only choice

two

      "Bellamy, we're going home," the voice is like a distant scream. There's cotton in Bellamy's ears. He blinks away the sleep and the world falls into focus. Echo, sits on the bed, shaking him.
       "I said we're going home, Bellamy!" She kisses his cheek and pushes him gruffly. "Wake up! And get to the control room. Raven has a plan!"
        Bellamy's heart topples out onto the sheets next to him. There's still a warm spot where Echo slept. He traces his fingers along her pillow and lets the words set in. It isn't the first half-ass plan Raven has conjured up. But its the first one he's ever seen Echo so excited about. He hasn't seen that light in her eyes since they were on Earth. Part of him aches for her to climb back into bed and just sleep until they both die. However, the other part of him, the braver part, forces him out into the cold harsh world. His stomach muscles tense when his bare feet hit the cold ground. He remembers grass. He remembers fresh air. Sunlight, real sunlight. Skin touching skin. Clarke. Dirt. Earth. Wind in the trees. Clarke. She's with him always. A ghost he can't forget.
     He wonders if there's anything on Earth worth going back for. He sees Octavia for a flash, hair flowing, smile wide. He remembers that there's more to life than what (or who) he has lost. He heads for the control room.

     Bellamy is barely out his door when Murphy brushes up against him, teary eyed.
     "Where you going? Control room's this way," Bellamy calls. Murphy turns on his heals, hair flopping into his eyes. His jaw flexes.
     "Yeah, well, Emori's that way. And since Raven's plan doesn't involve saving her, I think I'm out," Murphy's voice is dark.
     "Murphy-"
     "Don't. Don't even say it. I get it. She's a fucking drain on supplies. Everyone else has acclimated except her. We don't have medicine. She'll die anyway. I've heard it all, Bellamy!"
      Now, Echo is walking down the hall, followed by Raven and the others. Harper is crying.
      "Raven, what's going on here?" Bellamy sounds more accusing than questioning. He won't be giving her the benefit of the doubt.
      "I have a way to get us down. But the pressure- when we enter Earth's atmosphere- she's just so weak and-" Raven fumbles.
Murphy interjects, "Emori won't survive".
      "Yeah," she breathes. Bellamy's heart twitches. He looks to Echo. Her face is void of emotion.
      "Bellamy, if we can go back home-" Echo begins, but Murphy is screaming.
      "Do something, Bellamy! All I ask is that we wait for her to get better!" Bellamy's ears feel like cotton again. Its been 6 months. Emori isn't getting better. Murphy continues, "She doesn't deserve this. She deserves to go home."
       Silence. A decision is being made. Everyone looks to Bellamy and the question hangs there in the air.
      "We don't always get what we deserve," Bellamy gulps.
      "Yeah, that's right. Because if we did, you'd have died on the ground with your princess," Murphy roars, fist connecting with Bellamy's jaw. Bellamy slams him against the wall, the sound of skull against metal hammers in the air. Murphy strikes again, knocking Bellamy to the ground. Bellamy is shaking, daring himself not to choke his agresser.
      "That's right. And you would've hung from that tree," Bellamy screams, blood pouring from behind his teeth. He knees Murphy, hard, rolling him onto the ground and standing over him.
       Murphy spits to the side, blood and saliva mixing. He stands to face Bellamy once more.
      "If it was her, what would you do?" Murphy's voice is defeated, pleading.
       "I'd do what was right. For everybody."
       Behind his shoulder, Echo's eyes shut.