DON'T LET ME GO ► BELLAMY BLAKE

17

Trying to keep everything in her stomach from coming back up was the most difficult thing Loxy had to do while Murphy spit out blood endlessly. "I don't understand," she rasped. "How..."

Clarke stormed into the drop ship, the areas under her eyes tinted red. "Loxy, Murphy," she croaked in a scratchy voice.

"You're sick too?" Loxy asked, concern bubbling up in her chest. "I think I know what this is."

"What the hell is going on here?" Bellamy demanded, stomping onto the drop ship with a gun cradled in his arms. His eyes widened when he looked at Loxy sitting next to Murphy. Fresh blood had begun to pour out of her eyes.

"Did he do something to you? Because I swear to God—"

"Bellamy, no!" Loxy protested, holding up a shaky hand. "He didn't do anything. But you can't come near me."

Bellamy and Clarke's faces lit up with confusion together, waiting for answers.

"When Murphy and I were escaping, it was easier than finding our way back to camp," Loxy began, before stopping to bend over and cough up more blood.

"Loxy—" Bellamy's hand extended out to her, but she jerked away quickly.

"I don't want you getting sick!" She shouted, raising her voice. "It was easy to escape because they let us go. They let me take Murphy because they knew I would take him here."

"Biological warfare," Clarke muttered, her daunting voice almost inaudible. "This is the Grounders' retaliation for the bridge."

"And Murphy's the weapon," Loxy whispered, meeting the doe-eyed boy's gaze. "Whatever this thing is, it spreads through contact. Get all the people who are sick onto the drop ship." Loxy's ordered as she struggled to her feet. With the bullet wound and her sickness, it wasn't an easy task.

"Fuck it," Bellamy wheezed before marching over to her, his hand nearly brushing against her arm before she stopped him. He groaned as she placed an invisible barrier between the two of them. "Let me help you."

"I'm sorry, Amy," Loxy murmured, wishing she could plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. "The best thing you can do for me right now is make sure you stay healthy."

"Only for you, Red," he uttered in response, his voice gentle as he spoke. Then he disappeared out of the drop ship, though she could tell it was difficult for him to walk away.

"Clarke!" Finn called, ducking under the drop ship curtain and approaching the two of them. "You're sick," he pointed out, his brown eyes flickering with sadness.

Loxy parted her lips to speak, but instead found blood trickling out. She began coughing ruthlessly, blood spattering out everywhere. Hands were on her back and trying to coax her, but she was too weak to move. All she could do was shrivel up and cough up all the blood.

Her strength quickly faded, and sleep came to before she could even properly lay down.

~

"Clarke," Loxy gently whispered, wrapping an arm around her weak friend. "You've been helping these people all day and you're the most sick. Let me take over for a few hours," she offered.

"Do you know what to do?" Clarke questioned, relaxing against the drop ship wall.

"Of course. Your mother was good for something," she lowered her voice as she felt Clarke slowly collapse against her arms. "Clarke," she whispered, feeling a smile spread across her lips. "It'll be okay. I'm sure that whatever this is, it'll pass."

Her best friend's ocean blue eyes lit up with several mixed emotions before they closed into the darkness of slumber. Resting her carefully on the floor, Loxy hopped onto both of her feet. She ignored the pain radiating off her leg.