going to lift the tree in the next hour or so, but it should work. The only thing is the tree could just sink. But judging the tree it should work and we could have her moved within six hours, nine max?' Lee suggested. Clarke let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as she was relieved there was another answer. She knew Bellamy would be on board with that suggestion, to be quite frank, Clarke suspected he'd be on board for anything other than amputation.
'You go tell Bellamy and I'll get the shovels and look for anything else we can use to dig,' as soon as Clarke replied she was off on her mission. She was wondering how Bellamy would react to Lee, and she was even more curious as how he'd react when Lee told him it was her idea. She knew Bellamy wasn't her biggest fan whether he was right or wrong in his actions prior. As she walked away she couldn't help but reflecting to that night and what had been said, what had been exchanged and how it ended. Bellamy Blake left Clarke confused, in despair and all the more curious of him.
The only thing Clarke knew for certain in the midst of it all, past and present was… They weren't out of the woods yet.
