No Way Out ➵ John Murphy

12 //

TWELVE.
❝and i'm here to remind you of the mess you left when you went away.❞

Layla settled back into camp easily, taking on the responsibility of aiding Raven with anything she needed, as ordered by Abby. She also spent all her free time with Miller, who was overly excited to see her once again. Layla faintly felt something when they were together, like a small moment of warmth but it never amounted to anything - it always burned out before it could, which often left her feeling confused. It was if her mind was restraining her from feeling too much.

Jaha had persuaded Raven to take the chip when her leg wound became unbearable. It seemed left and right, more people began to enter the City of Light and instead of being relieved, worry nagged at Layla in the back of her mind.

Layla walked through the quad to get to Raven's working station; she was stopped by Abby, who had for some reason made it her duty to frequently check up on Layla. Abby side-stepped the younger woman, standing in front of her with her arms crossed.

"Where are you going?" Abby asked, her tone full of concern. "You spent the whole day helping Wick. You can't possibly be on the way to help Raven, too. You need rest, you need to sleep."

Layla shook her head, forcing out a smile to reassure the woman. "Abby, I'm good. I don't need much sleep. I never feel tired."

Abby nodded, eyeing Layla warily as her gaze flicked up and down the teenager's body as if she was inspecting Layla for even the slightest sign of exhaustion.

"Alright," Abby replied but she still seemed unconvinced. "Do you mind if I ask you something, Layla?"

The younger woman shrugged. "No, not at all. Hit me."

"What happened to John Murphy? Jaha informed me most of your group died," Abby locked gazes with Layla. "But he said John was still alive? Why didn't he come back?"

Layla paused, the question catching her off guard - a pang of some undefinable rose in Layla's chest. Something heavy, as if something was placed over her chest, hindering her breathing, and she couldn't move. But as quickly as the feeling had come, it faded once A.L.I.E placed a hand on Layla's shoulder, sending a calmness through her.

"Oh, Murphy," Layla said. Her voice was soft and wispy; it sounded foreign to her own ears. "He fled with some scavenger girl."

Layla tucked a loose strand of her behind her ear and chuckled quietly. "Who the hell knows where that boy is now. And who the hell really cares?"

"Right," Abby said with a frown. "I've got to go check on my patients but you be careful. Make sure you get some rest!"

"I will." She assured Abby and watched as the woman retreated. It was a lie. She was never intending on resting; not for awhile, anyway.

Raven wasn't surprised to see her as she had grown accustomed to Layla's lack of a sleep schedule and unlike Abby, Raven didn't question it — she just appreciated the extra set of hands.

Throughout the day, Layla would aid Wick, doing anything he asked and when nighttime fell, she would do the same with Raven. At first the other girl had been hesitant — Raven didn't like anyone getting in her way — but Layla never did. She found she genuinely didn't care what or how Raven was doing something, just that she was doing it and Layla wanted something to keep herself busy. Her curiosity had dispersed into nothing which Raven appreciated and Layla didn't seem to have the ability to care about it.