Chapter 13
Face convulsed and turned on her side. They didn't know what to do as she curled into a ball and trembled again.
"What do we do?" Thomas cried.
"This is normal." Newt said, unsure of himself.
"What do you mean normal? How do you know?"
"She told me about the last time she got bitten. I think this is supposed to happen. Although she wasn't passed out last time. She said she shivered but was burning hot. Her limbs tensed and relaxed as if she was lifting heavy weights with her whole body. But she had to run away so she felt everything."
"Maybe it's better that she's passed out." Thomas asked rather than said.
Newt looked at her neck again and the wound was completely healed. A crescent shaped scar stood out against her tanned skin. He suddenly raced towards the door.
"Stay with her. I'll be right back." Newt ran up the stairs and out onto the roof. Patrick looked worse than he did a few minutes ago. His neck and arm was covered in dark veins as if he had been stung. Newt pulled his shirt open to see the origin of the veins. He had a bandage stuck roughly to his shoulder with a few blood stains. Newt removed the bandage and saw the gaping bite mark.
Confused yet satisfied, Newt ran back down to the hospital floor. Thomas had covered Face with a blanket and placed a glass of water on the bedside table.
"His mark is getting worse. It looks like he was stung but by teeth. Why is her mark going away?" Newt informed Thomas.
"This must be what makes her so special." Thomas thought. "Must be why they she survives every time."
"She looks like she's in pain." Newt complained.
"Maybe I should go see what's going on downstairs. Keep an eye on everyone and see if they get suspicious of our absence." Thomas asked.
"No. You should stay here." Newt said. He wasn't happy about it but it seemed to be the best. "They all still think I hate her. And they think that you're up here anyway."
"Right." Thomas watched him as he turned and left.
Newt resentfully walked down to the cafeteria. The kids were still playing around and it looked as if nothing had happened. Newt sat down next to Minho and tried to focus on the table's conversation.
"And then they just ran and the whole thing collapsed." Anna finished her story. Newt stared around the room and listened to his friends, trying to figure out whether anyone was saying anything about Face or Patrick.
Upstairs, Thomas pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down as close as he could.
"Face?" he touched her cheek. She shuddered again but remained asleep. "Zaydeen?" he tried her other name but she was out cold.
"I think I'm in love with you." He whispered, knowing that she can't hear him. "I think I always was. I was so jealous of Newt. In my dreams, when I remember you, I remember loving you. And even before the dreams, I liked you. You're so smart. And pretty. And you're not letting anyone tell you what to do or who you are. You're just so amazing and I think I really love you. But you're with Newt. Matched. And chosen. I would never come between you two. I just wish I'd had a chance."
He leaned forward and quickly kissed her forehead. He sat back and held her hand as he kept an eye on her.
Down stairs, Newt quickly grew tired of everyone. So he brought up the subject to find out what everyone was thinking.
"Anna, where's Face?" he asked. "And Patrick? Last I knew things were pretty heated."
"They have an understanding. As bad a he can get, he usually gives in and gives her what she wants."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"I think they went to their room." Anna said. Newt felt a shock go through him.
"Their room? They share a room? Even with how he treated her?"
"Like I said, they have an understanding." Anna yawned. "They share a business room. They don't sleep there. That's where they talk shop. Where they figure plans out and discuss everyone else. They tend to spend a lot of time there. And they usually don't return all night."
"Oh." He remembered how to breathe.
"Anyway. I'm going to take a shower and then go to bed." She stood on the table and shouted: "Light's out in thirty minutes, Bed time."
The room started clearing out. The kids took turns going up the elevator and a few ran up the stairs.
"S'Thomas okay?" Teresa ran up to Newt.
"Yeah. He's alright." Newt wondered what to say. "He's sleeping. In the hospital room. Best not to wake him."
"Yeah. I'll see him tomorrow. I miss him." Teresa threw her arms around Newt. "I miss you too."
"Yeah. We should spend some time together, all of us from the Glade."
"Next Sunday." Teresa agreed and hurried to the showers. Newt got into his bed and waited for the lights to go out.
Thomas took a sip of Face's water and settled back in. He wondered if he was going to sleep there and whether it was a good idea to get a bed.
He looked at Face and quickly sat upright. Tears were rolling down her face. Thomas touched her face and caught the tears. She whimpered in her sleep and he stroked her hair, trying to calm her. The bright lights went out and were replaced by the dim glow.
Newt waited for the room to fall silent after lights out. Teresa rushed in just before power went out and jumped into her bed. She whispered goodnight and a few voices answered. Eventually the room fell silent. Newt sat up and scanned the room. Everyone appeared to be asleep. He slipped out of bed and snuck out the room.
Thomas started wondering where Newt was after lights out. If felt like forever since the lights had switched off. When Face stopped crying, Thomas sat back in his chair and waited for Newt to come back.
Newt slipped into the room and walked up to the bed.
"Anything?" Thomas asked.
"No." Newt checked on Face. "She's alright?"
"I… I think so." Thomas sat up and rubbed his eyes. He frowned down at his hand as he turned it over. "Hey, my cuts are gone." He wrung his hands and checked them carefully. He thought about that for a long time. He had had scratches on his hands from falling earlier in the week. Now he touched her tears and his wounds were healed.
Face opened her eyes slowly. Newt breathed a sigh of relief and the healing tears were suddenly forgotten.