Chapter Text
Even though he was never exactly a star student, John also paid enough attention to remember the medicinal plants. Emori also has a habit of pointing out random plants in the forest that he isn’t familiar with - sometimes medicinal, sometimes recreational, sometimes poisonous - and telling him about them. It’s knowledge he keeps tucked away in the back of his head, locked away in the ‘just in case’ part of his brain that’s kept him alive these last six months.
At least, that’s where he intends on keeping it.
Until one night in the mess when Abby sits just within earshot of him and starts discussing the dwindling supply of medicine with Kane. She sounds increasingly worried about a grounder child that’s just come in with an infected wound and a high fever. After a few minutes of twisting his hands and pretending he doesn’t hear, he finally stands and walks over to them.
“Sage,” he says impatiently, without introduction. “It’ll help with the infection. And feverfew. For the fever, obviously.”
Abby raises her eyebrow at him.
“I’m assuming these are plants.”
He nods.
“What do they look like? Where can I find them?”
He gives her a withering stare.
“Didn’t you pay attention in Earth Skills?”
Kane gives a snort of laughter that quickly turns into a cough at the first hint of a glare from Abby. John smirks at him before turning his gaze back to Abby and sighing heavily.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he drawls out. “Like mother, like daughter, I guess.”
She quirks her eyebrow at him, then tilts her head thoughtfully in his direction.
“I take it you paid enough attention to know what they look like.” At his nod, the corners of her mouth turn up. “And I’m assuming you’ve seen them around - otherwise you wouldn’t have bothered to tell us.”
“Yeah, they’re - .”
She waves a hand as if to shoo away the words.
“Just meet me here tomorrow morning at 7:30. We’ll go gather some together, then you can help me in medical.”
He furrows his brow at her.
“Wait a second, I didn’t say anything about doing either of those things.”
She levels an even stare at him.
“John.” He starts at the sound of his name. He didn’t even know she knew his first name. “Do you really want to take the chance that I pick the wrong plants, administer them incorrectly, and accidentally hurt the child?”
A ready, sarcastic reply is on the tip of his tongue - something about not really caring either way. But the look on Abby’s face steals it from him; he knows that she wouldn’t believe it because she would know that he didn’t, either.
So he just sighs and rolls his eyes.
“Whatever. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
He goes back to his seat, scoots further down so he doesn’t accidentally hear any other parts of their conversation that will force him into any other tasks he doesn’t want to do.
Just as he stands to go - Emori is waiting for him in the greenhouse by now - a strange trick of acoustics sends a snippet of Kane’s words in his direction.
“…and nice job with Murphy, by the way. I didn’t think that’d actually work.”
He turns sharply towards the two, sees Abby grinning smugly at Kane before she reaches over and swipes the last piece of fried zucchini off of his plate.
He starts to walk over to them to tell Abby that he’s changed his mind - he’d rather sleep in with Emori - when he catches her next words.
“He has talent, Marcus. You didn’t see him - in Polis. I was really impressed. He just needs someone to believe in him.”
He sighs heavily and drops his head. Rubs the back of his neck as something warm - something strangely like pride - spreads across his chest. He turns back towards the door, shrugs away thoughts of sleeping in.
He’s always been a morning person, anyway.