6.0

When the morning after Unity Day came, Bellamy, Clarke, and a couple of other delinquents headed out to check the wreckage of the Exodus ship. Maybe there were survivors. Maybe there were supplies. Either way, the group wanted... no, they needed to investigate and hope that maybe just maybe not everyone died.

Meanwhile, at camp, Sophia was keeping watch with Monty. Her eyes carefully scanned the area when she noticed Octavia had gone outside, no doubt to look for that Lincoln.

As she kept watch, Sophia overheard Jasper bragging to some of the girls about how he killed two grounders. The girls seemed to be fawning over him, while some of the guys kept praising him.

"Grounders should have killed him..." Sophia muttered, earning a shocked expression from Monty.

"Sophia! He's your brother."

"Yeah? And he's turning into such a douchebag. He fucked everything up, and now the grounders could come and attack us at any moment!" Sophia frowned, her attention shifting when she heard gunshots followed by Drew and Connor shouting.

Sophia immediately climbed down from her post, running over to see what the commotion was. Her eyes widened as she froze, seeing a beaten and tortured John Murphy collapsed at the gate.

"Murphy!" Sophia was the first to get to him. She carefully rested a hand on his face as she looked him over. Her brows knitted as she rested her head on his chest. His breathing sounded ragged. His heart seemed to be skipping a few beats.

"Help me get him inside," Sophia said over her shoulder as she tried to pull Murphy up.

"Oh, of course. The little dick rider wants to bring him in." Connor rolled his eyes.

"He was banished, you know that, right?" Drew questioned.

"He's injured!" Sophia snapped as she eventually got Murphy to his feet. He was leaning his whole body weight on Sophia. His head was low as he mumbled incoherently.

Connor and Drew begrudgingly helped Sophia bring Murphy inside, taking him immediately to the dropship.

"Have fun explaining this one to Bellamy, dick rider. You do know that he's going to shoot and kill Murphy without hesitation." Connor pointed out.

"I'll talk to Bellamy," Sophia mumbled.

Connor and Drew exchanged glances before heading just outside the dropship.

Sophia frowned, looking back over at Murphy, noting how one of his eyes looked practically swollen shut. There were several gashes on his face and arms, making her heart ache.

"Fuck, Murphy, you look like shit..." she frowned.

"Well...aren't....aren't you a charmer, princess." Murphy wheezed out, weakly lifting his head to look at her.

"I tried to look for you...a few weeks back. Everyone else was looking for Octavia while I went to go find you...but when I got there you weren't around...I saw the blood on the bag and the trail, but Bellamy started calling before I could follow it..." Sophia frowned as she carefully grabbed Murphy's arm to look over the cuts and bruises.

"Grounders..." Murphy mumbled. "They got me...tortured me...I tried to stay strong, Soph...I did...but...they know about this place...they're going to come and kill everyone here."

Sophia frowned. "And that's why they let you go, isn't it...they're using you as a messenger..." Sophia mumbled, looking back at Murphy's face.

Seeing him so beaten and exhausted pulled at her heartstrings. This wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been banished. If Bellamy and Clarke didn't kick him out.

Sophia's attention shifted when Bellamy came barreling into the dropship, gun pointed at Murphy.

"Bellamy no!" Sophia got in front of Murphy.

"He knew the rule, Sophia! He has to die!" Bellamy snapped.

"He's injured! He's only here because he doesn't have anywhere to go! Let Clarke look after him." Sophia pleaded.

Bellamy squinted at her before lowering the gun. "Fine. But as soon as he's well enough, he's out of here. Both of you."

"Wait, why me?" Sophia frowned.

"Connor saw you a few weeks back taking a bag of our food to give to that roach. You were aiding an enemy, and therefore, once he's better, you will be leaving with Murphy." With that, Bellamy left the dropship, allowing Clarke to look Murphy over.

Sophia frowned slightly as she watched Clarke. "You have to talk to him, Clarke. The grounders will kill us if we leave here."

"Bellamy made it clear, Sophia. Murphy was banished...he has to go once he's better." Clarke muttered before getting up to leave the dropship.

Sophia sighed as she grabbed Murphy's arm, gently pulling him up to his feet. "Come on...let's get you in one of the beds." She mumbled as she helped Murphy walk.

"Should kill Bellamy...for wanting to kick you out..." Murphy mumbled tiredly.

"He's looking out for everyone else. He's right. I stole supplies to give to you. I don't belong here. If it were the ARK, they'd float me." Sophia pointed out.

