Oh, 'cause they will run you down, down 'til the dark. Yes and they will run you down, down 'til you go.

— Way We Go Down, KALEO

━━━━━━ October 26, 2149

THE ELEVATOR HUMMED TO life as it moved past each floor, slowing to a stop, then dinged. The doors opened for Casey and Jasper to step inside. Keenan's hand pressed firmly on the slat where the doors disappeared to keep it from closing.

⠀⠀⠀"I've been to visit the President once, when we did a tour in the fifth grade," Keenan explained to the pair. "But I remember that his office is at the very end of the hall. You should see President Wallace's head of security, Mr. Andre, outside of the door. He'll let you in."

⠀⠀⠀"Thanks, Keenan," Casey said with a smile, leaning back against the elevator wall.

⠀⠀⠀"Of course!" she said cheerily, removing her hand. The doors closed when Keenan remembered something, her eyes widening, as she exclaimed, "Oh, hey, don't forget tonight's movie night. We're watching—!"

⠀⠀⠀Her voice muffled from the doors closing in her face and Jasper chuckled as he pressed the button to the President's floor. Casey folded her arms over her chest, tapping her fingers against her arm while Jasper rocked on his heels, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.

⠀⠀⠀"Well, this should be fun. A cozy little chat with the President," Jasper said with a grin, glancing back at Casey. "What do you think—compliments? Criticism? A stern talking-to?" he asked, mimicking the President pointing his finger at them and wagging it like a disapproving teacher.

⠀⠀⠀"Hopefully not another history lesson on the founding of Mount Weather. Keenan's already given me a pretty thorough run down," Casey said, her voice deadpan.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, you gotta admit, it's nice here," Jasper said with a serene expression. "Clean water, hot showers, actual food that doesn't taste like... well, dirt."

⠀⠀⠀Casey didn't respond, tensing. Her eyes fell to the floor.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay, what's eating you? You've been weird all week," Jasper said with an exasperated sigh.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm not weird."

⠀⠀⠀"You're brooding.' He shrugged.

⠀⠀⠀Casey scowled. "I don't brood."

⠀⠀⠀"You totally brood!"

⠀⠀⠀Casey sent him a sharp look, but Jasper's grin only widened. His lightheartedness didn't distract her, though. She shifted, uncomfortable, but her fingers kept their constant rhythm.

⠀⠀⠀"Look, I just... Clarke's been gone too long. And 'she's not accepting visitors?' What kind of excuse is that?" she snapped, rolling her eyes.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper shrugged. Sure, he was worried about Clarke and had joined her missions of checking the medical ward daily—if not multiple times a day—but he still kept a positive perspective of Mount Weather and its inhabitants.

⠀⠀⠀"Maybe she needs time. Like Miller," Jasper suggested. "She's been through a lot. We all have."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, but this isn't like Clarke. She wouldn't just us out, no matter how much I might want her to," Casey muttered, chewing on her thumbnail.

⠀⠀⠀"Maya said she had a breakdown, right? She's probably just... recovering," Jasper said, lowering his voice as the elevator opened.

⠀⠀⠀The corridor to the President's office was dimly lit and bare-walled. At the far end, Casey could see Mr. Andre standing perfectly still at the President's door.

⠀⠀⠀"And you believe that?" Casey asked with a glare. She walked at a slow pace so their conversation wouldn't get cut short by prying ears. "Jasper, she's been in medical for days. If she's really just recovering, why wouldn't they let us see her?"

⠀⠀⠀Jasper's grin faded, but he continued to deflect her claims with ease. "Maybe they're just being cautious. Y'know, for her own sake."

⠀⠀⠀"Or they're hiding something."

⠀⠀⠀"Come on. Not everyone's out to get us." Jasper sighed, pinching his nose. "This isn't the Ark, okay? They're not like that."

⠀⠀⠀Casey scoffed. "You're too quick to trust them."

⠀⠀⠀"And you're too quick to assume the worst," Jasper said, shoving his hands further into his pockets. "Look, I get it. You're worried about Clarke. I am too. But maybe—just maybe—you're looking for problems where there aren't any."

⠀⠀⠀Casey stopped in her tracks, staring at him in disbelief.

⠀⠀⠀"And maybe you're too busy enjoying the luxuries here that you're ignoring the cracks," she chastised.

⠀⠀⠀"There are no cracks." He stopped a foot ahead of her.

⠀⠀⠀Casey continued to stare at Jasper in a mix of frustration and pity. She wanted to keep arguing, and she could, but she knew it was a waste of time. Besides, Mr. Andre was watching them with curious, expectant eyes. He'd notice something was off, eventually.

