𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗚𝗢, monty green

Chapter Eight

Monty's concern was making it impossible.

"Holy shit Avery." He took her hand in both of his, carefully inspecting it as if he knew anything about healing injuries. "That's not good."

"No Monty, it's not." She replied, a little exasperated.

Octavia's eyes caught on it then, widening in concern and shock, and Avery huffed out a breath. She couldn't help but feel slightly flustered about their sudden focus on her; not used to the attention. Octavia glanced around the room, finding a bowl of water close by Jasper's side, and motioning Avery to sit down.

"I don't know much, but I think if you put your hand in water for a while it could help."

Avery began to try and protest but Monty had already gently nudged her into sitting and then brought her hand down to the water. It stung a little, but after a few moments, it had begun to give her a small sense of relief.

"Is that okay?" Monty asked anxiously, and Avery let out a small chuckle at his concerned expression.

"Yeah." She said softly. "Thank you."

As the darkness crept into camp, Octavia insisted that both Avery and Monty took a break. She practically pushed them down the ladder and away from the level where Jasper was lying, telling them that they needed rest without the poor boy's pained yells directly in their ears.

Even so, as Avery curled up on the floor of the Dropship, nursing her healing hand in her other, it was impossible to sleep. Jasper's pain was far too immense for him to spare them a moment's silence. And it was getting on everyone's nerves.

"I can't take this shit any longer."

"He's driving me nuts."

Avery shifted into a sitting position, finding Monty stood only a few feet in front of her, taking a sip of water. His eyes quickly found hers, reflecting what she was thinking: soon enough, someone's going to decide they've had enough.

And apparently, that 'soon enough' was now.

"That's it. I'm ending this."

A wave of panic passed through Avery upon recognising that the voice was Murphy's. He had slumped out of his hammock, clenching his knife in his hand and making his way towards the ladder.

Avery knew Octavia wouldn't let him hurt Jasper if she could prevent it, but Murphy was stronger than her. And he had a knife on him.

"Monty." Avery muttered quietly, attempting to not catch anyone else's attention. "Listen to me."

Monty was smart; he was observant. He turned towards her, just in the slightest, to let her know that he was listening. She kept her eyes on Murphy who was talking to a girl curled in a blanket nearby, telling her that Bellamy wasn't here and so he was just going to get Jasper's death over with.

"Do not let Murphy go up there."

It took less than a second for Monty to spring up from where he was crouched, making his way up the ladder with very little difficulty, because Murphy - stupidly - hadn't thought about the fact Jasper and Monty were best friends and there was no way Monty would let him kill Jasper. It was only when Monty slammed the hatch shut after him that Murphy clicked.

"Let me in! Let me in Monty!" Murphy roared, banging his hands against the hatch furiously.

"That's going to bruise your hands." Avery remarked.

She was now standing so she could approach the boy whom she was wondering more and more recently about whether she could call him a friend. She'd always have a fondness for him - he was pretty much the first person she ever opened up to - but it was getting to a tipping point.