Together (Prequel to "The Head and the Heart")

Chapter 7

Jasper had been groaning in pain for the past three days, disturbing everyone's sleep and annoying everyone during the day.
"It's that damn kid. He's messing with my head." Murphy complained after missing yet another throw at the tree he and Bellamy were aiming their knives at.
"He's not gonna last much longer. Better think of a new excuse." Bellamy said, throwing an axe into a tree only to have it wedge into it. "That's how it's done." He said. Suddenly, Atom and another boy came up to them.
"We searched a half-mile all directions. No sign of Trina or Pascal." Atom reported.
"Visit your special tree when you were out there?" Murphy taunted. Atom glared at him.
"Atom took his punishment. Let it go." Bellamy snapped.
"Could be Grounders." Atom suggested.
"Yeah, or they could be in pound town. Lot of that going around recently." Murphy suggested. Bellamy walked past him, shaking his head, wrenching his axe out of the tree.
"Look, Bellamy, people are scared, and that dying kid, he's not helping the morale around here." Atom said.
"Morale will go up when I find them more food." Bellamy said.
"And what do we say when they ask about Trina and Pascal?" One of the delinquents asked.
"Now? Nothing. It's possible they're just lost. We'll keep an eye out for them when we go hunting later." Bellamy told them. They nodded and then left.
"Let's go kill something." Murphy said, but Bellamy stopped him in his tracks.
"You're not going." He all but ordered. Murphy looked irritated at this. "I need you to stay here. If the Grounders are circling, we can't leave this place unprotected." Bellamy explained. Murphy looked very unhappy with this arrangement but reluctantly agreed.
"Fine. Somebody better tell goggle boy to keep it shut." Murphy said before they went their separate ways.

Inside the Dropship, Jasper was screaming as Finn and Sienna were attempting to hold him down.
"Hold him still. I need to cut away the infected flesh." Clarke said, raising her voice slightly so they could hear her over Jasper's screaming. Suddenly, Octavia rushed in.
"Stop it! You're killing him." She exclaimed.
"She's trying to save his life." Finn retorted. Before anyone could say anything else, Bellamy joined the group.
"She can't." He said. Sienna stood up and faced him, getting in between him and Jasper.
"Hey. Back off. We didn't drag him through miles of woods just to let him die." Sienna said, glaring at him. She loved her husband with all her heart, she truly did, but lately he was being very vexing and it was getting on her nerves.
"Kid's a goner. If you can't see that, you're deluded. He's making people crazy." Bellamy said.
"You're calling me of all people deluded?" Sienna snapped.
"Sorry if Jasper's an inconvenience to you, but this isn't the Ark. Down here, every life matters." Clarke said, her tone harsh.
"Take a look at him. He's a lost cause." Bellamy said, gesturing to Jasper, who was currently groaning in pain. Clarke turned to Octavia and Sienna.
"Octavia, Sienna, I've spent my whole life watching my mother heal people. If I say there's hope, there's hope."
"This isn't about hope, it's about guts. You don't have the guts to make the hard choices. I do. He's been like this for three days. If he's not better by tomorrow, I'll kill him myself." Bellamy said seriously. Sienna was shocked at his words.
"Bellamy!" Sienna exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You will do no such thing. I won't let you." She said.
"You won't let me?" Bellamy asked.
"If you want to get to Jasper you'll have to go through me and I don't think you want to do that." Sienna replied. Bellamy sighed before turning to leave.
"Octavia, Sienna, let's go." He all but ordered.
"I'm staying here." Octavia said, not looking at her brother.
"As am I." Sienna said sternly. He sighed but left nonetheless.
"Power-hungry, self-serving jackass. He doesn't care about anyone but himself." Monty grumbled. He then looked up at Octavia and Sienna. "No offense." He added quickly.
"Why do people always add 'no offense' onto a comment intended to be offensive?" Sienna asked.
"Yeah. Bellamy is all that. But he also happens to be right." Finn responded.
"Careful Monty, that's my husband you're talking about. Also, Finn, what do you mean he 'happens to be right'?" Sienna asked, slightly shocked at his change of mind.

*A while later – sitting outside the Dropship*

Clarke had decided that she was going to ignore Finn after his comment agreeing with Bellamy and she and Sienna were having a closer look at the poultice that was on Jasper. Both of them were throwing ideas out as to what it could be without much success.
"You're mad." Finn observed.
"I'm not mad. You want to think Jasper's a lost cause, go ahead. You're wrong." Clarke said, not looking at Finn.
"I hope I am." Finn said. Clarke looked up at him before continuing looking at the red substance on Jasper's poultice.
"Whatever this stuff is, it has to have had antibiotic properties." Clarke said. Suddenly, Wells approached them. Clarke rolled her eyes at his appearance but before she could say anything, he knelt down next to her.
"Let me take a look. Before you refuse my help, remember who aced botany in Earth Skills." Wells said.
"The Grounders used it as a poultice. I'm thinking a tea might be even more effective if we can figure out what it is." Clarke told him.
"I know what it is. Seaweed. Look... no root structure." Wells told her.
"Right. Well, then there must be a water source nearby." Clarke continued.
"Yeah, it would have to have a slow current, lots of rocks. The water would probably be more red than green." Wells told them.
"I know just the place." Finn said.
"All right. Let's go." Clarke said, getting up and walking away, obviously not expecting Wells to join her and Finn. She was about to protest when Wells spoke up.
"Hey. I know what this stuff looks like. Do you?" Wells called after them. Clarke stopped in her tracks, obviously not looking happy about this.. Sienna decided to step in before she had the chance to hurt him.
"Clarke, let him help. This is not about your personal issues with Wells, this is to help Jasper." Sienna said. Despite Clarke's dislike of Wells, Sienna knew that the only way they were going to help Jasper is if they worked together. "The only way you can help Jasper is if you work together." She added. Clarke looked annoyed at this but didn't argue with her. "Don't worry, Monty, Octavia, and I will keep him safe." She added. Clarke, Finn, and Wells all nodded and walked away to go and get the Seaweed while Sienna made her way back into the Dropship and up towards where Jasper was.