Haunted Chapter 21

Niylah knew it was Skaikru when she saw the Rover. Raven got out with some guy she had never seen before. Niylah immediately didn't like Murphy.

They were unloading someone on a stretcher, when Clarke pulled her aside.

"We need to use your place. It's an emergency," said Clarke.

Niylah watched as they moved past her with Bellamy on the stretcher. "Bellamy?" she asked.

He was on his stomach, covered in blood, but couldn't mistake his mop of unruly Black hair.

"Look I know you don't want…" Clarke started.

"No, no…hurry, "said Niylah as she led them through to the back.

Clarke, Octavia and Raven were surprised to see her being so helpful. They knew she didn't like him, and last time her harsh words had caused him to leave in the middle of a rain storm.

Abby assessed him on the way, and gave him antibiotics and an IV but she knew she needed to do something about his leg and fast.

They removed his pants, leaving only his shorts. He didn't have a shirt. They still had Millers torn jacked wrapped over him. He would wake for moments but was in such pain Abby kept him drugged. She hated to but he was suffering so much and thrashed about, she was afraid he would cause himself more injury if she didn't.

They sedated him, and she opened up his leg. It was badly infected, and had to be set. He had gone days and suffered a lot of damage. They had to pump him full of antibiotics. She cleaned the infected areas then cauterized the wound. She cleaned the leg as good as she could with her limited resources. Niylah found light weight metal bars. Raven came up with a brace to support it and they wrapped his leg securely so it wouldn't move. Hopefully it would heal, but they would have to unwrap it and clean it daily until the chance for reinfection had passed. He would have to stay off his feet. Something Octavia knew he would fight them on.

"It's all we can do to his leg for now. We have to wait and see. Hopefully we won't have to take the leg," said Abby.

Abby checked his back. She and Clarke cleaned his cuts. They applied a salve to help the healing and stitched the deepest ones. Knowing he had broken two ribs, she would normally wrap his torso but she decided not to as long as he was in bed. That would give his back a chance to heal. "He's lost so much blood," said Abby. "I'm surprised he's made it this far."

She listened to his lungs. He had a slight case of pneumonia. Clarke was concerned because he seemed to have had trouble breathing a few days ago.

"Let me do something," said Octavia as she looked on. She wanted to help.

Clarke looked at her. She realized Octavia had felt terrible over treating her brother so badly. She needed to do something for him.

Ask Niylah for some warm soapy water, we need to clean his hands.

Octavia rushed out and after a few minutes came in with a metal pan that held clean, soapy water. Clarke set the pan next to him and carefully lifted his hand and set it into the soapy water, soaking his hands and fingertips, letting the dried blood soften and cleaned it away, she did the same with the other hand. Clarke let Octavia put the salve on his fingertips, gently, carefully rubbing the salve into the raw nailbeds. Octavia took her time. "You're going to be alright Bell, I promise," she said to him softly as tears streamed down her face. Holding his hand made her feel like it was a comfort.

Clarke looked at him. He was on his stomach his face turned towards her. She reached up and pushed the hair from his temple that was hanging over his eyes. All the pain he had suffered was too much. When would he catch a break? He already hated himself, her heart ached for him. She wanted to tell him everything would be fine, but she couldn't make that promise, not in this world. All she could do was to be here for him.

Octavia saw the small scar on his cheek. She put it there. It would always be a reminder of her savagely beating him after Lincoln died. His face was bruised and battered, yet that one small scar; broke her heart and she began to let tears quietly roll down her face. He looked so helpless lying there. She looked at his face and memories of him when he would play with her, and tell her stories. His whole life was spent looking after her, and now she wanted to be here for him.