Half

~All I Can Do~

POV (Y/n)

-Day 3 In the Scorch-

When we all wake we move through the building we'd made our camp in search of supplies. We were actually able to eat and gain some well-needed rest. The day was over sooner than I'd liked it to be and we'd need to move on soon. As I rummage through a box it reopens the cut on my hand and I hiss in pain "are you okay?" Teresa asks and I scoff "define the meaning of the word," I respond sarcastically as she takes my hand in hers. "Come on, I think I found some medical stuff over here," she tells me pulling me over to another corner of the room.

She pours a clear liquid on my hand and I hiss in pain but don't flinch away "I have to disinfect it, especially after everything that's happened there's no telling what's gotten in there," she tells me and I can hear the shiver of fear in her voice. My mind jumps to when I slit the guard's throat only yesterday, and it isn't a happy thought, but I don't respond as she wraps it tightly in bandages. Once she's finished I pull my hand away harshly and move back to the box.

I end up with a few more knives a small gun and plenty of ammo for the group. I ensure everyone has as many water bottles as possible and hunt hard for some type of glass in case of another sandstorm, but I find nothing. I pause for a second in the midst of my search to look at the others, I have to keep them alive. "Are you okay?" I hear someone ask from beside me and I turn to see Aris beside me, concern written on his features.

"Yeah," I tell him trying to avoid eye contact and he nods "I don't know if you know, but my maze was nothing but girls. I know when somethings wrong," he tells me and I huff in frustration "listen, Aris, this hasn't been an easy couple of weeks," I tell him trying to force away the tears that want to come out at the thought that this has all happened in the course of nine days. Nine days ago Thomas came up in the box just another greenie, and now... So many people have died for us to live. "I know," he states simply, and although I want to snap at him when I turn to look at him he's looking at his wrist. 

A light gray mark that was beyond simple, it was just two circles interlocking. He notices my stares "she died when we were escaping the maze. In my arms," he confesses and I feel my breath catch in my throat as my hands stray to the necklace laying high on my chest. "He died in my arms too," I confess and Aris just nods "you lose so many people, but you can't harden yourself to those who are left," Aris tells me and I want to laugh as tears prick the corners of my eyes. "That's all I can do," I tell him my eyes looking back to those who are still left. 

Newt, Winston, Frypan, Teresa who stand not far away, Minho, and Thomas who are looking further into the building. I might have mixed emotions for some of them, but I can't watch anyone else die. "If I let my guard down and something happens to them, that's on me, and if they die while I'm like this, at least I'm prepared," I whisper to Aris as I secure another knife. The tears I felt only seconds ago I've pushed back and I harden myself more, not willing to let the sweet boy see any more of what's underneath. "Her name was Vanessa, what was his?" Aris asks and I suck in a breath "Gally, his name was Gally," I tell him finally.

My hands stray to my wrist and I can swear I feel the thrum of his heartbeat again as my fingers are pressed to the mark. "Run!" I hear as I'm drawn out of my thoughts as Minho and Thomas come sprinting around the corner and screaming cranks chase after them. "Let's go!" I call out grabbing at Aris's collar to push him ahead of me. As we all sprint I make sure everyone is ahead of me. I shoot my small new gun at the cranks every chance I get but they're too close for me to stop and get a better aim. Thomas and Minho take the front leading us through doors and corridors but struggle to make it out. 

We all use what we can to fight off the monsters Aris bashing in one kneecap with a discarded pipe. When a crank lands on top of Newt, Thomas is quick to kick the creature off of him falling through the glass railing beside them. "Come on!" I shout as Newt tries to thank Thomas, we didn't have the time I thought as I fired my pistol. I'd nearly used all the ammo I'd just found, but was determined to kill anything in my path. We come to a dead end with a locked door "Get us out of here Thomas!" Teresa shouts fear overcoming her as the cranks get closer to us.

"I'll hold them off!" Winston shouts taking my gun from my hands and moving to the entranceway, and I work with the others to break open the door. I felt a cold sweat break out on my neck in fear as the screaming grew louder as they approached. "Get that door open!" Winston called obviously terrified like the rest of us, and Fry was finally able to barrel through the door that kept us trapped. "Winston! Come on it's open!" I call to him, but as he rushes in through the door cranks grab at his legs attempting to drag him back into the crowd.

"Winston!" I scream drawing the other's attention to the boy being dragged behind the door. We all grab his arms and Winston holds on for dear life, Minho does his best to keep the door barely open preventing the Cranks from coming any further. When we finally get Minho through I feel panic set in seeing the wounds on his stomach. I want to comfort him but we don't have time as were alerted by more screams of cranks. We were in the belly of the beast, it felt like as they surrounded us at every turn as we ran dragging Winston along.

We hid behind rubble attempting to evade the monsters after us, and I felt my heart racing a mile a minute as sat. I looked at Winston who seemed okay other than him clutching his injured stomach. No rest for the WICKED.