Subject B3 (newt x reader)

Chapter 43

"Brenda?! Brenda, are you there?!" Thomas shouts desperately into his radio as we move through the burning city. Me and Minho are basically dragging Newt along at this point, as he tries his best to keep his legs working without letting them drag along the floor, but doesn't have much luck.

"Brenda! Brenda!" Thomas says again into the radio, and I feel tears start to prick my eyes when the girl doesn't respond, and a void of complete and utter hopelessness starts to form inside of me, along with an overwhelming wave of exhaustion crashing down on me suddenly.

"Hey, are you alright?" Newt croaks, noticing my shimmering eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I dismiss, blinking back the tears. "I just want.. I just want to get to Brenda so we can get you your serum and so I can stop walking for five minutes."

Newt laughs weakly. "Sorry you're stuck carrying me for the whole way."

"I'd rather that than the alternative." I say quietly, shuddering at the thought of what that would be.

"I'm sorry about all of this." Newt mumbles, causing me to turn my head and face him.

"Why?" I ask, "this isn't your fault."

"Yeah, but I feel like it is." He sighs, trying desperately to pick his legs up beneath him.

"I think that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth." I laugh weakly as we turn a corner into the next street. "Newt, you didn't ask to be infected, you didn't want to be infected, so how could any of this possibly be your fault?"

He doesn't reply, just nods simply, tightening his grip around my shoulder. I don't know if he doesn't reply because he doesn't know what to say, or if it's because his brain is shutting down and he physically can't get the words out.

And I have a sinking feeling that it's the second one.

*****
I can feel the back of my throat starting to itch from the cloud of smoke we're walking through, and it's getting harder and harder to carry Newt along as the last lingering shred of strength he has left completely disappears.

But still we carry on, through the pollution and the fire and the war breaking out all around us. A few times we cross a path of one of Lawrence's mean, who all seemed to be battered and bruised and even some missing limbs, but for the most part we stay clear of them.

Just as we turn another corner, Newt suddenly lets go of me and Minho and falls down onto his knees, toppling over and spewing back blood onto the street.

"Oh, Newt." I say, bending down next him and gently rubbing his back as if that will do anything to help. Eventually he stops, and sits up against the wall of the building, gasping and gasping for air.

"Brenda, Brenda are you there?" I hear Thomas say behind me. I turn around and see him looking desperately at the radio, waiting for a reply which doesn't come. "Brenda? Brenda, can you read me?"

Nothing.

Newt turns his head with great effort to look at Thomas, and by the look in his eyes I can tell that he's accepted defeat.

That he was possibly going to die here.

"T..mas?" A fuzzy voice comes from the radio. "Tho... can you... hear?"

"Yeah, yeah Brenda I can hear you." He says. "Listen to me Brenda-"

"Where are... you guys?"

"Brenda, listen to me." Thomas cuts off sternly, causing the girl to fall silent. "Brenda, we're not.. we're not going to make it."

My heart drops into my shoes at that sentence, because what I already knew in my head, what I was trying to push away, has now been confirmed aloud.