Okay, this chapter may not seem like much, but it was originally part of an even longer chapter that I decided to break up! More to come soon! Keep the reviews coming! You guys are great!
Bellamy was up before the sun the next morning. His shirt was drenched in sweat from his horrible dream. Since the first 100 had landed on Earth, Bellamy had been having nightmares. But none were as bad the few he'd had after the incidents of Mount Weather. Up until then, every death he had caused had been warranted. His victims had caused their own demise by attacking him or his people. But the people of Mount Weather, they were innocent… most of them. He had slaughter hundreds of men, women, and children to save about forty of his own people. He and Clarke had killed them all.
Well, not all of them.
He glanced over at the cot across from his. Lina was lying mostly on her stomach but just enough on her side so she could pull her legs up to her abdomen. Her arms were wrapped around her body in an attempt to trap her body heat and fend off the cold morning air. He knew that she hadn't fallen asleep right last night away because he had lain in bed listening to her breath for at least an hour before sleep overwhelmed him.
He saw a shiver run through her body and felt guilty all over again. He should have grabbed her extra blankets from sick bay. Reluctantly, he rolled himself out of bed and onto his feet. Without bothering to change from the clothes he slept in, he slid into his jacket. Before he left, he tossed his own blanket over the girl's small form.
He didn't walk more than a few steps from the tent, afraid to leave her alone again. Yesterday, he had been stupid to think that she'd be safe on her own. He'd expected people to be angry about her being in the camp, but had never imagined they would resort to physical violence. Threats maybe, but to actually follow through… never. He wanted to kick himself for his lack of judgement.
"Harper!" he called out, trying to keep his voice low enough not to wake those in the nearby tents. The red headed girl had just walked across the open area between rows of tents. Bellamy waved her down and she limped to his side. She had been hurt inside the mountain. But she was a tough girl and was ready to get back to work even though Abby had been against it.
"Hey, what's up Bell?" she asked with a kind smile.
"Can you do me a favor?" he returned her grin when she nodded. "Just hang out by my tent while I run to see Kane. It'll only be a few minutes. Make sure no one goes in or out, okay?" Harper's blue eyes turned to ice as they narrowed in on him. Her lips formed a straight line before she opened her mouth to speak.
"She's in there, isn't she." She said in a voice close to a growl. Bellamy put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a pleading look. She was the only other person awake, therefore the only one he could ask. "You really think I'm the right person for this?" she cocked her head to the side challengingly.
Bellamy kept his dark eyes linked with hers. She had been through hell in Mount Weather, all because of Lina's leaders. He couldn't blame her for holding a grudge, he'd be mad as hell too. But he also knew that she couldn't blame Lina for what Cage and the doctor had done. Harper knew it too, and Bellamy trusted her.
"Yeah, I do." He squeezed her shoulder and headed to the ship. Kane would already be up, the man hardly ever slept. And sure enough when Bellamy walked through the door of Kane's makeshift office, the man was sitting on an old rusted stool bending over a table. He looked up at Bellamy's footsteps and waved him in.
"Yes, Bellamy?" Kane's voice sounded depleted of any energy. The skin around his eyes looked thin and dark from exhaustion. Bellamy knew the feeling well.
"I was hoping you could get someone to give me clean close for the Mountain Girl." Bellamy said in a very businesslike manner. Kane raised his eyebrows.
"Oh yes," he rubbed his forehead. "how is she? Did Abby see her yet?" the concern in his voice was genuine and Bellamy admired the man for taking such a sincere interest in the health of a girl who had been his enemy just days ago.
"Not yet, sir." Bellamy cleared his throat. "She's still asleep. It's probably too early for Abby to be up too." Kane blinked at the younger man.
"Oh, I see." He closed his eyes. Bellamy got the feeling that Kane had no idea what time it was, which means he'd been in the office all night. "Go see Cara. She's in charge of extra hygienic supplies, which includes clothing. Tell her I sent you." He was still rubbing his forehead, leaving red marks on the skin. "If she gives you a problem, send her to me."
"Thank you." Bellamy nodded curtly and turned to leave, but couldn't help himself from asking the next question. "Sir, why me?" he blurted. "Why did you force her on me and not another guard? Or anyone else for that matter?" Bellamy was well aware that he sounded like a complaining child, but he didn't care.
"Who else would you suggest?" Kane finally pulled his hand from his forehead and looked Bellamy square in the face. "No one else would have done it, even with my orders. And I can't just go and arm untrained civilians now can I?"
