Chapter Sixteen
Author's Note: Hey all, so first I want to say that, while writing had been hard with all the stress and anxiety in my life, I took a small break during this season after episode 13, because I was just really upset. Although, from this, my resolve has strengthened in writing fics better than this season, so I will continue this story for sure, and I also hope to write more short fics and fix-its. For now, check out my two-shot fluff story Father's Day Surprise for more Bellarke. Secondly, this will be a longer chapter (one of the longest so far) due to me not liking other stopping points I tried out. So, you get a longer chapter! Plus, reward for dealing with all my giant breaks between updates! Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and be well 100 fam.
Clarke used a damp piece of cloth and started to clean off some of the wounds on Carter, trying to figure out where most of the blood was coming from. They were now in one of the rooms next to the med bay, and Connor and Derek had been brought in so she could keep an eye on them, as well as keep them from the others.
Bellamy paced, his concern only fueling his anger at Carter. "Is this your revenge? Helping the Grounders kill us?"
"I didn't know about this," He mumbled out.
"Stop lying!" Bellamy yelled, surprising Clarke with his outburst. "When are they coming?"
"Carter, think. Is there anything you can tell us that is helpful?" She prompted, taking charge of the questions for now.
He just shook his head, his face serious as he spoke. "They are vicious."
"Do you want to see vicious?" Bellamy raised his voice, his hand going for one of his daggers as he started to come closer.
"Bellamy, don't." Clarke stopped him, holding her hand out once more. "Whatever this is, it spreads through contact. Which means you shouldn't be in here, no one should."
"You're sick," He stated, saying a lot with two words. She could hear the concern that she knew was being masked by anger. "Any idea what this is?"
"I'm not sure, but it seems like some kind of hemorrhagic fever. We just need to contain it-"
She was cut off by Derek suddenly coughing violently before starting to seize on the floor. Clarke got up and rushed over. She continued over to where Derek was seizing, until he suddenly started violently retching up more blood, then collapsed. She braced herself for a moment before leaning over and placing her fingers on his neck to check his pulse.
"Is he…" Bellamy whispered, his breathing uneven.
Clarke's heart dropped as she felt nothing. She looked back toward Bellamy, shaking her head slightly as she tried to wrap her head around what this meant. "He's dead."
Bellamy's jaw tightened as he processed as well. He tried, unsuccessfully, to calm the rapid pounding of his heart. Everyone in the room stayed silent, a heavy cloud of silence surrounding them.
Clarke, trying to keep some kind of control over the rapidly changing situation, got up and looked to Bellamy.
"What do we do?" He asked.
"Quarantine." She stated, breathing heavily as her heart refused to slow. "Round up everyone who had contact with Carter, and bring them here."
"And the people they had contact with?" He asked, the annoyance in his voice not geared at her, but the situation and his lack of control.
"We have to start somewhere," She looked up at him, giving him a small shrug. She turned to the other sick boy on the other side of the room. "Connor, who was with you when you found him? Who helped carry him in? Think."
"The first one there was Octavia." He muttered, his head lulling from side to side as he fought the exhaustion to keep his head up.
Clarke turned to watch the fear spread further across Bellamy's face. He gave her one last look before rushing out to find his sister.
Bellamy's head was spinning as he walked through the camp, looking back and forth to try and find his sister. He found her near the gate, looking through one of the gaps in the wall at the forest outside.
"Octavia," He called out as he got closer. She jumped a little, his heart aching a little at how on edge she seemed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay, I was just… keeping watch." She drew the words out, still glancing to the gap she was looking out a few times.
"How are you feeling?" He didn't have time to worry about what she was up to. His heart hadn't stopped beating a million miles a minute since he saw Clarke's face with blood running down it.
"Fine?" She shrugged, obviously confused and slightly annoyed at her overprotective brother.
"Did you touch Carter yesterday?" He pushed on.
"What?" She turned, he now had her full attention.
"Did you touch Carter yesterday?" He repeated, stressing the words even more this time.
"I don't know? I guess so?" She answered uncertainly. "Why?"
"The Grounders sent him here with a virus to infect us." He paused, looking to the ground before speaking. "Derek just died from it."
Her face fell a little and she took one last glance out toward the forest.
