Bellamy was gone that morning when I finally awoke, and I assumed that he had gotten an early start to the day. I knew that he was on edge, preoccupied with everything going on. The way he tossed and turned all night was marker of that.
I slowly pulled myself out of bed, paying close attention to the pain in my abdomen...it wasn't healing as quickly as I had hoped.
It took me a while, but I finally made it out of our room and out into the courtyard where most of Arkadia was gathered, all of them busy working away.
Although Clarke had hid the truth from all of them, it was working out in our favour for now. The threat of impending death caused everyone to work ten times harder.
I glanced around, hoping to find something I could help with, even in my weakened state.
As if on cue, a commotion arose by the front gates, all the guards rushing forward, guns raised as a voice sounded off over the intercom. "We need some medical help at the front gate! Looks like we've got some sick people"
Finally, something I could actually help with.
I followed after the crowds of people that were gathering, beginning to push my way through the front.
"Miller." I muttered, stopping behind Nathan who was one of the many guards with his guns raised.
He turned to look at me, giving me a small nod before moving and allowing me to step in front of him. What I saw when I emerged from the crowd made my heart drop.
A group of Grounders stood in front of our gates, each of them holding onto another sick Grounder. Coughs tore through their lungs, as angry bubbled blisters covered their skin.
I felt my face fall as I stared back at them, not recognizing these symptoms at all.
"Do not come any closer!" One of our guards ordered, assertion in his voice.
"Please. They need Skaikru medicine." It was Nyko who gave this plea. He looked rather healthy, but the young girl in his arms told a different story.
"Just relax." I ordered, turning to look at our soldiers. "They're sick, you can drop the guns."
"Do as she says!" Bellamy's voice ordered as he, Raven and Clarke joined the group of us. "Lower the guns."
Reluctantly, all guns were lowered as Clarke started toward the Grounder group. "Nyko..." she whispered, her voice soft.
"What if it's another Grounder attack like they did with Murphy?" Miller questioned, his voice low so only Bellamy and I could hear.
Bellamy and I shared a nervous glance, both of our minds flashing back to the time when sickness had ravaged through our camp in the early days down here.
"What happened to them?" Clarke asked, bringing my attention back to the sick Grounders.
Bellamy placed his hand on the small of my back, slowly leading the two of us toward where Clarke was. We made sure to stay far enough back so that if whatever they had was contagious, we wouldn't fall victim to it.
"The sickness." Nyko answered, slowly lowering so he could lay the little girl onto the ground. "We lost more than 40 on the way."
I felt my heart clench at Nyko's words. Whatever this was, it was clearly deadly.
As one of the female Grounders let out a series of sputtering coughs, all of our eyes were drawn to her. She had mostly kept her head down since they got here, but as she briefly looked up, recognition dawned on me. "Luna?" I questioned, confusion and shock present in my words.
She looked up fully this time, her eyes landing on Bellamy, Clarke, Raven and I who stood in a small group closest to the Grounders. "Please don't turn us away because of what I did to you." she begged, her voice weak.
My face fell at the prospect that she thought we would do that. Luna may have let us down in the moment, but that didn't mean we were just going to leave her and her people to die.
"Out of my way!" Called a voice from the back of the crowd. "Out of my way, please."
Abby emerged from the group of spectators, freshly returned from Polis and back on doctor duty here at Arkadia. She carried a medical bag and held a rag to her mouth as she approached. However, the closer she got, a look of recognition covered her face, and she slowly lowered the makeshift mask.
She dropped to her knees, reaching out to lightly feel the forehead of the young Grounder girl who was currently withering in pain.
"Mom." Clarke breathed, lowering herself at her mother's side. "What is this?"
Abby's voice was quiet as she spoke, but loud enough for the small group of us to hear. "Fever, lesions, vomiting...it's ARS."
"What's ARS?" Bellamy questioned.
Looking over toward us, Abby let out a small sigh. "Acute Radiation Sickness."
I felt like the air had been knocked from my lungs as I leaned into Bellamy for support...it was already starting.
"When did the symptoms start?" Abby asked, looking back to Luna.
"Not sure." she admitted. "Right after the fish started dying."
"The fish are dying?" Raven demanded, urgency in her tone.
Nyko nodded. "Floating on the sea to the horizon. In every direction."
Nervous glances were shared in all direction...we all knew what this meant.
"They're not contagious." Abby announced, "Let's get them to Medbay."
As most of our guards took a hold of the Grounders, helping them toward the ship, Bellamy, Clarke and I knelt in front of a single body that had been left behind. She had died before we could help her.
I let out a sad sigh as I reached forward to lightly close her eyes. My hands were shaking as I pulled them back, causing me to plunge them into the pocket of my jacket.
Clarke looked to Bellamy and I, her eyes full of worry. "It's already starting."
---
"Here." I whispered, passing a bucket to Luna who was currently heaving, on the cusp of vomiting once again. "You're okay." I promised, trying to provide any comfort I could.
