Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 67

Within minutes, they reach land.

Ethan throws the oar away as though it burns and shares a glance with a withering Murphy, hearts racing against their ribcages.

Jaha jumps into the water, pulling the boat to shore.

They made it. But at what cost?

"John, let me help you." Jaha circles the boat, reaching out.

Shaking his head, looking at him with red, teary eyes, "I don't want anything from you." Murphy clutches his injured hand to his chest and drops back to stare at the night sky.

Ethan gets up on shaky legs and tumbles out of the boat, splashing in the water. He reflexively scrambles a few steps back to search the ocean, the monster nowhere to be seen but still in his nightmares.

"Come on. You're a survivor. We all are,"

"Whatever you tell yourself to feel better, Chancellor," Murphy scoffs.

Jaha is desperate, "Our destiny is out there." He points towards the island that reminds Ethan of home.

Murphy leans back to meet his eyes, scowling, "And what about Craig's destiny?"

"We sacrificed a few to save the many."

Ethan clutches his fingers against the wood of the boat until his knuckles turn white. "Go float yourself, Jaha. You killed him for no good reason but your own."

Jaha huffs a breath and circles to the front of the boat.

Sniffing, Murphy sees Ethan's hand stretched out towards him and takes it, only to get out of the boat and stand himself, "You know, you're right. I am a survivor. Which is exactly why. . ." He stands in front of Jaha, "I am done following you."

Ethan stands behind him. There are no words for him to say. He's sticking with Murphy till the end of the line, without question, and they both know that.

"We'll go our own way. You can go whatever the hell way you want." Murphy stumbles when he tries to walk away, not helping prove the fact that he'll be fine. His eyes flutter, and it's the only warning they get.

Ethan jolts forward to slow Murphy's descent to the sand, and snarls when Jaha reaches out to help. "Don't fucking touch him."

"He's lost too much blood." The Chancellor hisses, stumbling closer. Pushing boundaries.

Jaha never knew what boundaries were.

Ethan shoves Jaha three steps back and keeps up the best glare he can manage. "What the hell do you care, huh? You'd have thrown us overboard if we panicked like Craig did."

"I do care. I got us here! We've reached our destiny-!"

"You! Not us! You've reached your destiny!" He ditches a rock, the only thing his muddled mind and exhausted body has the energy to do. It misses, soaring past Jaha's head.

Jaha narrows his eyes, stepping forward. 

"I didn't ask for any of this." Breathing hard, Ethan cradles another rock, "And I sure as hell know Murphy wasn't expecting your second chance to go anything like this."

Again, the third stone misses, and Jaha looks more frustrated by every thrown deterrence.

A familiar whirring pulls his eyes away. 

The drone is back, taunting them.

Murphy drops his head on the sand and breathes smoky clouds into the air. It takes everything in him not to drift off, sleep through the pulsing pain and mental exhaustion. But Ethan is right there.