Chapter 41

~~~~~~~~unedited~~~~~~~~

Addison

Addison annoying rolls her eyes, "Liam, for the hundredth time... I'm fine. If I was affected by this virus, I'd be showing symptoms by now."

She glances his way from where she's sitting criss-crossed in her tent towards the back. The stone she uses to sharpen the knife Octavia made her ceases, while Liam stands at the entrance. "You were with Octavia," his obvious remark has Addison scoffing under her breath.

"I have my own theory, but whatever I say about being fine goes straight over your—" her words are cut off by Liam's quick hunching motion and retching. Addison perks up and her eyes widen. Fear instantly floods her as she drops everything in her hands and rushes to his side.

Liam sticks a hand out and shakes his head as blood drips from his chin, "N-No...stay back." He breathes heavily and spits the remaining contents from his mouth on the ground that Addison instantly recognizes—blood.

She ignores his desperate pleas and wraps her arms around his waist to hold him up. Addison awkwardly walks him to the dropship, staggering and trying her best to not let him fall to the ground. She can feel how weak he is by the amount of his body weight being forced onto her and how every few steps one of his legs would buckle.

Delinquents are quick to make a large path and keep their distance with wide eyes as Addison brings him up to the ramp. She swipes the tarps out of her way, Liam somewhat helping, and enters the dropship. "Octavia," she calls with a grunt through heavy breaths.

"She's not here," Murphy says from across the dropship where Clarke's laying. He slowly moves away from her and eyes Liam, "Is he..."

Addison nods, "Yeah. Is there anywhere to put him?" she may not like Murphy one bit, but the rare times when they can communicate without ripping each other's throat, they're able to set aside their differences for a short while to help one another.

Since the time she and Murphy met on Agro three years ago, Addison knew she'd never like the guy, and it's no secret. From that day on, they couldn't go an entire school day without constantly bickering in between classes or in the classes they shared. The only pro to knowing John Murphy is if she found him stealing on the same station as her. They'd  save their comments for later and team up for the night before going back to being 'Addison and Murphy' the next day.

Murphy shoos the girl that resided in a hammock near Clarke and pats it. Addison doesn't complain and awkwardly helps Liam walk. Noticing Addison's struggled attempt, Murphy is quick to leave the hammock and come to Liam's other side. He wraps an arm around Liam's midsection as he nods to the hammock and says, "I got him."

Addison reluctantly releases Liam and jogs to the hammock. She removes the dirty pillow and blanket the girl was using just as Murphy comes with Liam.

Murphy sets the upper half of Liam's body in while Addison grabs his legs and heaves them up into the hammock. By the time they finished getting Liam situated, he was passed out from exhaustion.

Addison sighs and starts to rake her fingers through Liam's hair, like she did with Dawson. "Where's Octavia?"

"She went to get more water."

Addison doesn't respond, and continues to slowly rake her fingers through Liam's locks that start to moisten from the sweat that's started to form from his high body temperature.

She tears her gaze from Liam and shifts her eyes past Murphy, no longer being able to look at his weakened state, and to Clarke. She's still pale, but her skin doesn't glisten with as much sweat as the last time Addison saw her. Her eyes then move over her shoulder. Dawson is pale, too, but unlike Clarke, a thin layer of sweat glistens on his face.

The tarp swipes open and quick footsteps rush in, "What are you doing in here?" Octavia sets the clean bowl of water down on a nearby surface.

Addison shifts her eyes to Octavia while Murphy leaves Liam's side to go to the clean bowl of water to care for the sick. Addison steps away from Liam, too, meeting Octavia halfway. "Octavia—"

Octavia starts to move Addison's stubborn muddy brown strands of hair that hang loosely from her ponytail, and takes Addison's face in her hands to inspect her further. "Are you sick?"

Addison shakes her head and grabs her quick moving hands that continue to move around her face, and brings them to a halt. Her facial expression saddens as she stares up into Octavia's eyes, "Liam is."

Octavia looks past her and sees him on the hammock, fast asleep and a trail of drying blood on his chin. For a moment neither girl says a thing as Addison slowly moves Octavia's hands away from her face and looks at Liam over her shoulder. She keeps their hands locked together in front of her, squeezing Octavia's in fear of Liam's fate.

Addison's already seen what this does, and she doesn't like it one bit. This isn't a death she'd wish on anyone, and especially not Liam. He doesn't deserve any of this. She figures he's here because of her, and this is his consequence for following.

"I don't want him to die, Octavia." Addison's voice was small, the smallest of cracks being as visible as the day's sun to Octavia.

