Clarke was finishing up setting a broken arm on a young boy when the clinic door opened. It had been a quiet morning so far and she was hoping this was her last patient for a little while. She wanted to get some paperwork done rather than have to take it home. After giving the boy's mother instructions and reassuring the boy he'd still have a great summer despite the cast, she sent them on their way. She braced herself for the next patient in the waiting room only to be surprised to find Octavia Blake along with another dark haired woman.
"Octavia," Clarke was pleasantly surprised to find the sheriff's sister here. "What brings you here?"
"We thought you'd be swamped so we brought you some lunch, but it's like a cemetery in here," Octavia held up a large greasy bag that smelled wonderful and immediately made Clarke's mouth water. "Want to take a break?"
"Sure," Clarke led the women to the back patio, keeping the back door propped open just in case a patient came in. There was a picnic table under a big umbrella out back where they set up the food.
"This is Raven Reyes," Octavia introduced the brunette. "She owns the auto shop in town with her boyfriend Wick."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Clarke Griffin," She replied.
"Nice to meet you too. You seem to have made quite an impression on both Blake's," Raven grabbed a fry from the pile in the middle of the table that they were sharing.
"Really? I just met Bellamy two days ago and Octavia yesterday. I was that impressive?" Clarke teased Octavia who punched Raven playfully.
"I'm just excited to see Bellamy smile that's all," Octavia replied. "I've never seen him flirt with anyone. I was starting to think he'd never find someone."
Clarke stopped short, the food in her mouth suddenly tasting like sand. When she'd come here, she wanted a quiet place to heal. Not to attract attention. She continued to chew and swallowed the bite forcing a smile on her face so as not to alarm the two women.
"Flirt? I hardly would consider yesterday flirting," Clarke replied.
"Not according to Charlotte," Raven took a bite of the sandwich in her hand.
"She must be mistaken," Clarke said.
"Charlotte doesn't miss much," Octavia said squinting at the sudden change in the doctor. As if sensing she needed a subject change, Octavia let the topic go. "So are you excited about the festival?"
"Yes I suppose," Clarke breathed a sigh of relief. She silently thanked Octavia for realizing Clarke's need for a new topic. "It'll be nice to get to know my patients outside the clinic. Maybe it'll help them trust me."
"The people around here are just resistant to change that's all," Raven shrugged her shoulders. "A lot of these people have lived here their whole lives and only know Hardgrove as their doctor. Give them time and they'll get their panties out of a twist."
Clarke laughed, finding herself relaxing now that the topic had strayed from dangerous territory. Raven turned out to be funny, witty, and blunt which Clarke very much appreciated. She had lived here for most of her life. The only time spent away was a long stint in a rehab hospital in Portland after a car accident had nearly cost her her right leg. She wore a brace now and after a long year of therapy was now able to walk.
Octavia was just as blunt, but had a hard edge to her. It was obvious to Clarke, as it had been to her yesterday at the diner with Bellamy, that her life hadn't exactly been great. She seemed to be at ease with who she was now, something it seemed obvious had taken her a long time to achieve. She lived on a farm on the outskirts of the town with her boyfriend Lincoln, the local artist Bellamy had mentioned. To Clarke's shock, she ran a therapy program using horses.
"It's slow going right now, but we manage," She'd modestly explained. "I put myself through school and just finished getting my certifications. It'll help that I'm the only type of therapy using animals in a fifty mile radius."
Clarke was incredibly impressed by this woman. She wore her battle scars proudly, but she didn't let them control her. They made her stronger.
Raven headed back to her shop 45 minutes later leaving Octavia and Clarke alone. They cleaned their lunch off the patio table and made their way back inside. Clarke threw the remaining cold fries in the trash.
"Thanks for this Octavia," Clarke turned to the brunette and squeezed her forearm. "I've never really had many girl friends. It's nice."
"We're not very girly, but we're definitely loyal," Octavia grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "See you at the festival. Text me when you get there and we'll introduce you to the rest of the group."
Clarke walked her to the door and waved as she sped away on her motorcycle. She was suddenly terrified of the thought of going to the festival. She'd only spent a short amount of time with Bellamy, Octavia and Raven but she already felt closer to them than anyone she'd left behind other than her mom and Marcus. Anyone close to her was in danger. They'd all been through enough as it was.