Murphy frowned at that, weakly looking at Sophia. The last person to steal for him did get floated. His own father. The thought of Sophia being banished brought back the memories of his father, which he tried to shove back in the far corners of his mind.

"Stay here, alright? I'm going to get you some water." Sophia mumbled as she made her way outside.

Sophia's head started feeling fuzzy as she filled up a cup of water for Murphy. Her brows knitted as she swayed slightly.

"Oh look, the dick rider is out. Getting some water for your little boyfriend?" Connor smirked, smacking the cup out of Sophia's hands.

"You know what, Connor-" Sophia turned to snap at the delinquent, noting how he looked at her with shock. "What?" She questioned, trying to suppress a cough that was creeping up.

"Your eyes...they're..." Sophia reached up, wiping her eyes. When she moved her hand back, she saw the blood. "Shit- Clarke!" Sophia shouted as Connor started coughing too.

The blonde made her way out. Blood falling from her own eyes as she looked around at the delinquents, who all started suddenly getting sick. Her brows knitted as she made her way back to the dropship, and Sophia followed close behind.

Murphy was leaning over the makeshift cot/bed he was lying in, coughing and vomiting into a nearby bucket.

"Murphy, hey, look at me. I need you to tell me exactly how you escaped from the Grounders. What happened?" Clarke frowned as she turned him over.

Murphy's brows knitted as he looked at Clarke, then over at Sophia, noting how she looked paler than usual. "I don't know. I woke up, and they forgot to lock my cage. There was no one there, so I took off." He mumbled as Bellamy came in.

"Bellamy, don't get to close!" Clarke warned.

"What the hell did he do to you?" Bellamy frowned. Clarke shook her head. For once Murphy didn't do this. He wasn't to blame.

"What the hell is this then?" Bellamy questioned.

"Biological warfare. You were waiting for the Grounders to retaliate for the bridge? This is it. Murphy is the weapon." Clarke frowned.

Sophia struggled to stay standing. Her legs gave out as she fell to her knees while trying to hold back vomit.

"Sophia-" Bellamy went to move closer to her.

"Don't touch her! You'll get infected." Clarke frowned. Bellamy frowned as he glared at Murphy.

"Is this your revenge, helping the Grounders kill us?" Bellamy questioned him.

"Bellamy...I had no idea, okay? You have to believe me. I may be a prick but I wouldn't try and kill everyone here on purpose." Murphy tried to defend himself.

"Murphy, think, all right? What can you tell us that's useful? Did you hear anything?" Clarke questioned. Murphy looked at Clarke for a moment before shaking his head, looking away from her.

"They are vicious, cruel." He mumbled.

"You want to see vicious?" Bellamy threatened, about to take a swing at Murphy.

"Bellamy! Don't. Whatever this is, it's spreading through contact." Clarke frowned.

Finn came in with a frown. "Clarke? What's going on? I heard you were sick?"

"I don't know, some kind of hemorrhagic fever. We just need to contain it before--" Clarke was cut off by one of the delinquents, Derek suddenly breaking into a coughing fit before inevitably dying.

"Is he...?" Finn frowned.

"Dead..." Bellamy frowned as he looked at Clarke. "What's the plan here, Clarke?"

"Quarantine. Round up everyone who had contact with Murphy. Bring them here." Clarke ordered. Finn and Bellamy immediately went out to gather the infected.

Clarke looked down at Sophia, examining her. The Jordan girl's breathing was coming out shallow. Her eyes were shut as she focused on breathing.

"Don't let her die because of me, Clarke..." Murphy mumbled from where he was lying. "She's too good to die like this."

Clarke looked over at Murphy, noting the change in tone from how he was talking about Sophia. She smiled sympathetically at him as she carefully pulled Sophia up. "I'll do what I can, Murphy. Though without proper treatment, I don't think any of us will make it."

"Right..." Murphy mumbled, pushing himself up to a seated position so he could shuffle over. "Put her here." He mumbled. Clarke gave him a look.

"What? You heard Bellamy. As soon as she's better, she's banished with me. I doubt the other infected are going to want her near them." Murphy shrugged. Plus, this way he could keep a closer eye on her in case anything happened.

Clarke sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Fine. Just call for me if she takes a turn for the worse." She told Murphy as she carefully laid Sophia down in the bed. The brunette's brows scrunched in a pained expression as Clarke moved away and started preparing for the other infected to come in.

