Hi all! Sorry for the long wait, but this next chapter is a long one! I hope you enjoy it. I took a very long time to write!
"Thomas!" Minho called out, but Thomas didn't listen. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. A thin layer of sweat formed at the nape of his neck. His pace started to quicken as he gained momentum. He looked down to see his feet barely touching the ground before springing back up again. He kept his eyes focused straight ahead, scanning for any obstacles in his way. His leg muscles ached as the blood flowed through his entire body. He could hear more voices shouting behind him, but they were gradually fading away like they were a far away dream:
"Thomas!"
"Come back!"
"Thomas stop!"
Thomas pushed the voices farther back from his mind. He only focused on one thing: Newt was alive. Thomas had to find him, Was he in one of the tents or maybe–
That's when he forgot one crucial thing: Minho was faster than him.
Thomas' arm was grabbed by Minho and was yanked back bringing Thomas to a full stop. He struggled against Minho's grasp but he wouldn't budge. Thomas bared his teeth. "Minho let go!"
"Thomas, you have to listen to me!" Minho demanded, refusing to let Thomas pass.
"No! Not until I see him first!"
"Thomas!"
"Let g–"
"THOMAS LISTEN!"
Thomas and Minho had been through the Maze, the Scorch, and the Last City together. They had saved each other from countless near-deaths and watched people die left and right. They had fought, faced WICKED, and survived together, And yet, Thomas doesn't think he had ever heard Minho yell at him like that before. There was this pain in Minho's voice he never noticed before, not in the Maze, not in the Scorch, not when he was taken by WICKED again . He had always remained strong for the group, never quivered, never showed any vulnerability to Thomas. But at this moment, Minho was standing in front of him looking one word away from breaking. One wrong move away from being vulnerable. One push away from pain. Thomas stopped struggling against Minho and took a deep breath in, looking into Minho's dark eyes with a new sense of understanding. He would listen. Minho seemed to notice this and released Thomas' sore wrist from his tight grasp.
The rest of the group caught up to them now. Silence filled the Safe Haven. Thomas could hear nothing but the waves crash against the shore, and the sound of the wind caressing the nearby trees.
Minho took a deep breath, seeming to regain his hard exterior. He looked at the group and then back at Thomas. "Newt he…he isn't the same."
"What do you mean?"
"He won't wake up. He is weak, Thomas. When they brought him in, he looked like he was already dead. The Right Arm's medjacks are doing everything they can but…they told us earlier today that he wouldn't last the night. It's too late for him."
Thomas didn't say anything. What could he possibly say? His whole world was broken again. The hope was gone. Thomas felt a deep pain, deeper than he was willing to admit. Losing Newt again was somehow worse than the first time…
Brenda reached up and placed her hand on Thomas' shoulder, but Thomas was quick to shrug her off. His best friend. A piece of him. Shuck, his everything was gone. And it was all his fault. He couldn't carry Newt to the serum. He couldn't even hold Newt off long enough. He couldn't save his best friend. It was all his fault–
"I didn't get him here quick enough." Minho cut in before Thomas could finish his thoughts. "I should of been faster, I should picked him up quicker–"
Thomas blinked and picked up his head suddenly, "What are you talking about?"
"After you left to go confront WICKED, we checked his pulse. It was weak but still there. I picked him up as we ran back to Jorge and the burg. They took him to the Safe Haven from there and the medjacks have been treating him ever since. But we were too late. They told us that he had lost too much blood and that it was a miracle he had made it this long. I'm sorry Thomas, I should have been better."
There he was. Minho proved himself once again to be what Thomas couldn't: a hero. He was faster than Thomas, stronger than him, and heck he could even lift Newt back to the burg. Minho saved Newt.
Thomas heavily sighed, letting his head drop as he wiped tears that welled up in his eyes. He looked back up at Minho, who had wiped his eyes from incoming tears. Thomas spoke up. "It isn't your fault man, you did everything you could. I was the one who ran off when he needed me. I just assumed he was dead. You tried to save him. You are a better friend than I ever will be. I just…I should have known that there was no hope of him coming back. He's dead and I need to understand that."
"Aris told us that we should all come in and say our goodbyes later tonight," Gally said. Thomas broke eye contact with Minho and looked at Gally. He had almost forgotten that all his friends were surrounding him and Minho.
