Vertigo ( the 100 Bellamy Blake / Roan)

5. The hanging man

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." - Lewis B. Smedes

"You have two ribs that are bruised, one slightly broken," Clarke started, "your nose will heal fine and you have no internal bleedings..." Clarke lifted up Valery's shirt and inspected her stomach and sides. "It's colors well, you'll recover soon. I am just going to tape you in." Valery frowned. "Like a mummy?" Valery asked sarcastically. Clarke smiled and replied: "More like a woman in a corset." She draped a big piece of cloth tightly around Valery's waist. "You really have a bee's waist, like an hour glass," Clarke said with a smile. Valery laughed sarcastically.

"Yeah, only that, for the rest you can't differ my front from the back." Valery said and Clarke grinned. "So it was Murphy?" Clarke asked and Valery raised her eyebrows. "Bellamy told me you said it was Murphy." Clarke said quickly.

"Does that surprise you? That guy is a dick." Valery replied quietly. Clarke nodded. "I can't agree more. You think you can walk?" Clarke asked. Valery nodded and stood up. "Of course, I am not a cripple." She mumbled and a bit stiff she followed Clarke out of the tent. Clarke almost bumped up into Octavia. "Jeez are you ok?" Octavia asked when she looked at Valery from head to toe. "I am fine, what is it?" Valery replied.

"You guys have a minute?" Octavia asked seriously. Clarke and Valery looked at each other and nodded. Octavia led Clarke and Valery to a tent, where Jasper and Bellamy were waiting for them. Valery looked disgusted and startled when she saw two fingers laying on the table next to a knife. She deeply frowned and looked closely at it. She searched in her pockets and held up her own knife, that looked slightly similar. Clarke grabbed hers and the one that laid on the table.

"Both these knifes where made of metal from the drop ships, right?" Clarke asked Valery and she nodded. "What do you mean?" Jasper asked with big eyes. "Who else knows about this?" Bellamy asked Octavia. "No one, we brought it straight here." Octavia replied. "Clarke?" Jasper said slowly.

"It means the grounders didn't kill Wells," Clarke said while staring at the brown fingers, "it was one of us." Everyone looked around, some faces resting on Valery's. "Valery was in my tent for hours, she didn't do it." Bellamy said and surprised Valery looked up to him.

"So, this means we have a murderer in the camp?" Jasper asked uncomfortably. "There's more than one murderer in this camp," Bellamy said sharply, "this isn't news, keep it quiet." Clarke stepped away, to the exit of the tent, but Bellamy stood in her way. "Get out of my way, Bellamy." Clarke said threatening.

"Clarke, be smart about this," Bellamy said, "look at what we have achieved. The wall, the patrols... Like it or not, it's good they think that the Grounders killed Wells." Clarke looked startled. "Good for you, you mean? What, keep people afraid so they'll work for you? Is that it?"

Bellamy nodded. "Yeah, that's it. But it's good for all of us. Fear of the Grounders is building that wall. Besides, what are you gonna do, just ask the killer to step forward? You don't even know whose knife it is." Bellamy said and Clarke held the knife up. "Oh really?" She asked sarcastically. "J.M. John Murphy." In the knife, the initials were carved.

"The people have a right to know, look at Valery!" Clarke said and pointed to Valery who was standing with an empty expression on her face. Clarke walked passed Bellamy, and stepped outside the tent. Valery wanted to follow Clarke in a rush, but had a slight sting in her side that made her sink through her knees. Bellamy pulled her up. "Careful, nt so fast." He said and he held her arm to escort her outside.

When Valery came outside, she saw Clarke pushing Murphy. "Son of a bitch!" She yelled. "Ho-ho-ho, what's your problem?" Murphy asked grinning. "Recognize this?" Clarke held up the knife. "My knife, where'd you find it? I was already searching it for I wanted to give Val a new haircut." Murphy said and looked threatening at Valery, who was stroking her hair while frowning. "Don't worry, it's still there." She heard Bellamy saying, who was focusing on Clarke and Murphy.