trepidation |BELLAMY BLAKE| [1]

CHAPTER 28

AVERY STOOD IN THE CORNER, away from everyone else but close enough to hear the conversation. She was with Connor and Derek, she had even touched Murphy like everyone else, but she didn't show any signs of the sickness the rest of them had. And she didn't want to get it anytime soon.

"Is this your revenge, helping the grounders kill us?" Bellamy questioned Murphy as Clarke dabbed his wounds with a damp cloth,

"I didn't know about this, ok, I swear." Murphy mumbled,

"Stop lying!" Bellamy yelled, 

"When are they coming?" Clarke asked and Murphy shurgged,

Avery stepped forward and crouched beside the banished boy, "Murphy, think, all right? What can you tell us that's useful? Did you hear anything?" She asked him,

"They are vicious, cruel." He stated,

"You want to see vicious?" Bellamy took a step towards Murphy and Clarke raised her hand,

"Hey, don't. Whatever this thing is, it spreads through contact."

"Clarke?" They turned to see Finn walking into the dropship.

"Finn, you shouldn't be in here. No one should." Clarke stated,

"I heard you were sick." He looked around at Derek and Connor, " Clarke, what is this?"

She shook her head, "I don't know, some kind of hemorrhagic fever. We just need to contain it before-"

Derek began convulsing on the floor and Avery rushed over to help, "Avery, no-" Bellamy grabbed her and she pulled away,

"Don't! I may not be showing symptoms yet, but I was in contact with Murphy."

"She's right." Clarke stood and walked over to Derek, "You should both wash your hands now."

"What the hell is happening to him?" He began puking up large amounts of blood before collapsing and going still, "Is he...?"

Clarke checked his pulse, "He's dead."

She quickly grabbed leftover moonshine that was left in the dropship and had the boys wash their hands, "What do we do?" Finn asked,

"Quarantine." She answered, "Round up everyone who had contact with Murphy. Bring them here." Finn nodded and quickly left the dropship,

"And everyone they had contact with?" Bellamy asked,

"Well, we have to start somewhere." Clarke sighed before turning to Avery, "Who as with you when you found him?"

"It was just us three and..." Avery looked over at Bellamy, "Octavia."

Bellamy quickly left to grab his sister while Clarke had Avery sit on the table and examined her. She shined a light into her mouth,

"No signs, yet. No swelling or bleeding." Clarke sighed,

"So... I'm immune?" Avery asked,

"I wouldn't say that. You may not have the symptoms, but that could change." Clarke responded,

"But if I stay here with the sick I'll definitely get it." Avery stated, 

Clarke looked around before her eyes landed on the ladder, "Not if you stay upstairs."

"The second floor?" Avery questioned,

"The third, just to be safe."

"Ok." Avery sighed, hopping off the table and heading towards the ladder. Just as she did, the Blake siblings walked in and Clarke examined Octavia.

"No visible signs of swelling or bleeding." Clarke said after she looked into Octavia's throat,

"So you're saying she doesn't have it?" Bellamy asked,

"I'm saying that just like Avery, she doesn't have symptoms, but that could change. We need to keep her here just in case."

"No way. Look at this place." Avery looked at all the new ill people that started filing in, "She'll get sick just being here."

"Do you want to stop the spread, or not?" Clarke replied,

"She can come up to the third floor with me." The three of them looked over at Avery,

"See?" Bellamy looked unconvinced, "Look, think of it as a way to stop her from sneaking out again."

"Screw you, Clarke." Octavia scoffed,

"I'll let you know if her condition changes." Bellamy nodded before looking over at Avery,

"Stay safe."

She nodded, "You, too."

He left the dropship and Octavia turned to go up the ladder, "Octavia, wait." Clarke stopped her, "I need you to sneak out again."