"That perfect bliss and sole felicity, the sweet fruition of an earthly crown." - Christopher Marlowe
"Clarke?" Valery yelled, but she had no response. Valery frowned and sighed, looking to the ladder. She didn't want to climb it up again, since all she wanted was to just lay down and nap. She removed the parachute of the entrance of the drop ship, and stepped outside. She saw Clarke talking to Bellamy and telling people what to do.
Bellamy looked over to Valery, who was walking up to them. When she approached them, he looked away. "Jaha wants to talk to you." Valery said flatly and she walked away. "Did you talk to him?" Clarke asked and Valery stopped.
"No," Valery said and she looked back at Clarke, "why would I?" Clarke shrugged and walked over to Valery.
"Let me take a look at that." Clarke said as she watched Valery's hand resting on her waist. "Don't bother," Valery mumbled, "it just needs to heal." Valery walked into the drop ship and sat down in a chair, a few yards away from the radio, just enough to hear it. After all, Valery was curious as hell.
She heard Jaha asking Clarke the same questions he asked Valery and again, she heard her father. Valery's eyes suddenly started to fill up with tears and she dabbed her face with her sleeve. "Stay strong Val." She thought to herself and smiled. Her smile disappeared again, when he asked Clarke what Valery was doing in the camp.
Clarke looked at Valery, who was still crying. Valery stood up and walked away when she saw Clarke looking at her. She walked outside, taking a deep breathe. She passed Monty and Jasper, who were separating some nuts.
"Want to taste my nuts, Val?" Jasper asked with a huge smile, holding one out. "NO!" She yelled at him while passing by.
She walked straight of the camp, just beyond the gates and sat down. At the moment, she wouldn't mind being kidnapped or killed by Grounders, she just wanted to be alone. Out of anger, she threw a branch. "Shit!" She cried as she felt the pain in her waist again. She sighed loudly and buried her face in her hands, taking deep breaths.
Her hands found her way in her hair, and she was at the moment to pull her hair out if the tangles weren't in the way. Her shoulders kept shaking when she was quietly crying. She raised her head and saw Bellamy and Clarke walking away together. She had no interest in following them, for she was terribly sleepy. She laid down on her back and watched the clouds passing by, until she fell asleep.
Valery woke up with a yank and heard all kind of weird sounds coming out of the camp. She walked to camp and saw people dancing, crying, sleeping and kissing. Finn and Raven were helping people. "It's the nuts, they make us high." Finn said as he helped a crying girl sit down. "Yeah..." Valery started, "I am not feeling like helping them, sorry."
She walked towards the entrance of the drop ship and bumped up to someone. "Hey!" She snapped irritated and she rubbed her arm. She looked up and took a step back when she saw the Grounder with a hooded jacket on. They looked at each other in silent. Valery nodded to the right, where the entrance of the camp was. "Thank you." He whispered and he disappeared in the dark. Finn was standing behind Valery, looking at her.
"What else could I do?" Valery said to Finn, not expecting an answer, and walked inside.
Valery had no idea if she did the right thing, but at the moment she didn't care. If the Grounder comes back with his buddy's and kills them all, it was their own fault. Valery passed the radio, and saw a note lying on the table. Valery picked it up and looked at it. "To Valery: My mom thought you might wanted to talk to her. That's possible tonight. Clarke." Valery read out loud.
Valery started to feel extremely uncomfortable and anxious, and she started to fan herself with the piece of paper. She sat down in the chair in front of the radio and stared at the screen. Winter is coming, they will freeze to death before the ship will land... Then she will never know... on the other hand, maybe that's better, but...
Valery took a deep breathe and pushed the button. "Hello?" Valery asked. The screen went on and she saw Chancellor Jaha. "I am here for Doctor Griffin..." Valery said weakly. "I know, I will connect you to her." Jaha replied and he was gone. "Hey Valery." Abby said. The screen was black, Valery couldn't see her. "Hey." Valery's voice was shaking.
"I thought you might had some questions, and since we won't be there yet, I thought to do it like this." Abby said friendly. "Yes, that would be nice," Valery replied and took a deep breathe, "I believe you already know my question." It was silent on the other side for a few moments. "Yes, I do." Abby said slowly.
