The Lost Grounder

Chapter 5

     "How many of you are there?" Major Byrne shouted at Artemis.

"I am not a Grounder" she replied calmly for the fifth time. Her arms were beginning to ache, they had tied her arms out so she couldn't move, her feet just scraping the ground. The bullet wound in the top of her left arm throbbed painfully but she put it aside-Grounders didn't show weakness.

"We tried this the nice way." Major Byrne glanced to one of the guards and gave a small nod.

     He moved towards Artemis with a baton with an electric current-currently set at its lowest setting of stun. Artemis bit her lip as she tried to refrain from screaming as a burning shock went through her body, causing tears to form in her eyes. She'd never experienced anything like this before, Grounders were trained to endure severe amounts of pain but that was nothing compared to this. She was used to blunt or sharp objects that inflicted pain in a restricted area not this-this was horrible, she felt like her insides were frying. Major Byrne nodded again, unsatisfied with Artemis' silence, and the man hit her on the next setting in the same location. A strangled cry escaped her rosy lips, now dripping with blood from the sheer force she had used to refrain from screaming.

"I am not a Grounder" she said helplessly before receiving another hit. "Please" she cried in pain. "You have to believe me." Sweat droplets dripped from her forehead, joining the small pool of blood which formed just in front of her feet.

"Tell us what we want to know and we shall let you go."

"I am not an idiot you will keep me here no matter what I say or do. I will remain your prisoner until you kill me."

"Hit her." She commanded bluntly, not wanting to hear the girl any longer. The man did as he was told, this time evoking a scream from Artemis as he put it up to the next setting. "Leave her there for the rest of the night, let's see how she feels in the morning." She said before leaving. Artemis' head dropped in front of her, the strength to hold it up having been diminished.

     "Where's Artemis?" Clarke asked once she had regained consciousness and an understanding of her surroundings.

"Who?" Abby asked.

"Artemis" Clarke repeated as she tried to get up. "The girl who came in with me." She explained as her mother pushed her back onto the bed.

"The Grounder is refusing to speak." Major Byrne said as she walked in. "Maybe you can tell us why you were with a Grounder."

"She's not a Grounder" Clarke said hauling herself off the bed, knocking Abby's protesting arms away. "She's the only reason we survived. What have you done to her?"

"I can't give that information to you."

"Where is Artemis?" Clarke asked sternly, her face inches from Major Byrne's.

"Answer her" Abby commanded.

"Yes ma'am." She replied to Abby. "The Grounder is being pressed for information."

"Take me to her." Major Byrne looked to Abby who nodded her consent to Clarke's wish.

     "Get her down!" Clarke cried when she saw Artemis. "Are you okay?" She asked softly taking her face in her hands so she could look at her.

"I'm not a Grounder" she muttered absently, unaware that it was Clarke in front of her.

"I said get her down!" Clarke shouted to the guards. "She is not a Grounder, she saved my life along with everyone you sent down here to die." Abby gave the command for the Guards to release her. Clarke caught her in her arms once her body slumped to the ground. "It's going to be okay Artemis" Clarke said softly brushing her hair off her face.

"Bring her to medical so I can check her over." Abby said to the guard. He nodded and took Artemis from Clarke's arms.

     When Artemis woke Clarke was sat beside her.

"Hey" she said softly. Artemis looked to her,

"this is the second time I've woken up like this" she muttered humorously. Clarke smiled at her,

"yeah. Like last time it was us that injured you."

"I'm sorry, we didn't know who you were." Major Byrne said.

"I told you I wasn't a Grounder" Artemis muttered. "It's actions like this that make the Grounders want to kill you." The room fell into an awkward silence. "Any news on Bellamy and Finn?" She asked Clarke. Clarke nodded with a big smile on her face,

"they're alive." Artemis smiled weakly at her. "Finn's with Murphy trying to find me and Bellamy's out with a small group looking for survivors from the other groups that came down." She explained.

"When are you going out to find Finn?" She asked.

"When you're able to come with me, and when Bellamy's back. The three of us will go together." Artemis smiled at her,

"sounds like a plan Princess." Clarke rolled her eyes at her with a smile,

"you listen to Bellamy too much. Get some rest, you'll feel better when you wake up." She said before rising to her feet.

"Clarke." She said.

"Yes?" She replied looking back to Artemis.

"Thank you for saving me back in Mount Weather."

"What are friends for?" She smiled, "plus I owed you for saving everyone back at the dropship. So we're even now." Artemis smiled at Clarke before closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.

     When she woke there was no one in the room so she decided to get up and find Clarke. She stumbled a little as she walked, her body still a bit weak on her left side where they had hit her. She made it outside and frowned slightly as she saw Clarke hugging someone near the gate. It was when she saw Octavia that she began to realise who it was. When Clarke stepped back she saw Bellamy. She raced towards him, stumbling slightly as he did.

"Steady there" he said with a big smile as she stumbled into his arms.

"I thought you were dead" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

"I thought you were dead!" He exclaimed. "I had no idea where they had taken all of you, I've been worried out of my mind trying to find you." She smiled as she stepped back from him.

"I missed you" she muttered. He smiled before bringing her back into his arms,

"I missed you too." he mumbled into her hair loud enough for only her to hear it. As he pulled back he kissed her on the cheek causing her to blush.

"There's something I thought I'd never see." Octavia said before hugging Artemis. "I'm glad you're alright."

"You look more like a Grounder than me." Artemis said once they'd pulled away, her eyes having a chance to scan over her. Octavia smiled at her,

"I left with Lincoln" she explained, "it was the only way to dress. Not that I mind, I like being a Grounder."

"Don't tell that to the blonde woman here, she'll torture you." Artemis warned light-heartedly.

"They didn't" Bellamy exclaimed. "Tell me they didn't torture you." Artemis smiled weakly at him,

"I guess we can't escape who we really are, no matter what we do" she shrugged. Bellamy pulled her into his arms again.

"I'll keep you safe" he muttered into the top of her head, "I promise." She smiled at him,

"thank you." She said before receiving a soft kiss to her forehead.