"Come on, Clarke needs to examine you."
Octavia followed her brother to the med bay, not missing the subtle change in her brother's demeanor as they entered the room. She noticed his eyes growing slightly wider and his jaw tightening, the way he always did when he was upset or trying to keep himself calm. She followed his eyes to what brought on the change, realizing it was Clarke, hastily moving around, but she was holding a piece of cloth in front of her mouth and nose, and her eyes had faint streaks of red below them.
As soon as they walked in, Clarke motioned for them to stay in the entryway, fixing Bellamy with a hard look to keep him in place. She walked over to them, but the closer she got the more Octavia could see how terrible she looked. She understood her brother's panic a little more, because if he thought she might be sick that was one thing, but having her possibly being sick and Clarke being sick was another horrible reality.
Clarke gave Bellamy a cloth to cover his face with as well. She then asked Octavia a few questions, keeping the cloth covering her face like a mask as she did. She grabbed the lantern nearby, bringing it up closer to Octavia's face to see as she inspected her eyes, nose, and mouth.
While she inspected Octavia, a few more people were brought in by healthier-looking kids with similar fashioned clothes masking their faces. A few of the people brought in were coughing, blood leaking from their noses.
"Okay," Clarke sighed, her voice slightly more nasal than normal. "We're done. No signs of swelling or bleeding."
"So are you saying she doesn't have it?" Bellamy asked, his voice a little more hopeful.
Clarke gave him a sad smile, wishing she could reassure him the way he needed right now. "I'm saying she doesn't have symptoms… but that could change. I need to keep her here just in case."
"No way." He insisted. "Look around at this place, she'll get sick just being here."
"Do you want to stop the spread or not?" Clarke said, her voice tired, and her eyelids drooping. He looked at her, his expression softening, and then looked away. "I'll keep her in the other room with the people who are not symptomatic yet."
Octavia looked to her brother, eyes frantic. She was beginning to feel trapped.
"Think of it as a way to keep an eye on her and stop her from sneaking off somewhere." Clarke said, earning a scoff from Octavia.
"Screw you, Clarke." Octavia quipped.
"I'll let you know if her condition changes." Clarke nodded at Bellamy, who gave her one final concerned look before turning and leaving the med bay. Octavia started to head off to the room that was functioning as a second med bay, but Clarke stopped her. "Octavia, wait."
Octavia turned to her, fixing her with an annoyed glare.
"I need you to sneak out again." She breathed, fighting to keep her head up straight as she got slightly dizzy again. Octavia blinked a few times in confusion. "I'm sorry about what I said to your brother, but I needed him to leave you here so I could ask you for a favor. So, will you help me?"
Octavia snuck through the empty castle halls, thankful that the virus' outbreak kept everyone not yet sick outside for now. She was able to get to the tunnels without anyone spotting her. She hurried, knowing that she needed to reach her destination quickly.
She found the hidden entrance to the cave he stayed in, checking once more around her to make sure no one followed her or was watching. When she was sure she was alone, she ducked inside, making her way toward the main area that was lit with the fire he had burning.
"Lincoln?" She called out, stopping as she saw him. He immediately put down the book he was holding and walked over to her, looking at her intently, similar to how Clarke had examined her a short while ago. Her next words weren't a question, but more of a statement. "You knew."
"I tried to get you out of there," He backed up slightly, still holding onto her gently. "Didn't you see the flower?"
"I saw it…" She hesitated, eyes dropping to the floor. She hardened her resolve before continuing. "Right before I found the kid your people sent to infect us all. People are dying, Lincoln. Clarke sent me here for the cure."
"There is no cure." He backed away, shaking his head slightly. He walked to the other side of the fire, making sure he wasn't facing her.
"So you were just going to let my people die?" She raised her voice a little, her annoyance getting the better of her. "You were going to let me die?"
"The sickness passes quickly. Few are immune. We use it to soften the battlefield." He closed the distance between them, his face and voice softening as he held her face in his hands. "I am not surprised you are one of the strong ones."
"Battlefield?" She echoed his earlier word. They stared at each other in silence for a moment as she willed him to elaborate. His expression dropped slightly.
"They attack at first light." He whispered.
