Minho’s POV:

Okay, don’t freak out, ah, who am I kidding. I know I’m going to freak out. Or, like what I was doing right now, I could just stay dumbfounded.

It was like what I saw in the changing. . .

We had gotten Newt the cure.

Except. . . he wasn’t exactly aware of it.

Or conscious.

Brenda came up to me. I was on the frozen ground next to Newt. I was just kind of clinging onto his arm. He had gone crazy. . . I was in a state similar to shock

“Minho, I’m sorry, but we have to go. The right arm is going to blow WICKED up soon, and we have to have already gone through the flat-tans inside.”

I was still crying

“B-But what about Newt?”

Brenda glanced over at Newt

“. . .We leave him I guess.”

I didn’t make any move that I had acknowledged what she had said. I just warily stood up, and heaved Newt’s body onto my shoulders, then looked over at the group who had already packed up and was waiting for me.

“Let’s go.”

Thomas tried to object, but I just started running. I heard the others following. We ran through trees, but I barely noticed them. I barely noticed anything, except for Newt’s ragged breathing, his limp form, and his warmth.

So, naturally, when I snapped out of it, and saw a giant building, you couldn’t blame me for taking a few steps back. Teresa laughs.

“It’s okay. I know it looks really big, but after a while you get used to it. . .”

What did she mean by that? What does that even-

No. Come on brain. Focus. We have to get through that flat-trans. For Newt. I ran up to the door, and reached for the door knob. Right before I touched it, an explosion burst through the other side of the building. I fell backwards, landing on Newt. I immediately got off of him, and picked him back up. I stood up, still stunned and shaking. Aris walked up, looking just as stunned as I was.

“T-They started early. . .”

He turned to face the others.

“Guys. We gotta go. Now.”

The others rushed forward, and we burst through the door, spilling into the hallway. Another explosion rocked the building, sending everyone stumbling.

“Where the shuck is it?”

I was able to yell over the sound of cracking stone and breaking glass. Jorge started half walking half stumbling down the hall

“I-It’s this way. . .”

I nodded and followed him. Right when we reached the door that was supposed to lead to the flat-trans, a loud burst of noise and light came from almost right over our heads. Jorge’s face paled, and he swung the door open, ushering everyone inside. It was getting bad.

“Hurry, hurry, get in the flat-trans!”

The second he was done talking, another bomb detonated. This time directly above us. Large chunks of concrete rained down on us, and I ran. I got to the flat-trans. I got through it. I carefully lay Newt down on the outside of it. I ran back in. Thomas and Teresa were the only ones left inside. Thomas had stumbled and fallen, and almost in slow motion, I saw a rock fall towards him. It would kill him. I ran towards him, knowing I wouldn’t make it.

I didn’t even know what I would do once I got to him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Teresa. Thomas was kneeling now, still unaware of the rock. Teresa jumped forward and pushed him out of the way. Teresa was now under the rock. The rock crushed Teresa. I saw the blood. I heard the scream. Thomas just stood there stunned. Then he tried to push the rock off, to save her.

“Teresa! Teresa, answer me!”

I put a hand on his shoulder

“She’s gone. She wanted to save you, so let’s not throw away her sacrifice.”

Thomas looked one last time at the rock that had ended Teresa’s life, and nodded. I all but shoved him out of the flat-trans. At least he landed on his feet. I made the mistake of looking back one last time, then, then being propelled forward by an explosion, and let out a mix between a gasp and a scream. I landed on my back, uncoinsus.

When I woke up I was in the same spot I had landed, but had many people leaning over me. They were all girls.

Group B for you.

“. . .What happened?”

One of the girls, I think she said her name was Harriet, answered

“You got knocked back from an explosion.”

It all came flooding back to me. Newt! Where was Newt? Was he okay? I bolted upright, looking around, and Harriet put her hands on my shoulders

“You're okay, you made it, you're safe now.”

I pushed her hands off and stood up, still glancing around wildly.

“No, no that’s not it. Where’s Newt? Is he okay?”

The girls looked confused

“Newt?”

I sighed

“Yes Newt! He was the person laying over there, unconscious, blond.”