⠀⠀⠀"I hope you're right," Casey whispered, passing him with her shoulder hitting against his.

⠀⠀⠀As she reached the end of the hall, Mr. Andre greeted them with a polite nod.

⠀⠀⠀"The President is expecting you," he said, opening the door to let them inside.

⠀⠀⠀The President's office was as dark as the hall, but somehow much more opulent. There were paintings covering every inch of the office. Casey even recognized a few of them from her art history class on the Ark. While there were paintings all over Mount Weather, the President's office also housed several priceless books and artifacts that covered whatever surface didn't have a painting.

⠀⠀⠀At the back of the room, President Wallace sat at his desk, setting aside some paperwork. He was an older man with pale, wrinkled skin, white hair, and sharp blue eyes. He was taller than Jasper, which was saying something, and just as lanky. Although, his well-worn suit gave him the appearance of a man well put together.

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you for coming," President Wallace greeted them. He stood from his seat, straightened his suit, then continued, "I've been told you two have visited medical three or four times a day asking about Clarke."

⠀⠀⠀"They keep telling us she's recovering, but we only want to check up on her," Casey said in her best attempt to be polite. She repeated the small mantra 'toe the line' a dozen times in her head until it stuck. She couldn't risk their lives because they were sticking their noses in places it didn't belong. Not until their backs were up against a corner.

⠀⠀⠀"That's because she's no longer here. Clarke ran away," President Wallace said. "I tried to convince her that she was safe here, but she couldn't stop looking for enemies when she was among friends."

⠀⠀⠀Casey and Jasper took a moment to let that sink in. Surprisingly, it was Jasper who voiced his protest.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but... Clarke wouldn't just abandon us."

⠀⠀⠀"I wish it wasn't the case," Wallace said, weary, though his expression didn't seem too perturbed by the news.

⠀⠀⠀"Why? Are you looking for her?"

⠀⠀⠀"I can't risk the lives of my people to bring back someone who doesn't want to be here." Wallace stepped closer to the pair until he was right in front of them. His hands rested on both of their shoulders as he sent them pointed looks. "I hope you can understand that."

⠀⠀⠀"Maybe you can't follow Clarke," Casey began, though she found that to be a load of bullshit. Clarke was still inside. She had to be, unless the Mountain Men dumped her outside with no way back in. That seemed more plausible. "But what about our friends from the dropship? Or the Ark? It was supposed to come down by now."

⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry, my dear, but we've found nothing more of your people," Wallace said softly, shaking his head. "But what I can do for you two is let you go after Clarke yourselves."

⠀⠀⠀"Can we come back?" Jasper asked, afraid to let this quasi-paradise go.

⠀⠀⠀"Jasper, this is your home now. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

⠀⠀⠀Casey wasn't sure she believed the old man. She watched as he moved back to his desk and Mr. Andre opened the door behind them, signaling that their conversation was over.

⠀⠀⠀"Let me know what you decide," the President said, allowing them time to consider.

BELLAMY AND OCTAVIA RETURNED to Camp Jaha with Monroe and Mel after they had found Factory Station crashed into the side of a cliff top. Hundreds of people were dead, all but Mel, who they were able to save. Sterling hadn't been so lucky, moving too quickly to save his friend, the rope not tight enough around the rock that he fell down the cliff face.

⠀⠀⠀As Bellamy entered the front gates, the Guard had their guns pointed directly at them. He raised his hands in surrender and handed over his weapons as Abby approached them.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, I know you. Factory Station," Abby said, taking Mel's face in her hands. She looked over her injuries as Mel nodded in recognition, relieved to see a familiar face. "Where are the others?"

⠀⠀⠀"There are no others," Mel said softly, diverting her gaze.

⠀⠀⠀Abby frowned, but knew better than to push, and nodded. She glanced at a guard, and directed them, "Get her to medical."

⠀⠀⠀The guards escorted Mel into the Ark while Monroe limped after them, having been struck by a Grounder's arrow.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy's attention was on Abby when a body slammed into his and blond hair flew into his face. For a moment, he was stunned, questioning who was holding onto him so tightly that he was seconds from going unconscious. A flash of relief flooded his system as his mind pieced together that Casey had found her way back to them. He hugged her back fiercely, but something strange in the way his arms wrapped around her alerted him that he had missed a crucial detail. It sunk in that Clarke was the one holding him in a death-like grip, and he ignored the disappointment that came with that. He hugged her tighter, just happy that his friends were okay.