"You have to help me save them!"
"I can't! My people already suspect I'm a traitor."
"Why? Because you didn't kill us after escaping or something?"
"No. It's not that." He looked at her intensely.
"Because of me?" She asked quietly. His silence was enough of an answer. She sighed. "I cannot let my brother get killed."
"There is nothing you can do to stop it now." He insisted.
"I can at least warn them." She countered.
"Octavia, they'll kill you! If you are there at dawn-"
"I won't be." She looked at him, nodding her head slightly. She started to back away, but he closed the distance between them, kissing her deeply. She pulled away after a moment, nodding once more before taking off back toward the camp.
Clarke stood in the entryway of the castle, watching as two kids carried a girl out and lay her next to Derek. Two dead from this virus. She watched with a somber expression as they covered the girl with the sheet. Once the kids covered her up, they went back inside, the infected staying in the med bay and the surrounding two rooms.
At least 10 feet away stood Bellamy and the other kids, watching with fear in their eyes. Once most of the infected went back inside, Clarke looked up and met Bellamy's eyes.
"Alright, show's over. Get back to your posts." He commanded, everyone slowly moving to follow his orders. He walked a few feet closer to the doors, making sure to stay far enough away. "You have enough food in there? Water?"
"Yeah," She nodded, smiling a little despite the grim circumstances. "Some medicine might be nice."
Bellamy chuckled at her attempt at humor, giving her a rare smile that made her feel less exhausted and worried. "I'll see what I can do."
She smiled back at him, trying to send as much reassurance as she could in her gaze. She nodded and started heading back inside.
"Octavia, you okay in there?" He shouted, stopping Clarke in her tracks. He waited, and she knew there would be no answer. When he heard none he started to come toward her, ready to search for his sister.
"Bellamy, wait." Clarke let out a defeated sigh. "She's not here… I sent her to see Lincoln."
"The Grounder?" Bellamy's face hardened with rage.
"You and I both know she's been sneaking off, where else would she have been going? Look, if there is a cure, he has it." She tried to take a deep breath, but it was too shallow for her liking. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I knew you would not let her go."
He fixed her with a look she had never quite seen directed at her, causing her heart to break a little. He spoke in a forced calm manner, "If anything happens to her… you and me are going to have a problem."
"Bellamy!" She called after him, weakly, as he stormed away.
He started heading through the leftover crowd of kids, toward the wall. He came to a stop when one of the kids was blocking his path. He tried to calm himself but he was too upset and worried.
"Out of my way." He ordered.
The kid slowly turned around, revealing the blood tears leaking down his face. Bellamy backed up a step, the other kids around him realizing and freaking out.
"Dude, your eyes!" One guy exclaimed, bringing the attention of those around to them.
"Nobody touch him!" Another guy yelled, aiming the bow he had for his post at the kid who's eyes were bleeding.
"Get to the med bay." Bellamy took a breath. "Now!"
Nearby in the small crowd, Raven took in what was happening. Then the girl next to her started to tilt, looking unsteady in her balance.
"Hey are you okay?" She asked the girl, who promptly started to fall and was caught by a guy standing to the other side of her. As he caught her, she started coughing blood, spraying it in their faces. The guy immediately dropped her, bringing his hands to his face, now covered in blood and spit. He started freaking out, and the other kids around him panicked and aimed any weapon they had on them at him as he went around. Same with anyone who had touched the girl moments before.
Clarke looked out as the crowd started to descend into absolute fear-driven chaos. She saw Bellamy trying his best to calm them down, doing what he could to break up the fighting and lower weapons, but to no avail. She knew she needed to get them to calm down before someone did something they could not take back. She turned and grabbed one side of the double door leading into the castle, using a lot of her strength to bring it toward her quickly. It finally compiled, slamming behind her, effectively quieting the crowd. She walked a few steps forward and addressed them.
"This," She breathed, finding herself slightly out of breath from the small task. She continued to take small pauses between sentences, trying to keep her voice steady. "Is exactly what the Grounders want. Don't you all see that? They don't have to kill us if we kill each other first."
"They won't have to kill us if we all catch the virus," One guy with a bow stepped toward her, his bow aimed at her and ready to fire. "Get back in the damn med bay!"