I had spent the better part of the day in Medbay, doing anything I could to help these people. But that wasn't much. The state they were in, it was bad, and perhaps the only thing that could help them at this point was a drug by the name of Delactivene. Problem was, that as of yesterday, Raven had put all the med on lockdown to ensure that the Ark would have supplies for the next five years. Once again, we were tasked with the dilemma of saving the few, or saving the many in the future.
According to Jackson, these people had been exposed to the radiation through irradiate fish, meaning it wasn't airborne-yet.
"Hey." Bellamy mumbled, joining me at Luna's side just as she began to vomit up dark blood, sputtering as she attempted to catch a breath.
I lightly rubbed her back, giving Bellamy a sad smile. "Hey." I said softly, my sad eyes meeting his own.
He wordlessly grabbed a rag, bringing it up to wipe away the blood that covered Luna's mouth. She looked up at the two of us, giving us an exhausted look. "You think I deserve this for refusing the Flame?"
I let out a sad sigh as Bellamy shook his head. "No one deserves to suffer." he asserted. "Besides, this would have happened anyway."
Luna closed her eyes briefly, reopening them when Clarke joined the three of us. "This is all that's left of my people." she whispered, "Can you save them?"
Clarke and I shared a brief look. "We'll do everything we can." I promised, personally knowing that I would do everything I could to either save these people, or keep them as comfortable as possible for whatever was to come.
"You have our word." Clarke added, giving Luna a firm nod.
She the motioned for Bellamy and I to join us off to the side. "Tell us something good." she pleaded, eyes on Bellamy.
He let out a small sigh, meaning he really had nothing good to tell us. "Raven's looking for us."
---
"There you are!" Raven exclaimed as the three of us joined her in the Hangar Bay where she was furiously typing away at the numerous monitors set up in front of her. "Avery, I thought you were supposed to be helping me with rationing?" she demanded, turning to look at me with raised brows. "I haven't seen you all day."
I crossed my arms over my chest, preparing for the lecture I was about to be given. "I've been in Medbay." I answered, giving her a look that dared her to challenge me. Raven was like my older sister, meaning we got along most of the time, but that didn't mean that we never argued.
She let out an exasperated sigh as she shook her head. "Look, I get it." she started, "It's horrible what's happening to those people, but that's going to happen to all of us if we don't stay on tract."
When I remained silent, jaw clenched as I stared back at her, Raven turned back to the monitors, moving on to why she had called us all here.
"So Luna's rig is here," she announced, pointing to a point that was mapped out on one of the screens. "And if the fish in these waters are dying, well, basically we're screwed."
"I don't understand." Bellamy confessed. "ALIE said we had six months."
"We don't." Raven answered, her voice smaller than before.
"Well then how long do we have?" I questioned, my voice wavering.
Raven gave me a quick glance before looking back to her monitor, "It's hard to say. Radiation is dispersed by jet stream and carried by ocean currents, so it's not an exact science, but the leading indicators are small species die -offs--fish, insects. Based on the new data, I'd say we have...two months of survivability. Maybe less."
I let out a frustrated sigh as I turned from the group, raking a hand through my hair. "So less than half of what we thought we had."
"There's no way the Ark will be ready." Bellamy announced, echoing my concerns.
"It'll be close." Raven responded, some conviction in her tone. "If we triple the man hours and work around the clock, we should be able to achieve a hard seal before the Black Rain comes. We just have to decide who gets to live here." she added, her eyes falling to Clarke with the latter part of her statement.
"Raven, we're not talking about the list again." Clarke argued.
Raven pushed herself to her feet, her eyes wild. "Clarke, we are running out of time. We have to make a plan for the day we close those doors, drill for it, make sure only survivors have guns, agree on protocols for dealing with the people who are pissed off they're not chosen."
I bit down on the inside of my lip, already picturing the complete chaos that that day would encompass. No matter where Bellamy and I ended up, I knew I was going to be terrified either way. Inside or out, it would be horrific in its own manner.
Bellamy noted my upset state, and reached out for my hand, giving it a quick squeeze as if to tell me everything would be okay.
"You asked Avery and I to be in-charge of rationing," Raven continued, "And we are doing that, but choosing who gets to live or die, that's your speciality."
The dig to Clarke was obvious, causing all of us to fall into an uncomfortable silence. I couldn't help but think about the kind of pressures that were being placed on all of us, but Clarke especially. We were still kids, teenagers at that. And despite all we had been through since arriving on Earth, this was too much.
Clarke didn't get to make her rebuttal, as before she could speak the sound of an engine starting up filled the air.
"No one's scheduled to take the Rover." Raven announced, confusion on her face.
That's all it took, within seconds we were all rushing outside toward the courtyard (Raven and I trailing behind the other two for obvious reasons).
When we emerged into the sunlight, all of our eyes landed on the Rover in question, and I almost let out a laugh at who was in the driver's seat.
"Of course." I muttered, stopping beside Clarke and Bellamy.
Jaha.
-an-
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