Tragedy ✧ John Murphy

• Chapter 27 •

"You're not going to die at all, Jules. I won't let that happen. I don't know where we can go, but we can't just stay here. There's no one who can save you here." Murphy responded, the thought of staying here and her dying was a thought he couldn't handle.

"Please, John." Julia's voice broke as a tear fell down her cheek, followed by more tears. Hearing her call him by his first name broke his heart. She had never done that before and it killed him that this was why she did it.

After a moment, he nodded. "Okay, Jules. Okay. We'll stay here." He gave in and then managed to sit down on the floor, Julia still in his arms, so she was laying with the top of her body across his lap.

"How many more are out there?" Raven asked after a minute, referring to the grounder that she had shot and killed.

"None. You fried them all. The only reason this one survived was because they left him behind to guard and torture Julia and I. He's the one who stabbed her." Murphy told her, looking at the grounder's body with hatred in his eyes.

The hatred soon turned to worry as he looked down at Julia when she started gasping and coughing up blood.

"Lie on your side. Lie on your side." Murphy repeated, though he was the one who did most of the work in helping her move to her side.

She puked up blood on the floor beside where they were sitting and Murphy held her hair back with one hand as he reached over and grabbed a rag with the other.

When she was done, he wiped the blood off her mouth. "You're okay. It's all good, Jules. You're gonna be just fine." Murphy murmured comforting words to Julia.

Raven watched this interaction, worried about Julia, but also questioning Murphy's actions.

"You're so different with Julia. You're an actual decent human being around her. With everyone else, you're such a dick. If you have the capability of being how you are with Julia, then how did you get to be such a dick, Murphy?" Raven questioned after Julia was situated back on Murphy's lap.

"Look, I'm sorry for shooting you, okay? I was wrong." Murphy responded, ignoring her question.

"Let me guess. Mommy and Daddy didn't love you?" Raven said and Murphy sighed. "No, they loved me."

Murphy's face became slightly more vulnerable as he thought about his parents.

"Are you gonna cry, Murphy?" Raven asked mockingly and Murphy took in a deep breath. "Screw you, Raven."

"No, tell me. I want to know. How does a kid who's loved by his parents turn into a murdering psychopath?" Raven questioned.

Murphy hesitated answering, not having told his story in a long time. And he had never told the whole story to Julia before. But Raven was looking at him for an answer and there was nothing else to say besides the answer, so he did.

"He gets the flu. His father steals medicine that turns out wouldn't help anyway. Gets floated for it and..." Murphy paused and Julia could see tears welling up in his eyes as he looked forward.

Although it hurt to move, Julia reached out and grabbed his hand, comfortingly. Murphy glanced down at her and saw the reassurance in her eyes that she was there for him, which helped him continue his story.