"Just get on with it." Valery said breathlessly. Abby was struggling to find the words on the other side. Valery's heart was pumping in her throat. "You were 13 weeks pregnant." Abby suddenly said quickly. It was as if Abby jumped out of that screen and hit Valery in the face. "W-what?" Valery whispered. Her stomach twisted and she started to feel sick. She had no idea what to think or what to say.
"What happened?" Valery asked quietly . "You had a miscarriage... You started to bleed when I was taking care of your wounds, it was probably the stun stick of Shumway that caused the bleeding. You actually gave birth to it... It was so small," Abby's voice was shakily, but she tried to stay strong, "Nearly three inches... she was sucking on her thumb and holding her foot."
"S-she?" Valery stuttered, her lips trembling. "It would have been a girl." Abby said. Valery's hand rushed to her mouth and she started to shake. The tears were rolling down her cheek. "I am so sorry, Valery." Valery shook her head. "Did you just throw it in the bin?" Valery asked mordacious.
"I put it in a small box, and send it to earth... I just couldn't tell you, I am sorry." Abby mumbled quietly. "Does my father know about this?" Valery asked slowly, staring at the empty screen. "No," Abby said and sighed, "that's up to you." Valery nodded slowly. "Thank you." She whispered.
The screen went on again, and Jaha appeared. Valery wiped the tears off her face, and awkwardly she looked around. Behind her, she heard excited shouting in the camp. Clarke entered the drop ship and without saying anything, Valery stood up and walked away. Bellamy was standing in the middle of the camp, surrounded. He was holding a gun.
Valery walked straight out of the camp, into the woods. She couldn't contain what just happened. 13 weeks of no bleeding, of course she was pregnant! How naïve she was, how stupid... how imprudent. Valery was feeling terribly dizzy and she sat down again. In the distance, she saw the lights of the camp.
A girl, Valery thought and she smiled. Her smile disappeared and wondered if it was good that she lost the child or not. Would Bellamy have taken care of her. Or her father? Was she allowed to see her child? She cringed when she thought about the fact she wouldn't see her child grow up at all.
After an hour, she was freezing and decided to go back to camp. Just before the gate, she met Octavia, who was staring into the dark. "Lincoln's gone." Octavia said. "Lincoln?" Valery repeated confused. "That's his name..." Octavia said and she smiled. She looked over to Valery.
"He drew you in his book, because he thought you were witch, with hair like fire..." Octavia whispered.
Octavia narrowed her eyes, looking closely to Valery. "What happened?" Octavia asked worried. "Nothing." Valery replied hoarsely. "Goodnight." Valery walked passed Octavia, into camp. Bellamy and Clarke were talking in a corner and the rest of the group was already in their tents.
Valery entered the drop ship and searched for her hammock.
"My friends, this is a historic Unity Day," Jaha said from the screen, "every year we mark the moment our ancestors of the 12 stations joined to form the Ark, but this is the last time we do so while aboard her. Next year, on the ground!" Everyone clapped, but not specifically the people of the camp. Valery didn't as well.
She hated Unity Day, for she was always forced to sing and because of the fact the Ark was only formed because the 13th station was blown out of the sky. Suddenly Jasper walked out of a tent, cheering. "Monty strikes again! I call this batch Unity Juice! Who's thirsty?" Everyone cheered, holding out their cups.
Jasper walked around with a giant iron can, filling the cups. "The first ship will launch in under 60 hours, carrying the reinforcements you need," Jaha's voice continued, "stay strong. Help is on the way." Valery sighed and walked past Jasper with a big bottle. "Fill it." She said and she stretched out her arm. "Just do it!" She snapped.
"Okay..." Jasper mumbled quietly and he filled Valery's bottle. "Thanks." She said and she walked away from him. The gates of the camp were closed. She looked around, and opened them. She sneaked out with the bottle and her bag, that she swung over her shoulder.
She walked for a few minutes and passed an open field. The field was filled with flowers. Daisies, lavender, and asters. She walked into the field and sat down, smelling the flowers. It was a lovely scent, and it calmed Valery. She plucked them and started to tie them together, in a circle. She smiled and she put it around her head.