He barely got his sentence out before Bellamy was there, taking the bow and knocking him back with it. He may be annoyed with Clarke, but he would never let anyone threaten her, especially not some crazy-worried kid with a weapon.
"To state the obvious," He said more under his breath due to his closer proximity to her, "but your quarantine isn't working."
She looked at him, about to answer when the world started spinning again. Her eyelids drooped even further as she fought to keep them open.
Bellamy could see that the act of slamming the door had taken most of the energy she had left and she was barely hanging on by a thread. He hated seeing her like this, and it was only getting worse by the minute. He saw her face as she started to lose focus, her head lolling to the side a bit before she stumbled slightly.
He didn't even think before he dove the extra few feet, catching her before she could hit the ground. Her legs couldn't hold her anymore so he picked her up, her limbs hanging loosely in the air because it was too much effort to fight him.
"I'm…" She panted, using energy to stay awake and speak. Her words came out slow and she had to take shallow breaths between each phrase. "Let me go. I'm okay."
"No you're not." He told her firmly as her head rolled against his shoulder, despite her best efforts.
"Octavia will come back with a cure." She breathed out.
"There is no cure." Octavia's voice rang out through the crowd as she rushed toward them. She paused for a second, her face falling as she took in the sight of her brother cradling a very sick Clarke in his arms, his face cracking with worry and fear. "But the Grounders don't use the sickness to kill."
"Oh, yeah?" He stepped closer, careful not to jostle Clarke in his arms too much. He gestured behind him with a nod of his head. "Tell that to them."
Octavia's face fell, closing her eyes as she realized the gravity of the situation.
"I warned you about sneaking off, and seeing that Grounder." He growled out.
"Well I have a warning for you too." She raised her voice to address the crowd with her next words. "The Grounders are coming. They attack at first light."
The gasps and panic went through the crowd, and Bellamy's face hardened before he looked down at Clarke, whose eyes were barely open, her head laying against his shoulder.
"Come on," Octavia walked toward her brother, "I'll help you get Clarke into the med bay."
The two siblings brought Clarke back into the med bay, bringing her to the main area she had set up for those who were more sick than others.
"What do I have to do to keep you from coming in here?" Clarke uttered out weakly.
"Get better." He stated, looking around for a place to lay her down.
"Here," Carter said, drawing their attention. He had climbed out of his cot that was on the far side of the room. "She can have mine."
Bellamy gave him a hard look but didn't argue or question. He could feel Clarke's strength slipping away in his arms. He brought her over, gently laying her on the cot.
"What else did the Grounder tell you?" He asked his sister, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.
"Lincoln said that a few are immune, like me. And that the virus doesn't last long." She made a point of using his name, glaring at her brother as she did.
"It's true," Carter spoke up again, the energy back in his voice, "I feel better."
"They need to stay hydrated-" Clarke explained, trying to sit herself up, but Bellamy wouldn't let her.
"You need to stay hydrated." He said pointedly.
Octavia came back with a glass of water, handing it to Clarke, who took it with shaking hands. She took a small drink before handing the glass back to her.
"Them too." She used her eyes to gesture toward the other kids, too weak to move her head. Octavia looked at her, concern written all over her face. "Please?"
"I've got it, just rest." She patted Clarke's leg, heading off to help the other sick kids.
"I'll help you." Carter volunteered, getting up and following her, not missing the piercing glare Bellamy gave him as he went.
"You need to stay out of here, save yourself from this virus." She said wearily, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
"Clarke-" He started, his voice cracking slightly.
"Please, Bellamy." She struggled to keep herself conscious as she felt the exhaustion begin to take hold. "Sterilize your hands with the alcohol in the bin before you leave."
He started to reach out to touch her but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. Even with little to no energy, she could stop his actions with a single piercing glare.
"Save yourself." She whispered out before she finally passed out.
He gave her one last longing stare, his heart breaking as he left her, praying to whatever god there was that it wouldn't be the last time.
Bellamy met up with Finn, Jasper, Monty, Harper and Raven in the weapons tent, trying to plan their strategy. They didn't have enough people able to fight, which Octavia said was the point, and they were also running low on arrows for their longer-range weapons.
