Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 37

Ethan breathes out a triumphant laugh, jostling his arm when he shifts and drops his head back against the rock with a dull thunk. 

There's someone there, standing behind Monroe. He squints.

"Bellamy?" It's Octavia. 

And this is the first time she's seen her brother in days. Lincoln's foghorn is attached to a rope around her shoulders and her long, brown hair is pulled into multiple braids that have Ethan impressed.

"Holy shit." Is all he can say.

"She blew the horn." Murphy breathes out. He winces, rolling onto stiff knees to untangle the rope from his trembling and bloody hands, so desperate not to let go that he'd hurt himself in the process.

He leans back on his heels, attempting to get his breathing under control, and looks over at Ethan.

"Hi." His voice is hoarse, the muscles at his jaw working every time he clenches it.

Bellamy stands, his lips parted and shoulders lowered. A look always reserved for his sister. He meets her halfway and they fall into each other's arms, curling fingers into shirts and digging faces into shoulders.

They didn't think they'd ever see each other again.

Murphy reaches past Ethan, bunching some of the belts in hand. He's still breathing hard, fingers shaking but eyes alive.

"Come on," He holds out an arm, and when Ethan doesn't reach for it, he flicks his fingers impatiently, taking on a scowl, "You wanna bleed out?"

Ethan reaches out, groaning when he ends up in a stand beside Murphy, who's pulling his sticky with blood fingers away from the wound to tie the fabric around.

It ignites at the touch, causing Ethan to snap a step back - Murphy's fingers, however, are already tightened around his wrist, preventing any movement.

The actions are familiar.

Trying his best to work with what they have - as they've done since they landed on the ground - Murphy twirls the fabric around and around until it secures.

It's all they have to put pressure on the wound, slowing the bleeding enough to get back. The Ark, unlike the dropship, is stocked with medical supplies they could've done with weeks ago. The council didn't think they were going to survive.

Ethan bites the inside of his cheek to contain his suffering, but he's not looking at his arm, he's observing, following the focused crease of Murphy's forehead, the twist of his lips.

"There. Doesn't even look like you're bleeding." Murphy eyes the makeshift bandage, red seeping into red.

Ethan glances underneath his feet, "Except for the evidence, of course." The blood droplets are glaring against stone.

He can barely enunciate his words past the burn, burn, burn of his arm and tucks it into his body before he sits down, exhaling through gritted teeth.

"Thanks," Ethan says, squinting past the suns glare. "Bellamy would've ended up a bloody smear on the ground if you weren't there."

Murphy looks at the top of Ethan's head. He blinks and nods, brows knitted, searching through an exhausted mind to find something to snark back.

"Yeah, well, Finn would have killed me if he did." He tries, shuffling a step to the left to cast a shadow over Ethan. Instinctive and without thought.

Ethan huffs, rolling his eyes.

Octavia joins the group with Bellamy's arm around her shoulder, but ducks away to help Ethan stand up for the second time that minute. Only to tug him into her arms and swing them side to side with a smile.

"Ow, ow. Arm." Ethan hisses, moving the appendage away at her small, "sorry", and leaning in to hug her instead.

"Looks like you guys are in dire need of help."

Ethan grins, "You could say that."

They direct her towards Monroe first, to wrap the arrow and her leg up tight. She's gonna have to endure a long, painful walk back to the Ark. "Thank god you came when you did," Monroe says, wincing at the makeshift bandage tightening around her thigh.

"I was going back to camp when I heard the shots."

Murphy wanders over, crouching down to admire the design on the horn. "Nice foghorn. What happened to your boyfriend?"

Octavia slaps his hand away and barely glances at him. "He's gone." She says shortly and without explanation.

Head snapping up, "Lincoln?" Ethan rushes onto his feet to follow Bellamy and crouch down next to Octavia. "Lincoln's gone?"

"I'm sorry, O.," Bellamy says, and he truly sounds genuine about it.

"Come on, there's no way. . ."

The look Octavia gives Ethan is enough. His shoulders sag and he sighs, looking away.

Octavia pushes onto her feet, bag in hand. "The grounders will be back, so we need to go. Now." She orders, swinging the strap over her shoulder. She and Bellamy gather by Finn, who's already drawn a map of the area, passing it over. They talk, but several seconds later, split off in two different directions.

Ethan moves to follow Finn, and almost falls over when he stands, black filling the corners of his eyes for a second too long.

"Woah, where are you going?" Bellamy stops him short, a hand to his shoulder.

Shrugging, Ethan points at Finn, "To help find our friends?"

"You're injured." Bellamy squeezes his shoulder, "We're going back to the Ark, getting what we need and then meeting back up with Finn. Okay?" He raises a brow.

Ethan sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face and then abruptly jabbing a finger at him, "If you leave me behind after medical, you're dead."

Bellamy huffs, and they watch Finn disappear around the path.

"Parting,"

Murphy surprises them when he steps past, arms out at his side. A dull smile quirks his lips.

"Such sweet sorrow, right?"

He follows after Finn, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bellamy stops him.

Murphy turns back around, exasperated. He shrugs his arms, "Come on. Bellamy, you know if I go with you they'll just lock me up again."

Which is. . . a concerning thought to Ethan as well.

Though Bellamy doesn't argue, he just nods, bends down to pick up a gun and throws it overhead to Murphy. The other boy catches it easily. Octavia watches this happen with a frown.

"Watch his back," Bellamy says.

Murphy looks up from the gun and nods.

A truce, then.

He glances once more at Ethan before he leaves, a cocky smile on his face, shaking the gun pointedly. Ethan flips him the finger.

In the end, he proved Ethan wrong. Murphy did get the weapon.

All in a days work.