Betrayed | the maze runner, Newt

chapter 32

The satisfaction took over both his and Thomas' face, the surprise only leaving behind a big smile. Followed by a look of effort as they helped Zara drag Newt over to the Med-Jacks. And just like her, Minho and Thomas kept their questions for themselves. All that counted now was that Newt could get the rest he deserved. No matter how happy the three friends were. They wanted to celebrate it with Newt, not for him.

The medical tent was full that night. The wound in Newt's chest had been treated by the Med-Jacks, it'd took them two hours. Teresa hadn't participated, she had a hard time processing the fact that Newt had returned. The past hours had been stressful for everyone. Now, the quiet had returned. Newt lay on a wooden bed on his back, sleeping. His heavy breath revealed that the boy was deeply gone. Well deserved.

Next to him, with her back against the leg of the bed, Zara. Also sleeping. She'd stayed up until the very last moment. She'd waited till Newt was asleep before she allowed herself to sleep. It had been enough time to calm down and process most of what happened, but to her it still seemed too good to be true. Though, she'd fallen asleep with a satisfied feeling.

Opposite her, with their backs against a wooden bench, Thomas and Minho were snoring. They decided to stay as well instead of returning to their hut. That's right, those two shared a hut. Don't ask how it's possible, but given the fact both were still alive, it seemed to work.

Sounds of the calm sea, blowing trees and the chirps of a bird every now and then were the only things that disturbed the silence that reigned in the village.

Newt lay on his back, one hand rested on his stomach and the other one dangled next to the bed. His chest was almost completely covered by bandage. The knife Vince'd taken out when he found him had pierced his chest but just missed his heart and lungs. Sounds too good to be true that it didn't give him have any permanent damage, and it indeed was too good to be true.

A nerve next to his heart had probably been hit. With the result that his left foot was paralyzed on the leg with the limp. But the hit nerve had changed something about that as well, his limp didn't hurt anymore. Because there practically wasn't a heavy feeling in that leg anymore. You know the feeling when your foot or leg is sleeping; that was what Newt's left leg now had permanently, but a little less bad. He would be able to walk and even run, but the power and coordination would be less. As everyone called it: blessing in a disguise.

And Zara's biggest question had been answered by Max, the keeper of the Med-Jacks. Max was a boy from either eighteen or nineteen.

''Why wasn't Newt a Crank?''

And Max' answer was what nobody could believe.

A few hours earlier

''We found traces of the Cure on his jacket and in his wound. Someone poured the Cure over his chest when the wound was open, that way it got into his blood and cured the virus. Zara, was it you? Did you empty the Cure on his chest?''

Zara nodded doubtfully. ''Yes, I did.''

A smiled flayed Max' face. He folded his arms and straightened his back. ''Then you saved his life.''

Zara's expression softened in shock. She turned to look at Newt, who was laying on the bed a few feet away from them, still wearing the W.C.K.E.D guard outfit. He was staring at the ceiling while someone else was tying a bandage around his chest. A good but unknown feeling filled Zara. She'd saved his life.

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''So, he was dead, but he wasn't dead?'' Frypan concluded in confusion.