⠀⠀⠀"Now there's something I thought I'd never see," Octavia joked with a playful smile.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke pulled away from Bellamy. Her face was marred in cuts and bruised, but she smiled despite it all. She turned to Octavia and pulled her into a hug next.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm glad you're okay," Octavia whispered.

⠀⠀⠀"You, too," Clarke said, pulling back.

⠀⠀⠀"How many are with you?" Bellamy asked. Everyone who had vanished from the dropship site—other than Raven and Murphy—had been inside with her.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke's face fell, shaking her head. "None."

⠀⠀⠀The smile on his face faded as well.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke looked over his shoulder as Raven joined them, looking for the same thing.

⠀⠀⠀"Where's Finn?" Clarke asked.

⠀⠀⠀It seemed Bellamy had bad news for her, too.

⠀⠀⠀"Looking for you."

IT WAS A MIRACLE that a gun could give them answers. Murphy thought they'd be stuck, that the Grounder was sending them on a fruitless search to the far reaches of the world. But they had reached an encampment just like he said.

⠀⠀⠀Behind the brush, guns raised, Finn said, "I count twenty-six."

⠀⠀⠀"I got twenty-eight," Murphy said. He lowered his gun as a knot tied in his stomach. "These people don't look like warriors, Finn. And there's kids. Old people. There's nothing big enough here to hold our friends."

⠀⠀⠀"They could be underground," Finn said, only giving Murphy a brief consideration before he returned to his scope. "We wait till dark. Then we go in."

⠀⠀⠀"We go in?" Murphy asked, confused. They had seen no signs of their friends. The only thing they were going off of was a dead man's word and Clarke's watch. "Finn, we don't even know if our people are here yet."

⠀⠀⠀"They're here. Or they were here when that Grounder took Clarke's watch."

⠀⠀⠀"What if we're too late, huh? They're probably already dead. We need to—" Murphy said, the words tumbling out of his mouth as he prepared himself for the worst. Casey could be dead and he would have to live with her ghost forever haunting him.

⠀⠀⠀Before he could finish, Finn lunged forward, cutting Murphy off, as he gripped the fabric of his jacket with a crazy look in his eye. Yeah, maybe it would've been better to go back to camp.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy scowled. "Take it easy."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy didn't like this anymore than Finn did. Except he had someone who actually loved him that was missing and captured. His best friend, his sister, the only family he had left, could be dead by now, and he wasn't sure how he could live with himself if that were true. But Finn... he was taking all of this a little too seriously for a girl he'd just met two months ago.

⠀⠀⠀"How much ammo do we have?" Finn asked, removing his hands from Murphy.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy huffed, not looking to answer him as he muttered, "I think I liked you better as a peacemaker."

AFTER THE CONVERSATION WITH the president, Casey and Jasper returned to the delinquent's dorm, where Monty made a beeline for them. He asked what happened, and they explained the conversation, both offering their very different perspectives, which Monty caught onto quickly. He turned to Jasper, wide eyed, as he realized he was becoming more Mountain Man than Arkadian every day he stayed here.

⠀⠀⠀"And you believe him?" Monty asked in disbelief.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, I believe him," Jasper said. He stood at Clarke's bedside where her art set was opened, used, and left to clean for another day. He tossed the pastels down into the box to take out his anger. "Clarke left us, Monty. She faked being crazy to get into medical and she took off."

⠀⠀⠀Monty frowned. He obviously didn't believe any of that. He turned to Casey, who held his stare. A silent conversation buzzed between them, before he nodded and said, "We need to go after her."

⠀⠀⠀The door behind them opened, and Maya waited at the door, watching them nervously. Monty glanced back, rolled his eyes, and packed his things. Casey joined him. She liked Maya, Keenan, and Dr. Hassan, but she didn't trust the people in power further than she could throw them. And she didn't really believe President Wallace's claim that Clarke left on her own accord. There was something else to it, something they were missing.

⠀⠀⠀"Where are you going?" Jasper asked them, annoyed.

⠀⠀⠀"The dropship, for starters," Monty said.

⠀⠀⠀Casey filled her bag with a change of clothes and the book she had been reading. If President Wallace had been truthful, she'd give the book back on her return.

⠀⠀⠀Maya crossed the room and stood in front of Jasper, her brows furrowed as her lip trembled slightly.

⠀⠀⠀"I just heard. You're leaving?" she asked, turning to look at Casey and Monty.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, we are," Monty said.

⠀⠀⠀"No, we're not," Jasper rebutted, his tone clipped.

⠀⠀⠀"What would Clarke do?" Monty asked with a straight-face, looking at Jasper for the answer they all knew. Casey might dislike Clarke and some decisions she's made in the past, but she couldn't deny that Clarke wasn't loyal and would do what she thought was best for them. Leaving didn't seem like the path she'd chose.