"Wait. Why would Aris say that?"
"Well Sonya and Aris have been caring for him," Frypan told Thomas.
Thomas paused and tilted his head slightly. "Why are Sonya and Aris–"
"Thomas." Brenda interrupted. "Will you come with us to say goodbye to Newt tonight? I know this is hard on you. It is hard on all of us. But I don't want you to miss out on your chance of getting a real goodbye."
Thomas quivered. The last time he saw Newt…Newt had died, his only word spoken being "Tommy." Thomas never got to tell Newt how much he meant to him. He never got to tell Newt that he cares more about him than he even cares about himself. Newt may not be able to hear him tonight, but Thomas has to tell Newt how much he cares about him, and how much he will miss him before it is too late.
Thomas shook out his intrusive thoughts and looked up at Brenda who was wide eyed waiting for his answer. "Yeah. Yeah of course I will, I promise. It's just…do you think I could spend some time alone? Just to take this all in. I promise I'll be back in time to say goodbye."
"Sure hermano. Take your time. We know this is a lot to take in." Jorge told him.
"Thanks Jorge."
Thomas started to wander away from the group. Once he was out of sight, he ran. He couldn't be seen like this, about to break. Thomas stumbled into the hut he woke up in, his heart was heavy with emotion. He could feel the tears coming up again. They threatened to take him over any second. He was about to let them loose when Minho appeared through the entrance. "Shuck, what part of spending some time alone does Minho not understand?" Thomas thought to himself. Thomas forced back his tears. Minho hasn't seen him cry since the Maze, and that was before Thomas was the leader. Thomas promised himself that day that he would be strong. Minho couldn't see him like this, especially after Minho thought he lost both him and Newt.
"Hey Thomas," Minho spoke softly.
"Hey Minho." Thomas cleared his throat in order to try to hide the shakiness in his voice. "What are you doing here?"
"I know you wanted some time alone but I wanted to give you this." He reached into his pocket and held out his fist. "I found this on you when they first brought you in here."
Minho opened up his fist and inside it held a silver necklace. But not just any necklace…
Newt's necklace.
"Yeah…that's mine." Thomas could feel the tears welling up again. "Thanks Minho."
"No problem. I'll see you tonight." He patted Thomas on the back before leaving the tent.
Thomas held the necklace in his hand. He ran his fingers over the cold metal again and again. It was a simple necklace, a trinket really, but it held so much meaning for Thomas, because Newt had worn it every day. As he continued to examine the necklace, he found himself lost in the memories he had of his friend. He remembered Newt's infectious laugh, his kind smile, his gentleness, and how he always knew exactly what to say to encourage everyone. WICKED was right about one thing: Newt was the glue that held them together. He tilted his head. Did the necklace have a lid? Thomas carefully untwisted the necklace open revealing tightly rolled up pieces of paper inside. Thomas took a deep breath in. He slowly unfurled the paper, revealing a handwritten letter.
Dear Thomas,
This is the first letter I can remember writing. Obviously I don't know if I've written any letters before the Maze. But even if it's not my first, it's likely to be my last. I want you to know that I'm not afraid. About dying anyways or forgetting. It's losing myself to this virus, that's what scares me. So every night I've been saying their names out loud. Alby, Winston, Chuck. And I just repeat them over and over like a prayer. And it all comes flooding back. Just the little things. Like when the sun used to hit the glade at the perfect moment, right before it'd slip beneath the walls. And I remember the taste of Frypans stew. I'd never thought I'd miss that stuff so much.
I remember you. I remember you first coming up in the box, just a scared little greenie, who couldn't even remember his own name. But from the moment you ran into the Maze, I knew that I would follow you anywhere. And I have. We all have. If I could do it all over again I would, and I wouldn't change a thing. My hope for you is when you're looking back, years from now, is that you'll stay the same. The future is in your hands now Tommy, and I know you'll find a way to do what's right, you always have. Take care of everyone for me. And take care of yourself. You deserve to be happy, Thank you for being my friend.
Goodbye mate,
Newt
Thomas couldn't take it anymore. He wiped away the tears that started forming in his eyes, and took off out of the tent. He had to find Newt. He had to see him. On top of a hill, Thomas saw Aris exit a tent. Aris was caring to Newt, meaning that was Newt's tent.
