"What the hell is going on?" I asked, my voice shaking as Bell held me tighter.

From behind us, Derrick, a boy with shaggy blond hair and big brown eyes, suddenly bent over holding his stomach as he coughed harshly, throwing up blood in the process.

My eyes widened at the sight of the dark red liquid hitting the ground near us.

"Clarke, what's happening?" Bell asked, taking a step closer to her, obviously worried.

"Bellamy, get Ari away from us," Clarke said putting her hand up, stopping him from getting any closer.

My stomach dropped and my heart sped up out of fear. "Why?"

"They're the ones who brought Murphy in," she explained before running toward the dropship. Bellamy's face went pale and he quickly brought me to the tent he was talking about and placed me on the bed gently.

"I'll be back later," he said and left before I could protest.

It wasn't for a few more hours that he finally came back, bringing me some food and water. "How's your leg?" he asked, handing me the small pouch of berries and nuts.

"It's fine, now what the hell is going on?"

He sat down in one of the seats that were taken out of the dropship and put in the corner of the tent. Rubbing his face, he let out a sigh before he began. "There's a sickness going around camp, it was brought in yesterday by Murphy. He came back when he escaped the Grounders after they tortured him in their prison camp for three days. We think they gave him the virus then let him go purposely, knowing he would come back here and get us all sick too."

"Why was he even let back into camp?" I asked sitting up. After everything Murphy has done, why did they take pity on him? He's just going to cause more trouble for everyone, that just the kind of person he is.

"He might know things about the Grounders Ari, he was in their camp for three days, he could have heard something."

I shook my head. "We can learn what we need to know from Lincoln, an actual Grounder."

"That's exactly the reason why we can't talk to him. Lincoln is one of them, anything he tells us could just be a lie."

I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering if he actually heard what he said. "And Murphy hasn't ever lied before, right? Yeah, it's not like he's a criminal or anything. Lincoln has no reason to lie, he clearly isn't like the rest of them. He saved Octavia for god's sake, he helped us try to make peace with the Grounders," I said, beginning to raise my voice.

Bellamy stood up from his seat, his face becoming hard with anger. "Yeah, he did that after he took her hostage and poisoned Finn, and that 'peace meeting' was just a set up that ending in a shootout, it almost got you killed!"

"The shootout was because Jasper went trigger happy. Regardless of anything they have done, we deserve it, we are the ones in the wrong, we burned down one of their villages with the rockets, we intruded on their territory, we may not have known at the time but we did it and me getting hurt...that's my fault, I should have stayed in camp."

Bell cupped his hands over his face and turned his back to me, letting out a sigh, before putting his hands on his hips. "Look, I just... please stay in your tent," he turned back to look at me, his face softening, "I can't risk losing you Ar, two people are already dead because of the sickness."

"Oh look, more people Murphy has helped killed," I mumbled, looking at my hands in my lap.

"Don't be like that please." He knelt down beside the bed so he was eye level with me.

I met his gaze, instantly regretting my harsh comments. "Are you really going to let him stay in camp, after everything he did, after Charlotte?" I asked quietly.

"We have to at least let him stay until he gets better and is able to tell us what he knows."

I bit my lip and let out a sigh. "What about after that?"

"Once he tells us what he knows, he's gone." I nodded, believing him. "Now will you promise me that you will stay in here until this passes?"

I through my head back and groaned. "Bell, I've been in a tent for almost four days now, doing nothing. I'm bored!"

He chuckled, standing up from his kneeling position, "You can survive another night. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Wait, where are you going," I asked, stopping him before he left.

"Octavia talked to Lincoln and he said the Grounders are coming at dawn and we need to slow them down. So Raven made a bomb and we're going to blow up the bridge."

I tilted my head to the side. "I thought you didn't trust Lincoln?" I swung my legs over the side of my bed.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Are you sure that blowing up the bridge is going to slow them down?"

He nodded his head. "They'll think we have multiple bombs and not just wasting the one we have. Hopefully, it'll work."

"I want to go with you," I said smiling.

Bellamy rolled his eyes. "We just talked about this, I can't have you getting sick."