"I won't let him," she promises, and uses their joined hands to gently tug Addison to get her attention away from Liam. Their chests practically touch as Octavia cups the lower part of Addison's cheeks, "Okay? I won't."

Addison closes her eyes as Octavia seals the promise with a soft kiss to her forehead. Addison clasps her hands around Octavia's wrists, melting into her with a small sigh, and leans more into her.

She promised herself she wouldn't be weak anymore, and she's trying so hard not too. But how can you be strong when the only family member you have left is knocking on deaths door? She can't lose him. She thought she lost him three times, two out of those three being on Earth.

Addison sniffles and Octavia pulls her soft lips back from her forehead, looking down into the brunette's eyes when they flutter open.

"Just kiss already," Murphy draws out in annoyance, "Your guy's tension is killing me."

Addison moves her eyes over Octavia's to look at him. He stands up from a kneeled position by the girl he kicked out of the hammock Liam's resting in, and makes a motion for Addison to shoot her shot, but she shakes her head and mouths 'no' in time for Octavia to look away from her quick gaze on Murphy.

Murphy rolls his eyes and kneels next to another sick delinquent.

"I hate him," Addison mumbles with an airy chuckle and looks down at their still intertwined hands.

"Who doesn't," Octavia replies quietly. "Come on," she gives Addison's hands a gentle tug. "You really are gonna get sick if you keep coming in here."

"Then what's the point of leaving?" Addison tugs Octavia to a stop once they reach the bottom of the dropship ramp. "If I keep prolonging this, it'll hit me when the Grounders come."

"Addie—"

"You said so yourself," Addison cuts in, "I can help you and Murphy—"

Octavia cuts her off in a semi-hard voice, "Since when are you and Murphy friends?"

Addison sighs, letting a couple seconds of silence to pass until she speaks. "We have history, back on the Ark, but that's not the point of this conversation."

"Then what is the point of this conversation? You're probably already getting sick," Octavia's voice softens.

"Exactly," Addison says. "If I'm already getting sick, I can help you guys take care of everyone until you two need to wipe my sweat and do whatever it is you guys have been doing."

Octavia shakes her head, already protesting before Addison can add to her list of reasons. "No. That's not an option."

Addison scoffs, "Since when do you get to dictate me? That's not fair, Octavia. I don't dictate you."

"I'm not dictating you."

"Really? Sure feels like," Addison's sarcastic reply earns a frustrated sigh from Octavia.

Addison isn't sure where the sudden dictation from Octavia is coming from, but it has her aggravated. She's her own person, and it's not like Octavia's her girlfriend. There was no reason to be dictated around by Octavia like she is her girlfriend. Confusion was an understatement.

"Why, Octavia?" Addison whispers, "Why isn't staying an option?"

"Addison..."

"Why, Octavia." Addison says in a more stern voice, taking a step closer to her.

No words are spoken, their eyes staying locked with one another. Just when Addison's lips part to ask again, Octavia finally speaks. "Ask me again when this is over," is all that's said before she releases their hands and disappears back into the dropship.

In frustration, Addison draws out a load groan and marches away from the dropship. The thought of Liam surfaces again, and fear floods her once flustered and agitated body. She attempts to push the fear aside, knowing he's in good hands with Octavia, but there's always the fear of his death nagging at the back of her brain.

She spots Monty's lone figure on a log, people watching. Addison walks towards him and stops at a safe distance away from him, "Hey."

Monty shifts his gaze to her and forces a small smile, "Hey, Addison."

She clears her throat and uses Jasper as a desperate attempt to strike conversation. "What's up with you and Jasper?"

Monty sighs and continues to people watch,  "Ever since the day on the bridge and getting speared..." Monty starts slowly, "He's been different. It's like I don't know him anymore," he looks back at Addison, who shows her sympathy with a mere facial expression that has Monty's brows shooting up. "But, whatever, right? He'll snap out of it."

Addison hums, "I'm sure it's just a phase. He'll realize how great of a best friend you are and how much he needs you," she offers him a smile. "Just give it time."

"Even from so far away you can give advice," Monty returns her smile with a small one of his own.

Addison cracks a wider smile and manages a ragged and airy chuckle. "I'm not sure you want to take my advice seriously. I'm not the most stable person to get that from."

Monty's lips curl into a knowing smile, "You know, Jasper's still holding out for Octavia, but we all know that's never gonna happen."

"It's complicated, Monty." Addison breathes out, looking down at the ground with crossed arms, and uses the toe of her boot to kick the dirt.

"It didn't look complicated," his quick response has Addison looking up at him with a confused face. "I saw you guys. By the dropship."

