Free (Maze Runner fanfic Newtmas Newt x Thomas)

Chapter 15

Newt shook him awake, mumbling something about fruit. His hand was in his hair, gently stroking through it with his thumb. "When did the food get here?"

"I told you I'd wake you for it. It came a little while ago but you looked really peaceful. Now the food is kind of disappearing so I thought I'd wake you before they ate it all."

Thomas shuffled out of bread and grabbed the first bit of fruit that he saw and then came straight back, leaning into Newt's open arm. "No meat? Aren't you hungry?" Newt stroked his side up and down.

"Not that hungry.."

They ate quietly, small conversations passed through the room from time to time; wondering when the people would come back, what kind of answers they'd get, and what was happening next. Newt was just listening to Thomas talking, because he started murmuring about something really quietly and Newt was just letting him get it off his chest. "I just hope I find out what I did and why I wasn't the same as one of you guys. I want to know where our families are, or Chuck's at least. You want to know too, don't you? I didn't think we'd get this far even after I got some of my memories back but now I don't really know what to think. I thought up of every scenario I could think and what we're doing right now isn't one of them. I know I'm talking your ears off but nobody else wants to listen, they're too optimistic and I just don't trust that we're actually safe now."

Newt was going to reply to him, but the door opened and everyone immediately shut up. "Thomas, Newt, Minho, come with us. The rest of you will be picked up later on." It was the same man and woman who spoke to them earlier.

Everyone looked at him, watching them like hawks as they left the room. Minho lead first and Newt held Thomas' hand, following behind. They headed down the corridor, but stopped barely a few doors down. "Thomas, you're stopping here."

"Wait-" He started, but they pulled him hard enough that he let go of Newt's hand, stumbling into the IT room and then hearing the door lock behind him.

He tried to watch Newt disappear down the corridor, but suddenly the glass turned opaque and he couldn't see out, and Newt couldn't see in. "I assume you're wanting some answers." The woman he was placed with said, catching his attention. "About why you're here, why you willingly sent your friends and your dear boyfriend into the maze?"

Thomas' fist clenched. "I want to know why I was on your side and not theirs. Now that my memories are gone I realise what horrible people you all are! What makes me so different? Why do I get the oh so lovely job of helping you create deathtraps?"

"You used to understand, Thomas, understand it all. WICKED is good." Thomas frowned at her. "We're going to help you remember." That saying.. where did he know it from?

A door on the other side of the room opened up, and it exited into an operating theatre; but when Thomas looked back, the door was gone. Something was going on. A man dressed in green overalls approached him, and gestured to the seat next to him. "Please, take a seat. This won't hurt a bit and you'll get your memories back."

Thomas was sceptical, taking a step back but he hit someone's chest. "What's the catch? What if I don't want them back?"

"There is no catch. It's for your next trial, Thomas, you're going to need your memories if you want anyone in your designated group to live. You'd understand more if you just sit down." Something in his tone worried him, so he still didn't move. "Do you want your friends to die? Your boyfriend?" Still hesitating. "The only catch, if you really want one, is the regret you're going to have if you don't do this."

Thomas did want to remember, he did want to save his friends, but he didn't trust the people who wanted to poke around in his brain. "Why can't someone else get their memories back instead? Do I get them back permanently?"