⠀⠀⠀"No, you can't. It's too dangerous," Maya said, desperate to keep him there. Casey looked over her shoulder, eyes narrowing, as the walls began to close in.

⠀⠀⠀"Don't worry," Jasper whispered. "I'm a coward."

⠀⠀⠀"You're not. You're smart. You can't make her come back."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper sighed. "They're right. She'd go after me, but why am I so scared to do the same thing?" There was a pause, before Jasper said, "Whoa. What—?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey looked back at him again, then Maya. Her pale skin blotched with bright red and her lips twisted in pain.

⠀⠀⠀"Radiation." Maya's brows pinched closer, and she clenched her teeth in agony to suppress a scream. "There's a containment breach," she said, rushing to the door and pressing her key card against the panel.

⠀⠀⠀"But how?" Jasper asked, in shock.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't know!" Maya exclaimed. The panel she tried to access kept beeping back at her, denying her. She ran across the room to another door as her hands shook.

⠀⠀⠀"What do we do?" Monty asked, abandoning his pack.

⠀⠀⠀The panel continued to deny Maya access until she resorted to scream for help. Jasper and Monty rushed to the door, screaming and banging on it, as Casey rushed to Maya's side, helping her to the floor before she collapsed. Casey rested Maya's head in her lap and pushed the hair out of her face as she squirmed from the pain, screwing her face into a knot as she tried to escape her own skin.

⠀⠀⠀Casey tried to assure Maya that she would be okay, that everything would be fine, but the longer she stared at Maya, the more she saw Atom lying in the woods. She wondered if this would end the same, with Maya dead and Jasper hating her like Octavia had.

⠀⠀⠀It didn't matter what Jasper would think. If Maya asked, Casey would do what she did for Atom again.

⠀⠀⠀Finally, guards entered the room in hazmat suits and pulled Maya onto a stretcher, rushing her to medical. Casey, Jasper, and Monty followed quickly behind. No one said anything until Maya was in the room and the medical staff tried to turn them away. Although, when Dr. Tsing entered, she was welcome for the three to stay.

⠀⠀⠀They were silent as Dr. Tsing hooked Maya up to an IV followed by a machine that read off her vitals. Another man stood across from Tsing with a clipboard and pen, ready to note down Maya's diagnostics.

⠀⠀⠀"Temperature's 104 and rising. Blood pressure, 180 over 120. Blister coverage now seventy-five perfect. Standard treatment isn't working," Tsing told him.

⠀⠀⠀"Wait," Jasper cut in. "What does that mean? Is there a non-standard treatment?"

⠀⠀⠀Tsing glanced up to her co-worker for a moment, thoughtful, before turning to Jasper.

⠀⠀⠀"There is one thing we could try," Tsing said, though her tone was cautious to even broach the subject.

⠀⠀⠀"What are you waiting for?" Jasper asked as he stared at Maya lying unconscious on the bed. The sickly lights made her look worse than she had in the dorms. The red on her face like she'd stood in direct sunlight for two weeks straight, the skin beginning to peel, and her chest rising and falling shakily.

⠀⠀⠀"It's... unorthodox," Tsing said carefully. She stepped over to the three, making sure she looked each of them in the eye as she spoke. "Because you were raised in space, your circulatory systems developed the ability to filter radiation out of your blood. Now, it's just a theory, but if we were to circulate Maya's blood through your system..."

⠀⠀⠀"I could make her better," Jasper whispered in realization. His gaze darted back to Maya, hopeful. He always wanted to be the hero of his stories.

⠀⠀⠀Something in Tsing's explanation irked Casey's brain. The theory seemed to be, as she said, just a theory. But where had the notion come from and had they considered this method before? It wasn't just that, but standard treatment. If taking their blood was the obvious, unorthodox standard, what was the usual way to treat someone here?

⠀⠀⠀"What's the standard treatment?" Casey asked, interrupting Jasper from taking a nosedive.

⠀⠀⠀"What?" Tsing asked, a tinge of honey-sweetened confusion on her tongue.

⠀⠀⠀Casey stared at her for a moment, and Tsing nodded, her mind locking back into place. She glanced at her co-worker again, longer this time, than back to Casey.

⠀⠀⠀"We use a saline to flush out the radiation." She sent Casey a taut smile. "Typically, it works with smaller breakouts, but not ones as damaging as Maya's."

⠀⠀⠀Casey's eyes narrowed. She didn't like how Tsing molded her words to affect Jasper's decision.