"Now I am the princess." She said to herself and she took a sip of Monty's brew. It wasn't as good as she was used to, but it was enough. She stood up and sat down with her back against the tree, watching the field. How could a place like this be so peaceful and violent at the same time?
She grabbed the book that was in her bag and started to read it. She hadn't read all of it, for it was a lot. She was singing while reading, and came across a fact about lavender. That research has revealed that the essential oil of lavender may be useful for treating anxiety, depression, insomnia and restlessness.
"Better pluck the load of you, then." She said when she looked at the lavender growing a few yards away from her. Valery spend the whole day out there in the field. She drank half of the bottle, and was already feeling dizzy and light in her head. She stood up and decided to cut the lavender to bring back to camp.
She actually had no idea where she was or where she had to go to. She decided to just walk and see. The sun was gone, it was dusk. The stars were appearing and it got colder. "Everybody's got a reason... everybody's got a way..." She sang and hummed the music. She suddenly felt the booze kicking in even more.
She felt the apple she ate coming up and she threw up. It got all over the flowers, it kept coming up. She started to cry and she wiped away the apple sauce with her sleeve. She was leaning against the tree, and drank all what was left of the bottle. She threw the bottle away and stumbled further.
She started to see things double, and her head was light. She couldn't put one foot in front of the other, and she sank through her feet. Another wave was coming out of her, this time only the booze. She wiped her mouth again and started to cry.
She couldn't keep her eyes open, and she fell down on her side, not being able to move.
Valery was lying on something hard and cold. Her head was feeling like it was about to burst, her stomach like it was on fire, and her mouth like a desert. She was moaning, and tried to get up ,but she couldn't. "What the...?" She mumbled, but realized her hands and feet were tied together.
She blinked a few times and saw a silhouette of a human in front of her. She narrowed her eyes to see better, and to her surprise, she saw Lincoln. "You." She whispered and she started to twist, trying to get lose. He bend down and calmed her down. "Shhh..." he whispered, "it is ok, Valery." Lincoln untied her hands and feet. Valery frowned and looked around.
She was in a kind of house, but she didn't recognized it. It was made out of wood with a straw roof. "Where am I? I need to go back to camp." She mumbled confused. "Not so fast." It was the voice of a woman, who entered the room. She had brown hair, and the skin around her eyes was black.
The woman started to talk to Lincoln. It was a weird language, Valery had never heard it before. She did recognized some words, but it was too hard to even make something out of it. "I am Anya." The woman said. "Valery..." Valery mumbled and she touched her head. "What am I doing here?"
"You are our hostage." Anya said indifferently. "Please don't tell me you've pierced me with a spear as well... I do feel like it." Valery mumbled slowly. The woman suddenly walked up to her, grabbing Valery firmly by her chin, forcing her to look up into Anya's eyes.
"Lincoln told me you are an enchantress... a priestess, we need your help." Anya said. "And why would I help you?" Valery suddenly got slapped in the face, and a knife was being held against her throat. "Because if you don't, you will die." Valery gave a short nod and two Grounder's help her stand up.
She faced Lincoln. "Why did you bring me here?!" She snapped. "I had to, I am sorry," Lincoln whispered, "Clarke wanted to form an alliance, but that didn't work." Lincoln walked over to Anya, and she gave a short nod. Lincoln exchanged one swift look with Valery and disappeared.
Valery got offered some water, that she drank quickly. She was taken to a room, where a little girl was lying on a table. The girl was breathing heavily and irregular. "Help her." Anya said. Valery was shaking her head.
"I can't do this," Valery said startled, suddenly all sharp and awake, "I need a doctor... Clarke could do this, I can't..." Valery was looking hopelessly at Anya. "Our own surgeon is gone, so you must do it." Anya replied. "I can't, I am telling you!" Valery repeated.
Anya walked over to the two Grounders and started to whisper. Anya grabbed her weapons and walked back to Valery. "She better be alive when I come back." Anya left, with one Grounder behind, who watched Valery carefully. She bend over the little girl.
