Fallout [The 100]

59

✵ C A L ✵

I woke up in a bed, groggy. It wasn't until I rolled over and the bandages across my chest pulled that I remembered where I was. Floating in Eligius IV above a new planet, 125 years removed from Earth and the woman who'd shot me.

I glanced around the room and found Gav in a chair. His head was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, mouth hanging open. "Some babysitter."

I pushed myself out of bed, grunting as I did so. Cryosleep had a funny way about healing. It didn't feel as if I'd been shot yesterday, but I was nowhere near 100%. I still had time to go before I could be back in the field where I was needed.

I left the room, being careful to close the door quietly as to not wake Gavril from his nap. Then I headed down the hall toward command. I wanted to look at Alpha. Somewhere down there Kenna and Alex were exploring a whole new world. I hoped they weren't giving Maia too much trouble.

But before I could make it to the bridge, I had to pass the infirmary. Inside I could make out raised voices. I slowed down, not sure if I should pass the open door.

"Everything I did in that bunker, I did for my people." I was fairly certain the voice belonged to Bellamy's sister. "Am I a monster? Is that it? Then so are you."

"You didn't have to wage war. You didn't have to burn down the farm." It was Kane, the man who'd betrayed us to Paxton. The reason four hundred people died in the gorge. "You were lost." Kane tried to continue but his words were broken up by coughs. Then Abby was yelling for someone named Niylah to help.

Octavia walked out of the room and in the opposite direction without looking back. I looked in the room for a moment. Kane was lying on the bed, coughing up blood. Maia had told me about their last conversation, that she hoped he lived long enough for them to make amends. It didn't look as if he'd even make it through the night.

I followed Octavia down the hall. After a few moments she turned around to face me. "You're Maia's friend, right?" She asked. "The one who took a bullet for her?"

"Cal Malikov," I said by way of introduction. "And you're her not-quite-sister."

"Now that that's cleared up..." She turned back around and continued to walk away.

"Wait!" I called. She stopped, but didn't turn back around. I picked up my pace to catch up with her. "She talked about you, you know? Not a lot. But, I mean, she tried not to talk about any of you a lot."

"Maia doesn't know me anymore," Octavia said flatly. "Maybe she doesn't want to. She left me in cryosleep, after all."

I shook my head. "Maia loves you," I assured her. "When she talked about bringing Wonkru to the valley, she never even considered a compromise. Charmaine said she'd take everyone as long as they left you, but that wasn't an option for Maia. She wanted to fight for you, even if it cost her life."

Octavia let out a humorless laugh. "That does sound like my sister." She shook her head. "Maia's always been so damn loyal. To a fault, if I'm being honest. I love her, but sometimes...sometimes it scares me how much she cares. Like I have to always be worried about her, make sure she doesn't fall in too deep."

That did sound like Maia. She carried so much pain with her, wore it like armor and refused to let it go. But I wasn't much better. "She's okay. We're watching out for her now too."

"Yeah, sure." She didn't seem convinced. "Don't get me wrong; I'm glad Maia found a place with the Shadows. But if you take advantage of her, I'll finish the job that crazy bitch started."

I held up my hands in surrender. "I believe you." Octavia looked at me for a moment before backing down. "Can I offer you some advice, as a friend of a friend?" She shrugged. "I know a thing or two about family drama. I spent a long time resenting my brother, and believing he hated me. But at the end of the day, he was still family and I wish more than anything that he was here with me now."