Flame ➸ John Murphy

11

People were rounded up and thrown into quarantine. The third level of the ship had people without symptoms. West was on the first level as she had symptoms that were getting worse.

Frequently, she would be coughing blood. Her eyes had stopped bleeding, but she still had dried blood on her cheeks. Her skin had grown pale and her body sore. She sat curled into a corner having, given her makeshift bed over to someone.

She had heard commotion on the outside of the ship before more people were dragged in. Clarke had been brought in and put into a hammock.

"What else did Lincoln tell you?" She heard Finn ask Octavia.

"The virus doesn't last long." Octavia responded.

"It's true," Murphy spoke up. "I feel better."

Clarke tried getting up to help someone coughing, but Finn stopped her. Instead, Octavia and Murphy began walking around to give people water. Getting to West, Murphy kneeled down to here. His hand held out a cup full of water. She gave him a look up and down before slowly taking it. Thinking she was too weak to hold it steady, West held it tight with both hands.

"It's not poisoned." John chuckled when he noticed her hesitation to drink.

"I can never know with you John Murphy." She  rolled her eyes before greedily drinking.

He smirked at her comment before lifting the glass from her hands. Before she could thank him, he had moved on to the next person.

The day droned on and West had fallen asleep many times. She couldn't tell if she was actually sleeping or passing out from exhaustion. She was now laying down and didn't have the energy to sit up.

As she was about to close her eyes once more, her chest started to feel heavy. Her lungs began to squeeze as her stomach churned. Dry coughs left her lips. She tried sitting up, but failed. The more she coughed the less she could breath. Sweat beads rolled down her face. Her eyes scrunched closed in pain.

"Murphy!" West heard Octavia call over her choking. "Clarke said when that happens turn them on their sides. Go help her."

Warm hands were suddenly put on her shoulder and hip. They pushed her over onto her side. Now on her side, blood rushed through her throat. She threw it up next to her on an old blanket already covered in blood.

"I got you. Ok. Yeah just breathe." A voice said to her as her choking subsided.

Looking up she saw Murphy. He was still holding her on her side. When they made eye contact he let her go, allowing her to lay in her back.

"Who knew you could be caring John?" She teased.

"There's a lot you don't know about me flame." He smirked.

His hands then reached out to the blanket she had just destroyed. Rolling it up, he carefully grabbed it and walked away.

West fell asleep once more only to be awoken by the sound of an explosion. Her body sprang up, causing her an unbearable amount of pain. Not being able to move any further, she waited for someone to come into the ship.

As she waited West looked around the ship. Many people had healed had left. West wondered why she was still sick if many people that were infected after here were perfectly fine before her.

Hearing footsteps, West looked to the door. Raven was brought in and set in a hammock. Clarke helped her until she fell asleep. She walked around the ship until West stopped her.

"Clarke," She weakly called out. "What happened out there?"

Clarke's eyes widened as she saw the girl. It seemed as though she had forgotten West was still sick.