I need to purge my urges, shame, shame, shame. I need an alibi to justify, somebody to blame.

— Alien Blues, Vanabar

━━━━━━ October 30, 2149

THE SOFT MURMUR OF voices filled the common room where Maya sat curled up in a chair. Her knees tucked under herself as she read a well-worn book between her unscarred hands. The faintest smile played at her lips as she passed through the pages.

⠀⠀⠀Casey hovered near the doorway. A week passed since Maya's release from medical, and in that time, they became friends. Casey had never disliked Maya. She was just distrusting of their surroundings. So, when she spent longer than a few minutes in each other's presence, the pair really evened each other out. Maya was quiet, thoughtful, and sheltered, but she was smart and witty, too. Her personality lent credence to Casey opening herself up more similarly to how she and Octavia had quickly bonded.

⠀⠀⠀And, while Casey loved Jasper and Monty, she only felt comfortable asking Maya for help in her next endeavor. Steeling herself, Casey crossed the room and sat in the seat across from her.

⠀⠀⠀"You've been glued to that thing all week," Casey said, gesturing to the book.

⠀⠀⠀Maya glanced up, her expression softening when she noticed Casey.

⠀⠀⠀"It's a classic," she said, holding up the blue cover as if to prove her point. It read The Giver in gold embossed letters. "Ever read it?"

⠀⠀⠀"No, I haven't. What's it about?" Casey asked, curious.

⠀⠀⠀"It's about a boy who lives in this... perfect community, or at least it looks perfect," Maya explained, slightly breathless. She put her thumb on the page she was on and rested the book on her lap. "There's no pain or suffering, but... no real choices, either. They chose the boy to take on all the past memories—everything his people sacrificed for their peaceful world."

⠀⠀⠀"Bearing the pain so they don't have to," Casey muttered, raising a brow. She bit her tongue as her gaze scanned the room. "Sounds... heavy."

⠀⠀⠀"It is," Maya agreed with a chuckle. "But it's beautiful, too. I mean, to realize what's worth holding on to, even if it hurts!" she exclaimed, hugging the book to her chest. "I've read it at least a dozen times."

⠀⠀⠀Casey didn't respond right away as she glanced at the bookshelves lining the wall beside them. She frowned, and said, "I wasn't into reading back on the Ark. Didn't have the patience for it, I guess. Too busy trying to keep me and my brother out of trouble. Then, getting into a little too much of it."

⠀⠀⠀"What changed?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey hesitated, her fingers tapping in fours against her thighs.

⠀⠀⠀"I found one that reminds me of a friend, mythology stories. They're short, so it doesn't test my patience. Bellamy told me some stories like that—heroes and gods, people fighting for what they believed in, even when everything was against them." She shrugged, darting her eyes away. "Guess it makes me feel closer to him."

⠀⠀⠀Maya's gaze softened as she studied Casey. "That sounds like a good reason."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, maybe," Casey muttered, her gaze returning to Maya. "It feels weird, though, sitting around here, doing nothing. I'm not a fixer like Jasper or a thinker like Monty. I'm from Farm Station. I wanted to start a garden back at camp, before everything turned to shit. I just... I want to feel the sun on my skin, dig in the dirt, that kind of thing."

⠀⠀⠀"I get that," Maya said, her expression turning wistful. "I've never seen an actual farm before. Or been outside at all, actually." She gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "I wouldn't even know what to do if I was."

⠀⠀⠀"We're the same, Maya. I was just forced to figure it out," Casey said with a shrug. "Being trapped on the Ark and trapped down here isn't that much different."

⠀⠀⠀Maya's lips quirked into a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, I guess not."

⠀⠀⠀For a moment, the girls were silent. Casey's finger tapped faster as she considered why she walked over to Maya in the first place.

⠀⠀⠀"Would you walk with me?" Casey asked before she could swallow the words.

⠀⠀⠀"Where to?"

⠀⠀⠀"I have to go to my therapy session," Casey explained. "And... I don't think I can do it alone."

⠀⠀⠀Maya released her legs from under herself and moved forward. She reached out, tugging Casey's tapping fingers toward her, and held it with a firm grip. It was meant to be comforting, but it was a little too suffocating for Casey's comfort.

