Responsible for survival

Hiding Pt1

CLARKE'S POV

Dante's death was unexpected. That's almost an understatement. Who expects to die in the canteen? Tumbling head first over the table into a gravy boat maybe isn't an expected way to die. Chaos had overpowered the room, medics rushing to and fro, Maya screaming at us to go our dorm over her shoulder as she ran into the fray. We haven't seen her since.

We huddle together, hugging small kids to laps, as the worry in our heads ever increases. This can't be an accident. Not when Dante was the only one opposing Cage with enough power to stop the treatments. Every sound, every unusual breath sends eyes flying to the door. "How do we do this?" I whisper to Monty. He shrugs. Murphy strokes Charlotte's braid.
"I'll go and find Maya." Jasper says eventually. "She'll know what's going on, and what's going to happen. She's not allowed to do post-mortems." He smiles faintly, but his eyes are dark and distant. His steps and short and choppy, each leg going a different length to the last. The door clicks shut. Silence draws tighter, constricting my throat.
"He sure knows a lot about Maya." Murphy laughs, though it doesn't reach his eyes and his lips are quivering.
"Mentally and physically." Harper slaps Miller, who's still snorting. Charlotte titters, but she draws her legs closer to Murphy. Her tiny feet dangle off his lap.
"Lovely. Thanks for the visual Miller, much appreciated." Murphy scrunches his nose up, voice dry. Faces scrunch as the visual hits them to. The younger kids look confused, some trying to mirror faces in almost comedic exaggeration, noses to eyebrows, ears to chins. I laugh.

Jasper comes back, door softly twisting open to the jumps of all of us. Shaky breaths of relief fill the room. "Chill." Jasper laughs, confused hope of his face, half smiling. "It's just me." He walks over and sits on one of the top bunks. "Maya said that the knight's on his way."

My back loosens rigidity, and I lay back onto the bed. Air flows freely into me, and for the first time in a long the image of Bellamy in front of me doesn't twist me with dread or pain or longing, but hope.
"Is she alright?" Charlotte's voice cuts through the confusion. Harper and Fox duck under the bed, pressing hands against my forehead.
"I'm fine." I laugh, brushing them away. "I'm a princess remember." It hits Monty then, who the knight is. Harper stifles a gasp, and there's the gentle thud of hand against arm. Monty starts laughing hysterically. The kids look at us in confusion. "We're going to be OK."

No one is going to sleep tonight, not really, but at least we know there's going to be a plan. Me and Harper will go tomorrow morning as soon as dawn rises. Get the plan. Fox, Monty, Murphy, Graham and Jasper will play 'hide and seek' with the kids. I hope it's going to be enough to keep them alive.