"Thomas?" Aris called out.
Thomas' gut had told him to run past Aris right towards Newt, sick or not. But then it hit him like a brick: he remembered his promise. He was supposed to say goodbye to Newt with his friends. Thomas slowed down his speed, and came to a stop. He had already hurt everyone so much already. If he made this promise, he was going to keep it.
"Thomas!" Aris called out again. A smile lit up on Aris' face. Thomas wasn't sure if he had ever seen Aris smile, let alone smile that big.
"Thomas there you are!" Aris exclaimed, jogging towards him from on top of the hill. "I heard the good news that you had woken up! How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling fine but…"
Aris gently grabbed Thomas' arm and pulled up his sleeve, causing Thomas' words to trail off. Aris' eyes grew wide. "Your scars are almost completely healed! Do you think I could run some physical tests on you later? I'm supposed to do that before releasing patients from the medical tents but you just kind of walked out–"
"Yeah sure...Hey, can I ask you about…"
Thomas' word slowed. Does he really want to ask about Newt again? Thomas wasn't even sure why he started to ask. It was almost like an instinct to check in on Newt's well being. Thomas held his tongue. Did he really want to hear about his best friend's chances of dying tonight? Aris looked at him strangely, tilting his head to one side. Their eyes connected. The last time they connected like this Thomas could communicate with Aris in his head. Now, with Thomas' chip gone, he couldn't do that anymore. But nevertheless, Aris seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, almost as if Thomas was communicating it into Aris' mind right now, without saying any words out loud.
"Newt," Aris spoke. "You wanted to ask about Newt."
"Yeah…"
"Come with me."
Aris took off down the hill to the beach below. Thomas hastily followed, looking back at Newt's tent once more before fully turning towards the beach.
"Where are we going?" Thomas asked.
"I wanted to show you something."
Thomas looked up at him, confused on what could possibly be here on an open beach. "What is it?"
"Just follow me."
Thomas nodded, his interest piqued. Once they reached the sand, they walked past the rock cliffs towards the very end of the beach. Aris then turned away from the ocean and walked until they found a secluded cove. Aris climbed up onto a rocky outcropping and Thomas followed him, almost losing his balance in the process.
"Be careful. We are almost there," Aris called out to him.
Finally, Aris pulled back a curtain of vines to reveal a small cave. Inside the cave there were walls covered in sea moss. It was cool in this cave, but comfortable compared to the hot sun outside.
Thomas gasped in awe. "This is amazing, Aris. How did you find this place?"
"I found it while exploring when I first came here. I come here sometimes when I need to be alone." Aris took a deep breath in. "I have never shown anybody this place, but it helped me so I thought it would help you too."
They locked eyes and tears slowly started forming in Thomas' as he wiped them away quickly again. Aris put his hand on Thomas' shoulder. "You are strong Thomas. I know you have been holding back your tears, trying to be strong for the rest of us. But here, you don't need to be.
"I can't Aris," he said, pushing away his tears again. "I have to be strong for everyone else. I have to be the leader."
Aris frowned. "Being a leader doesn't mean you have to hold in your tears. It is okay to be vulnerable sometimes. Trust me, I know it better than anyone. I was in the Maze with all the girls afterall. They taught me that being vulnerable…it shows that you are human."
Thomas closed his eyes and let out a gasp, allowing himself to finally break down and cry. He sat against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest. The tears came rushing out. He felt Aris put his arm around him, and squeeze his shoulder.
For the next few minutes, Thomas sobbed uncontrollably. He let it all out for the first time. All the torture from the Maze, Scorch, and the Last City poured out. He cried over all the people he lost. He cried over his best friend, Newt, who he was going to lose. Aris stayed with him the whole time, not saying anything but being there for comfort.
Thomas attempted to settle his mind a few minutes later. He took a deep breath in and sighed. "Thanks Aris," he said, his voice still shaky. "I needed that."
Aris gives him a sincere smile. "Anytime." He gave Thomas' shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry about Newt, he was a great guy. I know you guys were super close."
Thomas looked up at him. "So there is no way he will survive the night?"
