CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"The Doctor's here." 

***

I found Bellamy crouched behind a bush, only meters away from the vicious fight. 

 Technically he found me. 

 His hand reached up to grab mine, pulling me beside him. I jerked away, panic flaring in my eyes, but relaxing when I saw who it was. Bellamy held a hand over my mouth, our faces so close we were almost touching. 

I felt my face burn, but Bellamy didn't let go of me for a second too long, making Octavia clear her throat. 

I moved my head back, turning to look at the female Blake. She had an arrow embedded firmly in her thigh, and sweat coated her face. I grimaced, "damn, Tavi, what did you do while I was gone?" 

 "Oh you know-" she managed a coy smile, "just got shot." 

 "That sucks," I resisted the urge to peek back out at the massacre outside. Grounders fighting Grounders... what does that even mean? 

 Then it hit me, they were Reapers. The creepy dudes in Lincoln's drawing books, the ones with the tattoo's that looked like Grounders, but also... didn't. 

 "Sorry I wasn't here sooner, that little bitch has a bone to pick with me apparently." 

 "Octavia?" 

 We all jerked around at the new voice that joined our little circle. Lincoln ignored Bellamy and I, going straight to Octavia, who gasped his name in response. 

 "Did you do this?" Bellamy asked, gesturing to the fight going on not-too-far-away. Lincoln's eyes were stony when they turned to him, and they flickered to me, confusion briefly taking over, and then disappearing just as quickly. I guess I was kind of confusing. 

 "With Finn." 

 "Hold up," i held my hands in the air, the very thought impossible to me, "Finn the peace-maker? Finn the one who wanted to leave to avoid fighting?" I laughed softly, although the situation wasn't all that funny. "Finn Collin's, right? There's not another Finn I don't know about?" 

    "Yes." Was Lincoln's blunt reply, before he turned back to Octavia, examining the arrow in her leg. "It's deep." 

 "Yeah no shit," I mumbled under my breath, crawling over to get a better look. I cracked my knuckles, "the doctor's here." 

 I bent down and lightly tapped the arrow protruding from her skin. "Assuming the arrow was poisoned, she'll need the antidote, and pressure above the wound so you can pull it out and stitch it back up to stop the bleeding."  My eyes flashed over Bellamy's face, before I turned back to Lincoln. "She needs to get out of here, she can't put too much pressure on it, or the arrow could move and cause nerve damage. It's a clean cut, but she has to leave now." 

 "No," Octavia denied, sitting up straighter, "I have to see this through." 

 "You'll do nothing but harm unless you get that treated," I turned to Lincoln. "Can you help her?" 

 "Yes, but she'll have to come with me now." 

 I turned to look at Bellamy, at the same time he turned to me. His eyes were pained, but a mutual understanding seemed to pass between us. He wanted the best for his little sister, so he is going to have to let her go. 

 "Go, let him help you." Bellamy's tone was both pained and commanding. He knows he has to do this, despite how much he may not want too. 

 "Bell, I said-" 

 I made a series of random sounds o get Octavia to stop talking, "you can't walk." 

 "And we can't get you back to the Drop Ship." Bellamy added, his tone definite, but his eyes weak. 

 "They are right," Lincoln agreed, nodding his head ever-so slightly, "the fight is over for you." 

 "O, O listen,"  Bellamy leaned forward, speaking in a soft tone I knew was reserved for his sister, I sat back awkwardly, hoping Lincoln felt as out of place as I did. "I told you my life ended the day you were born, but the truth is... it didn't start until then. Go with him, I need you to live, besides..." His eyes lifted to meet mine, and the smallest ghost of a smile darted across his lips. "We got this." 

 Octavia's lips quivered as she enfolded her brother in a hug, before gesturing for me to come closer. I obliged, and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, I patted the back of her head, feeling bad for leaving the girl I almost got eaten by a giant snake for. She rose her lips to my ear, and whispered one last sentence before pulling away. "Watch out for him." 

 "Of course," I smiled at the girl in front of me, "as long as you watch out for yourself."

 She grinned weakly, "deal." 

 We worked together to lift her to her feet, and Lincoln scooped her up with seemingly no difficultly.  "Hey! Keep it elevated if you can," I ordered, and Lincoln adjusted his grip so her leg was slightly above the other. I nodded, pursing my lips in satisfaction. 

