Bleeding Out

Chapter Sixteen

Bellamy and Murphy leave to go make sure the level is secure. I grab Raven's EMP machine do-hickey and walk over to my mom. I flip her onto her stomach and place her head in my lap. Tears are still slipping down my face as I clear her hair from the back of her neck, and place the machine there. I pull the trigger.

My mom starts yelling and struggling in my grib, and I have to keep a hand on her forehead to keep the EMP machine on the back of her neck. The chamber on it fills with the same silvery liquid that came out of Raven, and my mother falls limp into my lap again.

I roll her onto her side and brush the hair out of her face. "Mom?" I whisper, sniffling slightly as I wait for my mother to wake up. "Please, I know you're in there. Wake up, mom." I say as it becomes harder and harder to talk through the tears. "I need you to help me." I sob, and a miracle happens.

My mother's eyes start twitching with the effort of trying to open. "Carter?" She mumbles, and I let out a laugh of relief. "Hey, mom." I help her sit up and can't help the smile on my face as she turns to look at me.

Her face crumbles as her eyes dart to my chest. I shake my head at her as tears begin falling from both of our eyes. "Mom, no." I say as her hands touch my face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" She barely gets out, hiding her face into her hands. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault." I cry, pulling her into a hug. "It's not your fault."

She clings onto me and starts sobbing into my shoulder. I slowly count to ten in my head to give us both a moment to collect ourselves, and I pull out of the hug. "Mom, I need your help with something." I say, and she takes a deep breath and nods.

When I was still crying into Bellamy's chest moments ago, I was trying to think of another plan. And I think I have one. A stupid one that will probably get me killed, but a plan nonetheless.

The door opens, and I turn my head to see Bellamy raising his gun. "Bell, wait!" I yell, pushing my mother behind me as Bellamy walks forward. "It's okay. I used the EMP. She's back." I say, allowing my mother to sit up again as Bellamy lowers his gun, giving me a concerned look.

"Well, what about Ontari? I thought you said we had one sho with that." Murphy asks, and I can't help the glare that I send his way as I get to my feet. "I told you, she's brain dead, so she's no longer able to get the kill code from the Flame." I say before looking to Bellamy. "Is the floor secure?"

"For now. Jaha and the guards are tied up in a bedroom." Bellamy says, and my eyes dart to the person behind Bellamy, and my blood boils as he speaks. "We took out the elevator and the ladder as we climbed. The stairs are collapsed. No one's following us." Pike says, and I purse my lips as I clench my fist, using every ounce of self control to not punch him in the face. I take a deep breath. "Good, then we have time." I say, turning towards the table that holds my mother's medical bag. "What we don't have is a way down." Murphy says, and I roll my eyes. "One problem at a time, Murphy." I mutter, pulling out the tools that I'll need. "Time for what?"

I freeze and set the stuff on the table before turning around to look at him. "An Ascension ceremony." I breath out, ready to explain my plan and to defend it. "Ascension?" Murphy asks, sounding confused. "You just said Ontari wasn't an option. Besides, she's still chipped, and we no longer have an EMP."

"Well, good thing I'm not talking about Ontari." I say, and Bellamy's head whips around to face me with a look of realization and horror on his face. "We're putting the Flame in my head." I say, meeting Bellamy's gaze with as much confidence as I can muster. He steps forward and holds his gun in one hand, using his newly free one to grip my shoulder. "Carter, that thing killed Emerson in seconds, liquefied his brain." Bellamy says, and I take a deep breath. "I remember, I was there, and I also remember him not being connected to a Natblida." I say, letting everyone take it in.