Aris shuttered and looked away. "I'm sorry Thomas, I really am. But I have been a medjack for a while now and this doesn't look promising. I guess you never know though, miracles do happen." He looked back at Thomas and shrugged. "I wish I could be as optimistic as you and Sonya–"
"Sonya's optimistic?" Thomas interrupted.
"Well, yes and no. She has refused to let even the idea of Newt dying be an option. She has been working day and night trying everything she can do to help him. I have to give her credit, it has made him survive a little bit longer than we originally anticipated, but unfortunately not even her effort is enough. I'm really sorry Thomas. I wish there was more we could do."
"It's alright…I understand." Thomas shuttered. "Thank you for trying. You did everything you could. I wish I could just focus on something else for the time being."
Thomas noticed Aris' gaze move towards the entrance of the cave. "Well maybe you can," Aris smiled. "Look." He pointed his hand out. "It's the sunset."
Aris and Thomas went to the entrance of the cave where they could get the full view of the horizon. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the ocean. Thomas watched in awe. This was his first sunset of the Safe Haven, and it was the most beautiful thing Thomas had ever seen.
Aris spoke up. "The Scorch may have been horrible, but the one thing it did give us was beautiful sunsets."
The two boys sat side by side. For a while they sat in a comforting silence, Thomas was lost in the sky as he watched it shift from bright oranges and yellows to soft pinks and purples. The waves crashed against the shore, creating a soothing rhythm that filled his ears. For the first time Thomas understood what peace felt like. Maybe, just maybe, he could make a life here. Maybe he could finally be happy. Wasn't that why Newt wanted him to live? Isn't that why he wrote that letter? To allow Thomas to be happy?
Thomas grabbed onto Newt's necklace, he had almost forgotten he had put it on. Thomas grasped it tightly. He was not going to let Newt's death be a waste. He made a promise to himself to try his best to give back to others and live the most fulfilling life he could. Maybe it was time to make closer connections…he could start by learning about the kids from group B, the kids he would spend the rest of his life with.
So, Thomas spoke up. "So you, Harriet, and Sonya were all in the Maze together. Did you guys have a leader like we did?"
"Yeah," Aris smiled. "Harriet was, well still is, our leader. She is a great one too. She can take the risks and make the tough decisions like no one else."
Thomas smiled. "Yeah, Harriet seems pretty great. I somehow don't know her too well even though we spent six months together."
"She actually has become close friends with Minho."
"What?!" Thomas exclaimed. "I did not expect that."
"I know, isn't that weird?" Aris responded. "They both have very bold personalities so I'm just surprised that they don't bicker all the time!"
Thomas chuckled. "I hope to get to know her better." Thomas looked out at the sunset and then back at Aris. "What about Sonya? You said she has been taking care of Newt. She never struck me as a medjack. Was she one in the Maze?"
"Well here's the interesting thing," Aris smirked. "She wasn't one. Plain and simple. She was second command in our Maze. She was always more of a fighter than a caretaker. She led us, not cured us. It wasn't until they brought Newt in that all of a sudden she wanted to help. She actually has surprised me with how good she is at caretaking. When I asked her why she all of a sudden decided to be a medjack, all she said was that she just had a 'feeling' that she needed to help Newt, whatever that means. Maybe she helped people before the Maze or maybe…maybe…"
"...Maybe she knew Newt before the Maze?" Thomas added on.
Aris sighed. "Yeah it's just a theory though. She would deny it, but she really hasn't left Newt's side since he got here. Harriet and I have to drag her out of the room to get her to eat a meal instead of caretaking. Even our most professional medjacks here still find time to eat. Not to mention, her focus has been on Newt and only Newt. I bet she doesn't even know you are awake." Aris chuckled.
Thomas stared up at Aris. "Do you think she remembers him?"
Aris put his head down as if he was pondering how to answer. He looked back up at Thomas. "Remembers him as if she has memories of him? No. But part of me thinks helping him is like muscle memory to her. Just like she said, a 'feeling' she had, like an instinct."
"Like I had with Teresa…" Thomas trailed off.
Aris sighed, and looked out onto the almost completely set sun. "I'm sorry about Teresa, Thomas."
"Yeah me too."
"You know, it's evening." Aris said after some time.
"So that means…"
"Yeah it's time. Let's go see our friends."
