"You really think you can work with... you know, your hand?" Newt asked on their way to the gardens. She reassured him that it was fine.
"I can always help with the vines and stuff, so I won't get a band dirty." Vivienne shrugged. Her hand didn't hurt anymore and she didn't want to feel useless.
When they arrived Zart told her exactly what to do with a surprised and content smile. Not many would volunteer to work – he told her. Once again she shrugged. Work was a great way to get her mind off of things such as that familiar voice whispering her name. She'd bet it belonged to her mum.
"That's not how you do it," Newt told her. For two days she had worked there she only worked on her knees getting her hands dirty in the mud. She had never really worked with vines before. Thank God, Newt was patient and sweet. He walked up to her, grabbed her hands in his, but not before he made sure it was alright with her and showed her how to tie them. "See? It's not that hard."
Vivienne laughed at how ridiculous the knot looked but thanked Newt anyway. She continued her work with vines as others 'played with the mud'.
She liked gardeners or like they called themselves - trackhoes. She knew them briefly, but they were all slightly timid, yet they could occasionally roast each other.
"I have to admit, for someone who absolutely hated the gardens, you've done some good work today," Newt complimented her.
"I had the best teacher now, didn't I?" She chucked sweetly. "And I think if I were to do vines and not get dirty in mud then maybe I wouldn't hate it so much. Now about that shower..." She trailed off knowingly, giving him the look. Newt sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"You're gonna have to be stealth like a ninja," he told her with statuesque expression, but the flame dancing in his eyes showed how playful he was.
"Good that." Every time she used their slang he would make this weird face, something between the frown and a grin and it always took her aback, even though she knew it would be there.
"Yeah... Meet me in the deadheads in thirty minutes with a towel." She repeated her previous answer and left before he would give her that look again.
She truly resented Deadheads. She felt a shiver ran down her spine as she waited for Newt. She didn't want to go too deep into the woods. She held the towel tightly to her chest wondering if by any chance Newt didn't stand her up.
"Sorry, love." The voice startled her. In the few days, she'd been in the Glade the one thing she discovered was she was extremely jumpy. "Didn't mean to keep ya waiting," He said with an apologetic smile.
"It's fine," Vivienne mumbled. She felt better with him there, safer. He nodded and she wondered if he could smell her fear.
"Let's go." Newt turned around as soon as the words left his mouth. She raised an eyebrow but didn't move.
"Where are you going?" She screamed silently after him.
"Well, you wanted-"
"A shower," she interrupted confusion clear as her complexion.
"How about a bath?" He grinned at how excited she became.
"You guys have a bathtub?"
"Not exactly."
They stood in front of a middle size pond. Vivienne kept glancing back and forth from it to Newt. 'He can't be serious! I've been here a week and they failed to inform me there's a pond?' And other like, 'I'm not taking a bath in it! Gross!'
"I'll be nearby, making sure no peeping Toms are around." He smiled proudly. "Take as long as you need." He began walking away and Vivienne was almost too frozen and caught up in her thoughts to stop him.
"You can't be serious," She stated bluntly. She pouted her lip as she wondered what to tell him.
"Don't worry, love, the water's warm." 'Oh, thank heaven!' She thought ironically.
"Oh, no you are serious," she rubbed her forehead while sighed.
"Why? What's wrong?" He looked taken aback.
"You want me to bath in a pond in the middle of the woods? That wasn't a deal."
"Well, love, take it or leave it," Newt grinned. "Just give it a try," he added when she didn't look amused.
"Alright," she sighed in defeat.
When Newt was gone or at least out of the view she stripped to her underwear, too afraid to stay completely naked, and slowly entered the pond. Just as Newt had said the water was warm, and the pond itself was almost deep enough to cover all her body.
Vivienne almost hated how much she liked the bath and being able to swim made it even better. She dived into the water soaking her hair. Swimming felt so familiar, but when she searched for a memory to connect it with, she found none.
Having gotten dressed after drying off, she went to search for Newt. She bumped into him soon for he was circling the pond. Her aura must have given her away for he chuckled with a grin.
"Had fun, love?"
"Maybe," she tried to shrug it off, yet he did not let her.
"Maybe? Vivienne, you've been there for an hour." She was surprised how quickly the time had passed. Eventually, she admitted to liking the pond and threatened to visit it a lot.
As every other day, he walked her back to her room. They had to stop at medjack's hut because her bandage got wet. Clint took it off saying she no longer needed. If she were to work in the gardens she'd have to wear it not to get any dirt infect the wound. Newt seemed uncertain, but let the medjacks do their work.
"Are excited for tomorrow?" He asked after they bid goodbye to both Jeff and Clint.
"Yes, actually." When they entered her room she told him what happened after the accident in the kitchen. She was scared he'd get angry at her or medjacks, but he patiently listened to every her word, absorbed by the little story.
"So you think it might be it?" The question took her off guard. "Gally will be disappointed, he really wanted to have you on his team."
"Nothing is decided yet," She differed. "I might have some knowledge but we're gonna wait to see how I'll do in the field." He agreed with her. Nothing was certain in the Glade after all.
He was about to leave when she called after him.
"Newt, how did you remember your name?" He took few seconds to rethink his answer before he said.
"I arrived with Alby, Minho, Gally, and Nick as the first ones. We couldn't remember anything and being among strangers in this bazaar place with no-one there to explain or introduce us to it made everything more difficult. On our first day, we took the supplies out of the box and took all of them to the homestead. I faced planted and it came back."
"LIke true lizard." Newt rolled his eyes at her remark. "How did it feel?" He frowned wondering what she meant.
"It was just there," He whispered after a while. "Why?"
"No, it's nothing." He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. He closed it quickly, though.
"Get some rest then." They bid each other goodnight and he left, leaving Vivienne wondering if she should tell him about the voice she heard.