⠀⠀⠀"You're not alone. I'll be right here," Maya assured her, voice light but sincere. "When you finish, I'll take you to my favorite spot. Sound good?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey managed a smile, nodding. She feared the walk would be silent, but Maya was quick to fill it, talking animatedly about anything and everything that might calm her nerves. The chatter worked for a while—until they reached Dr. Hassan's office.

⠀⠀⠀Maya stopped in front of Casey and smiled.

⠀⠀⠀"Good luck," she whispered.

⠀⠀⠀Casey smiled, her heart hammering against her chest as she turned to the door. She knocked four times, and after a moment, Dr. Hassan greeted them with a warm, professional smile.

⠀⠀⠀"I'll be back in an hour," Maya said, even though Casey hadn't asked her to.

⠀⠀⠀Casey followed Dr. Hassan inside. The door clicked behind her as he waved his hand to the couch. Casey followed his instruction, sitting beside the arm rest and crossing her leg.

⠀⠀⠀"It's good to see you again, Ms. King," Dr. Hassan said, his calm demeanor radiating toward her.

⠀⠀⠀"Nice to see you, too," Casey said, trying to muster up a casual tone despite the nerves tightening in her chest. She smoothed her hands over her lap.

⠀⠀⠀"Why don't we start with the routine you've developed here? It's likely much easier to find one unlike with the chaos above ground," Dr. Hassan said with a gentle smile. He pulled a pen and paper from his desk and moved his chair so he sat across from her.

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded, tapping instinctively against her wrist in fours.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay, um..." Casey muttered, looking down at her boot, bouncing it as she thought. "I wake up. Some days, I forget where I am, but it doesn't take that long to remember. Then, I—um, I say something in my head. It's a habit from my mom. After that, I go to breakfast with Jasper and Monty. Sometimes Maya joins us. After that, I go back to the dorm to take a shower. Jasper and I had been checking on Clarke after each meal, but President Wallace informed us she... left. But, since Maya got exposed, I've replaced the time with her. Otherwise, I'll read in the dorm or play chess with Monty and Jasper."

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan watched her thoughtfully, his gaze steady as he considered her words. Then he set his notes down on his desk and stood. He walked over to a bookshelf on the side of the room, his hand resting thoughtfully on his chin as he perused the titles.

⠀⠀⠀"What's the saying you mentioned?" he asked, curious.

⠀⠀⠀Casey blinked, surprised by the question. "Sorry?"

⠀⠀⠀"What's the thing you say to yourself every morning?" Dr. Hassan clarified, glancing over his shoulder.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh. It's... kind of long."

⠀⠀⠀"That's okay," Dr. Hassan encouraged. He pulled a book from the shelf and returned to his seat. He nodded, then said, "Go ahead."

⠀⠀⠀Casey hesitated, the words unfamiliar on her tongue. She typically reserved those words for her head alone.

⠀⠀⠀She cleared her throat and began, her voice shaky but steadily grew as she recited the words, "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And, when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan paused, his eyes softening in recognition. "Mm, Frank Herbert. Your mother has good taste."

⠀⠀⠀Casey blinked again. "What?"

⠀⠀⠀"Frank Herbert. He wrote Dune, one of the most well-known sci-fi sagas of Earth before the bombs. Have you read it?" Dr. Hassan asked.

⠀⠀⠀"No, no, I haven't," Casey said, shaking her head.

⠀⠀⠀"Maya knows where the library is," Dr. Hassan offered with a smile. He flipped through the dark blue covered book in his hand and rested it on top of his crossed knee. "Do you ever get thoughts or impulses you can't control, even though you may try to push them away?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey took a long pause, her mind flooding with the countless times she had fought against the thoughts in her head. Moments that stood out were the endless hours of waiting in the Skybox, and the day Lincoln had stabbed Finn.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," she mumbled.

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan gave a slow nod. He scribbled something down on his notebook before continuing. "Do you find them intrusive?"

⠀⠀⠀"I guess so," Casey muttered, sinking into the cushions.

⠀⠀⠀"Would you say it's hard to resist them?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," Casey said with a nod. "It's like... they just keep coming back to the surface, no matter how much I drown them."

⠀⠀⠀"And how do those thoughts make you feel about yourself?" Dr. Hassan asked.

⠀⠀⠀Casey swallowed hard. "Useless," she admitted quietly, her gaze drifting to the floor. "I'm not much more than a kid who wants to be a farmer when she grows up. I came to the ground with nothing more than that knowledge and when it gets to be too much... I shut down. I don't know, there's this... voice in my head that sounds like me, but isn't. Always telling me it's my fault."