⠀⠀⠀"And what happens to him?" Monty asked.

⠀⠀⠀Tsing glanced at Monty, still smiling. "I'm not sure."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper looked ready to sell his soul in order to save Maya. His gaze remained fixed on her, ignoring the conversation after Tsing finished explaining the non-standard treatment. His hands shook, and he mouthed something to himself.

⠀⠀⠀"I know that look," Monty interrupted Jasper's train of thought. "Don't even think about it. It's too dangerous."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper glanced at Monty, then Casey, and back to Maya. He took only a second before he confidently said to Tsing, "I'm in."

⠀⠀⠀"Woah, hold on!" Casey exclaimed, raising her hand to Jasper's chest. "Can we have a second?" she asked Tsing.

⠀⠀⠀"You don't have much time to decide," Tsing said, but stepped back for them to have some room.

⠀⠀⠀None of this sat right in Casey's chest. They were too calm, too polished. It reminded her of some of the Guard her mom was 'friends' with on the Ark. They were always firm and logical, never putting nuance into why someone made a decision, but still hiding away something they weren't willing to share.

⠀⠀⠀"Casey, come on—" Jasper started. His cheeks turned red in frustration.

⠀⠀⠀"Jasper." She stepped closer to him. Her voice softened, but the urgency underlined her words. "Let me do it."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper stared at her, wide-eyed.

⠀⠀⠀"What?" he asked, his voice cracking.

⠀⠀⠀"Let me take the risk," Casey said firmly, steeling her nerves. "We don't know what'll happen if they do this. None of us do." She glanced at Tsing, looking over Maya's charts, likely eaves-dropping since the room was so small. "You heard her. It's just a theory. What if they're wrong?"

⠀⠀⠀"If there's a risk, then it has to be me," Jasper said, his voice trembling but full of fire.

⠀⠀⠀"You don't deserve to die here. If something happens to you, that's it. And you just recovered from a fucking spear through your chest. This'll be hard on your body." Casey shook her head, a flicker of pain crossing her face. She pressed her hand on his shoulder and whispered, "You deserve to be happy."

⠀⠀⠀"And you don't?" Jasper shot back. "You think you don't deserve to be happy, Casey? To have a life? If this kills you, what then? What about your mom and... Murphy? What about Monty? What about me?" he asked, raising his hand to wave between himself and Monty. His expression softened. "I'm sorry for what I said about Murphy. But you don't need to risk your life because you think you need to atone for his actions."

⠀⠀⠀Casey froze under the weight of Jasper's words, as if he opened a door into her mind and figured out where this stemmed from. His hands rested on her shoulders and squeezed firmly. Jasper saw himself as a coward, afraid to take arms to save Clarke, but here he had a choice. He could save Maya right now, and he needed to do it for his own sanity.

⠀⠀⠀"I—"

⠀⠀⠀"No," Jasper said, cutting her off. "You're not doing this. I am. End of discussion."

⠀⠀⠀"Jasper—"

⠀⠀⠀"I mean it, Casey," he said. He turned to Tsing. "Hook me up, doc."

⠀⠀⠀Casey stepped back, her heart sinking as she realized she couldn't stop him. She looked to Monty for backup, chewing at her thumbnail, but he just shook his head.

⠀⠀⠀"Fine," Casey said quietly, moving her hand to cross over her chest. "But if this goes wrong, I swear to God, Jasper..." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper gave her a small, sad smile. "I won't. I'll be fine. You'll see."

⠀⠀⠀Tsing stepped forward, her calm professionalism masking any emotion she might have felt about their discussion.

⠀⠀⠀"If you're certain, then let's begin," Tsing said. She handed him a yellow hospital gown to change into. Jasper took it with a firm nod, signing away his life to save a girl he barely knew. Although, what could Casey say? She just offered her own for a boy she'd known for two months.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I really enjoy Casey, Monty, and Jasper as a friend unit. They're all from Farm Station and, especially Casey and Monty, have pretty similar morals and temperaments. 

I also keep coming back to the thought that, in the show, Monty and Jasper (two side characters) carried a subplot for most of the season. I think that's more normal than it feels like, but it's so interesting how quickly they threw Clarke out of there putting both the main characters back together. 

Perhaps today you will get a treat in the form of a double update...

CHAPTER TIME FRAME: Season 2, Episode 5: Human Trials

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like, they keep me motivated! However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So, even if you ghost read or comment on every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come to spend your time in this fic ♡

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NEXT TIME: A radiation leak in the dorm creates chaos as Maya starts to break out. Jasper decides to help her when Dr. Tsing mentions an unstandard treatment.