「 ✦ Bambi- Bellamy Blake ✦ 」

Cingulomania

a strong desire to hold a person in your arms

"CLARKE!" Bellamy's voice rang out, sharp with urgency, as another bout of coughing wracked Athena's body. Clarke, hearing the distress in his tone, stormed into the dropship, her own eyes bloodshot and wide with alarm mirroring Bellamy's.

Athena struggled to regain control of her breathing, her body trembling with the effort. She attempted to rise, but Bellamy's firm hand pressed against her shoulder, gently but insistently guiding her back down. "Sit down. You need to relax," he urged, his voice laced with concern as he turned his attention to Clarke.

Clarke's gaze flickered between Bellamy and Athena, her expression tightening with worry. "What is happening to her?"Bellamy's question hung in the air, heavy with anxiety, as he continued to soothe Athena with gentle circles on her trembling back.

Athena leaned into his touch, her body still shaking with residual coughs.

Clarke's heart sank as she knelt beside Murphy, his coughs now punctuated by the alarming sight of blood staining his lips. She leaned in closer, her voice firm yet filled with concern. "Murphy, hey, look at me. I need you to tell me exactly how you escaped from the Grounders. What happened?"

Murphy's gaze met hers, eyes clouded with pain and confusion. "I don't know," he rasped, his voice strained. "I woke up, and they forgot to lock my cage. There was no one there, so I took off."

A chill ran down Clarke's spine as realization dawned on her. "They let you go," she murmured, her mind racing with implications. She turned to Bellamy, urgency coloring her tone. "Get away from Athena."

Bellamy's brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced between Clarke and Athena, who was slowly piecing together the grim truth. "Bellamy, she's right," Athena's voice was barely a whisper, her eyes wide with horror. "You need to get away from all of us."

Bellamy took a hesitant step back, his eyes darting between them, searching for answers. "What the hell is this?" he demanded, his voice thick with disbelief and growing fear.

Clarke's expression hardened as she delivered the grim truth. "Biological warfare. You were waiting for the Grounders to retaliate for the bridge? This is it. Murphy is the weapon."

As more people stumbled into the dropship, their bodies wracked with coughing fits or their eyes stained with blood, the sense of dread that hung in the air thickened. Athena remained leaning against the cold metal, her own body still besieged by fits of coughing, each one seeming to sap more of her strength.

Despite Athena and Clarke's repeated pleas for him to leave, Bellamy remained steadfast by Athena's side. His presence was a source of both comfort and concern, his determination to stay unwavering even in the face of the growing crisis.

"Bellamy, you have to go," Clarke urged, her voice tinged with desperation as she glanced between him and Athena. "You can't risk getting sick too."

But Bellamy shook his head resolutely, his eyes fixed on Athena, his hand reaching out to steady her trembling form. "I'm not leaving her," he stated firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Athena's own protests were lost amidst another round of coughing, her body shuddering with the effort.

The sudden and violent episode with Derek sent shockwaves through the already tense atmosphere of the dropship. The sound of retching and coughing echoed off the metal walls, drawing the attention of everyone present. As Derek collapsed, lifeless on the ground, Clarke rushed to his side, her hands searching desperately for a pulse.

"He's dead," Clarke's voice was grim as she delivered the stark truth, her expression solemn as she rose to her feet. Panic gripped Athena as she stared at the lifeless form of the boy before her, the reality of their situation sinking in with terrifying clarity.