"The snow we've seen is just a light dusting, there's more coming, a lot more coming and we need to get ready. We might be snowed in the drop ship for days, unable to get outside. We need space for everyone to sleep, a functional med bay, somewhere to stockpile food, latrines."
Bellamy clenched his jaw and looked briefly at Clarke before turning back to Monty.
"Alright," he said. "We'll start with cleaning out some space in here and getting everyone moved in properly. Organize the bedding, that sort of thing. After that we'll see if we can build a shed to store the food, something animals can't get into that's reasonably dry and cold. Monty, you think you could draw up blueprints for something like that?"
"Yeah, I'll give it a go," Monty nodded.
"I guess we're just digging latrines huh?" Finn asked.
"Guess so," Bellamy shrugged.
"They had indoor plumbing in Ancient Rome and we'll be lucky to have a hole in the ground."
"Hey, if you've got a better idea, let's hear it," Bellamy responded.
"I don't," Finn shook his head. "I'm just worried about when it gets real cold and we've got young kids wandering out of the dropship at night to get to the bathroom."
"We'll set up a buddy system," Clarke said. "We've already told everyone they need to find a bunk buddy, guess they'll all need bathroom buddies too."
Raven widened her eyes. "Sounds like we're going to be getting to know each other real well."
Bellamy snickered. "Hey, you got any ideas for heating this place?"
"Yeah, I've got a few," Raven nodded. "But I'm going to need to know where you guys keep finding these supplies."
Bellamy exchanged a look with Clarke.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"The guns, the blankets, the glowsticks," Raven listed. "If you guys have a source, I need to know about it. There might be pieces there that I can use. I can only build so much with a broken radio."
Bellamy looked to Clarke again. She gave the slightest of nods and he turned back to Raven.
"Alright, we'll bring you out there tomorrow. But keep it quiet, I don't want this becoming public information."
"I can keep a secret," Raven shrugged and raised her eyebrows at Bellamy. "Can you?" She smiled and spun around to stride out of the room.
Bellamy scowled at her back.
"Whoaa-" Monty intoned once the hatch door shut behind her, "what was that about?"
"Finn," Bellamy said loudly, "you get started with organizing the sleeping area. And tell Miller to get a crew to store the tents. Monty, start the blueprints for the food store and start thinking about a design to keep the entrance from getting snowed in." He stared at them.
"Now would be a good time."
"Right," Monty stirred. He pushed Finn in the chest and they both turned and walked briskly toward the hatch.
Bellamy watched them go and then turned to Clarke.
"I don't know, princess," he shook his head.
"What?" Clarke asked.
"Look," Bellamy dropped his voice to a whisper, "I didn't say anything but what's going to happen if people start getting sick again? We're practically living on top of each other, disease is going to spread quick."
"We don't have any other choice," Clarke shrugged. "Well," she amended, "unless we want to split up the group and take half to the bunker-"
"No," Bellamy said immediately, "no splitting up."
"I didn't want to either," Clarke admitted.
"We stay together," Bellamy said firmly. He rubbed his chin. "How much do you trust Raven?" he asked. "I don't really like the idea of giving her access to the bunker."
"She's brilliant," Clarke said. "And we need her so I'd say we have to trust her."
"I know," Bellamy rolled his eyes. "But do you really?" he asked.
Clarke chewed on her lip. "My mom did," she said after a pause. "And Raven risked everything to come down here."
"She risked everything to come down here for Finn and now he wants nothing to do with her."
"Yeah," Clarke nodded. "But I don't think she's malicious, just hurt," she said. "I trust her technical abilities, I'm still not sure about her judgement, let's just say that."
Bellamy nodded.
"Alright, princess," he clapped her on the arm. "I'm going to get a crew together to start digging latrines.
There was a tinny knock and Raven's head popped up in the hatch door.
"Hey," she said breathlessly. "Mind if I work on the heaters in here? There's nowhere quiet to work now that everyone's set up camp inside."
"Sure, join the club," Clarke jerked her thumb over her shoulder.
Bellamy had a disassembled gun spread out on a table in the corner. Monty was sprawled out on the floor, lying stomach down and sketching out blueprints. Finn was seated at a table in the centre of the room pouring over an array of medical equipment.
Raven scanned the room and sat down against the far wall. Clarke returned to her seat across the table from Finn.
"Alright, so we'll start with the ABCs. The first thing you do if someone comes to you and they're sick or injured is check their ABCs- airways, breathing, circulation," Clarke rhymed off on her fingers.
"Airways, breathing, circulation," Finn muttered under his breath.
"Exactly," Clarke said. "Airways and breathing I think are pretty self explanatory- if they're not breathing you'll need to administer CPR, and circulation is just checking their bleeding. Apply pressure and cover in gauze- just basic first aid stuff."
"Right, yeah, we covered it in Earth Skills," Finn said.
"Good," Clarke nodded. "Next you'll want to check their vitals- take their pulse, count their breaths, and take their blood pressure," she said. "But we don't have a BP cuff so you won't be taking anyone's blood pressure," Clarke trailed off. "Okay, practise on me, I want to see if you can get an accurate read. You take my pulse at my wrist, I'm going to count at my neck. Ready? Go."
"Okay, stop," Clarke said after a silence. "What did you get?"
"Uhhh, about 37 beats so that's what, 74 bpm?" Finn asked.
"Not quite," Clarke said. "It was 80 bpm. That's within normal parameters but it's a little on the high side."
"No surprises there," Bellamy muttered without looking up from his work.
She smiled in Bellamy's direction but said nothing. "Anyway, your homework is to go down to the bunks and practise taking vitals of anyone who'll let you." Clarke said. "Once you've got that down we'll get you practising sutures and injections."
"Alright, thanks," Finn said but made no move to stand up or leave. He glanced past Clarke at Raven who was heavily absorbed in her heaters. "Hey princess," he lowered his voice. "You have a bunk buddy yet?"
Clarke inhaled slowly and fixed him with a steely gaze. "No," she said flatly.
"Want to share with me?" Finn asked.
Clarke stared past Finn's shoulder to see Bellamy bent over a mechanical manual. His hair had fallen in his face but Clarke could see that his eyes weren't moving. He was smiling.
"Clarke?" Finn asked again.
Clarke snapped her eyes back to Finn.
"Look," she said softly. "I don't think that's the best idea. I'm sorry."
"Yeah," Finn pushed his hair back. "Yeah, okay. Sure. Uh, I'm gonna go practise vitals then," he said and got to his feet.
Clarke spun her needle kit on the table and found her eyes drawn to Bellamy. He was looking hard at his manual, eyes still unmoving, but he must have felt her stare because he looked up, unable to keep the smirk off his face.
"Shut up," Clarke suppressed a smile.
Bellamy shook his head and went back to his book.