Her lips form in the shape of an 'o' as her dark brows shoot up. "Ohh..." she mutters under her breath. "There was nothing—"

"You guys were totally about to kiss," the smile in Monty's voice has Addison smiling and her stomach doing flips at the mere thought of kissing Octavia Blake again.

"I thought you'd be helping with Finn's grand plan at stopping the Grounders?" Addison drives their conversation elsewhere, unable to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. Know matter how hard she tries.

Monty sighs, "I already did. But, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see how far she's come with the bomb."

Addison cocks her head to the side with a knitted brows. A bomb?

"See you later, Addison." Monty bids her farewell before she's able to ask about this bomb he spoke of.

She mumbles her own farewell and watches him head towards one of Raven's tents. Specifically the tent she makes bullets in. A bile rises in her throat, and a pounding in her head starts.

Addison simply ignores it and swallows the bile, listening to the distant chatters of her fellow delinquents as she maintains a distance from everyone.

All Addison had managed to do for the rest of the day was pace from one end of camp to the other, and makes sure to walk right in front of the dropship with each pass. Octavia had came out a few times to update Addison on Liam's status, and later Dawson's, too.

Night had finally fallen, and Addison barely stopped her pacing. When her body felt heavy, she'd stop and dismantle her pistol before putting it back together a few times, then she'd go back to her route.

Addison comes from the side of camp Raven's bullet making tent is on, and that's when she hears a faint thud, followed by a tent collapsing.

Her brows furrow as she tucks her pistol in the waistband of her pants and jogs over to the commotion.

"Don't just stand there. Get him into the dropship," Jasper's demand has Addison's pace quickening.

She rounds the corner of a tent and stops in her tracks. A million thoughts about Octavia run through her brain in less than a second before she's sprinting to the two boys that begin to help Bellamy to his feet.

"Stay...stay back, Addison..." Bellamy manages to get out as the boys get him all the way to his feet.

"Shut up, Blake." Addison goes over to help them, but Bellamy still protests.

"Addison," Bellamy attempts to call her name in warning that fails.

She ignores him and bounces her eyes between the boys that keep Bellamy on his feet. "I'll find a spot for him inside," she then rushes off at a brisk sprint.

Addison swipes the tent flaps open and comes to an abrupt halt. "We need a spot. Now!"

Octavia looks over at her from Clarke's side in confusion, "What? Are you—"

"No," she shakes her head and swallows the dryness in her throat.

Octavia's lips part to question, but her answer enters. "Bell? No," Octavia rushes to her brother's side. "Clear some space! Lay him down," she instructs.

Addison watches the boys begin to lay Bellamy down and comes to on if their sides. "Easy," she somewhat snaps as they lay him down quite roughly.

Octavia kneels beside Bellamy, across from Addison. "Oh, no. Bell..." he starts choking on his own blood and Addison helps roll him to his side as he vomits it up.

"Hey, big brother." Octavia breathes out, flipping Bellamy back on his back.

Addison's heart breaks for each of the Blake siblings. Bellamy's eyes gloss over as he looks up at Octavia, who no doubt, has glossy eyes, too. Neither of them could handle losing the other. Not with how they grew up. One of two people Octavia had grown to known is alive and dying right in front of her. And Bellamy... all he knows is how to protect Octavia.

"I'm scared," Bellamy's cracked voice has Addison's eyes glossing over as the burning bile in her throat rises.

Addison takes this as her leave to give Bellamy and Octavia some privacy, but not before giving his shoulder a gentle, comforting squeeze. She goes over to Clarke's side and brushes the sweaty strands of blonde hair free from her face.

With a sniffle, she grabs the dampened rag Octavia was using and gently dabs it across Clarke's face before she lays it on her forehead. Addison sighs softly and leaves Clarke's side to check on Liam. Her breath gets caught in her throat at his state; his face is paler and the trail of blood he had on his chin was fresher.

Addison wraps her fingers around the bottom of his shirt and tears a piece to make a new rag. With the dry fabric in hand, she dampens it in a near by water bowl then treks back to Liam. She can feel her expression soften and sadden as she wipes the blood clean from his chin.

The sound of small droplets hitting the hammock just above Liam's shoulder has Addison's hand stopping, and with her free hand, she wipes the fresh blood that drips from her nose. She uses the inside of her jacket to wipe some of it off then wipes it away with the rag, like it never happened before she carries on with caring for Liam.

When the blood was gone from his face and the sweat mostly soaked in the fabric, Addison dampens it one last time before she drapes on his forehead.

Dawson was her next stop. He's still laying on the floor of the dropship, sweat coating his face, but not a drop of blood rested on his face. Nonetheless, Addison repeats the process with Liam and tears the bottom of Dawson's shirt, dampening the fabric and wiping away his sweat.