"We are so dead." Harper whispered, to which Monty gave her a reassuring look.
"Is there any way we can slow them down or delay them? Until we have more of our people back on their feet?" Finn wondered aloud.
"Do you have any gunpowder?" Raven suddenly asked, an idea forming in her mind.
"Not that much, but some, why? How does that help?" Finn asked.
"I can create an explosive, like a bomb." Raven's mind raced as she started planning. "That would slow them down, right? Not to blow up the Grounders themselves, just slow them down."
"There's a bridge that one has to cross to get from here toward the Grounder's territory. We could blow that up?" Finn suggested.
"And waste our only bomb on a bridge?" Bellamy challenged.
"They don't know we only have one. As you said, if we only had one, why would we waste it on a bridge?" Finn countered excitedly.
"Fine, but how do we do this?" Bellamy rolled his eyes, not having any better ideas that didn't end in an all out war.
"I need to find a container for the gunpowder, what we need to do is plant it on the bridge, have someone use an arrow that we light on fire with a torch, and that person needs to hit the gunpowder container with the flaming arrow and boom!" She explained quickly.
"This won't stop the attack, but if the virus is fast and Carter said he's feeling better, then it will delay the attack. Then there will be more people who can fight." Finn added.
A few hours later, Raven had the gunpowder in a container that could be breached by the arrow and thus ignite the gunpowder. Bellamy, Raven, and Finn stood in the small tent looking at the container.
"To be safe, the shooter needs to be at least 100 feet away." Raven instructed.
"So, who will plant the bomb?" Bellamy asked, looking around the room. A heavy silence followed.
"I will," Finn volunteered, breaking the silence.
"Alright," Bellamy looked at Finn, who immediately stepped back and Raven gave him a hard look.
"Don't. Touch. Anything." She said slowly.
Bellamy brought his hand up to his nose where he felt wetness, pulling his hand back to see blood. He figured it was only a matter of time after being in close proximity to Carter, and then Clarke as well.
"Who else can take the shot?" Finn asked.
"I appreciate the concern," Bellamy quipped, his annoyance at the situation growing. "Just be ready to go in ten minutes so you can reach the bridge before dawn."
He left the tent, staggering a little as he felt the sickness creep over him more and more. He found Jasper near the fire, close to the weapons tent he just left.
"Jasper," He called out hoarsely, waving the kid over to him. "Come here."
Jasper walked toward him, but Bellamy put his hand out before he got too close. He looked at the boy, whose eyes grew wide when they took in the blood coming from his nose and the exhausted sunkenness of his eyes.
"I need you to take the shot." Bellamy said quietly. Jasper nodded slightly. "Don't miss, or we're all dead."
Jasper looked around slowly, his horrified expression never lessening. "Why me? You've got like twenty shooters."
Bellamy looked at the ground, confirming what Jasper already suspected.
"I'm the only one not sick, right?" He braced himself for the answer.
"Right." Bellamy conceded. Jasper's face hardened a bit. This time when Bellamy spoke, it was more encouraging. "Don't miss."
Bellamy turned to head to the med bay, but only got a few steps before collapsing onto one of the small tents next to him. Jasper started toward him, but he stopped him.
"No!" He breathed, understanding why Clarke took so many pauses earlier. "Stay back. Make the shot."
Jasper looked helplessly at him, then turned to some of the onlooking people nearby. "Don't just stand there, get him into the med bay!"
Jasper made sure that people were helping Bellamy before he left to find Finn.
Octavia was holding a damp cloth against Clarke's forehead as she slept, trying to help break her fever. She had been in and out since Bellamy left, and she was starting to worry about the blonde. Her focus was drawn away by a loud violent coughing sound. She looked over to where Connor was laying on his back, slightly propped up.
"Hey Carter!" She yelled, getting his attention. "Clarke said when that happens to roll them on their side!"
"I'm on it," Carter replied, already making his way to Connor. He reached him and helped him onto his side, where he promptly vomited up a lot of blood. "Alright, just breathe."
The sound of footsteps coming in took their focus again, and Octavia's heart dropped as she saw her brother being practically carried in by two guys.