"I won't. I'll be with you outside of camp. Plus my leg is feeling so much better. See." I stood up, careful not to put too much pressure on my leg.

"Ari, can you just listen to me, this one time. It's too dangerous, okay."

I knew Bellamy was only trying to protect me, so I figured I should stop fighting him on this. "I'm...sorry." I trailed off, as Bellamy's figure suddenly grew blurry.

"It's fine, kid. I know you're just bored." His voice sounded distant and the tent walls felt as though they were spinning. "Ari?" I put the palm of my hand to my head as I suddenly felt light-headed.

"I don't feel so good," I began, leaning to my right side, unable to catch my balance.

Bellamy ran over and was able to catch me before I could hit the ground. His expression was one of only fear and worry. I groaned in pain, lying on the ground in Bellamy's arms, as I felt a warm and sticky liquid begin to run down my face. I lifted my finger to my cheekbone, touching the liquid and look down at my hand the was covered in blood.

Realizing that I was in fact, sick caused me to freak out internally. If I hadn't suddenly lost all my energy I would have started crying and trying to get up but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Its okay Ari, you'll be alright," Bellamy said, lifting me up and rushing me outside the tent. I slowly started to flow in and out of consciousness. Any kind of sound was distant and echoed.

"Ari? What happened to her?" Jasper asked running over from the fire.

"Jasper... stay back," Bellamy stopped him.

His face was pale as he looked down at me in Bell's arms. "Why, what's wrong?"

"She's sick." Bellamy swiftly ran to the dropship where Clarke was attending to the others, being sick herself. "Clarke." He walked over to her, holding onto me tightly. "Ari's sick," he explained.

Clarke looked down, the expression on her face dropped and her eyes became soft. "Alright put her down."

"Where?" Bell asked looking around the small area that held many sick teenage criminals.

"Here," Murphy got up from the hammock he was lying on, "put her on here."

Bellamy didn't hesitate as he laid me down gently. I felt a tingle in my throat and coughed violently, trying to get it to stop but it led to me not being able to stop the coughing. I put my hand in front of my mouth, feeling the blood start to come up. Bell was quick to respond, rolling me onto my side so my head was hanging off the hammock.

A combination of bile and blood from my stomach ran up my throat and hit the ground blew me, covering Bell's shoes.

He gently rubbed my back, trying his best to hide his face of disgust. "Its alright Ar, you'll be okay." He handed me a cup of water. I weakly took a sip but it was room temperature and didn't help my burning throat or the taste of metal in my mouth.

"I'm sorry." I coughed, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. "I'm sorry I got sick and threw up on your shoe."

He sighed looking down at his feet. "It's alright, Kid. You're going to be okay. I promise." I grabbed onto his arm and held tight as Clarke looked me over.

"I think she's going to be okay," Clarke voiced, his voice sounding tired and sore. "Just rest for now and hopefully this will pass like the flu."

"This is way more than the Flu Clarke, people have died from this." Bell spat. His annoyance wasn't unwarranted. He was scared and worried about me so he lashed out and that's understandable.

"And people have died from the flu too, but a lot more have lived through it," the blonde snapped back. "Ari is going to live through it."

I squeezed Bell's hand lightly, so he would look down at me. "I'll be okay," I whispered, not having the energy to say much. He nodded, giving my hand a squeeze in return. "I'm not afraid." The older boy looked down at me and smiled as I repeated the words he once told me to say.

My eyelids felt like weights as I tried to fight the overwhelming power of sleep but I had almost no energy. It didn't take much for the darkness to consume me and I felt my body go limp and my brain turn off, allowing me to fall into a deep sleep.

Throughout the day I would wake from my slumber on and off, either to cough so violently that my chest would tighten and I couldn't breathe or to throw up the little food I had eaten the day before. Every time I woke up, I would look around the dropship to see more and more teenagers packed into the small space, praying that I wouldn't see Bellamy or Monty or hell even Jasper.

The last time I was suddenly awakened was due to loud coughing coming from beside me. I weakly opened my eye, my vision slightly blurry as I turn my head to my left. Seeing the curly haired, freckled face of the boy who would sacrifice everything for one person, made my heart drop. Bellamy Blake was laid on a few blankets, blood running down his face as he coughed over and over. Clarke rolled him onto his side, that way he wouldn't choke if he threw up.

