KING, the hundred

fifty-five: after

"wake me when i fall"

wake me by message to bears

Miller would never forget the moment he found Avery King's body lying next to Cage Wallace's.

He could see the knife through Cage's heart, but he couldn't find it within himself to feel any joy at that. Instead, he knelt by his King's side. By some miracle, when he put his hand to the side of her neck, he could feel the faint beating of her heart.

So, Nate Miller, despite his exhaustion and the shooting pain running through his body, picked up Avery King and carried her through endless hallways back to the dorm.

"Help!" He yelled as soon as he knew he could be heard by his people. They were the only people left alive anyway. "I need Abby Griffin! I need a doctor!"

Before he saw Abby Griffin, Miller felt Avery's body being lifted out of his arms. Leaving him to collapse into his father, who he couldn't even properly hug after nearly four months of thinking he was dead. Avery King was dying. The King was dying. Nate felt the warmth of his father's arms around him.

"No!"

Harper's voice was the first one Miller heard. He could see her standing with Sarah and Monroe, tears running down their faces. Gasps and whispers filled the room as the eyes of those delinquents left landed on their leader.

"Avery!" "King!" "She can't be dead."

And then Bellamy entered the dorm. He was followed by Marcus and Abby, the latter of whom was struggling to stand. Miller couldn't say he'd ever seen that look in Bellamy's eyes before. A look of defeat.

He approached her body softly, his arms outstretched toward her. Avery King. Not a martyr, not a leader, but the person he loved.

"Can you save her?" He whispered, too afraid to speak. He didn't turn to look at Abby Griffin.

"I think so." Abby said, barely holding herself up. Miller could see the drill marks in her legs. "Maybe."

Maybe was enough. Maybe was more than enough.

Maybe was more odds in her favor than Avery had gotten her entire life.

"Save her." Bellamy pleaded.

And so began the longest night of Nate Miller's life.

There were some close calls, Nate had to give Avery that. But it was to be expect. Avery King always had been a dramatic bitch.

But when the sun rose the next morning on a mountain full of irradiated people, Avery King was still breathing. Her heart was still pumping blood, even though she'd lost a hell of a lot of it.

Abby pushed sleep out of her eyes the following morning to debrief Miller, Monroe, Sarah, Raven, Wick, Octavia, Monty, and Bellamy on Avery's condition.

Some of them had chosen to stay in Mount Weather for the night, no matter what horrors it brought. They had state-of-the-art medical equipment that was much more likely to save Avery's life than anything they had back at what was left of the Ark. Besides, it wasn't like any of them were going to be getting any sleep anyway.

Monroe had her arms around a resting Sarah. None of Sarah's wounds were life-threatening, thankfully. Neither were Raven's. Abby had been incredibly concerned about Miller and Monroe until she realised most of the blood on them was other people's. Wick was pretty banged up, but he seemed content to sit abnormally close to Raven. No one questioned it.

Raven couldn't seem to look away from Avery's still body. At least she was responsive. Bellamy had just stared at Avery, his eyes far away. Octavia had convinced him to drink something about halfway through the night, but eating and talking seemed to be completely off the table.