Persphyni: I am Determined

10

We left any items that weren't necessary to survival in the Rover. Those that were are either divided between our two bags or on our bodies. Examples being the cloth wrapped around Clarke's face and the cloak situated on my mostly bare upper body.

I gave Clarke Jasper's goggles in order to protect her eyes while I had to use my long sleeve shirt as material to cut out a wrap of fabric to cover my nose and mouth. My eyes unprotected from the sand as I squinted and kept my head low so the hood of my cloak helped protect me.

I was leading the way. Clarke with the map was walking slowly behind me as I trudged through the sand dunes. We had stopped in the night just before the sand to rest. Well. Clarke was able to sleep, I on the other hand stayed up and mapped out our route.

We'd be in the sand for all of today and tomorrow. But the good thing is we were close enough to the panel farm to make it there by the third day. After that, we'd be making the three day trip once again, this time with more things to carry.

"Pers." I turned as Clarke croaked out my name. Her body staggering as I turned and watched her drop hold of the large stick, her face wrap next followed by the goggles.

"Clarke?" I couldn't run to her as she dropped her bag and began to stagger towards me. My feet were sinking in the sand and I was sluggish. I barely made it to catch her as she landed on her knees then began to fall to her side.

Her lips were pale and chapped as her eyes rolled to the back of her head before closing.

"Shit. Clarke?" I called out to her as I felt her pulse. Her heart was beating rapidly as I shrugged my pack off and grabbed my one canteen of water. We had left the large jugs in the Rover and opted for taking a canteen each.

Hindsight, not a smart idea.

I shook the metal and growled in frustration as I found it empty. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I knew I didn't have anything in my bag that would help. And I knew that I wouldn't be of any help as I too was feeling faint in this heat. The metal blades on my back, sides, arm, and thigh were heating up and I swear they would have burned me if the leather of the sheathes were any thinner.

"Clarke, I know you're tired. I know you're thirsty. But you have to fight, damnit. It's too hot for you to passout here. And I can't do shit out here on the sand." I moved so I could block the sun from her face as I provide shade for her. I had to do something. Anything.

I wasn't a doctor. I only knew how to wrap and take care of an injury, not how to keep someone from dying of heatstroke.

Think. Think. Think.

I saw Clarke's canteen laying in the sand around her open bag. My eyes locking on the shining metal as I slowly lowered Clarke's body to the floor. My movements were slow and my eye sight was slightly blurry but it all felt quick to me as I stood up and the world began to spin slowly.

Oh shit, I was going down.

My knees wobbled and I fell onto the blazing sand with my palms. My palm cutting on a sharp edge of a rock sent red blood pouring from my right hand.

I almost forgot about that. But now wasn't the time to dwell.

I went to stand up but eventually just settled for crawling towards the canteen. My body straining as I pulled with my upper body and pushed with my lower.

My legs and arms worked in tandem as I kept my bare stomach off the burning sand.

I finally made it to her bag, my hand snatching up the metal before I turned to face her. There was no way I was making it back. I shook the canteen and heard a small swish of liquid. Leaving it at that, I tossed the container over to Clarke's figure as my eyesight began to be consumed by black.

"Wake up, Clarke!" I croaked as my head swam. The canteen landed right near her outstretched hand but she remained immobile.

I'm going down.

My brain shut down and my body sank into the sand. My exhaustion over-powered my determination. Leaving me with nothing but the horrors in my own mind.

"Please, wake up, Clarke."

Then, like every good drama, I was out. Just like that.

_______•*•*•*•_______

"AAAGH!"

"I'm done! Do you hear me? I've lost everything!"

My ears started ringing as the black that had consumed my vision was slowly disappearing.

"I lost my friends, my father, my mother! I've got nothing left!"

I moved my hand into a fist as I stayed laying on the hot sand. My cloak protecting my skin as it folded around my body.

Sobbing came from behind me as I finally opened my eyes and pushed off from the ground. My back to the sky as I held my body up for a moment before attempting to stand.

The sobbing stopped as I rose, the soft clack of metal in its place as I stood up fully and began to turn and face where Clarke had been.

A throwing knife was in my hand and headed towards the edge of Clarke's upper arm before I could even think about what was happening.

The blade spiraled in the air before grazing her left arm just enough to get her to drop the gun and pull out of her trance. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the gun then back to me while grabbing her bleeding arm.

I felt my chest rise and fall as I said nothing but watched as Clarke began to tear up. She went to say something when a loud squawk was heard above us and the shadow of a bird flew across the sand. The bird pulling us away from our stare down. I would be speaking with her later. But this was more important.

Life.

It was still out here.