Chapter 74

Palla sat back, amused as she heard Clarke still berating both Octavia and Echo for their display in front of the hospital. Palla wasn't even fazed by their fight. She thought it was amusing that they were entertaining Madi with their prowess. It was something that warriors did. She knew that. She understood that, but she also understood that Clarke didn't want them fighting unless they had to. Displays such as theirs would only make the people of the Village wary of their presence.

"Clarke..."

"Don't defend them," she hissed as she finished sewing up the gash on Echo's upper arm.

Palla had to fight her grin, but she nodded at Clarke.

"Don't do anything stupid. I won't be here to fix you up. I'm going back with Madi."

"Wanheda?" Echo asked.

"I know that you two are the best warriors that we have, but that doesn't mean that you are invincible. I can't lose either of you. We've lost too many already. Plus you are ambassadors, not stupid meathead warriors, act like it. You aren't children."

"Sha, Wanheda," Echo replied.

"I know that you are a proud warrior, but you can't let her goad you into a fight just to fight. I don't care if it is even for Heda. You are jusgona. You are better than that. You have to better than the rest. You have to set the example. You represent us all while we are still digging and trying to make a life here. I need you both to make us look good, without your prowess with a sword," Clarke told her as their eyes locked above her arm. "Keep it dry and in a week or so, have them removed."

"Sha, Wanheda," Echo answered.

"Now your turn, Octavia. And, don't think that you are getting out of it. Sit!" Clarke commanded.

Echo pushed Octavia down into the chair she just vacated. She placed a hand on Octavia's shoulder in a slight form of comfort, resignation, and wishing Octavia luck with Clarke's ire. She gave Palla and Madi a look telling them it was time to go, before she stepped towards the door.

"I'm going down to check on Raven," Echo told them as she left the room.

"We'll go, too," Palla said quickly, recognizing what Echo's look meant, and tapping Madi the leg to follow.

Clarke watched them leave the small medical room that they were in. She was rearranging the tools and bandages on the tray beside her as Octavia just sat in the chair and watched the blonde work. When Clarke was finally happy with how things were arranged, she sat back down in from of Octavia. Blue eyes locked with fierce green.

"Clarke..." Octavia started.

"Don't."

"We're going to be okay," Octavia stated.

"We don't know that," Clarke replied.

"We will be okay. Madi has us to protect her and help her lead. Diyoza's backed down, but she's helping Indra and Miller with the army and the guards. We're protected. You're protected. Madi is protected. Palla is protected. And, we both know that Palla is like Lexa in the respect that she isn't going to let anything happen to us if she can prevent it. We're okay."

"We shouldn't have to have some us protect us."

"She isn't. We'll protect ourselves, but you have to admit that she is taking care of us. She's giving us land to live on. She's allowed us to stay here. She's warned us about the Praha. She doesn't care if we join her nation or even the Village. She wants us to live our lives our way and be happy, just like Lexa," Octavia pushed.

"I know," Clarke said, dropping her head.

Octavia reached over and raised Clarke's chin with her fingers. Their eyes met again. She could see the pain in her eyes, but Octavia saw more. She saw the dare to hope and the dare to want things. She held her arm out for Clarke to look it over, knowing that the distraction would help the blonde get her thoughts together.

"It's okay to want things, Clarke," Octavia stated.

Clarke dropped Octavia's arm into her lap. She looked up into Octavia's eyes. Octavia wasn't smiling. If anything, she looked worried. Clarke shook her head and looked back down at Octavia's arm. She reached over and grabbed some cleaner and bandages. She started working on the arm. She didn't want to talk about her emotions. She didn't want to talk about how much Palla reminded her of Lexa and how drawn she was to the other woman. She didn't want to talk about how easy it was falling in love with the new leader. She didn't want to talk about all the scenarios that she'd thought of about how things could go wrong. She was always planning for the worst.

"Raven will be okay, too," Octavia told her.

Clarke wanted to believe her. She could hear the conviction in her voice. She knew that Octavia believed it. But, she was having a hard time with it. And, maybe, just maybe, that was coloring everything for her.

"Raven is a fighter. She's proven how hard she is to kill, just like you, Clarke. She'll be up and walking before you know it."

"I understand that and I should know it, but I'm not sure I believe it."

Octavia reached out and stopped Clarke from working. She made Clarke look up at her again. She could see the emotions swirling in her eyes.

"Clarke, what do you need me to do for you?" Octavia asked her.

Clarke stared at her arm. The wounds weren't that deep. They didn't need stitching. At most, they needed cleaning and bandaging. She looked up and saw the worry in Octavia's eyes.

"I need you to protect them for us," Clarke said.

"I will, Wanheda. I will protect them all...Palla, Raven, and Echo. Echo is my jussis, my fellow jusgona. We will care for Palla and Raven."

"You are both more than that," Clarke stated.

"Echo is Madi's sekkon. Bellamy is Indra's. You would still have me be yours?"

"Sha."

"Sha," Octavia answered. She paused and looked deeply into Clarke's eyes. "If you need me to, I will swear as your sekkon, Clarke. I've already sworn my fealty to both you and Heda. We are family and we both know the lengths that we'll go to protect our family. Raven is safe here with us."

