Chapter 8

The infirmary, the Ark

Anya was gone. Clarke couldn´t believe it. Anya was the one who had made Clarke understand what the grounders were about, or more specifically how they viewed the group from the drop ship as enemies. But after what they had been through Anya had slowly accepted her former foes and her obvious feelings for Murphy had shown Clarke a more emotional side of her.

Most uncharacteristically Clarke starts crying as they put Anya´s body in one of the cold storage rooms on the Ark.

It was all catching up to her.

They had already rushed Murphy to the infirmary where Abby was patching him up again. She almost didn´t have to, Raven hade done an excellent job. As the stab wound was bad enough, his general state worried her. But he was going to live for now.

Murphy comes to with a groan a couple of hours later. Clarke is standing above the bed looking grim, and his heart drops. "Anya" he manages to get out and Clarke shakes her head. "She….didn´t make it I´m sorry"

Murphy doesn't know how to reply and he just looks away from Clarke. He doesn´t want her to see that he is about to start crying. Nobody had ever seen him cry, not even when his father was floated, and he wasn´t about to start now.

Clarke seemed to pick up on that and quietly said. "I´ll leave you alone" and exited the room after she checked the bandage one more time. Murphy didn´t stop the tears after that.

The mess hall, the Ark

Turned out the mess hall had become the forum for all public debates and political agitation, not just trials. It was packed with most of the group who had started to make this place their home and all eyes were on Abby Griffin who was standing on a large table at the front looking out over the crowd.

She had dressed up. Gone were the usual jeans and t-shirt and she wore more of a uniform, grey trousers with a sharp matching jacket.

"Friends, people of the Ark" she started.

Her loud voiced made the hailer give out scratching sound. She continued in a softer voice

"We have started to build a home here but that is just the beginning. We need to build a new society here on earth"

She paused for effect. Someone shouted "yeah" in the back. Raven cringed. She didn´t see the need for the big speech, let´s get on with the work. But she liked Abby well enough, so she supposed she could cut her some slack

"It is not going to we a walk in the park but we can do it. No more petty arguing, no more trials! And no more Marcus Kane as your chancellor. If you will have me I will act as your leader while we get our bearings here and when we have a good setup we will have e proper democratic election. Anyone with me?"

The crowds erupts into loud cheers and Raven hears shouts of "Abby, Abby, Abby" from a group of especially devoted followers. Jackson and his crowd are beaming. Clarke seems proud while Bellamy looks somewhat bemused.

"Thank you, thank you" Abby looks happy.

"We will change up some of the work detail, we need more food for starters. Who wants to help set that up?"

Several hands are in the air. Bellamy´s among them

The crowds disperse and people go about their business again as Abby, Bellamy and three others gather to map out their immediate future.

The dead zone

Sun. Heat. Sand. Wind. He didn´t know what was worst.

Finn had never been so thirsty. He and Jaha had some water left but Jaha was relentless in his rationing and they would only have a sip every hour. The sip was almost torture when he knew that it would be an hour until the next one.

Why did he come on this ridiculous trip? Finn was not sure if he was more annoyed at himself or Jaha. The man on his mind was out of sight walking behind him. Finn could hear the sloshing sound from the water container, this was hell – and he wondered how long it was until next sip.

Around them was only desert as far as the eye could see.

The infirmary, the Ark.

Raven surprised herself by being worried about Murphy. Did he know that Anya had died? Raven couldn´t forget seeing her laying lifeless in the forest and then unable to save her. So after Abby´s big speech she goes to check on him.

He is sleeping, head to the side and one arm over the his bandaged chest. His body is a mess of scrapes, burns and cuts, but at least finally clean. When Raven and Clarke had found them he had been almost unrecognizable, covered in mud and blood.

She doesn´t want to wake him up - he needs the sleep – but as she leaves she hears him say her name. She turns and smiles softly

"Hi"

"You are the last person I was expecting" He looks puzzled. Raven keeps smiling.

"Well, you´ve warmed on me, after some damn good fighting against the grounders, and that whole unpleasant trial business. And Anya…." Raven isn´t smiling anymore

Murphy closes his eyes and sighs "Yeah"

"I just want to say I´m sorry, you two deserved a shot"

"She didn´t deserve to die, I wish I could take her place. It´s not like I would be missed"

"John Murphy" He jumps at hearing his full name. Raven looks pissed. "If you want to go down that path I can´t stop you, but you are not the camp criminal anymore, you would be missed and you know it. No she didn´t deserve to die but neither do you. So stop the pity party and think of what Anya would want you to do"

Raven has said her piece and the room is silent. Murphy seems to have got the point "You drive a hard bargain Reyes"; he gives her a sad smile. He looks absolutely exhausted and Raved decides she should let him rest. She kisses him on the cheek, cups his face and says, "Well, someone has to" and gets up to leave the room.

"And I´m sorry for shooting you"

Raven turns her head back in and smiles as she says, "I know"

Murphy still feels like shit, he can hardly move without pain ripping through his body, but somehow his mood is somewhat lifted. At least for five minutes.

Anya was to be buried in the morning. He wasn´t going to be able to attend, Abby had refused even to consider the idea. It upset him more than he had expected.

It is impossible to sleep.

The woods

Octavia is walking next to Lincoln still not believing that they were finally alone and not in any danger or hurry. It had been so hectic since the battle, and Lincoln had several long interviews with Abby and the leaders of the commanders about grounder tactics and culture that they hadn´t had much time to themselves. With Marcus gone there was not talk of "getting rid of the grounder", Actually the opposite, everybody wanted a piece of him, to learn about life on earth.

So they left.

They had gone south, the other direction from Lincoln´s old camp, and into what grounders called neutral territory, or no mans land. At least it used to be, Lincoln had explained. Now he wasn´t so sure. But if they were to start fresh, this would be the best option. There was game, plants, and water, everything they needed to survive

And they hadn´t seen anyone yet. So far so good.

When they stop for a break and a meal, Octavia takes Lincoln's hand, pulls him close and they share an intimate kiss

Octavia wants to savour the feeling forever.

Next up; Mount Weather. I think…need to plot some more.