Flame ➸ John Murphy

12

Clark and Finn had come back after being taken by grounders. They warned everyone of the grounders getting ready to attack. As everyone gathered supplies to leave, Clarke and Finn tended to West and Ravens wounds. One of Murphy bullets had hit Raven while she was hiding under the floor.

"Ahh!" Raven screamed as Clarke placed a hot knife on her skin.

"That should stop the external bleeding." Clarke explained before placing the knife back in the hot coals.

"How bad does it hurt?" West asked Raven while she laid on another table.

"Like a bitch." Raven winced as she was still feeling the left over sensation of the burn.

West sighed before listening in on their conversation. There were these people hidden in caves called reapers. They didn't know what they were, but they were leaving and wouldn't find out. Raven wouldn't be able to walk, so they would have to carry her.

"What about West?" Bellamy motioned to the girl in the other table.

"We'll have to have someone help her walk." Clarke said as she grabbed the red hot knife.

West clenched the fabric of her sweatshirt as Clarke lifted her shirt. Clarke's eyes widened before she quickly placed the knife down on her skin. West cried out as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. When she pain began to subside she looked down at her side. She then knew why Clarke looked so concerned.

"The virus caused it to get infected," West stated with a frown, explaining it to herself. "and it got worse."

"It's keeping you sick. Now with your added shot you won't be able to walk all the way even with help." Clarke explained as she paced the ship.

"No its fine." West said while sitting up. "I can do it."

Bellamy quickly ran over to her, pushing her back down on the table.

"No you can't. Rest." Bellamy instructed before leaving the ship with Finn and Clarke. Raven and West sat in silence as they processed their situation.

"There's only one stretcher." Raven pointed out.

West turned her head to see the girl looking at her.

"That you're going to get." West responded.

"But Clarke said-" West cut Raven off.

"I don't care what Clarke said. I'll walk. If I get tired,then I'll have Jasper give me a piggy back ride." This made a raven chuckle. "You're keeping that stretcher no matter what."

Raven smiled at the red head. A few moments later Clarke and Finn walked in. Clarke headed for West while Finn moved over to Raven.

"We're leaving." Clarke explained.

West nodded before sitting up. Clarke was quick to put her arm around the girls back. Throwing her arm over Clarke's shoulder, the girl pulled herself up. With Clarke's help, they walked out of the drop ship. Her head pounded, but she didn't want to say anything to Clarke.

"Bellamy, can you help West? I need to make sure everything is ready to go." Clarke asked when they came upon the boy.

He nodded and West was transferred off to Bellamy. The two began walking. Most of Wests weight was being supported by Bellamy. She felt guilt build up in her knowing shes making this hike harder for him.

"Sorry that you have to do this." She said while trying to put more of her weight in her own feet.

"It's fine." Bellamy chuckled as he held West up more. "You saved my life. Plus I feel responsible for you getting shot."

"You weren't the one that pulled the trigger." West reassured. She was about to let him know that she would be fine when suddenly everyone stopped walking.

West looked to the front to see Octavia had stopped everyone. In a second an ax had been thrown into the crowd. It sliced into someone's head. Their body fell to the ground with a thud.

"Grounders!" Jasper screamed.

Everyone began sprinting back to camp. West tried to run, but her legs kept giving out in her. Bellamy gave up on her running and scooped her up into his arms. She held on around his neck as he sprinted to the camp. He handed her off to Jasper as they exchanged a few words.

"Make sure she gets into the drop ship."

Jasper nodded and ran with West into the ship. Raven was being taken in by two boys as well. Both were set into chairs near a table. Jasper, after making sure West was alright, ran back out of the ship.

West's eyes moved to Raven. She was sweating and looked pale. Wests hand held onto her stomach as the paint from both wounds was getting worse. Her head felt heavy, but she held it up.

Bellamy, Finn and Clarke ran into the ship and began making a plan of attack. Because of Murphy's use of the gun powder, they had barely any weapons. This meant if they got through the gate, they would die.

"You said there was rocket fuel down there?" Clarke clarified.

"Yes, but without gun powder it's useless." Raven sighed.

"I don't want to build a bomb, I want to blast off." Clarke explained.

"Barbecued grounders," Bellamy nodded. "I like it."

Raven explained how the wires would have to be fixed, but the plan could work. Everyone ran to their positions. Finn and Clarke hurried under the ship as West and Raven sat near the opening they entered. Feeling faint, West leaned against the box Raven was sitting near.

"I can't feel my legs." Raven quietly said as Clarke was asking for instructions.

West's eyes met Ravens as she gave her a sympathetic look. Clarke moved Raven to sit forward and looked at her back. West got a glimpse and saw blood under her skin.

"The bloods in your spine, you're bleeding internally." Clarke sighed.

Finn said that he could get something to slow the bleeding. He left the ship to get the medicine from Lincoln's cave despite Raven and Clarke's protests. After he was gone, Clarke was back under the ship.

Night soon fell and the grounder drums could be heard through the camp. West winced every time she heard a gunshot. On the radio she could hear the people outside saying they didn't have enough bullets.

As the screaming got louder West knew that the Grounders were closing in. Soon people began piling into the drop ship.

"I'm closing the door." A boy said with fear in his voice.

"Wait," Clarke stopped him. "We still have people out there. Bellamys not back yet."

She ran out of the ship with Finn. More people piled into the ship making West look around. Octavia, Bellamy and now Clarke and Finn were missing. Clark came in with a broken look on her face. She closed the door leaving them out there. West let a tear slip out knowing that her friends were going to die.

One of the grounders jumped into the ship before the doors had closed. She stood there for a moment before trying to attack. Jasper tried launching the ship, but it didn't work. While he tried to fix it people beat the grounder. Clarke stopped them from killing her. Everything seemed to be a blur as West felt weaker. Jasper eventually got the ship to fire, making everything shake.

West closed her eyes as a tear fell for the hundreds of people they just killed. She heard the drop ship door open and everyone walked out leaving West and Raven in the ship. West could see outside the burnt ground.

What shocked her was the red smoke that soon filled the air. Fearing the effects, she tried to move even further into the ship. Her effort was useless as the smoke filled the room. She began to cough as it filled her lungs. The lightheadedness she was feeling grew as her eyes fell. Her body collapsed under her until she was in a heap on the ground.

Here eyes blinked slowly. She tried fighting the drug, but she was finding it impossible. Before she fell into darkness she caught a glipse of people in hazmat suits. West couldn't tell if she was dreaming. She let her eye close as she fell into a deep sleep.

"Who are you?"