Clarity || John Murphy

Chapter Nine - 'Leader' Jackson

"You're from the ark, and he thinks that if the ark gets down here, then they will try to take over. If they take over, he loses power. And if there's one thing that Jackson hates more than anything, it's losing control."

Murphy nodded. "Well, I guess that's why she didn't want me near him."

Hannah bit her lip again. "Murphy, promise us that you won't go near him. He's dangerous."

"Why is he the Leader, then?"

"Because people are too scared to try and remove him from it, because he is that frightening."

Murphy sighed. "Fine, I won't go near him. I promise." He leaned against his hand, exhaling. He was putting on a facade of boredom and disappointment, but inside, he was seething. If that man thinks that he can hurt Eve and try to kill her again, he's not going to know what hit him.

*

Murphy threw the keys onto the desk beside the door, taking off his jacket and kicking the door shut behind him. The information that Hannah and Jack had told him that night was surprising to say the least, but he tried not to let it bother him. He couldn’t tell Eve that he knew about Jackson, he was sure of that.

He walked into the living room, and was surprised to see Eve sitting on the couch, her head in her hands. “You went to him, didn’t you?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Why did you change your mind?”

“You and Jack convinced me not to.” 

She sighed in reply. They stayed silent for a moment, Murphy sitting down beside her. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled. “I shouldn’t have asked so much.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine, don’t worry.” She yawned after that.

He chuckled. “Tired?”

“Yes, I guess I am.” She smiled.

“You can go to the bedroom if you want to.” He said, standing up and walking behind the couch to the trunk filled with blankets.

“What are you doing?” She asked, standing up with him.

“Getting a blanket. It’s too cold out here without one.”

“But you’re sleeping with me. In the bedroom.”

“No, it’s fine, you can have it.”

“No, it’s not fine.” She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m here to keep you safe and to help you if you get upset. I can’t do that if we’re twenty feet away from each other.”

“Eve, you don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do! Now come on, you’re sleeping in that bed whether you like it or not!” She argued, grabbing his wrist and dragging him to his bedroom. Literally dragging him.

He was laughing by the time they got there. He wondered why she was so stubborn, but he could admit that he liked it. It gave her a fiery type of personality. It was the type that sometimes he might not get along with, while others he couldn’t love it more.

She smiled softly at him, and he sat down on the bed, pulling off his shirt and pants with his back to her. He pulled on plaid pajama pants which hung low on his waist, and was about to lay in the bed, when Eve interrupted him. “Wait! We should change the gauze first.”

He nodded, following quickly behind her as she walked into the bathroom. By the time he had gotten there, she was already twirling a roll of medical tape on her finger like an oversized ring, and had put the two rolls of gauze on the counter. “You’re really slow, you know.”