A Kiss Before The War

Chapter 7: Send me an Angel

The only problem was, the help I needed was nowhere in sight and not likely to be found anytime soon. I started to move down the corridor via crawling, knowing that it was important that we reach the harvest chamber as quickly as possible.

I felt so very, very tired and it wasn't long before I slumped onto the floor, barely conscious. I heard yelling coming from behind us. I couldn't believe that this was happening now. After everything we'd gone through just to get to this point in order to save our people and put an end to the threat that the Mountain Men posed only to come up short.

"Stay awake Clarke! I refuse to do this on my own!" I heard anger colour Lexa's voice before it softened, "I can't do this on my own."

I felt her give my shoulders a shake as if such an action would rouse me from the lethargy which was taking over my body. The weakness spread out from the centre of my body to my extremities, proving it was only a matter of time before things got grave.

The sound of gunfire was now present as they'd decided to do away with any sort of ceremony regarding our deaths and put us down like any animal they might hunt out on the ground. I could feel my body start to move without my effort or input so Lexa must have decided to move me.

'She should just leave me here so that she can make it out. It would be after all the thing I'd expect her to do,' I thought to myself.

The sound of metal giving way met my ears as my vision wavered dangerously towards unconsciousness before it all went black and I had no idea whether I was alive or dead.

Lexa's perspective

As I followed Clarke back down the corridor, I was infinitely glad that she always had a plan for a plan. I'd been recklessly confident that our first plan would work so it was just another reason why I needed her with me. She always seemed to be covering the areas that I either neglected or paid less attention to. I knew we'd be formidable together.

I saw her stumble ahead of me and my concern for her peaked once again.

"Clarke! Are you okay?" I asked her as she unsteadily stayed on her feet.

I continued to watch as she attempted bravely to keep going but it was too little avail as she was soon on hand and knee. She continued to maintain her pride and not ask for my help as she crawled forward leaving a bloody handprint as she moved ahead.

"Priority targets one & two spotted! We're going to engage them now sir!"

I turned my head to look in the opposite direction to which we were heading to see a small group of Mountain Men behind us. They'd spotted us and it was only a matter of time before they caught up to us. Turning my attention back to Clarke I noticed that she was now slumped on the floor clinging onto consciousness.

"Stay awake Clarke! I refuse to do this on my own!" I yelled at her before adding in a gentler tone, "I can't do this on my own."

I crouched down next to her and gave her shoulders a shake as the contact would get her going once again, but she barely responded to even that. I flinched at the sound of gunfire and knew that I had to find a way to get us out of here fast or we were both dead.

Looking frantically along the walls I noticed a duct a few feet away. Running over to it, I planted a firm boot on it causing the metal to groan and warp under the contact. Kicking it again made it gave way.

Rushing back to Clarke I grabbed her and pulled her dead weight towards the duct lining her up with it feet first. I quickly grabbed her gun and not having any real experience with such a contraption I pointed in the direction of the Mountain Men and fired.

I wasn't ready for the recoil and it sent some of the bullets towards the ceiling, but it did give me at least what I wanted which was to distract the Mountain Men even if it was just momentarily.

They scrambled to a stop to get out of the firing line and I used this opportunity to push Clarke down the duct. I fired off a couple more shots before heading down the duct myself. It wasn't a long journey down this metal pathway that surrounded me but I found myself hitting the bottom pretty quickly and thankfully it had been a soft landing for the both of us.

Not soft as in we had something specifically cushion our landing at the end but it was a smooth landing in the way that we came out of the duct with minimal pain. After making sure Clarke was out of the way, I pushed a solid looking set of shelves in front of the duct to block the way.

We weren't going to be going back up that way if it was even possible and at least very least it would prevent or slow down the Mountain Men if they followed on behind us. The next set of problems became immediately known to me as first of all I didn't know what level we'd ended up on.

The second problem as I looked at her prone form was how on Earth I was going to get Clarke out of here. Sure I could carry her again but what if we ran into some more of the Mountain Men? Adding to that problem was her rapidly deteriorating condition. She needed medical help and needed it fast.

I risked a peek out the door and after checking both ways and seeing that we were alone here, I lifted Clarke once again into my arms but this was certainly more difficult given that she wasn't standing like last time and now that she was just dead weight it took its toll on me.

Having lost any sense of direction I knew that I had to pick a direction so I headed left. I routinely checked the walls to see if there was any sign or indication of where we might be or a possible way out. I could feel the front of my attire get damp no doubt due to Clarke's bloody bandages pressed against me which reminded me of the need for haste.

Soon enough I encountered another fork in the road but this time my life was made easier. A sign clearly visible with an arrow underneath it pointing down that corridor read 'Medical Ward'. This was great news in that one there would definitely be supplies there that could help Clarke.

'I hope there's someone there that can help her even if I have to force them too,' I thought. On top of this, I knew from when Clarke was telling me about the layout of this place that the harvest chamber was connected to the medical ward so we could get back on track with the plan.

It was eerily quiet as I got closer to the ward. I figured that this would be because once our people had been rescued from the harvest chamber they would be on the way out as well as the Mountain Men would be trying to stop us as close to the boundaries of the bunker as possible so it made sense the fighting wouldn't have reached the bowels.

I kicked open the door and found the place empty except for one person who was wearing a white coat. I quickly placed Clarke down on a nearby bed and withdrew my weapon.

"I'm between you and the only exit. So help her and you get to live," I demanded as I saw him recoil and my blood stained appearance.

I moved forward threateningly hoping that this man had the tools to save Clarke so we could finish this once and for all.