Thomas and Aris walked back across the beach. In the distance, they saw a small gathering of people standing around a fire pit. It was their friends. All of them were here: Minho, Harriet, Brenda, Frypan, Jorge, Vince, and Gally. Well, all were there except Sonya. Thomas supposed she was probably still taking care of Newt. As they approached their friends he could sense that something was different. There was no longer a somber feeling, it felt more like a sense of acceptance. Everyone knew Newt's time was coming to an end and wanted to be with him in his final moments. Brenda came up to him and gave him a huge hug, then went to Aris and did the same. Soon everyone was hugging and a sense of peace washed over them.
"So are we going to do this?" Frypan's voice shaked as he asked Aris.
"Oh I don't make the call," Aris replied. "We will have to wait until Sonya calls out for us."
Thomas felt someone tap on his shoulder. It was Harriet. "Hey," she spoke. "Minho and I were about to take a walk on the beach, you know something to distract us with while we wait. Do you guys want to come?"
Thomas hesitated for a moment, unsure if he wanted to leave and be further away from Newt. But Aris patted him on the back and said, "Sure Harriet. We would like that." Thomas looked at Harriet's hopeful face and nodded.
As they walked down the beach, Thomas made sure they didn't stray too far from the others. The presence of Harriet, Minho, and Aris was comforting to Thomas. He felt a new sense of gratitude for being able to just be with them.
"So Thomas, what do you think you will do in the Safe Haven?" Harriet asked him.
"What do you mean?"
"You know, Aris is a gardener, I am a hunter, and Minho helps with the farm."
"Minho helps with the farm?!" Thomas exclaimed. Minho was the last person he could ever see settling down to farm life.
"Yeah dude," Minho chuckled. "Farming is hard, and for the record it takes a lot of running to gather all the animals."
"It's not a bad thing…I'm just surprised that's all. I'm not sure what I am going to do. I can't remember doing anything else other than being a runner."
"I'm sure we will find you something," Harriet said. "We all pitch in here. It is kind of nice being in a little community."
"Yeah I think I will like it here," Thomas smiled. "And honestly, anything is better than running for your lives constantly."
Ahead of them, Thomas came across a large rock in the distance. As the group came closer, Thomas got a better look at it. The large rock stood solemnly in the middle of the beach. It was weathered, with patched lichen and moss growing in crevices. However, it still had a smooth surface. On the surface of the rock were names etched deep into the stone.
Harriet spoke up. "This is a tribute, or a memorial of some sorts. The names are of the people we lost because of the WICKED trials. They are carved into the stone as a permanent reminder of their sacrifice."
Thomas stood there silently reading the names engraved on the rock. There were some girls names that he didn't recognize, he supposed they were from group B. But there were also names he did know: Winston, Mary, Alby, Chuck…
"Hey Minho," Thomas spoke softly. "Do you have something I can carve with?"
"Yeah here." Minho whispered and handed him a carving tool."
Without a word, he reached for the tool and carefully etched Teresa's name into the rock. Thomas looked towards the group. "She may have betrayed us, but she saved me in the end. She was only trying to do what she thought was right. She deserves to be remembered too."
The others nodded in agreement, and for a few moments, they stood there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and memories of those they lost.
Then, Minho spoke up. "After we say goodbye to Newt tonight, I am going to come back here and carve his name in. I won't be able to move on until I make sure he will be remembered."
It may have been a small gesture, but it meant a lot to all of them. Thomas nodded in approval and patted Minho on the back. Harriet gave Minho a soft embrace and Aris gave Minho a look of understanding.
"Should we be heading back?" Harriet asked.
"Yeah," Aris said. "It should be about time to say goodbye–"
"Help!" shouted a voice in the distance.
From across the beach, Thomas saw a girl running frantically towards them. Her blonde braids were swinging wildly with each step. Thomas got a closer look and realized it was Sonya.
"Aris help!" She shouted again. As she approached the group, she gasped for breath, her chest heaving with exertion.
"What is it Sonya?!" Aris said urgently as he tried to calm her down.
"It's Newt!"
"What about Newt?!" Thomas quickly asked.
Sonya locked eyes with Thomas. His world stopped again when he heard her next words:
"I think he is about to die."
And Thomas ran again.
That's all for now! See you soon with a new chapter!
-23LucyGrace