She nearly finishes until she hears Octavia scolding her about being back in the dropship. Again.

Having had enough of the small fights with Octavia about whether she should stay or go, Addison stands to her feet and spins around, shouting, "I'm already sick, Octavia!"

Octavia, in a stunned silence, slumps her shoulders, her green eyes half shut and her dark brows scrunching together.

Addison feels the trail of blood working it's way through a nostril and press the back of her hand under it. "Damn it..." she breathes out, pulling her hand back to see the blood. "It's not long until I end up like everyone else," she says softer, shifting her gaze from one sick delinquent to another.

Her eyes land back on Liam and Dawson, each of them still unaware of the other being sick.

"Not you too..." is all Octavia manages to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Addison presses her lips together in a line, similar to the way Clarke does, and finally meets her eyes.

"It's bad enough Bell's sick, but you?" Octavia breathes out, and takes a step closer. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"I didn't want anyone worrying," Addison mutters with a small shrug, mimicking the way a small child does when they know they've been caught doing wrong.

"You mean me." Octavia wasn't wrong. She and Addison both knew.

Her lips part to add on, but words never came. Only a sadden and defeated expression crosses her sharp features. "You should worry about your brother. I'm not that sick that," Addison manages through sudden heavy breaths of exhaustion.

Octavia is suddenly moving across the dropship and stops at a hammock close to Liam and Clarke. "Get up," she demands to the sick delinquent Addison can't make out.

They stagger and stand as best they can, barely making it to an empty spot against the dropship wall before they collapse.

"Addison."

She shifts her eyes to Octavia, who waves her over while she sets the hammock up in a hurry. Reluctantly, Addison goes to her.

"Rest. Now." Octavia's demands have the brunette's brown orbs rolling, but she listens and stops by the hammock.

Her hands find the edge of it and grip it tightly, "I'm really not that sick."

"Addison," Octavia's attempted snap was whispered, and that's when she finally caved.

Once laid down and situate in a somewhat comfy position, Addison shoots up and heaves up blood. It splatters and small drops bounce off the metal floor that land on the toe of Octavia's boot. "That's not good," she spits the remaining blood in her mouth, soon feeling a hand rub circles on her back.

Her arms shake under her body weight as she peers over the hammock, awaiting for the next wave that never hit.

"I got her," Murphy comes to their side. "Take care of Bellamy."

As much as Addison wants to argue, she doesn't. Knowing full well his words'll get some sort of comment from Octavia.

"I can take care of both them," Octavia mutters.

"I know. Just let me," Murphy pleads.

Octavia sighs heavily and retracts her hand from Addison's back, much to the brunette's dismay, and listens to her boots retreat to Bellamy.

"I owe you one." Murphy answers Addison's silent question. "For that time on Agro," he elaborates, and brings her to her back again. "You could've gotten locked up for what you did."

"I'm surprised you remember," she swallows the bile in her throat. "I'm surprised I remember."

"How could I forget? You always put on quite the show," and indeed she did.

2 years ago. Agro Station.

For a common thief, Addison still frequently visits the stands to see what she could buy or trade, so she wouldn't draw any unwanted suspicion towards her. Nine times out of ten, she would come back after hours and steal the goodies she saw days, sometimes weeks prior to her visits. Currently, she's examining the vast collection of medicinal herbs in search of a particularly rare herb—that's caught her eye multiple times—that is only grown by one family on the entire Ark. As she lays her eyes upon it, she catches Murphy's figure in the corner of her eye.

The owner of the stand Murphy's stealing from catches him and yells for guards. The heavy footsteps of their boots jogging down the corridors boom in the large, open room that has Murphy frozen. Feeling guilty, Addison looks to her left. A boy around her age is doing the same as her—examining the medicinal herbs with his curious blue eyes.

She shoves him away from the herb he was looking at, and his eyes snap to hers. "What's your problem?" he snaps, but Addison can tell he isn't the violent type, and that's when she threw the punch that broke his nose.

Addison then glances over her shoulder at Murphy and nodded for him to leave, and he did. No one ever suspected him. The boy had tried to fight back, and Addison did fight to follow through with her very poorly thought out plan that earned her a few doctor visits. The guardsmen came to the scene she made instead and she came up with some bullshit excuse and got let off with a warning.

Addison could hear the smirk in Murphy's voice when he replied, and a genuine smile tugs at her lips. "In another world, I think we could actually be friends."

Murphy chuckles, "Maybe."

_______________________

Thank you guys for all your support!! The amount of reads and votes has me mind-blown right now!! Love you guys, and have a great day/night!