Red Lighter ✧ John Murphy

VII - Home, Sweet Home

July 8th, 2015

Hiya. :) So it's my friend's birthday today. She doesn't even read the story, but meh. She probably will at some point. ;) I'll get her addicted to The 100 soon enough. Anyway, say Happy Birthday to one of my best friends, Nat. ^_^

The song for this chapter is "Home" by Gabrielle Aplin. I was listening to it while I wrote this chapter. :)

I hope you like it. ^_^

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Chapter Seven

Murphy had wanted to go and watch what would happen when the grounder's finally came to the camp. We stood in one of the largest rooms of the stations, where some of the Sky People were gathered along with the grounder's.

Kane began his little speech, which kind of made me want to gag. His inspirational speeches didn't work with the grounder's. He was too stupid to realize it. "I know we don't have a lot in common. But we do have a common enemy, and a common goal. And for us to reach it, to get our people out of Mount Weather, we need to work together," he said the names of our people in the grounder's language, then continued.

However, I was more distracted as a grounder walked towards Murphy and I. Murphy took a drink right before the man came up to us.

When he realized that the grounder was staring at him, Murphy looked up. "You got a problem?"

The grounder looked pissed. He said something in his Trigedasleng, and Murphy chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sorry man, I don't speak grounder."

The grounder suddenly hit Murphy's hand, the cup hitting the ground a moment later. Murphy stood up from the ledge he had been sitting on, standing in front of the grounder, attempting at seeming intimidating. I laid a hand on his bicep, standing behind him. I'm pretty sure that the fact that I was touching him was the only reason why he didn't attack the man.

"Mr. Murphy," I heard Kane call out. "Apologize to that man."

"For what? He didn't do anything," I said. "This guy came at him."

"Two days work detail," Kane called out. "For both of you."

"Work detail?!" Murphy shouted. "She just told you, I didn't do anyth-"

"Care to make it three?" Kane countered.

Murphy stayed quiet, just shaking his head. I walked ahead of him, and he followed behind me.

"You're both gonna burn, just like your friend," the man said, and that was all it took to make Murphy lose it.

He turned around, his fist going straight across the man's face. The two began to fight, and the other grounder's followed suit. It was like a full fledged war had started in the station.

"Murphy!" I shouted, trying to get over to him, but a fighting grounder and guard were in my way. I tried getting past them, but instead, ended up getting punched in the stomach by the grounder, which earned him a hit to the face from the guard.

The guy was strong, and I was soon doubled over, coughing. He had knocked the wind out of me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and a moment later, my arm was around Murphy's shoulders. "Come on," he mumbled, before lifting up my legs and carrying me out of the room.

When we were out in the nearly empty hallway, I had finally caught my breath. "Okay, okay. I'm fine, just put me down."

He nodded to me, and set me down on the ground, then knelt down beside me.

I looked up at him, biting my lip. "Damn it, Murphy..." The cuts that he had earned from the grounder's merely a few days before had scabbed over, but the scabs had now been ripped off. He winced when I reached up to inspect one, checking to make sure that only part of the scabs were gone.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have punched him. Now you're hurt," he mumbled, seeming angry with himself. "We should get you to Abby," he said, going to lift me up again.

"No, we need to get YOU to Abby. I'm fine, but those cuts of yours look infected," I muttered. I stood up on my own, cringing a little when I felt like my stomach was cramping. "Now, let's go."

He nodded slowly, doing as I asked.

*

Murphy muttered curse words as he stared out the window, glaring at the guards who were doing target practice on a few wooden poles.

"They need the practice," I smirked at him, swirling the mop in circles on the floor.

"Save your bullets for the grounders," he told them, ignoring the fact that there was no way they could hear him.

"I take it you don't approve?" I heard Jaha ask from the doorway.

I rolled my eyes, continuing to mop the floor as Murphy did the same. We were lucky enough to get the same job together; I'd rather not spend my time with some dick who thinks that mopping floors is some kind of competition.

"I asked you a question," Jaha stated.

"Who cares what I think?" he asked.

I was tempted to say that I cared, but didn't.

"I do. Or I wouldn't have asked."

Murphy glanced at me before looking back at Jaha. "After everything that they've done to us, I think the grounder's can go to hell."

"I got you both off work detail," Jaha said.

"Why?" I asked.

"You knew my son," he said, glancing between the two of us. "And I'd like you both to take me to his grave," Murphy seemed unconvinced, and frankly, so was I. "Now that there's a truce, it's safe for me to go and say goodbye."

"Then you can get someone else to take you," Murphy said, walking over to the bucket and soaking the mop again.

"I'm told the graves are unmarked," Jaha said. "You can show me which is his."

I sighed softly, nodding. That was a good enough reason. "I'm in."

Jaha smiled softly at me, then looked to Murphy. He reached behind him, pulling something out from under his belt. "You can hold the mop," he held a pistol out to Murphy. "Or you can hold the gun."

Murphy looked at me, then at the gun, then at Jaha. And, of course, he chose the gun over the mop. Shocker, right?

An hour or so later, we were walking through the forest. And Jaha seemed like he was just on a joyride, when in reality, we could get shot at any moment.

"It's extraordinary, isn't it?" I heard him say from behind us.

"Oh, just give it a few days," Murphy replied. I laughed, and he smirked at me.

"I may not know everything that happened before I got down here, but I do know something about what you're feeling, son," Jaha said, and I saw the smirk on Murphy's face fall as he turned back to Jaha.

"Don't call me that," he said coldly. "I'm nobody's son," he said the word as if it was almost foreign to him. "You made sure of that."

"I remember your father."

"Yeah, right," Murphy scoffed, shaking his head.

"Alex Murphy," Jaha stated, almost catching Murphy by surprise. "Convicted of theft of rationed medicine. He stole it to take care of you," he muttered. "I remember them all."

I turned back to look at him, a questioning look on my face.

"Especially your father," he said, looking me in the eyes.

"Well, Jaha," I sighed. "At least you got one execution right."

"We're here," Murphy stated. "Home, sweet home."

Oh, how I hate this place.