 "Keep her safe." 

 Octavia gasped in an effort to keep her tears in check, but I saw one trace down her face as Lincoln turned away, and together, they disappeared into the darkness of the forest. 

 The yelling rises to a peak, and Bellamy grabbed my arm, pulling me down next to him, the shadows conceal us as a Grounder yells, "now to the wall!" And my heart falls. The Reapers did nothing but slow them down, now all we can do is trust the Clarke and Raven's plan will work.

 My heart seems to jump to my throat as I see the hoards of Grounders walking toward our camp, their only goal being to kill everyone there. All of my friends. 

 "W-What do we do?" I asked, my face feeling hot, and panic settling. "Bellamy, there are hundreds of them! We can't fight all of them, even with the guns, there are too many-" 

 "Nate-" 

 "No, no, how could they just hide in the Drop Ship? There is no food, barely any water-" 

 "Nate-" 

 "The Grounders will find a way in, and then there will be no where to run-" 

 "Jesus, Nate-!" 

"What about the-" 

 My voice was cut off when Bellamy stepped forward and placed his hands on my arms, leaning forward and and pressing his lips on mine. 

 I froze, not fully processing what was happening for a few seconds. My mind was buzzing, and my heart was beating so fast it sent a fizzing sensation up my chest. I lifted my hand up to rest it on his neck, finding the nerve to kiss back. It was like the world faded, and for a second, nothing existed except for us.  There was no war, no fighting, no nothing. I felt like my mind turned to goo, and I couldn't form a coherent thought. 

 When he pulled away, a small smile was painted on his face, "you need to learn how to shut up." 

 I blinked once, very slowly, in an attempt to clear my head, clearing my throat and finding my voice, "I don't think I do." 

 "Come on," Bellamy pulled back, outstretching his hand. "We got some friends to save." 

 ***

 Turns out, our friends weren't the ones who needed saving, as the second we stepped foot into camp, I heard Clarke yell. 

 "Nate, Bellamy, run!" 

  I couldn't fully understand what was happening all around me, but a burly Grounder lunged at me, so I dove out of the way and slashed with my knife, managing to open a cut across his stomach. I grimaced, coming up behind and burying the point of my knife into the back of his neck, making him fall to the ground. 

 I saw Bellamy pick up a stray gun and pull the trigger at another approaching Grounder, his face draining of all color as the barrel clicked, and the Grounder hit him across the face. I winced again, running forward and ramming the Grounder with my shoulder, making a hot burst of pain run down my arm, but giving Bellamy the chance to ram the gun into his head, knocking him on to the ground, unconscious. 

"We have to get out of here!" I yelled over the noise as more Grounders yelled at us, and the door to the Drop Ship began to close. My shoulder hurt so bad tears sprung to my eyes, and I figured it must be dislocated. 

 "There comin' fast," Bellamy noted, and I jumped, slashing uselessly with my left arm as another Grounder neared, ramming his foot into my gut and making me crash to the ground, gasping for air as Bellamy used his empty gun as a sword, clashing with the Grounders, and giving me a chance to jump up and stick my knife into the exposed skin of the Grounders chest. 

"You need to go!" Bellamy yelled.

 "No! I'm not going anywhere without you!" 

 "Listen to me," Bellamy took a step toward me, pulling me back and using the small amount of time we have to speak in a flurry of words, "one time, save your own life one time, for me. Just go into the woods and run as far as you can, I'll find you, I swear." 

 I turned to look at the Grounders, and then at Bellamy. "You run, too." 

 He nodded firmly, "I will."

 That was the confirmation I need, so for once, for Bellamy, I turned and bolted away, the pain from my arms only partially the reason for the tears in my eyes. 

 I ran for who knows how long, until I had to stop and double over, catching my breath and wiping at my face with my hand. 

 "Hello, Nathaniel." 

 I jerked my head up, the woods quiet, a girl staring back at me. 

 We were alone. 

 A/N: AND BOOM DONE PART 1! 

 Yay! This has been one of my favorite books to write, and part two will probably be out by tonight! Thank you for almost 1k reads, and please keep voting and commenting! 

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