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THE GROUNDERS APPEARED HAUNTED when they arrived at the dropship. Their eyes lingered painfully long on the charred ground and burnt skeletons of their people. Taylor felt utterly disgusted, but wasn't sure why. They were sent to kill them, but when she saw their expressions all she saw were people who had lost something. No different than them.
"I'm going to go tell them that we're here. Tell them no weapons so there are no surprises waiting up there," Taylor suggested, looking between Clarke and the Commander. Clarke nodded in agreement, almost looking relieved that just a few seconds would be bought. The Commander glanced at her skeptically for a few excruciatingly long seconds.
"If you must," she said, nodding to Taylor and the door to the ship, looking around at all of her tense guards and advisors. It didn't seem to make any of them very happy.
She turned around and shuffled into the ship hastily, climbing the ladder and shuddering at what she heard. A few grunts and then silence. It was horribly difficult to tell if that was good or bad.
When she reached the top, it was a jarring scene. Abby was doing CPR compressions on Lincoln and Octavia was crying. Bellamy, Finn, and Nyko looked unsure of what to do.
"Abby," Taylor breathed out, her eyes finally landing on Lincoln's body, still strapped down by an array of chains. "He can't be — the Commander is downstairs. She wants to see him for herself."
Abby's eyes went distant and almost glassy as she slowed the compressions, focusing on a spot on the wall. "You're stopping. What's wrong?" Octavia pushed, looking between her and Lincoln in a panic.
"I'm sorry," Abby replied solemnly. "He's gone."
"No, that's not possible. You're wrong!" Octavia cried out loudly, shouldering past Abby and leaning over to continue the CPR herself.
"Abby, no. No! We have to do something, you heard me, didn't you?" Taylor rushed out over Octavia's strangled cries and Bellamy's attempts at comforting her. Finn looked over at Abby, almost shocked and Nyko looked utterly confused at the fact that it didn't work.
"Taylor, we're coming up," Clarke's voice declared from the bottom of the ladder, immediately followed by the sounds of people climbing the metal rungs of the ladder. Abby never responded and Taylor only looked back hollowly. Her face went pale. This was it.
When Clarke made it to the top, she had about the same reaction Taylor did to the scene before her. She made direct eye contact with her and Taylor shook her head, confirming the worst with that small gesture. Abby looked at her daughter deeply apologetically.