⠀⠀⠀"Why would you think it was your fault?" he asked gently.

⠀⠀⠀"Because I blamed Bellamy for what happened to me," Casey said, letting out a shaky breath. "It clouded my judgment, and I thought if I'd gone with them, things wouldn't have happened. I could've stopped it."

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan nodded, as if understanding. "And now?"

⠀⠀⠀"I know it's irrational," Casey said, shaking her head. "But... it's like my brain doesn't know how to just let go of things."

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan nodded, writing a few things down. The silence was suffocating, and he let it sit for a few minutes.

⠀⠀⠀"Do you ever notice yourself checking things over or feeling like something's dirty?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey's breath caught in her throat, her thoughts flickering to the countless times she had checked her door on the Ark, when she checked behind the trees headed to the river, making sure no one was left behind before leaving to find Luna. And in all that time, she had never really thought about it before now.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," she said. Dr. Hassan stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "One time I checked the woods for over an hour in the woods after Jasper got speared. I was worried someone else was out there. Maybe they were hurt, or we'd missed them."

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan raised a brow. "Speared?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah. He didn't tell you?" Casey asked, confused.

⠀⠀⠀"No, he didn't," he sighed, shaking his head. He jotted something down, likely to check in with Jasper, before he looked up again. "But checking—what do you do when you can't check things? When you can't give in to that impulse?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey swallowed, her anxiety rising as she thought back to what she did. The numbers ticked in her head now, and she muttered, "I count."

⠀⠀⠀"You count?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, like..." Her hands subconsciously tapped in the rhythm as she spoke. "One, two, three, four... five, six, seven, eight... and so on."

⠀⠀⠀"You also tap," he noted, glancing at her fingers.

⠀⠀⠀Casey froze, looking down at her hands. "I... I didn't even notice," she muttered, stilling her fingers.

⠀⠀⠀There was another pause. It consumed the air as Casey watched Dr. Hassan note a few more things. Then he set his things to the side and clasped his hands together as he stared at her.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay, Casey. I know we haven't known each other long, but I think I may have an idea as to your diagnosis," Dr. Hassan explained. "I want you to know that this might not be correct, but with your symptoms and the patterns you exhibit, I want to try a treatment plan with you as soon as possible."

⠀⠀⠀Casey's heart stopped. She actually had something fundamentally wrong with her. He asked her here because he noticed within the first five minutes of their meeting. It wasn't that they all exhibited signs, but that she's severely fucked up. Her throat dried and she couldn't speak, so she nodded, silently asking him to rip the band-aid off.

⠀⠀⠀"I believe you have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Better known as OCD."

⠀⠀⠀The words hit like a punch to the gut. The room spun as she tried to catch her bearings. Her hands clenched the edge of the couch even though she didn't know much of the diagnosis. It still felt like the end of the world.

⠀⠀⠀"It's not your fault," Dr. Hassan continued gently. "It's not a weakness nor something you can simply push away. But we can work together to help you cope.

⠀⠀⠀"I want to try a non-medicinal method—partly because we don't have the resources to guarantee you'd always have the medication you'd need. But also because therapeutic strategies could better equip you for the future."

⠀⠀⠀He paused, waiting for her reaction. Casey didn't respond, her mind struggling to keep up.

⠀⠀⠀"I know this is a lot to process," he said. "For now, I want you to take it easy. Rest. We'll meet again in a few days to talk about the next steps."

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," she whispered.

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan stood and grabbed the book he had picked up earlier and extended it to her.

⠀⠀⠀"I know hearing this might feel isolating," Dr. Hassan said, his voice soothing. "But you're not alone in this. I've been where you are now. Before me, there was Dr. Stewart. She diagnosed me with severe panic, anxiety, and mild OCD. It doesn't define you, Casey, and it won't break you. We'll work through this together for however long you're here."

⠀⠀⠀Casey's eyes met his, wide and uncertain. She clutched the book to her chest, the weight grounding against her.

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan offered a warm, reassuring smile. "It gets better. Take your time and read that book when you're ready. It might help you make sense of things."

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded silently, turning the book over in her hands. The smooth cover brought her to the present even as her thoughts churned chaotically in the background. She stood, hesitating for a moment, before making her way to the door. On the other side, Maya was already waiting for her with a patient smile.

