𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 | the 100

09 | Normality

"I heard a rumor that you killed someone."

‧ ✩ ｡ ✭ ° ☆ ･ _______ ･ ☆ ° ✭ ｡ ✩ ‧

When the sun begins to dawn, so does Amber's realization that she'll soon have to face all the stupid words she's let slip. They may have seemed insignificant in the dark of night, but with the sunrise's light, their true severity is exposed. Scared of meeting Murphy's cold eyes, she hasn't glanced over her shoulder to see how he's faring after everything that's happened, but she can hear his footsteps obediently follow hers.

As they draw closer to camp, the silence sharpens. It's clear something has changed between them, even though she can't quite put her finger on what, and it's clear neither of them is willing to acknowledge it. Breaking under the tension, Murphy clears his throat.

"We must be close," he says.

She's thankful for a distraction from everything left unsaid, but not for being forced to finally acknowledge him. With a deep breath, she lets herself have a quick glance at him, but his attention is elsewhere, scanning the trees they pass, and her eyes linger.

His bruises from his fight with Wells have faded, but they remind her of a time long ago when he had limped into the hospital wing while she was still a medical apprentice. The black eye was clearly from a fight he'd lost, but he had worn it like a badge of strength. Another reason to fear him, she had thought then. Now she wonders if it was just another layer of armor.

He turns to her.

"I think so too," she hurries. "Hopefully, everyone else is okay."

He scoffs.

"What? You don't worry?" she asks defensively, quick to seize the opportunity to view him the same way she did a day ago. He's quick to let her.

"No, I don't." He punctuates the admission with a bored sigh.

She shakes her head, seemingly at his cruel words, but in truth, to shake herself out of shadow still lingering over her from their moment under the boat. What happened between them won't last under the harsh daylight.

"And that's why nobody likes you, Murphy," she tells him, just as much as she reminds herself.

"Right," he says with a sarcastic raise to his eyebrows. "That absolutely breaks my heart."

She scans his face wearily, but all she finds is his usual self-indulged apathy. Everything is back to normal, last night might as well never have happened. It will be easier this way, it should make her happy, but a part of her heart clenches.

She ignores it.

***

It's midday when the distant sounds of the camp reach them. Amber quickens her pace and emerges into the clearing, finding it in the same state as she left it. Murphy walks past her without either of them acknowledging each other, in quiet agreement to pretend like they didn't arrive together.

After not being able to find Jules, Amber finds out from Harper that she hasn't gotten back from the scavenge run yet. Others are also still missing, Clarke and Wells among them, and as the dread builds in Amber's stomach, she hurries to the dropship in search for something to push down her worry with.

On the second level she finds Octavia Blake and Monty Green, speaking in hushed tones over the passed out Jasper, lying in a bed of torn fabric on the floor as he fights the wound on his chest.