Chapter 80

Clarke sat inside the barrack clinic hospital that Abby was working in. She knew that Jackson was still on the ship monitoring Kane's condition while they tried to figure out how to save him. Clarke knew that her mother loved him, and Abby couldn't let him go. She didn't blame Abby for that. She understood what that was like. She'd studied the scans too. She knew that Abby was trying to use everything that she could from her own knowledge, from the different krus, and from whatever she could from Sam and her other doctors in the Village. She wanted to help her mother, but she didn't know that she could. Kane was very hurt.

"Have you spoken with Jackson lately?" Clarke asked her.

"This morning," Abby replied.

"And?"

"There's been no change. He's still stable, but Jackson is afraid that if we bring him down he'll die. So, for now, we are monitoring him and trying to figure out how to fix everything," Abby told her.

"Being in status didn't help?"

"It slowed down the inevitable. He's still very injured. We stopped the bleeding, but he didn't heal while we were in stasis. So, if we bring him out, he'll still be as injured as he was going in, but he won't be bleeding out. Right now, I have Jackson doing scans on him twice a day. He's injected him with some medicines, but so far, Kane isn't reacting," Abby stated.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out, Mom," Clarke told her.

"I hope so," Abby replied, but Clarke could hear the defeat in her voice.

"Have you talked with Sam in the Village about his condition?"

"Not really. I've been going through their databases and reading up on their local and natural cures. We're running low on things from Earth. As long as Kane is stable, I've been worried about the rest of us down here for now."

"Understandable, but Sam might be able to help. I doubt that she'll make it out here to do anything or to possibly go up and see Kane for herself until after the Thaw, but it is an idea, Mom. You could reach out to her. I am sure that she would love to help you. And, who knows she might come up with something that can work on him while still in stasis."

"I'll think about it."

Clarke could hear the resistance in her voice, and she wondered why. She didn't want to push, but she knew that Palla would all but demand that Sam help them if she could. Plus, she knew that Sam liked puzzles. She would see this as another puzzle for her and her medical experts to work on during the Snows. The more that Clarke watched her mother and pondered her reasoning for not asking help, the more she thought about getting into the databases and getting Kane's files to send to Sam. She'd already done wonders with Raven and it had only been three days since her surgery.

Clarke decided to give it a day or two before she brought it up again. Hopefully by then, she would know what was bothering her mother so much. She knew that if she had an "in," she could pressure her mother, but she didn't want to do that. Hell, she could have Madi order it, too, but that would be a worst case and last possible option before she just did it herself. She wanted Kane to live, but she wanted her mother to be happy as well.

"Mom, you know that I went with Madi to go see Palla and the wall and such," Clarke started.

Abby stopped moving and turned around to face her daughter. She could tell that there was something that Clarke needed to tell her, and she was pretty sure by the look on Clarke's face that she wasn't really going to like it. But, she'd hear her out and wait to make judgements. She liked Palla to a degree, and she couldn't help but be grateful for everything that the woman had done for them, but she was still wary of her.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothing bad, no," Clarke answered.

"Is that why the rest didn't come back with you?"

"But, they did, Mom. Well, everyone but Raven. Echo and Octavia are heading back to the Village soon, though. They are going to be our ambassadors for Palla."

"Those two, hmmm? I thought one of them would have been you. You are after all, or were, our ambassador."

"I was, yes, but we aren't on Earth anymore. And, we are all Wonkru now. Besides, I told Madi I didn't want any type of position like that," Clarke told her.

"And, she went with that?"

"I think that Madi likes having me close, Mom. I can't blame her for that. We were all each other had for six years."

"I know, Baby, but I still don't think it's right that she's in charge of everything. She's twelve. She should be doing other things," Abby stated and then raised her hand at Clarke before she could protest her words. "I know what you are going to say. I don't agree with it, but I know better than to say anything against it. You made that very clear many times before with Lexa. She's a smart girl and she's got a smart mother and grandmother to help her."

"That she does," Clarke agreed with her mother with a slight smirk.

"What did you need to tell me, Clarke?"

"You remember how we sent Raven, too?"

"Yeah, something about helping the fix the wall."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't that," Clarke said and prepared for the fight that was about to come.

Abby stared at her daughter. She saw it again. The flash in Clarke's eyes. It wasn't defiance. It was more like fear, but Abby couldn't figure out why Clarke would be afraid of her. She'd never given her daughter reason to fear her, even with everything that happened back on Earth. She supported Clarke, even when she didn't like her decisions. It was ultimately Raven's fault for that, and she couldn't blame Raven for her reasoning. The mechanic had been right, Clarke stopped being a child when she landed on Earth and had to survive on her own.

"Oh," Abby stated and waited for the fallout.

"Palla has an engineer friend," Clarke started.

"Yeah? Sent her to work with this friend, did we? They haven't blown anything up, have they?" Abby asked.

"No, nothing like that. At least not yet, anyway. No, Raven didn't go to work with her exactly. Raven was seen by her wife."

"Okay," Abby replied as she sat back down at her desk, still watching an extremely cagey Clarke. Finally, she couldn't take it. "Clarke just tell me what happened. I'm sure that I can take it. It must be something bad for you to be so...upset about it. Raven is okay, though, right?"

"Yeah, Mom, she's great. Sam and Meeka, Palla's friends, took care of Raven. She recovering now."

"Recovering?"

"Yeah, shit. Sorry. Okay, so let me start at the beginning. Just promise that you won't get mad at Raven about it."