⠀⠀⠀"And Casey," Dr. Hassan called, stopping her before she left. She paused and turned to look back at him. "If you ever just need to talk, I'm here. You can stop by anytime. I mean that."

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," Casey murmured. "Thank you."

⠀⠀⠀Casey stepped into the hall, closing the door behind her. Maya's smile didn't waver, but also didn't ask any intrusive questions. Casey didn't know what to do or say—she felt raw, as if her skin didn't fit quite right anymore. The sensation clawed at her, a desperate urge to peel it all away and start over.

⠀⠀⠀"What would you like to do now?" Maya asked gently, pressing the button for the elevator.

⠀⠀⠀Casey was grateful Maya didn't pry. She didn't have any answers, anyway. Instead, she stared at the elevator doors, counting silently in her head to calm the noise within.

⠀⠀⠀"I just... I just want to read alone," Casey admitted, bracing for some kind of negative reaction. "If that's okay."

⠀⠀⠀"Of course it is," Maya said immediately. Casey thought, she's too good to be my friend. "Is it alright if I walk you back to the dorm?"

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," Casey said as the doors opened and they stepped inside.

AFTER JASPER SAVED MAYA'S life, they kept him in medical for a few days to recover. It was much harder on his body to have her blood running through his veins than vice versa. One of the older ladies had given him a gift box, thanking him for saving their sweet Maya. As he walked back to the dorm, people seemed to pop out from everywhere to put handmade cards and extra rations into his box in their gratitude.

⠀⠀⠀"Jasper," President Wallace greeted him. It was unlike him to be moving around Mount Weather, typically Jasper only ever saw him during meals. "I'd hoped to catch you before you were discharged. I see I'm not the only one impressed by your courage."

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, I just did what anyone would do," Jasper said, flustered.

⠀⠀⠀"I'd like to believe that's true," Wallace said with a kind smile. "May I walk with you?"

⠀⠀⠀"Sure," Jasper said, not one to tell a president he couldn't walk with him.

⠀⠀⠀"After what happened to Maya, I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to you to learn that we're not entirely safe here," Wallace explained, a thoughtful tone to his words. "Mount Weather wasn't built to last this long. Over time, trace amounts of radiation seep inside. The breach in the dorm is an extreme example. We have methods for dealing with this, but frankly, those methods pale compared to what we saw with you and Maya."

⠀⠀⠀"Sir, I—" Jasper chuckled as they stopped in front of the elevator. "I don't think I could do that for everyone."

⠀⠀⠀"Of course not," Wallace assured him, and Jasper let out a relieved breath. "But if you could... inspire your friends to follow your example, imagine the difference you could make here."

CASEY WAS REELING FROM her conversation with Dr. Hassan. She had OCD. Which... didn't really mean much to her because she didn't really know what that was. On the Ark, they had medical professionals, like Clarke's mom, but there wasn't really an emphasis on mental health. It was one thing to send a doctor to space on a ship one hundred years ago when they thought they were coming back down. It was another to send a psychiatrist.

⠀⠀⠀Dr. Hassan had given her a book with probably the longest book title ever made: The OCD Answer Book: Professional Answers To More Than 250 Top Questions About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Like she had told Maya, she was impatient, especially with reading, but she liked this book. She could read part and skim the rest.

⠀⠀⠀Although, Casey had little time to sit with it when Jasper gathered everyone around in the dorm room. Despite how sick he had been, he was chipper as he explained the Mountain Men's plight. How, after years of being underground, a sliver of radiation could kill them all in an instant. Doing as Jasper had done for Maya, they could all help them get back to the ground.

⠀⠀⠀Although, no one was biting, as they stood and stared at Jasper blankly.

⠀⠀⠀"Guys, think about what they've done for us," Jasper sighed, raising his hands in exasperation. "They gave us shelter, clean clothes, kept us safe from the Grounders. Miller, they saved your life, right?"

⠀⠀⠀"Dude, you puked for three days," Miller said, annoyed. He leaned against Casey's bunk, his arms crossed.

⠀⠀⠀"That was different. The normal treatments wouldn't be as bad," Jasper said.

⠀⠀⠀"So they say," Monty muttered, sitting beside Harper on her bunk.

⠀⠀⠀"So, what then, only puking for one day?" Miller asked, unimpressed. "Yeah, I'm out."

