Half

~Immune~

POV (Y/n)

-Day 4 In the Scorch-

When we woke the next morning to Thomas shouting at a bird we finally got a view of what the world looked like now. "Are they gone?" Aris asked "yeah, I think we're safe for now," Thomas answered looking out at the ruins in front of us. "We need to get moving. Pack up," I tell them moving to gather my things quickly, not wanting to spend another second in this place. As we walked we only saw ruin in our paths. "What happened to this place?" Fry asked looking out and I felt a pain hit my heart at a memory I couldn't remember. "I don't know, but it doesn't look like anyone's been here in a long time," Newt says.

I kick a rock as we walk, angry at the world around us "I hope the whole world isn't like this," Aris chimes in, and I shake my head "we need to stay focused," I say jogging ahead not wanting to talk about the broken world around us. "Whoa, hang on! Stop," Thomas called out causing us all to stop in our tracks, and then I heard it too "do you hear that?" he asked and when it grew louder we all recognized the sound. Aircrafts, "get down hide!" I shout as Thomas and I usher them under more rubble. 

"They're never gonna stop looking for us, are they?" Minho asks no one as all of our eyes stay on the aircraft overhead. Once it was out of eyesight we went back to our track, and it felt overwhelming as Thomas pointed out the mountains in the distance. "There, that's where we're headin'," Thomas tells us "That's a long way off," Newt told him looking out to the mountains with us. "Then we better get going," I say taking a step forward before I'm stopped alarmed by Winston crashing face down into the sand. 

"Winston!" we all call out at the sight of him and I can't help but furrow my brows at his appearance, his shirt was barely pulled up but I could see black veins. Thomas got us to construct a stretcher and although I wanted to take Winston with us he was sick, and it made me uneasy. I seemed to be the only one who'd seen the veins on our friend and I hated this. I hated knowing that we couldn't do anything, we're not doctors, we are teenagers in the middle of what looked like the desert. 

As we carried him another sandstorm blew in we guarded our faces with scarves and anything we could to protect our eyes. I felt useless, but eventually, there was a break in the horrible storm, and we found a barely standing shelter to hide from the sun. As I sat I threw knives, practicing hitting the same spot, now that my gun was lost I'd have to rely on the knives. I was drawn out of my practice by Winston's ragged breathing.

He's suffering, and for a split second, I thought about slitting his throat to end his suffering. The mere thought sent a shiver through me, and I had to turn away from him. I wanted to kill my friend to end his suffering. I didn't know who I was anymore, the (Y/n) from just two weeks ago would have never thought of killing anyone. I was once disgusted at the thought of banishing a runner who'd attacked me who was stung, Avery. I bit the inside of my cheek and closed my eyes trying to push away the memories and intrusive thoughts.

I'm not the same (Y/n), and that was a fact. I was pulled out of my spiral of thoughts by the sound of a gun. My eyes fly open and I turn to Winston and Fry, Fry held the gun in his grasp as Winston attempted to plead for it on the ground. I gulped hard afraid "Winston are you okay?" Thomas asked going down beside Winston, but Winston vomited in response. He laid on his back and looked at us with sad eyes "It's growing," he told me pulling his shirt up to reveal black cracks in his skin like it was digging in and rotting from the inside out. I fight the urge to look away and go to Winston's side. 

He turns to look into my eyes "I'm not gonna make it," he says and I look at his wrist the black mark was about to turn gray for some unlucky soul. "Please," he begged as he turned back to look at Fry who had the gun "don't let me turn into one of those things," he continued afraid. Newt moved to Fry taking the gun from his hand and moving to Winston's side placing it into his hand. "Thank you Newt," Winston said eyes closed from exhaustion "now get out of here," he told us and I felt so much pain rip through me. I push some messy black hair out of his face and place a kiss on his forehead. "Say hey to everyone for me," I whisper into his ear and Winston nods a tear rolling down his cheek.

I then quickly gather my knives, bag, and water then leave as Winston had asked. I wipe at the tears still clinging to my eyes and pray that none fall as we all move closer to the mountains and further away from our dying friend. We all pause at the sound of a gun going off, and I hear myself gasp. We all move slowly after that, not wanting to leave him behind, but he was dead now. 

We stop to make camp before the sun has fully set all crowding around a fire. "I thought we were supposed to be immune," Minho says staring into the deep embers of the fire "not all of us, I guess," Teresa answers as we all feel the gloom looming over us. "If Winston can get infected we should assume so can the rest of us," Newt tells the group and I have to push down the fear wanting to overtake me. "I never thought I'd say it, but, I miss the glade," Fry says wiping at tears on his face and I move away from the group in quickly motions unable to think about the glade.

I cry myself to sleep that night at the mere memory of what life in the glade was like. It feels like another life.