The more Claire walked, the more tired she felt. Her stomach was growling and she hoped the pain she was feeling in her belly was simply due to her hunger and had nothing to do with her baby. The more they walked, the more times they had to stop, Claire needing a break. She trusted Blue, therefore she had said nothing when they stopped following the river, but she was also starting to get dehydrated.
It had rained the night before. Claire hadn't realized that because she was mostly dry when she woke up, right before Blue brought her the dead fawn, but now, she could feel how the rain had taken its toll on her. She was shivering, probably because of the cold, maybe because of the dehydration, maybe because of the exhaustion.
Blue also seemed more eager with every passing hour and a little bit more restless. She was now almost growling at Claire whenever she needed a break, as if something was chasing them and they needed to get out of there. Claire had no idea where they were anymore, since Blue had changed directions a few times, sniffing the air and adjusting their trajectory. To where? Claire had no clue, but she hoped it was the camp.
Claire's legs burned and she was barely able to see the swishing of Blue's tail in front of her, the blue stripe being her anchor and the only thing she could still focus her mind on. Then suddenly Blue stopped, growled and sniffed the air, her whole body tense as if she was about to pounce. If Claire didn't pay attention, she would have slammed right into her rear.
"What is it?" she asked tiredly. Blue turned to her, blinked a few times and purred, before she sped in the opposite direction, quickly disappearing between the trees. Claire could hear the soft noises of her feet for a few more seconds before the eerie silence of the forest took over.
She was dumfounded and just stood there for a solid minute, not registering what had just happened. Then she heard a distance noise, like a call and turned in that direction. The trees were sparser in this part of the forest, easily allowing her to see a good hundred feet in front of her. She didn't move and waited for the call to happen again. This time, it rang more clearly. Although she couldn't quite make out what was being shouted, it sounded like someone's name.
She started slowly walking towards the noise when she saw a human silhouette appear on the horizon, then another until she was looking at an entire group of people. And then one of them started running towards her, gun swinging wildly on their shoulders, his feet making a raucous, even on the soft forest floor.
Owen barely managed to slow down in front of Claire when he pulled her strongly in his arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and let the tears fall for the first time since this whole nightmare began. She could also hear him cry, as he stroked her knotted hair and whispered soft promises with the gentle kisses he left on the top of her head.
They stayed like that until she couldn't stand up anymore and he scooped her in his arms. It worried him that she didn't protest at all. He didn't like how frail she looked, or how much she was trembling. He didn't ask her anything besides where it hurt or if something hurt at all. The only thing Claire accepted was a bottle of water but she could barely muster the energy to take a few sips before she passed out.
She was quickly whisked away to the nearest hospital that was still functioning, and Owen stayed with her at all times, growling at people who told him to leave. Claire woke up for the exams and was out like a light the minute she was released from the hospital. But since the doctors said she just had a cold and that the baby was fine, Owen didn't complain. Zia made sure Franklin was taken care of by driving him to his dad's place, but she dropped Maisie off at Claire's apartment. The girl did everything Owen told her to do, helping him take care of Claire until she recovered. It was a slow process, but after a couple of days of strict bed rest and healthy food, Claire was finally feeling like herself again.