Harriets eyes lit up

“Oh, yes, he’s fine. You med-jacks and our medics are checking him out now. He’s still unconscious though.”

Okay, well that was a plus. Not dead yet. I nodded, and started walking away in a daze, a little unsteady, but other than that, fine. I knew they wouldn’t let me see Newt, so why should I even try? I walked past Brenda, who was just staring off in a certain direction. I turned to look at what she was staring at, and saw Thomas, sitting at the edge of a cliff, looking out at the ocean.

The ocean.

I don’t think I’d ever seen it before. . .

I sat down next to Thomas, and dangled my legs over the edge of the cliff

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Hey, how are you doing, Thomas?”

Thomas shrugged, and didn’t break eye contact with the ocean

“I don’t really know, I mean. . .she betrayed me, then she saved me. I’ve always liked her, but don’t know what to think anymore.”

I nodded.

“Well, how did you feel around her?”

Thomas got a far away look in his eyes

“I don’t know, happy, understood, you know, stuff like that.”

I put my hands on my knees

“I’m sorry about. . .you know, but I think Teresa would want you to keep living. She sacrificed herself for you.”

Thomas shrugged

“I know, it’s just, I felt so close to her, even though I only knew her for so long.”

I glanced over behind my shoulder, and saw everyone else consoling and cheering each other on.

“You’ll still have us, I know Brenda wants to help you and-”

“She isn’t her.”

“What?”

Thomas put his head in his hands

“Brenda isn’t her. She never will be. . .”

I put a hand on his shoulder

“No, she won’t, no one will be, but I can tell she cares about you.”

Thomas looked up

“I know. I can see it in her eyes when she smiles. It’s like how Newt looks at you.”

I blushed and looked back out at the ocean. At the crashing waves.

Chuck would never get to see this.

Neither would Alby.

Or Teresa.

Or all the others.

I don’t know how long we sat there in silence, before Thomas asked the question. He spoke suddenly, and rapidly.

“What happened?”

“Huh? What?”

Thomas glanced at me before looking back at the ocean. The sun had started to set

“Well, when Newt. . . I was still in the wreckage. What did he do?”

I knew what Thomas meant. What had Newt done to hurt me. When he went crazy. I had told Thomas to leave, to get the cure. I instinctively reached up and touched my bruised cheek. My mind was racing with all the memories.

Seeing Newt almost fall off the log. . .

Seeing him writhe in pain on the frozen ground. . .

My trying to help him, and hearing him scream in fury before hitting me. . .

Me having to hold down his thrashing body. . .

“Minho?”

Thomas’s worried voice brought me back to reality

“Oh, oh sorry. . .”

“It’s okay if you can’t talk about it.”

“No, it’s okay.”

I drew in a shaky breath

“W-Well, when you were still at the crash site, he, I don’t know, just kind of sat there, he was really sad.”

Thomas nodded. I let out a shaky breath.

Just keep breathing

“Then in the morning, I don’t know if you saw this, but he tried to stand, and almost fainted. Then when I tried to talk to him, he jumped up, then fell onto the floor. He was just . . .writhing there. I tried to help him, and he screamed for me to get away. When I didn’t, he hit me. . .”

I reached up and felt my face again, wincing at the pain. I kept going

“I had to restrain him. I-I think the worst part was when he came back from whatever place his mind went to. . . he was so worried, so scared.”

I was trying really hard to hold it in. I was taking deep breaths, but I didn’t know how much longer it would be before the tears started.

“How are you guys so good at this?”

I turned my head to Thomas

“What?”

Thomas propped his head up on his head

“You and Newt. You’re so good at this, surviving, never seeming to have problems.”

I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry. I compromised by choking out a laugh.

“We are the worst possible example of never having problems. Do you know how many times my heart has just keeled over dead, only to get up again the next day?”

Thomas paused

“. . .Seven?”

This time I actually laughed

“Actually, too many times to count.”

Saying that just broke my heart again, and I turned my head as my eyes filled with tears.

“Well, I’m going to go check on Newt.”

I stood up, trying to keep it together. I walked over to the shack that the med-jacks had taken over, and was, of course, rejected. I sat down next to the shack, and fell asleep there. Silent protest. When I woke up, Clint was standing over me, and smiled before opening the door, motioning for me to step inside. I did.

