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“Please tommy please” he begged his mind clearing from the haze of the disease. He saw Thomas, that little shuck head, standing in front of him gun aimed at his head and he was filled with the stupid thought of I don’t want to die.
He could feel himself slipping back under the flares hold so he did the last thing he could and stared Thomas down until he no longer felt he was himself. He watched Thomas steady himself as the flare took over and prepared for him to attack.
Thomas stood and stared into the mad eyes of his once friend and mentor. For one moment they cleared enough for newt to stutter out
“Please tommy” then Thomas pulled the trigger.
***************
Six days later
Newt’s head was buzzing as he came to in a white room feeling cleaner than he had since they got out of the maze.
“Newt, wake up. It’s okay, you’re alive.” But how is that possible he thought I saw tommy shoot me? “We extracted the implant we left in your brain from the maze. You never had the flare, it was simply all controlled by us. Another variable because we wanted to see how you and the other boys reacted.” He paused before his mind clicked into place. How could they do this to people this was cruel and terrifying. They made him believe he was going insane and had to be killed for the others survival. He took a deep breath and continued to listen to the lady talking maybe there would be some explanation. “You never faced death Newt, you’re immune.” He had to resist the urge to call greiver dung and walk out of there. How could they do this to him and the gladers! It occurred to him he should probably show some response. He sat up and shuffled into a cross legged position on the bed his face still a mask of shock. His thoughts then turned to his friends and fellow gladers. “It’s okay you’re safe now” the woman said slightly patronisingly.
“W-where are the others?” He asked his voice shaky with emotion and disuse. He watched for her response as she tensed up and became more like the W.I.C.K.E.D he had come to know and love.
“They’re at a facility nearby, they are contactable if you want to talk to them. Just go easy on the whole I’m alive guys thing ok?” A ghost of a smile drifted across her face and Newt grinned
“I’ll try my best ma'am” the woman walked over to a key pad on the wall and pressed a few buttons and a ringing sound reverberated through the room.
The gladers were gathered in a building around 20 kilometres west of the facility where Newt was currently housed. They had taken shelter there during a particularly bad dust storm. The last thing they expected was food on the table, bedding, fresh clothes and supplies obviously this was W.I.C.K.E.D’s facility and no one trusted anything but they were to desperate to avoid the things provided. The least expected was a note
“Read at 0700h” the outside read. No one had any real idea what it meant or interest so they left it until the said time.
When the time came there was a small argument over who would get to read the note but Minho won out in the end.
“Alright listen up shuck faces! This is what the mystery note that we’ve all been waiting to hear from says” the gladers laughed a little at Minho’s sass something he had managed not to loose in the past hard times. “Hem - hem. Gladers” he began in a tumultuous voice “what is coming next none of you will have expected. We are sorry for the rough times we have put you through with this set of variables but they were extremely important to the blueprint”
“What the shuck is this Klunking blueprint they keep going on about?” One glader queried and the others laughed. Minho continued
“We expect you to continue on your given path to help further the cause even after this variable has finished.
W.I.C.K.E.D is good.” There was a slight pause before Thomas added just loud enough for the rest to hear
“Not” and they all laughed until a sudden ringing interrupted them. Thomas who was closest to the phone picked up.
“I’ll give you some privacy” the woman smiled and left the room and Newt was left alone crossed legged on a hospital bed in ill fitting clothes listening to the ringing of the phone bringing his fellow gladers ever closer. God he missed them. He was interrupted when Thomas’ voice filled the room
“H-hello who is this? W.I.C.K.E.D if this is you again we are done with your shucking klunk!” Newt silently laughed at how awkward Tommy was with glader slang still. The pause lengthened before Newt finally thought of the right thing to say.
“Names Newt greenie.”
Everything went dead quiet. It was quiet for so long Newt wasn’t even sure they were still there until Minho’s voice only just audible rang through.
“Newt? You shank is that really you or are W.I.C.K.E.D being slintheads again?”
“It’s really me You klunkheads. What kind of man would I be to lie to my own shanks?” After he finished that sentence a video link opened up and Newt got his first sight of the group since the left him in the ship to go into Denver.
“Newt but how how are you alive?” Stuttered Thomas. “I- I shot you myself” he looked about three seconds from breaking down so Newt moved to console him.
“Shank listen, you did what you thought was right and it was what I wanted you to do. So thank you for honouring a dying mans wish, I never would have been able to do what you did for me. You saved my life so don’t go feeling like klunk about it.” Thomas smiled and Newt smiled back. “It seems that no matter how hard one tries to get ones self killed it never seems to work” Newt joked
They chatted for a little while longer on what the slintheads at W.I.C.K.E.D were making them do as part of their shucking trials and variables. A fair few curse words were sent their way even though the gladers knew their chat was being monitored.
After around 30 minutes the woman from before came back in and Newt only just noticed Thomas’ look of shock and distrust before the picture was shut off.
“I have some good news Newt” he held up a hand to signify he wanted to ask a question and she nodded.
“Sorry ma'am but I just feel that if you’re going to be looking after me considering the fact I have a healing bullet wound in my head and you obviously can’t send me back out to the others wounded. We should probably introduce each other I’ll go first if you like?” The woman looked amused but played along and nodded “okay so my name as I know is Newt. I know that’s not my real name and I’m named after Isaac newton but that’s beside the point. I was second in command in the maze. I have a limp as a result of an accident when I was a runner. And I have no recollection of my life before the maze. You probably already knew all this and what actually caused my limp but that’s all I know.” The woman smiled and laughed slightly
“Nice to meet you Newt although you’re right in saying that’s not your real name. But my name is Brenda I have met your friends in the scorch and I am here to help. I want to bring down W.I.C.K.E.D just as much as you do.” She whispered this part only just audible before pulling back like nothing had happened. “But anyway in a few days you’ll be getting back to your friends and back to helping to find the cure what fun!” The sarcasm was dripping. Before Brenda left she gave me a hug and whispered “I am so sorry for what they have done to you I’m going to help to get you out of this. For you me the gladers and the rest of the world these people have nothing but their own interests at heart.” She pulls away just as quickly as she hugged me and cheerfully waves.“I’ll see you tomorrow se we can keep treating your head so you can see your friends soon”
Her talking became more forced and cheesy by the end and she mouthed sorry before slamming the door.
Newt sighed as he unfolded his legs as he lay back on his bed. He was alive that was the important thing but the real question was did he really want to be?