Merger

Chapter 13: The Kelenging

"Okay I get that you can't lose your senses but will you allow me to give you a painkiller? I won't make you sleep or anything, it'll ease the pain."

Lexa eyes her suspiciously.

"It'll make you sleepy only, I promise it's safe," Abby says. "Take it as my token of trust."

"After Clarke's surgery," Lexa says.

Abby nods and gets her materials. Lexa says something to Petra in Trigedasleng and Petra nods.

"She'll stay to assist."

...

About an hour into the surgery Abby notices the signs of distress on Lexa. The pain the younger woman was feeling must have been great but Abby could do nothing because she was wrist-deep in her daughter's belly pinching a minuscule bleed in her intestine.

Three hours later Clarke was all stitched up and Lexa was covered in sweat from her pain. She didn't protest or complain when Abby guided her to lay beside Clarke and injected the pain killer into her arm.

Now an hour after the injection, Lexa's body finally relaxes and she's falling asleep.

"If you want to go that's fine," Abby says to Petra. "I'll stay here."

Lexa yawns and says, "she doesn't speak Eng..."

"No I'll stay."

Lexa's head snaps towards Petra in surprise.

"She's my Heda," Petra says never breaking eye contact with Lexa. "She let my son be remembered with honor instead of betrayal like everyone else in that war. She kept his promise to him even though I was the traitor and I was the one who deserved death."

Abby just watches in awe as the old healer caresses Lexa's head gently like a mother and Lexa's eyes fill with emotion. Maybe it's the pain killers, or maybe Lexa never had a mother and this woman is the closest thing she has.

"Y-you betrayed me," Lexa says softly closing her eyes with a pain that Abby knows is not her wound because her pain killers are very effective.

"I know, I'm sorry Heda, I'm sorry," Petra says. "And these past seven years you tried to treat me with indifference and punish me for what I did but instead you've showed me mercy and kindness."

"That's because she can't be any other way."

Everyone's attention focuses to Clarke who watching them with droopy eyes.

"The worse things she's ever done for the sake of her people she does with a heavy heart because she feels for them," Clarke says. She turns to Abby and says, "leaving us at the mountain was also like ripping out her heart. I understand that now, and I didn't before. I just felt angry."

"Don't tell anyone that though," Lexa says. "They cannot think me weak."

Clarke scoffs but Abby speaks before her daughter can respond. "That's exactly what makes you strong Lexa. You can go against your emotions to do what is necessary to keep your people alive and bring them peace. Even Clarke could do that too and so can Bellamy because they pulled that lever even though they knew the consequences. I would've never been able to take that deal or pull that lever and we would've all been dead. I said before that my daughter is too young to lead but in a few months she has been a better leader and person than I could ever dream of being."

"Ah mom," Clarke says gripping her hand.

"And you Lexa, I went from hating you yesterday to appreciating you today," Abby says. "You are the opposite of everything I thought a Grounder would be, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I support your relationship with my daughter."