⠀⠀⠀"Sorry, Jasper. I'm out, too," Harper said, leaving the room along with the other delinquents.

⠀⠀⠀"Come on!" Jasper called after them, leaving everyone but Monty and Casey in the room with him. "They gave us cake! ...I got a sign-up sheet."

⠀⠀⠀"What are you doing?" Monty dead-panned.

⠀⠀⠀"What?"

⠀⠀⠀"When did you start working for them?" Monty snapped. He stood in front of Jasper as Casey moved off her bunk and stood next to him. "Y'know what, never mind. Now that you're better, we're going after Clarke."

⠀⠀⠀Casey noticed Maya walk in with a pep in her step and a wide, uncanny smile. She cradled a notebook in her hand as she joined their circle.

⠀⠀⠀"Of course, right on time," Monty said snidely, as he sent Maya a parting glance.

⠀⠀⠀Casey elbowed him and Monty sent her a look as if asking 'Am I Wrong?'.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, guys!" Maya greeted. Her tone was skewed as she sent them a forced smile, her eyes crinkling, and Casey frowned. "Jasper! I'm so glad to see you're feeling better!"

⠀⠀⠀Maya turned her notepad: ACT NORMAL. THEY'RE LISTENING!!!

⠀⠀⠀The three of them stared at the page, bewildered.

⠀⠀⠀"Thanks..." Jasper said, slowly. "I am."

⠀⠀⠀She turned the page: THE BREACH WASN'T AN ACCIDENT. FOLLOW ME!

⠀⠀⠀"You look, uh, rested," Jasper continued, filling the silence.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, it's pizza day! Who's hungry?" Maya asked, then turned stiffly on her heel and exited the room.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper followed her immediately while Monty and Casey took a moment to share a glance before doing the same. Maya led them past the mess hall, to the elevators, and down a level where the common room was. They walked until they got to a large industrial door painted black and walked through. Maya stopped just inside and waited for Monty to shut the door before she spoke again.

⠀⠀⠀"We don't have much time, but we can talk freely here," Maya said, her cheerful facade immediately dropping.

⠀⠀⠀"What the hell is going on?" Jasper demanded, looking around for someone to jump out.

⠀⠀⠀Guilt-ridden tears pooled in Maya's eyes as she bowed her head. Concerned, Casey rested her hand on her arm.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry," Maya whispered.

⠀⠀⠀"About what? What do you mean, it wasn't an accident?" Jasper asked.

⠀⠀⠀"She means they exposed her to radiation on purpose. I'm betting it was to get you to agree to be her blood brother," Monty hissed, glaring at Maya. She nodded, and Monty glanced at Jasper. "I knew it. Clarke was right."

⠀⠀⠀"Monty," Casey said, glaring at him. "It's not her fault."

⠀⠀⠀"Did you know about this?" Jasper demanded.

⠀⠀⠀"No," Maya said, shaking her head.

⠀⠀⠀"Why would they do that to you?"

⠀⠀⠀"Because," Maya sighed. "The standard treatment sucks compared to you."

⠀⠀⠀There was that phrase again. Casey furrowed her brow.

⠀⠀⠀"Dr. Tsing mentioned that before," she said, glancing at Monty as he nodded. "What is it?"

⠀⠀⠀Maya glanced at her, unable to hold her gaze for longer than a second, before she pulled out of her grip. "Through here."

⠀⠀⠀Maya led them to the back where a gate in the wall cast a teal light through angled shutters, obscuring their vision. Monty pried a piece, lifting it, so they could see inside. The room was full of cages and... people trapped inside them. There was a faint sound of groaning and the smell of iron wafted into her nose.

⠀⠀⠀Casey felt bile rising in her throat as her question was answered. Soon, this could be us

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, my God. Are those... Grounders?" Jasper asked, stunned.

⠀⠀⠀"Wait a second," Monty muttered, turning back to Maya with a suspicious gaze. "Why are you showing us this?"

⠀⠀⠀Her lips contorted into a barely contained frown, as she admitted shakily, "Because I'm afraid."

⠀⠀⠀"Of what?"

⠀⠀⠀"That we're next," Casey answered for her, unable to look away from the blue abyss below.

⠀⠀⠀"Who else knows about this?" Jasper demanded.