"You don't need to arm anyone." Bellamy countered. "What about Raven, or Octavia, hell even Jasper! They can all hold their own if it came down to a fight." Kane's hand slammed down on the table in front of him, causing the papers and pens to bounce in place.
"Is it really a question of if it comes to a fight? The girl was here for one day and she's already been tortured. Do you want to leave her in the hands of Raven, who can barely walk on her own? Or Jasper, who has already been so emotionally traumatized that he wakes up half the camp screaming in his sleep?" Kane's voice was loud and authoritative. "I chose you because right now, you're all I've got."
Bellamy hung his head and stared at the floor. He felt like a boy being reprimanded by his father. And in many ways, that's what Kane had become to him. He looked up to meet the man's eyes once more, with an apology on the tip of his tongue. But Kane's words continued, only this time they were much softer.
"I know that you think it's unfair, that I'm doing this to punish you for what happened in the mountain. But I promise you, Bellamy, that this will be good for you. For both of you." He added before looking back to the papers on his desk, signaling the end of the conversation. Bellamy left without another word.
Outside of the ship, the sun was slowly rising from behind the wall of trees. People were walking about the camp now, most gathering with one another to get in line for food. Bellamy passed them all and made his way to the largest tent at the end of closest row. This particular tent had been set up as a sort of trading post for supplies that weren't as critical as food and weapons. Not only did she have clothes, she had blankets, pillows, shoes, tools, and anything else one could possibly need. Usually, Cara demanded an equal trade for her goods, but on Kane's orders she handed over a long sleeve shirt, jacket, and pair of jeans. He also managed to walk out with a pillow and blanket.
Bellamy was happy to see Harper still in position outside his tent when he returned. She had her arms folded over her chest and was bouncing up and down on her toes. Either she was cold, or she needed to use the bathroom. She didn't smile like she had before. Instead, she inclined her head to him as he approached.
"She didn't make a sound." She informed him. "Probably still asleep."
"Good." Bellamy nodded. The girl needed to sleep so he had no intention of waking her. After thanking Harper, he stepped into his tent. Lina was in the same spot he had left her in. His blanket was draped around her body and he wondered if the clothes he had picked would fit her. Usually it was his mother who would snatch clothes for Octavia on the Arc, so Bellamy was clueless as to how sizes worked for women.
He dropped the pile of clothes on the foot of her bed and took a seat on his own cot. Now that he had gotten her something to wear, he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He sat for a few minutes just watching her sleep until he felt too creepy doing so. He lay back and covered his eyes in the crook of his arm. His creaky cot must have been enough to wake her from her deep sleep.
Bellamy heard her rustle around on the bed and he chanced a peek under his arm. She had sat up straight and was now staring ahead towards the tent entrance. Her hands came up to rub her eyes before she realized where she was. Her hands dropped to her lap and she turned to face him.
"Morning." He said, covering his face again. There was a dark bruise on her cheek that he couldn't bring himself to look at. It wouldn't be there if he had just done his job and kept an eye on her.
"Morning." She mumbled back to him.
"There are new clothes on the end of your bed." He pointed in the general direction because he still had his eyes closed. "If they don't fit we'll go get others." She didn't respond for a long time so he lifted his arm and looked at her. Lina's hand was resting on the pile of clothes but other than that she hadn't moved. "Oh, right." He said getting to his feet. "I'll wait outside."
Bellamy wasn't used to sharing a tent with a girl that he wasn't sleeping with. When girls spent the night they usually weren't fussy about changing in front of him. He waited outside the tent for a few minutes, giving her extra time since her injuries were sure to slow her down. He made a mental note to bring her to Abby before breakfast, even though his stomach was making very unpleasant noises.
"You good?" he called through the tent. She didn't answer so he continued to wait. A few tents away he could see his little sister hurrying towards him.
"Bell," she said stopping in front of him "how is she?" Octavia had been there when he had untied Lina from the whipping poles. She knew how much the girl had endured at the hands of outraged citizens. She had been the one to suggest firing the gun into the air as a distraction. If Kane ever found out that Bellamy let her fire his weapon, he'd be strung up on those poles before he could blink.
"She just woke up." he told her with a grim expression. "It was pretty bad, but she'll live." Octavia didn't announce herself to Lina before she pushed open the tent and walked inside. "She's changing." He tried to warn her and catch her arm, but she was already in. Through the flapping door Bellamy could see Lina already had the jeans buttoned over her legs and hips and was in the process of pulling the shirt over her head. He looked away but could feel his cheeks get hot as all his blood rushed into them.