whatever the hell we want || j. jordan

~ chapter 4.2 ~

Monty looked down at the Chief, who was still pinned down by Bellamy. Monty slowly picked up the Chief's axe and approached him.

"You don't have to do this," Bellamy said quietly.

"Yeah. I do." Monty swung the axe, and I shut my eyes. But rather than the sound of metal on flesh, I heard chains rattling. Monty was hitting the chains to free the slaves. They all broke free and ran to kill the Chief. There was much shouting, some from the Chief and some from the slaves.

Monty stood in silence, facing away from the scene.

We helped the newly freed slaves get into the truck we'd brought and all squeezed into the front seats. Harper and I began to get them some water and food. I tried to put on my best face for them but I couldn't get the picture of 500 of our people dead out of my head. We saved them today, but they would die in six months anyway because we had no generator.

Clarke had chosen to break the news to the citizens of Arkadia that day. She promised that everyone would live through it. I could tell they were empty promises. We'd be lucky if 100 of us lived. Ha. A new 100. Leave 400 on the Ground to die, and keep the 100 alive. Ironic, isn't it?

I leaned against Jasper, whose face was completely blank. He knew, but he didn't care. Monty had filled me in, the guy had tried to kill himself a few weeks ago. If I was being honest, I didn't know how I felt about the end of the world. I wanted to live, but going back on the Ark wasn't exactly something I was eager to do. I liked the Ground, but it's not like I could just stay outside. If only Mount Weather was still around. I would've been able to stay in there for five years. Maybe.

•

I was helping move supplies around when I heard commotion outside. I hurried to the gate to see much of our population crowded against it. I was surprised to see the Trikru healer, Nyko. Lincoln's friend.

"...More than 40 on the way."

A woman was coughing, hunched over. When she raised her head and looked through her mass of curly hair, I almost gasped.

"Luna?"

"Please don't turn us away because of what I did to you," Luna croaked. Her face was covered in a blister-like rash, dark circles lining her eyes.

Abby pushed through the crowd. "Out of my way. Please let me through." She was holding a cloth up to her nose and mouth to block any contagious germs. She crouched down to Luna's level.

"What is this?" Clarke whispered.

"Fever, lesions, vomiting," Abby matched Clarke's volume. "It's ARS."

"What's ARS?" I asked.

"Acute Radiation Sickness." Everyone stayed silent. "When did the symptoms start?"

"Not sure," Luna rasped. "Right before the fish started dying."

"The fish are dying?" Raven asked.

Nyko nodded, and gave details.

"It's not contagious. Let's get them to medbay." Abby helped Luna stand, and lifted a small sick child.

I grasped the arms of someone else and let him lean against me as we made our way to medbay. I laid him down on one of the cots and stayed next to him as we tried to treat them.

"They're getting worse," Clarke said as Bellamy came into the room.

"There's got to be something we can do." I said, pleading.

"Delactivene might help, but Ravens got the meds on lockdown." Jackson said, arms crossed. The man I was next to vomited again. Onto me. Oh, well. Just another day on the Ground.