the orphan king

A rumble, A tumble, and A stumble

Drake woke to find Anya wiping his face with a wet rag. Silence reigned between them and nothing needed to be said. It was in the way she wetted his brow and caught the drops of water before they fell in his eyes. It was in the way he smiled at her as his fingertips touched her own. Anya leaned down and kissed him and he returned it as he snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her onto the bed. Suddenly a soft cough drew them away from each other and they saw Raven standing over them with a stern look.

"I can't leave you two alone can I?" Raven asked and Drake simply opened his other arm and Raven smiled as she eased herself on his bed and leaned heavily against his side before kissing him possessively.

"Excuse me!" The shocked voice of Abby Griffin echoed off the walls as outraged footsteps slammed on the metal grates. "This is a hospital. Not your personal rooms. Raven get back to your bed! And you! Get off him and let him rest!" Abby scolded the three and reluctantly they did as they were told as Raven, mindful of her injury, hobbled to her own bed with Abby's help and Anya slid off Drake's bed and stood calmly at his bedside.

"How long have I been asleep?" Drake asked as Abby turned toward him and fixed him with a stern look.

"For the whole day and night." Abby said as she grabbed a nearby cup and walked over to him before being intercepted by Anya who held out her hand expectantly and with a sigh Abby handed it to his wife.

"She's been like this the whole time. She won't let anyone get near you." Abby said clearly irritated. "And what's her name? She won't speak to me and I can't keep calling her Grounder Woman." Abby said as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Her name is Anya, Dr. Griffin and she's just keeping me safe." Drake nodded appreciatively at his wife before drinking from the cup she held to his lips.

"Anya, I'll be sure to keep it in mind." Abby said and Anya looked at her sharply.

"As you should." She said plainly through narrowed eyes and Abby had to stop herself from flinching from her tone.

"So you look like you have something you want to say doctor." Drake stated and Abby focused on Drake once more.

"Yes. Jake is coming by. Will you allow your 100 to let him through or will he have to arrest them too?" Abby asked and Anya visibly tensed but eased as Drake grabbed her hand.

"Tell the 100 to go back to their duties." Drake ordered and Anya swiftly left his side and headed toward the 100 who guarded the entrance and with that Drake looked back at Abby. "As long as Jake doesn't come with the intention of having me shocklashed again I'll be happy for his company. Besides, if he's coming for what I think he is then I should have nothing to fear, should I?" Drake asked and Abby felt a macabre thought worm its way into her mind and her mouth dropped as she took a step back.

"Did you plan on getting shocklashed?" Abby asked in horror.

"Of course not!" Drake denied with a grimace. "But it did play into my plans. Besides I hurt those guards. I deserved to be punished. Despite what you or the other Arkers think I am not an animal. I understand law and order. I've had to lay it down quite a few times myself. But with this it puts me into a more favorable position." Drake said and he watched as Abby seemed frozen and he frowned. "Come on Abby, how long have you been a Councilor? How many times did you see the others play the game for gain? As I told your husband, just because you've reached the Ground doesn't mean you're safe. Now we're playing for more than just the lives of the Ark. We play for the world." Drake said as if talking to a child and Abby looked at the teen in front of her in a new light.

She was a fool. A fool to believe that Drake had remained the same child he was when he left the Ark. How long had he planned during his self-imposed exile? Maybe even before that? Since the beginning when he had entered the Council Chambers nearly a year ago. Didn't he say it then? He had been waiting for them to get desperate. He waited till they had nothing left to lose. He played them so that he could land on the ground.