Sophia weakly opened her eyes, looking up at Murphy as she smiled weakly at him. "Aw, you do care about me." She mumbled before coughing up blood.

"Idiot, quit talking." Murphy frowned as he used his sleeve to wipe the blood from Sophia's mouth.

A few hours passed, and Clarke was being carried in by Finn and Octavia. Clarke looked as if she had gotten worse. Sophia vaguely heard Octavia mention that there was no cure. No cure...she was going to die, wasn't she?

"What else did Lincoln tell you?" Finn questioned Octavia as they set Clarke down on one of the beds.

"The virus doesn't last long."

"It's true. I feel better." Murphy added as he stood by Sophia's side. She was curled up and shivering as she weakly looked over at Octavia.

"They need to stay hydrated," Clarke mumbled.

"So do you." Finn frowned.

"I'll do it. Just rest, Clarke." Octavia told the blonde.

"I'll help." Murphy volunteered, surprising the others. "What? They're all infected because of me. Really, shouldn't it be just me doing this?"

"No. You need help. Octavia can help..." Clarke mumbled.

**********

"Murphy..." Octavia called over the sound of Connor coughing.

"Yeah?" He looked over from where he was taken care of, Sophia.

"Clarke said when that happens to roll him on his side." Octavia gestured to Connor.

"On it." He quickly moved over to Connor, rolling him over.

"I put the rope around your neck. Why are you helping me?" Connor questioned in between coughs.

Murphy shrugged his shoulders. "Bygones." He simply stated before patting Connor's shoulder as he got up to check on some of the others before going back to Sophia.

"You look like you're getting worse..." Murphy frowned.

"Gee, don't you know how to make a girl feel special," Sophia mumbled in weak sarcasm before turning over to throw up into the bucket by her bed.

"Easy...You're okay. You're okay, all right? I got you. Okay. Okay. Just breathe. Just breathe..." Murphy attempted to comfort Sophia, holding her hair back as he ran a hand up and down her back.

He looked over as Bellamy came in, collapsing as he broke out into a fit of coughs.

"Bell..." Octavia frowned as she went to get her brother into one of the beds.

Murphy gently rolled Sophia back over before bringing a cup of water over to Bellamy.

"Get the hell away from me." Bellamy moved away from Murphy, making the other male roll his eyes.

"Bellamy, you're sick, okay? I'm just trying to help. Here." Murphy tried to hand the cup over again.

"When I get better, if you're still here--"

"Thank you, Murphy. Clarke and I can take it from here." Octavia said, taking the cup from Murphy.

Murphy rolled his eyes as he made his way back over to Sophia. She was asleep now. Her lips parted to take air in as her nose was plugged up.

Murphy's head shot up when he heard an explosion echoing in the distance.

"They did it," Bellamy muttered. The bridge the grounders were going to use was gone. The threat still remained, but at least now the grounders were slowed down.

Hours passed. Clarke and Bellamy were outside the dropship, talking to the others, no doubt about the explosion. Octavia was gone. She had left to see Lincoln.

Murphy was the only one awake in the dropship. He was sitting on Sophia's bed, keeping a cloth on her forehead as he watched over her.

His attention shifted over towards Connor. Anger flared in him again. The shit he said about him was one thing. Trying to kill him was one thing too...but threatening Sophia. Murphy wasn't sure why, but it didn't sit right with him.

He looked back down at Sophia before getting to his feet. He walked over to a water bucket. He pulled a cloth out, ringing it out before slowly approaching Connor.

The delinquent didn't deserve to live. He had to pay not just for what he did to Murphy but for the way he was treating Sophia.

Without hesitation, Murphy placed the rag over Connor's face. He put his full weight into what he was doing. He gritted his teeth as Connor struggled to try and push his assailant off of him before his body eventually stiffened, then went limp as his dying breath left him.

Murphy stepped back, tilting his head to crack his neck as he walked away from Connor, dumping the rag.

"Bygones," Murphy muttered before sitting back by Sophia, who stirred awake from hearing Murphy speak.

"Murphy...?" Sophia mumbled groggily.

"Shh. Go back to sleep." Murphy shushed her, shielding her from seeing the crime he had just committed.

"Thought I heard something..." she frowned.

"It was probably just an animal or something outside. Get some sleep." Murphy gently pushed her back down.

Sophia's brows knitted but she didn't press any further. Her eyes were still heavy as she let sleep take over again.

Murphy sighed in relief as he gently ran his hand up and down Sophia's arm.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, Princess. I swear."