The Elect § Bellamy Blake

 Chapter Six 

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Armada woke up.

She expected to see the Ark again.

She expected to see Harley, Shiloh, and everyone she'd lost in training.

She expected to look into the eyes of those that matched hers and hear her say 'I've been so excited to meet you.'

Instead, she was met with the sky blue eyes of her friend.
"Auden?"

Reese shook his head.
"Buried him by Harley."

A childhood friend dead within days after being tortured by strangers.
The third of them to die.
"May we meet again."

Armada felt little to nothing in that moment. "It's what he would've wanted." Her throat was dry as she spoke, resulting in her coughing fit.

Reese was quickly by her side with water from their tin canteen. He held her head up as she took small sips. "Don't talk. You'll rip the stitches." He told her.

Armada suddenly remembered what happened. The stranger raised his blade up and it slid like butter across her skin. She watched her own blood fly through the air.
She slowly reached her hand up and gasped when she felt the bandage and tape reaching from under her right ear to her left collar bone.
"H-how-"

"He didn't cut deep enough." Reese simply said.
"You..you carried us both back here?" She asked. "What about your injuries? Have they been taken care of?"

"I took out the arrows." His face was pale and held beads of sweat near his hairline. His eyes were heavy.
Armada gave him a look and sat up, trying her damndest to not show her pain.

"Sit back down-"
"You sit down." Armada demanded.
Reese sighed. He didn't have the energy to argue so he sat down on her warm bed and leaned his elbows forward onto his knees.

Armada rummaged through their first aid kit numbly as she found alcohol, antibiotics, pain reliever, tape, and gauze. She sat next to Reese and lifted his shirt from his back and gasped as she saw the red, purple, and swollen wounds. There were small black veins running from the wounds and outwards a few inches.
"That bad?" He asked as he chuckled softly.

"You're an idiot." She sneered as she patted the alcohol to his skin.
He hissed and flexed his back as it stung his exposed flesh. "Had to do what had to be done."

Armada didn't say anymore as she watched the holes ooze before she placed gauze and tape over them and pulled his shirt back down.
"Maybe they think we're dead." Her voice pulled the skin on her neck which twitched with pain but thanks to what was left of Shiloh's pain relief ointment, it was better than it could've been.

"I hope they do." Reese mumbles. "You can't fight like this."
Armada scoffed. "I can't? You can't, Reese."
"I know." He looked up at her before he looked back to his hands, deep in thought.

She huffed a small laugh. "We haven't even been here a year..."

Armada wanted to do anything but think. The thoughts of their friend's recent death was looming in the forefront of her mind and already took much space.
Then there was Shiloh and Harley.
Their families needing answers.
Never getting to speak to them before they died or after their deaths.
Hoping the strangers believed them dead.
Believing she actually us.
Wishing she was.
Reese's deteriorating state despite his small wounds.

"I'm going hunting." Armada stated.
Reese went to tell her to stay but he knew anything he said wouldn't keep her there. She knew there was a risk of getting caught or sighted and he knew she'd take precaution.

And she did.
She kept to small animals; only bringing in two small bunnies and staying close to the pod. She debated on finding another way to cook them because a fire might draw too much attention.

She didn't know she should've been wary of leaving Reese by himself instead.
When she returned, she went to start skinning the bunnies when she heard loud rummaging from the pod. She turned her head quickly to the sound, suddenly on her feet with a knife in hand.
She slowly made her way to the door as more things fell to the floor with loud thumps and dings. She peaked her head inside to see Reese laying on the floor, shaking uncontrollably.

"Reese!" She gasped as she ran forward and dropped to his side. She quickly turned him on his side and held his head tightly until his convulsions came to a halt.

"Reese." She whimpered as she turned him back into her lap.
He was pale as a ghost, his skin was damp, and his eyes were red and weary. "I know, Armada." He whispered. "I know."

"I don't understand. What's happening to you?" She asked as she swiped his blonde hair from his forehead.
"It's been happening for days." He told her weakly.
"Days?" She asked. "I-I was...you were...Reese." She couldn't put her words together as her thoughts connected.

"Pale. Fever. Unconsciousness. Convulsions...Poison." He mumbled.
"Shiloh would've made something for this. I'm sure he-" Reese placed a clammy hand on the one she had rested on his chest and he gripped it as tightly as the rest of his strength would allow. She didn't realize until now that she still held her blade.
"I looked." He gave her a sad a smile. "I don't know how much longer I have but I know I can't carry on like this."

She shook her head. "No. Fuck no. Fuck you." She sobbed.
"I'm so sorry." He cried with her. "I know it's so selfish to ask."
"Fuck you."
"Please, Army."

"I-I can't do this without you - alone - I cant - don't make me." Armada held his shoulder tightly as he rested his head in the nook of her arm.
"You can do anything." He told her sternly. "You wouldn't be here if you couldn't."
"Then you can beat this." She told him as she sniffled. "You've made it this far with the poison so you can-"
"It's only taken this long because the wound wasn't deep enough. If those arrows went deeper, I'd already be dead. You know this." His hand that held onto hers shook.

She shook her head as more tears came. "I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to-" she gasped through her sobs. "I don't want to lose you."

Reese gave her a sad smile and held her cheek in his palm. "You are afraid again...and I won't have it. You are Armada Gage. You are a warrior. A hunter. A medic. An engineer. A botanist. A survivor. You are one of the elect. You're my best friend and the only real family I've ever had and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. There's no one I trust more to do this."
He gripped her hand that held the blade and placed the tip of the knife to his carotid.

Another sob left her.
"I know how selfish I am but I can't do this myself." He said as more tears fell from his eyes. "I know it's cowardice-"

Armada shook her head as she brushed his shoulder with comfort. "You're not a coward. You don't have a selfish bone in your body, Reesie."
He chuckled as his last tear fell.

Her hand shook as she struggled to think about pushing the blade into his flesh.
"Brave face, Army." He whispered.
And she slid the blade in.
She buried him next to Shiloh.

A childhood friend dead due to poison. Her own hand.

The last of them to die.

"May we meet again."

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