Newt’s POV:

It was like a switch had been flipped when they injected me. First I was going crazy, then I was unconscious. I was vaguely aware of being carried, set down, then picked up again. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t communicate. I heard someone scream, I think it was Thomas.

Then I heard Minho.

I heard him scream.

I heard the thump of something hitting the ground.

I think that hurt me more than anything. Not being able to help Minho.

Then I felt hands on me, picking me up. I felt my body being set down on something slightly soft. I heard voices, but they were muffled and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I couldn’t really think. I was aware of things, but. . . something was different. Suddenly, like a bubble bursting, my eyes flew open. I bolted up, swiveling my head in every direction, trying to take in everything

Where was I?

Where was Minho?

Were the others okay?

Spots were swimming in front of my eyes, and I felt hands on me, trying to push me back down. I saw Clint, and one of the girls. They were trying to say things, but the words were just blurring together into a background mix of noise.

I realized something was missing.

It was the pain. The cure must have worked. . .

I was still being held down, and I realized I was gasping for breath. The background noise had started to translate into words again, and I could make out Clint’s words

“Hey, calm down, you're okay.”

I nodded, trying to calm down. I could feel my heart slow, and the spots started to fade. Clint and the girl let go of me, and took a step back. I glanced around, but stayed laying down. I was in a wooden hut. I glanced over at Clint

“W-Where am I?”

The girl answered

“We’re in the safe haven. You made it!”

She was smiling, and I felt like I knew her.

Maybe the voice?

She also looked familiar.

Where had I seen her? Probably in WICKED, if she was from group B. I turned my attention to her

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“I’m Sonya.”

Sonya

“Your group B, right?”

She nodded.

“I was second in command, and helped out the med-jacks.”

I was a little taken back, and smiled

“Really? I was second in command too!”

I felt so comfortable around her, like I’d known her my whole life. Clint glanced towards the door, and then turned to me

“Wait here. Sonya, keep an eye on him.”

Sonya mock saluted. I laughed and immediately felt a pain in my chest, and winced. Sonya must have noticed

“Newt, right?”

I nodded, and she continued

“Well, Newt, the flare virtually shut down your body, and it might be a while before you can do anything strenuous.”

She looked towards the door, and then lowered her voice

“Hey, I feel like I know you from somewhere. . .”

“Yeah, I feel the same way.”

Sonya shrugged, but she still had a troubled look in her eyes

“We probably just have those types of faces.”

I was about to agree, when Clint walked back in. He just stood there smiling, then I heard a knock. I sat up slowly this time, and turned to the open door, and saw Minho. He was leaning on the door frame, and had knocked on the side of it. I jumped out of the bed, and almost immediately, my legs buckled and I collapsed into Minho’s arms. Minho helped me back onto the cot, but then almost instantly hugged me, tighter than I’ve ever been hugged. I heard Sonya and Clint walk out, then I heard Minho’s muffled words

“Newt, please, don’t ever scare me like that again.”

I nodded, and felt a lump in my throat.

“Minho,”

I meant to say more, but I choked on the words. Minho pulled away, and he was smiling with tears in his eyes.

“Newt, Newt, oh Newt.”

Minho looked so happy, but sad at the same time. I was crying too. I pulled Minho back into another hug. We stayed that way for a few minutes before Minho pulled back and looked at me, hard.

“Are you okay? How do you feel?”

I grinned

“That’s the thing, there's no more pain in my head!”

Minho smiled and kissed me. I kissed him back. I heard another knock, and me and Minho sprung apart. I was almost certain it had only been a few minutes, when Clint walked back in, this time without Sonya. It was just something about her. Clint looked at Minho.

“Newt has to rest now, but you can come back in about an hour.”

Minho nodded, and regretfully started to leave, when I grabbed his arm

“Please stay.”

Minho smiled sadly

“Baby, I’ll be back soon. . .”

I guess I didn’t look very convinced, because Minho kept going.

“Newt, you know I’ll always be there when you need me, I’ll always come back.”

I nodded, even though I wanted him to stay. I wanted him to stay forever.