⠀⠀⠀"Everyone," Maya said. A small, nervous laugh bubbling to the surface. "But nobody talks about it. We learn not to ask questions," she explained, her voice growing faint as she looked down. When no one spoke, she looked up again, growing defensive. "Look, without the treatments, we'd die! What are we supposed to do?"

⠀⠀⠀"Die," Monty said without hesitation.

⠀⠀⠀"We were savages, too, Monty. Floating people, sending children to their deaths," Casey hissed, glaring at him. She turned to Maya and Jasper. "I don't agree with it, but I will not blame a girl for the crimes of her government."

⠀⠀⠀Monty sighed and nodded. He pulled away from the grate and said, "We have to get out of here. Dante said we could leave, right?"

⠀⠀⠀"He was lying," Jasper scoffed, rolling his eyes as he glanced at Casey. "He knew I'd be too scared to leave, just like he knew Casey wouldn't abandon us, and that I'd do what had to be done to save Maya."

⠀⠀⠀"So, we don't ask. If Clarke got out, we can, too," Monty said.

⠀⠀⠀"You'll never make it. Ever since Clarke disappeared, security all around the mountain has increased," Maya explained.

⠀⠀⠀"We have to try!"

⠀⠀⠀"We're not leaving. I won't leave the others behind. That means they end up in there," Jasper said, pointing to the captured Grounders below.

⠀⠀⠀"What choice do we have?" Monty asked, shaking his head.

⠀⠀⠀"There's always a choice," Casey said firmly. "We stick together, figure a way out, together."

⠀⠀⠀Something clicked in Jasper's head, as he said, "We volunteer."

⠀⠀⠀Casey nodded, understanding his mentality, when Monty stared at both of them with wide eyes, completely baffled.

⠀⠀⠀"Are you guys insane?" he demanded.

⠀⠀⠀"Are you?" Casey bit back. "Jasper's right. We comply so we can figure out a plan and fight another day. If we leave behind Miller, Del, Harper, Fox, Bree, any of them, we're saying that their lives are less important than our own."

⠀⠀⠀Casey looked at Jasper, and he smiled, nodding.

⠀⠀⠀"Fine," Monty sighed. "But I'm not happy about it."

━━━━━━ October 31, 2149

CASEY DIDN'T HAVE A good track record with being high (which was only once, but it was the absolute worst experience of her life). Thankfully, the anesthetic given to her hadn't made her hallucinate and only gave her a deep sense of calm. A type of calm that, if she was being entirely honest, she had never felt before in her entire life.

⠀⠀⠀Once the anesthetic wore off, it was a nightmare. She threw up for a day and still felt nauseous as she rested on the bed, sitting between Miller and Harper. Her head rested against Harper's shoulder as she pressed her cheek against her.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper walked over, sitting beside Monty, as he explained, "We bought ourselves some time, but we're gonna need to recruit some of the others. Only people we trust."

⠀⠀⠀"How much more time are we talking about buying here?" Miller asked, shifting on the bed.

⠀⠀⠀"Exactly," Monty agreed.

⠀⠀⠀"Long enough for Clarke to break us out," Jasper said.

⠀⠀⠀"We don't even know if Clarke's still alive," Harper argued.

⠀⠀⠀"Or if they were even telling the truth about her getting out," Casey said, opening her eyes to focus on Jasper.

⠀⠀⠀"She has to have," Jasper pressed.

⠀⠀⠀"Even if she did... We can't hope for her to come through. She's just one person," Casey said with a small frown. "We'll give her a week. If we hear nothing, we gotta figure something else out."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper nodded. "Deal."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I posted that Meet My OCs book that I mentioned last chapter! If you wanna check it out it's called 'ENNEMIE'! I hope to post more content soon.

Let me date when I first wrote this chapter... Dune, the movie, hadn't even come out yet and become a piece of our modern zeitgeist. I was just scrolling through litanies and found that one to be very symbolic to Casey's character. Though, now two Dune movies are out and I feel like I've been working on this book forever...

Casey and Dr. Hassan won't be in the office together again through text, but I'd just like for people to keep in mind that she probably goes back to talk to him a few times off-screen before the end of this season. 

I am REALLY excited for next week's chapter! Hee hee hee, get ready.

CHAPTER TIME FRAME: Season 2, Episode 6: Fog of War

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 ♡

NEXT TIME: After giving their blood willingly to the residents of Mount Weather for a week, it's finally time for those trapped inside to take matters in their own hands.