“ Minho, I’m going to ask you some things about why Newt is hurt, okay?”

I nodded.

“ You got separated from the rest of us in the cave right?”

I nodded again.

“ Can you tell us what happened?”

I nodded, took a deep breath, and started explaining.

“ W-Well, we were knocked out, w-we found this weird food, a-and got out.”

The food.

Newt asked me to give our friends some.

I took chocolate and chips out of my pack.

“ N-N-Newt wanted you guys to try some.”

That's when I knew I was in shock. I couldn't talk, I was shivering, but not from the cold, and I could barely hear or say Newt’s name without breaking down.

I was shaking all over, and could barely think straight. Teresa and Brenda both took off their jackets, and draped them around me. I shakily passed out a piece of chocolate and a chip to each person.

“ W-We wanted to s-see which you guys l-liked better.”

Brenda and Teresa both said chip.

Gally said chip.

Chuck said chocolate.

Thomas said chip.

Newt won. Good. Gally spoke to me softly

“ Did you get hurt in the cave, then?”

“ N-No”

“ What happened then?”

“ W-we found a house to use as a s-shelter, a-and, we kept g-going, and, and, and”

I couldn't say it. Chuck prompted me.

“ It will help Newt if you say it.”

“W-We saw a c-crank, and, and it, it, s-stabbed N-N-N-Newt.”

I blurted out. If I said his name one more time, I would sink under the waters of despair and drown. I broke down on the last word, and started sobbing. Gally walked over to me, and put a hand on my shoulder. Teresa and Brenda were still hugging me tight. Alby walked over then, and whispered something in Gallys ear, and then Gally ran off, while Alby sat down in his place. Thomas had finnaily got a fire going, and sat down next to Alby. Gally came back, his face unreadable. He motioned the others to come to him, and he spoke in a hushed tone to them, out of my earshot. I stood up, with wobbly legs, trying to hear what they were saying, but I was unsuccessful. When they walked back Teresa’s face was a mask of concern, her eyes scrunched, and her mouth slightly turned down. Brenda’s face looked really worried, her mouth was a straight line, her eyes open. Alby’s face was full of determination, his eyebrows turned down slightly, his mouth set firm. Chuck looked terrified, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open. Gally still looked unreadable, and Thomas looked indifferent. Brenda, Chuck, Teresa, and Alby all stood by me, while Gally stood in front of me, and Thomas stood off to the side looking bored.

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They hate me

For killing Newt

They all hate me

Gally took a deep breath, and looked right at me.

“ After, or before the stab, did Newt show any signs of sickness? “

He said it gently, but something triggered inside me.

“Don’t.”

Gally looked surprised.

“ Don't what?”

My voice was deadpan, even though I still had tears running down my cheeks.

“ Don’t say his name.”

Gally looked sad. Everyone looked sad. Except for Thomas.

“ Okay, did he show any weird symptoms before or after being stabbed.”

Brenda, Teresa, Chuck, and Alby all winced.

What did they know?

That you killed Newt

That you left him to die.

No. I wouldn't listen to this any longer. Newt said it wasn't my fault. Brenda put her hand on mine, and it snapped me back to reality.

“ Y-Yes, he did.”

Gally didn't look surprised.

“ What were the symptoms?”

“ We-well he was puking black stuff, and his blood turned black. . . W-Why?”

Gally and Alby exchanged a look.

“ Well, those are the first symptoms of the flare.”

What? Newt has the flare? No. No, it can't be true. I laughed, a forced stupid sounding laugh.

“ Y-you're joking right? Haha. so funny. But really, is he gonna be okay?”

Chuck started crying. Brenda, who was standing closest to Chuck, put one arm around him, the other arm around me. Teresa was squeezing me tight in a hug. Chuck was clinging to me while sobbing. Alby walked up and put both hands on my shoulders.

“ No, Minho. We’re not.”

I sat down. I couldn't hear anything. The only thing I could hear was

I-I love you Min

It repeated over and over, and the only thing I could see was Newt's content face before he passed out. The only thing I could feel were Newt’s lips on mine. Then something broke through. Thomas.

“ So, let's just leave Newt here, and keep going.”

No.

Thomas.

No.

I sprung up at Thomas, and knocked him to the ground. I pinned him there screaming in his face.

“ You, you! We are not leaving him here! If anyone, we are leaving you here!”

With each syllable I punched him.

“ Don’t ever say his name again, you, you, you”

I couldn't even give him a bad enough name for how much he hurt me.

Alby and Gally threw me off Thomas, and Brenda pulled me back. Chuck was crying again, and Teresa was shocked, but still comforting Chuck. Dusk had fallen, and Alby instructed everyone to sleep while he checked on Thomas. But I couldn’t sleep. Not with thoughts of Newt having the flare, Newt turning into one of them.Newt turning into a crank.