From The Deep

Chapter 8, Part One

The Medical Center was one of the few areas on the station they could be reasonably sure of their safety. The doors were all locked down and a handful of Security personnel were posted inside. When Clarke and Pierce arrived, the team all gave morose nods to the Acting Chief of Security.

Raleigh was glad to see everyone there, glad to see at least some of them were okay. Ingram and Gutter talked back and forth, Petrovina and Valentin sat together in a corner and cuddled. Pierce was in the middle of talking to his men when he noticed his wife.

"Nolan!"

"Kim." They embraced in a long hug and Raleigh happily watched the reunion. She felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Cliff. He wrapped her up in his massive arms, lifting her off the ground easily.

"I'm glad you're okay," Raleigh said, hiding her sadness about the loss of Lyons and Amber Bennett. She felt safe in Cliff's arms. It was the first time she had felt safe since she left for Lynet Station.

"Gutter explained what happened with the oxygenation machine, you fixed it. We're all alive because of you. I'm proud of you, little red." Cliff set her back down. "Is Edward around?"

Cliff pointed him out in the back, "Over there."

Raleigh went to Edward to give him the bad news. He was digging through a maintenance supply locker when he heard her approach. "Hey, Raleigh."

"Listen, I need to tell you something that's going to be hard to hear."

Edward's already weak smile faded, "What?"

"I found Amber. She was infected."

Edward began to tear up, "Uhm...where...where did you see her?"

"On B Level, outside the air filtration room."

"Do you think she's still there?"

"Ed, she's dead."

Edward broke down at the words, "Uh...what if...what if we could have saved her?" Raleigh shook her head regretfully, "Edward, she's gone."

She tried to get closer, but he stepped further away from her, "I...I think I need to be alone for a little while." He left unceremoniously, walking through the doors to a different part of the Medical Center. She didn't try and follow him. She knew how loss felt very well. Sometimes people just needed time. She went back to the others, trying to forget about Ed for the moment.

"What's wrong with him?" Gutter asked.

"I told him we found Amber, that she was infected and that she's dead now."

"How did he take it?" Pierce questioned.

"Not well, he needs some time."

Pierce glanced toward the door Edward went through, "We'll leave him to himself for a bit."

"That's probably for the best."

"I briefed everyone on the situation," Pierce explained, "we're all on the same page."

"Hardy is trying to kill us," a Security officer named Caleb Wu said, "what the hell do we do about that?"

"Well, he at least can't cut off the oxygen supply anymore," Gutter said. Roger Stone took issue with that, "He still has almost unlimited control of the entire station from up there!"