"Bell, no," She whispered, rushing over to clear some space for her brother. They laid him down on his back, but he started to choke on the blood, so she rolled him onto his side. He coughed up blood and she patted his back, telling him to breathe. He tried to take a deep breath, getting his breathing back to normal. He looked over briefly to where Clarke was still unconscious on the cot he left her in, his face breaking, unable to hide his emotions as he stared back at his sister.
"Hey big brother," Octavia said in a reassuring voice, wiping away some of the blood from his face.
"I'm scared," He whispered breathily.
Octavia's heart broke, seeing her normally hardcore and strong brother so scared and fragile. She was scared too, but she said her next words with certainty. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
"That's what I said to you the day you were born," He tried to smile as he felt the exhaustion threaten to bring him under.
"I know," She gave him a reassuring smile, "You've told me that like a thousand times."
He tried to steady his breathing again but it was mostly coming out in shallow gasps. He held his sister's hand as tightly as he could, but he felt himself fading into unconsciousness.
"I'm glad you're here," He murmured.
"Just get some rest," She whispered, tears in her eyes. He barely nodded before he passed out, his breathing finally evening out.
Bellamy awoke with a start, as if from a nightmare, his heart pounding. He immediately reached for his sister's hand, which he was holding when he passed out, but she wasn't there. He sat himself up slightly, looking toward the cot in the back of the room.
His heart stopped when he looked over to find the cot empty, when the last time he saw it Clarke was still unconscious on it. His heart rate then went into double time as he tried to tell himself that she was fine. There was no way she was gone, she was too stubborn to die like this. Despite what he told himself, he could feel his panic rising.
"Here," Carter said, turning some of his panic into anger as he held out a glass of water.
"Get the hell away from me," Bellamy pushed the glass and Carter's offering away weakly.
"Bellamy, you're sick, I'm just trying to help." His voice seemed genuine, but he was too ramped up to care.
Bellamy felt his nose start to bleed once again, rejecting the cloth Carter held out for him. He used his sleeve and held it against his nose.
"Hey," A familiar voice broke through his panic, shattering it into relief. "I got this one."
Carter got up and handed the water and the rag to Clarke. Her hair was still messy and damp from sweat, but her face had more energy and she was moving around. She sat next to him, their legs touching as she put one hand on his shoulder to steady him and offered him the water with the other.
"Here," She coaxed, making sure he held the cup tightly before letting go. He looked her up and down a few times, still trying to make sure she wouldn't disappear.
"You're feeling better?" He asked, relief and hope evident in his voice and face.
"Yeah," She nodded, her hand squeezing his shoulder in reassurance that she was still there.
"That's good." He said, finally able to breathe. He gave her a weak smile before continuing. "Have you seen Octavia?"
"She was up all night helping people." Clarke explained, smiling at him. Her smile faded a little bit before she continued. "Carter gave her a break."
"Don't tell me you trust him now?" He asked, a little defensively.
"Trust? No." She answered, looking toward where Carter was milling around. "I do believe in second chances though."
The two of them shared a meaningful look. Bellamy took Clarke's hand and squeezed it gently, a small smile spreading on his face.
"It's almost dawn, we should get everyone inside. Lock the doors." He instructed.
"Not everyone is sick," Clarke protested.
"Have them go to other rooms. Even so, sick is better than dead." He said pointedly.
"You don't think Finn and Jasper are going to pull it off." She stated, reading the look in his eyes.
"Do you?" He asked softly, able to read her expression the way she read his.
"I'll get everyone inside." She sighed, squeezing his hand once more before getting up to round up their people.
Clarke and Bellamy were ushering people through the doors, instructing them on where to go, when they heard a loud boom. Everyone turned toward the sound, which had come from far in the distance, toward the Grounder's territory. The two took a step in the general direction as they stared at the sky. They could see black smoke rising up, which could only mean one thing.
"They did it." Bellamy said, surprise ringing through his words. They stood in silence as they watched the large smoke cloud rise through the air.
"I am become death, destroyer of worlds." Clarke whispered as she stared at the smoke. She looked to see Bellamy staring at her in a strange way. "I read it in a book, it was the man who built the first-"
"I know who said it," He cut her off, hinting that the look he was giving her was a mix of wonder and pride. They gave each other small smiles, before they turned back to look at the sky.