Covering my mouth with my arm, I began to cough harshly myself. My throat felt as if I had drunk boiling hot water it burned so bad and my side had a string of pain due to my continuous fits that also left me gasping for air. When it was finally over I leaned back and held my side, groaning.

"Here." I looked up at Murphy as he held out a cup of water to me and I was shocked at the state he was in. His face was covered in deep cuts and dried blood, his eyes were swollen and black and bruises covered his arms along with many other wounds and his once gray shirt was ripped and turned a dark red around the large gashes. "You need to drink so you don't get dehydrated."

I shoved his hand away, some water spilling from the cup onto his clothing. "Get away from me."

Murphy let out a sigh. "I'm just trying to help you."

"I-I don't ne-need your help." I stuttered, looking past him to Bellamy and Clarke talking.

"Ari-" He tried to put his hand on my shoulder so I grabbed his wrist.

"Never, touch me again!" I spat, giving him an evil glare.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and in the distance, there was a loud explosion that shook the entire dropship. A few yelps of shock where heard coming from outside.

I pulled myself off the hammock, leaning on the wall to support me as I limped over to the door, still feeling a slight pain in my thigh as I did so. I looked outside and floating in the air was a large black cloud of smoke.

"They did it," Bellamy mumbled from his spot on the dropship floor.

I looking over my shoulder confused. "Who did? I thought you were going to blow up the bridge?"

"Jasper, he did it. I got too sick."

I turned back to the sky, smiling to myself. "Of course he did."

Clarke stood beside me, "You feeling any better?" she asked.

I nodded, glancing at her. Clarke physically looked better. Her face wasn't as pale and her eyes had gone back to their regular shade, the dark bags under disappearing altogether. "I don't feel as crappy anymore and my leg is almost 100%."

She gave me a smile before going to check on a few others.

I knelt down next to Bell who seemed to be sick but still not as bad as the others. "Hey, kid." He smiled.

"Hey." I let out a sigh and looked down at my hands. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm probably the one that got you sick, you could have died because of me," I ramble.

Bellamy shook his head stopping me. "Ari, this camp was infested with sick people, this was not your fault, at all. Okay?" I nodded slightly, still feeling guilty. "Oh, by the way." Bell reached into his pocket, pulling out a chain. "Happy birthday." He smiled holding up the rusted silver chain with a butterfly charm attached to it.

I took the necklace into my hand and smiled. "How'd you know it was my birthday?" I asked looking down at the charm. One of the butterflies wings was broken but I didn't care, I loved it anyway.

"Miller told me. He said you wouldn't stop complaining about how you're going to be a teenager soon, and how you should be able to do whatever you wanted because you'd be 13." I laughed remembering how I annoyed the hell out of him, and Miller told me to shut up multiple times about my birthday. "Can I?" I nodded my head, handing him back the necklace and turned so my back was to him. He brought the chain around my neck and claps it.

I moved my hair to the side, looking down at the charm. "Where'd you even get this?" I questioned.

"When Clarke and I found the guns and blankets, I also found this. I was saving it for you."

I smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Bell."

He returned the smiled and hugged me back. "You're welcome, kid."

-

"They're back!" Harper yelled from her watch post on the fence. The gates opened to reveal Monty and Jasper. Everyone cheered as they walked into camp, knowing that they were, in fact, the ones who blew up the bridge.

Jasper gave me a smile and walked over. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better. My leg doesn't hurt as much anymore and I haven't thrown up blood in about six hours so that's good."

He chuckled and sat beside me on a log. "Look I'm sorry about the other day I let the popularity get to my head."

I nodded with a shrug. "It's alright. I still think you're pretty cool though, however, if you ever act like that again, I will personally take you down a few pegs."

Jasper chuckled, putting his arm around me. "Deal."

The rest of the night was spent sitting around the fire, the whole camp listening to Monty and Jasper tell their story of what happened earlier that day and this time, I don't think they were exaggerating.