Abby leaned forward at her desk. She sat down the tablets in her hand and steepled her fingers. Her dark eyes found her daughter's blue eyes, that were so much like her husband's, Clarke's father.

"If Raven is okay, then I have nothing to mad at her about."

"I wouldn't say that, but... A few weeks ago, she came to me. She said she'd been feeling things in her leg."

"I know, she told me. "

"No, Mom, she didn't. I transferred her files to her workshop. I reviewed everything that you'd done. And it was a lot considering what we did and didn't have. But, we both know that you've been more preoccupied with Kane. I get it. So does Raven, but she was feeling things in areas of her leg that she hadn't before."

"I see."

"I don't think you do, Mom."

"So, what do you do?" Abby asked as she sat back, trying to keep her anger at bay.

"I tested her myself to see what progress or decay she might have experienced."

"And?"

"She isn't having phantom pains, Mom. It was like her nerves had started to repair themselves in Chryo. I don't know how else to explain it. But, she had feeling above her knee. Not just pressure, but pain, and she could flex her muscle just a little. It was something. So, we," Clarke started to explain.

"WE? Who was all in on this? Hmm? Who else decided that I didn't need to know what you were doing with patient?" Abby probed, letting some anger out.

"See, this is exactly why she didn't want to tell you, but I told her we needed to. I'm telling you now because I want you to the results of what you helped make happen. She'd be dead without you, Mom. She knows that. She also knows that you've had to deal with a lot. She doesn't fault you for that, but she wanted a second opinion."

"So she ran to Palla's physician?" Abby accused.

"No, Mom, she came to me. Palla just happened to be there while we were doing things. She asked Raven for permission to send her files to Sam and Meeka. I didn't even know she'd done it until Raven asked me for permission to have the surgery."

"She had surgery?!" Abby shouted.

"Mom, calm down. She's fine. They have nerve specialists. They've repaired some of the damaged tissue. Meeka made her a less cumbersome brace. She's doing well. She should be up and walking in a few days."

"Walking?"

"Yeah, on her own, with a minimal brace. Sam isn't sure that she isn't going to need another surgery. It will all depend on Raven and her recovery. But, Sam wants you to come visit the hospital as soon as the Thaw happens."

"I don't know that it would be a good idea," Abby stated.

"Why not, Mom?" Clarke asked her.

"It is obvious that I couldn't help her and this Sam can. So, there is no need for me to be there. Besides, I have to deal with all of us. I can't be gone for something like that. Who would care for Wonkru?"

"Mom, it doesn't have to be like that. Raven didn't want to tell you for the same reasons that she got mad at you when you were chancellor. She wanted her friend and her doctor, but that wasn't what she was getting. And, honestly, I get it. You've been so worried about everyone else that we've let you just do it."

"What do you mean?" Abby questioned.

"Forgive for wanting more of your time, Mom. Raven thinks of you like a mother, especially after everything we've been through, but we both know that you like to lead. So, we let you. We backed up and dealt without our own problems and let you handle everyone else. We miss you. I miss you, but I can't be the little girl that you want me to be. We've both grown up, but that doesn't mean that we don't need you, Mom," Clarke told her.

"So, why didn't she tell me about this?"

"Because she thought that you'd stop her."

"I would have."

"I know. It is also why she didn't ask either one of us about working with Echo. She went to Madi because she knew Madi would just order it," Clarke stated.

"And, did Madi order this surgery?"

"No, she asked me, Echo, Raven what we thought. Then she asked Palla, Sam and Meeka. Then she told Raven to do what she thought she must do. She wouldn't stop her, but she would probably have to train with Octavia while she was in recovery. To which, a new party joined us at the wall, causing Echo to become our ambassador to them. This means that Echo and Octavia will be in the Village while Madi and I are here."

"So, what does that mean?"

"It means that our personal guards just got reassigned and they aren't very happy about it."

"But, I saw them come back with you."

"They aren't staying long. They were just making sure that Heda made it back safely. Echo is going to talk with her brother, Aeolus. And, Octavia is going to talk with Indra and Bellamy. Madi doesn't like the fact that I might be alone and without protection considering who I am to her and what I am to our people."

"And, I agree with her," Abby added.

"Which is why I am not staying," Clarke said.

"You're going back to help Raven?"

"Yes," Clarke answered.

"Give me her files," Abby demanded.

Clarke handed her the updated tablets. She watched as her mother examined everything. Abby's eyes went round and then she looked up to Clarke.

"It worked?"

"So far so good, yeah."

"Good. Good. Keep me posted," Abby said as she stood up and handed Clarke back the tablet. "And, Clarke?"

"Yeah, Mom."

"You're both grounded after the Thaw and I can see her for myself. You let her know that. I'm pissed you both went behind my back, but I understand. I'm glad she is doing better. And, tell Sam that I can't wait to meet her and play in her hospital. They seem to have so much more than we did on the Ark. There is so much that I could fix."

"Here, Mom," Clarke said as she handed her a smaller tablet. "You can talk to her on your own. She wants to talk to you. She's in awe of everything you accomplished. And, she wants to try to help you with Kane. No promises, no stepping on toes, just talk to her. She might be able to help."

Abby reached out and took the smaller tablet, "Thank you, Clarke."

"Love you, Mom."

"Love you, too, honey," Abby replied as she sat down hard and looked at the tablets before her.

Clarke left the clinic and wondered how long it would be before her mom called Sam. She could already see all the good that they could do together. Sam wouldn't just help her mother become the doctor she once was again; she would help her heal. And, Sam would learn a few things from Abby, too, especially from Abby's use of Grounder medicine to supplement what she knew from Ark medicine.