"What happened to her?" Valery asked the Grounder. "An explosion, she got hit." He replied flatly. Valery frowned and looked around. She saw her bag lying in the corner and grabbed the lavender out of it. She boiled some water and added the lavender. She gave it to the child while saying random stuff in Irish.
After an hour, Anya got back... with Finn and Clarke. "Valery, what the hell, where-?" Valery cut her off. "No time, you must save this girl." Valery said sharply. "So I have heard, or she will kill Finn." Clarke said and she bend over the girl, Clarke was discussing things with Anya and lifted the girl up to look on her back.
"I think the power of the explosion hit her on the chest, she's drowning in her own blood," Clarke said worried, "she can't breathe, I have to relieve the pressure." Clarke searched in the surgeon's bag and got back with a knife. "I need a small tube, something rigid, the size of my finger." One Grounder handed something over to Finn, who held it.
Valery just continued speaking in Irish. More like swearing and praying the girl wouldn't die. Clarke made a cut between the girl's ribs and pushed the tube in. "What have you done?!" Anya yelled and she pushed Clarke aside. "No, you don't understand. She couldn't breathe." Clarke said quickly, but Anya had already pushed her on the ground.
Finn tried to help her, but got thrown on the floor as well. Clarke started to help Finn, and they told the story to Valery about what happened. "Jeez..." Valery whispered when Clarke was done telling about the blown up bridge, the crashed Exodus ship, John Murphy and his disease.
"She's hot!" Anya snapped, who stood bend over Tris, the name of the girl. Clarke listened to the girl's heart. "It's way up, she must be septic." Clarke said to Valery. "What does that mean?" Anya asked suspiciously. "That means her blood is poisoned." Clarke examined the vials.
"She needs real medicine, not this crap!" She hissed and she stood up. "Sending in a little girl into battle, what is wrong with you people?!" Clarke snapped. "She was with me, she was my second. That's how we train people to become warriors." Anya replied.
Clarke and Anya started to argue, and Tris was breathing more heavily. Valery was feeling dizzy again and sat down in the corner. Clarke came up with a transfusion, so Tris could get clean blood. Valery walked up to the table again, and saw how Clarke took some of Finn's blood. "I can't find a vain..." Clarke mumbled. "Clarke?" Finn asked. "She's not breathing."
Clarke, Finn and Valery took a step back, waiting breathlessly what was about to happen. Anya cut of a strand of hair from the Tris, before a Grounder picked her up and carried her out of the room. "Take him away, and kill him." Anya said. "No!" Clarke and Valery yelled at the same time. "Please, don't hurt him!" Clarke cried as he was being taken away.
Valery sat down in the corner, watching Clarke and the Grounder. Out of the blue, Clarke jumped on the Grounder, who seemed to sit down. Valery walked over to them, and saw that Clarke pierced a knife in his throat. "Come on!" Clarke yelled and grabbed Valery's hand.
They ran outside, through the forest. Valery was panting loudly, following Clarke. They were running as fast as they could, in the dark. Valery fell a bit behind Clarke. "Clarke!" Valery panted. Clarke looked behind her, to Val, but suddenly seemed to be yanked by her foot into the air. "Clarke!" Valery yelled panicky, as she watched her hanging above the ground, her food tied to a rope.
"Go..." Clarke mumbled and Valery started to run. Valery ran as fast and far as she could, following the northern star she could see in the sky. After an half our, she saw the camp in the distance. She smiled and walked up to it. She almost couldn't walk, and she fell down.
"Valery?!" Raven yelled indignantly. "Where the hell have you been?! She yanked Valery up. "Jeez, she's been drinking." Raven scoffed. Valery pushed Raven off her.
"While you were partying and blowing up bridges, I got kidnapped by Grounders, meeting Finn and Clarke, who are still there, I guess," Valery snapped, "and yes I was drinking because I heard I had a fucking miscarriage!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and she started to cry.
Octavia walked up to Valery and hugged her. "Shhh..." Octavia whispered. "It would have been a girl..." Valery mumbled in between her cries. "W-what?" A trembling voice said. Valery's body froze and slowly she let go of Octavia and turned around. She looked up to the person who said it and stood face to face with Bellamy.