"I know."

"But, you still fear something."

"We don't know a lot about the Praha," Clarke started.

"I'll ask Palla. I'll find out for you. We will keep our people safe."

"Stop picking fights with Echo, too," Clarke ordered.

"Sha, Wanheda."

"I need you to keep me informed of Raven's recovery, Octavia. I trust you not to sugarcoat it. She and Echo have gotten too close for me to believe that Echo would actually be objective in what she had to tell me unless it was good. They got close on the Go-Sci ring and since she's taken Raven as her sekken..."

"I get it. I'll protect them both from themselves. But, while I am doing everything that I can for us and our people by staying here, I need you to make sure that you are doing the same back for us there. And, I don't mean run yourself into the ground like you always have, Clarke. You need to take care of yourself and Madi. Without, we will fall apart. Keep us strong by keeping yourself strong," Octavia told her. "And, don't worry about Echo and Elena. I'll make sure the too hot head keep it together."

"Hot heads?"

"Okay. Okay. Like I know that is the pot calling the kettle black and all, but I'm not about to go off and decapitate her because I don't like her. I'll keep Echo in check. Besides, I think she'll have enough to worry about with Raven," Octavia added.

"I'm sure you're right."

There was a knock on the exam room door. Both them turned to face it. Clarke didn't miss the subtle movement of Octavia's hand towards her hip and the dagger that the blonde knew was hidden there. She was waiting for Clarke to admit whoever it was, still deferring to Clarke's command. Clarke dropped Octavia's now completely bandaged arm back into her own lap. She stood, slowly, and moved towards the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Palla on the other side of it.

"Raven's awake."

There was nothing more that needed to be said. Octavia was quick to join Clarke's side. They followed Palla through the little hospital of Helios and the Village up two floors and to the recovery room that Raven was in. Before they went in to check on their friend, Clarke saw that Meeka and Sam were waiting for her. They were both smiling. Clarke was itching to read the after surgery reports, but she wanted to talk to Raven first. She wanted to know how her friend was actually feeling.

"Have you tested her feeling yet?" Clarke asked them as she reached for the door handle.

"No, we haven't. After looking over her charts and her leg, I decided that we needed to wait at least two days in order for the swelling to go down to get the best reading that we can. However, that doesn't mean that you can't do a preliminary one with her yourself. I just want to warn her that it might be the best results that she is looking for. We are hopeful, but cautious. Her leg has been through a lot and we want it to rest for at least a week before we start the intensive training we've got planned," Sam told her.

Clarke nodded. She understood what Sam was telling her. There was no reason that they should expect great results this early in the game. Plus Raven would need some time to recover before they really tested her. Clarke knew that. She'd had training, but the part of her that was a friend and not medically trained was the part of her that was leading the charge into Raven's room.

"She's asked for you and Echo first," Meeka announced.

Echo stepped up beside Clarke. She laid a hand on her shoulder and tilted her head towards the door. Clarke nodded, and they walked in.

Clarke knew that Raven would be "laid" up in hospital for at least a few days, but she was surprised to see her sitting up in the bed. Her leg was in traction and completely covered in some sort of high tech bandages. She studied the wrappings and wires that were around the other woman's leg. She smiled when she saw Raven wave her toes at her as Clarke rounded the bed.

"How do you feel?" Clarke asked her.

"Like I finally got in that nap that I'd been craving since the Ark fell," Raven answered.

Clarke giggled. She understood what Raven was saying. She felt rested for once.

"You look good, 'Little Bird'," Clarke replied.

"So, when do I get to test this thing out?" Raven questioned, looking for Clarke to give it to her straight.

"In a few days, Sam wants the swelling to go down and you to be not so hocked up on goofballs."

"Word," Raven replied.

Echo cocked an eyebrow at her response, but she didn't comment. Instead, she watched Raven. She was looking at all her ticks and micro-tells. She would use them all later to help Sam and Meeka and any of the other Village fisas that would be helping Raven with her therapy and recovery. Echo would make sure that she was there for it all. It was more for her own pride than Raven's. She took her job as Azripa and Raven's Fos very seriously. Plus, she knew that Clarke would expect her to tell her the truth on Raven's recovery once the blonde returned to their encampment with Madi.

"So, what can I do while I am in here, then?" Raven asked.

"Well, first thing is rest and let your body do what it needs to do before you start pushing your limits again, Rae," Clarke told her.

"We will work on your arms and other skills," Echo stated.

Clarke looked over Raven at the guard. A cocked eyebrow and a weary look caused Echo to smile at them both. She planned on still working with Raven. Her being in a hospital bed was not going to keep her from being trained. Raven asked for this. She asked to be trained like a grounder so that she could become a jusgona, too. She was prepared to make Raven a warrior, even if it broke both of them.

"Later, we will start sharping your own blade," Echo told them both.

"My own blade?"

"Yes, I would be remiss if I didn't make you take care of your blade, Raven. I would have failed you as a fos. But, there is only one problem with that," Echo stated as she moved closer to Raven's head.

"And, what's that?" Clarke asked her.

"I don't have a blade to give her."