Thomas lurched forward, pulling hard on the hand brakes, making the van thrown everyone forward. He reaches for the handle of the door when a tight grip on his shoulder stops him.
"Thomas, those Cranks out there are way past the Gone. You can't go out there," Lawrence says sternly. Thomas doesn't say anything and heads out the door, listening to Lawrence's multiple curses at him.
Newt looked terrible. His hair had been torn out in different places, his shirt ripped and filthy, his face covered in dust.
"Newt, it's Thomas. You remember me right?"
"Of course I bloody remember you, Tommy. Although I wish I hadn't."
Okay, that hurt him. How could Newt not want to remember him? He was his best friend. Or at least that's what Thomas thought. Thomas takes a step forward cautiously. His feet shuffling a few centimetres forward only.
"What are you doing here Newt? What are you doing here with…" a pause. "With them?"
Newt scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Cranks." He corrects him. "Why can't you just say it? I am one of them now anyway."
Did he really just say that? "No you're not! Not yet. Come with us Newt, we can save you."
In an instant, Newt snaps. His eyes filling up with rage. "Save me? You had the chance to do that when you came to see me at the Crank Palace. But you didn't. You left me there to turn into…them, and now you want to save me? You're too late."
Thomas felt shattered inside. Everything inside him turns into anger. But not at anyone else, but himself. He's angry that he couldn't do Newt's final wish, angry that he had failed him, angry that he failed his best friend. "Just come with us though, please. We'll tie you up if we have to."
"Shut up! Just shut your shuckin' hole!" Newt snaps. "You couldn't even do one lousy thing for me, one lousy thing! Just stay away from me, I hate you! I've always hated you the moment you arrived in the Glade."
Thomas takes a step back, reaching for the gun behind him as Newt starts to raise his voice.
Newt realises what Thomas was doing and pounces on top of him. Tackling him to the ground. Thomas has no time to react, he yelps as Newt pushes him hard onto the ground. Newt grabs Thomas's hand and draws the gun up to his forehead, wrapping his finger around the trigger.
"Now do it!" he commands him. "Do it now, or I will kill you."
Thomas couldn't believe it. He was asked to murder his best friend. He had to kill Newt.