𝐃𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐈𝐀 - TMR, Gally ² / ³

𝟢𝟢𝟪，𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥

"Any news?" Tired from the lack of sleep, she sits down across from Jasper. "Did Res see them?"

"They appear to be trying to get closer to the Last City. She has seen one of their cars in a tunnel, completely destroyed."

"And they got out safely?"

"She didn't find any bodies," he says, shrugging. "Just bullets on the ground. Dead Cranks. She also killed a few."

The girl nods. "Alright. Anything else?"

"We should get more immunes," he decides. "You're dehydrating yourself with taking your own blood all the time."

She rolls her eyes, uninterested because all those WCKD doctors have been a pain in the ass already. The constant telling her to stop. "Well, luckily we have water. Besides, you'll turn into a Crank if I don't do it. And out of all people here, you're the only one who I honestly care about."

"There's some people close to your age. Maybe befriend them—"

"No. I've told you, I've stopped caring. They can only cause more pain if I get attached. You shouldn't get attached, either." A pause. "You sure none of these doctors are traitors?"

"One hundred percent. Res also follows them around now and then. No problems."

She runs a hand through her hair. Rubs her eyelids, stretches, and then yawns. "Okay, good. I think I'm going to rest for a little longer."

"You do that. You've looked better."

"Thanks, Jasper. Very helpful."

***

A day later, she is still staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. She wants to move— keep her mind off Gally, but her body is so exhausted. If she just wouldn't see her friends every time she closes her eyes, maybe she'd be able to sleep.

"They told me to give you this." Without a knock, someone walks into her room and puts something down on the nightstand.

"Who said you could come in?"

"Just take it. Mint tea."

"I don't like tea." Lie. But she used to make it in the Glade, so it's not exactly something she's longing for right now.

Whoever brought the tea inside, walks to the door, leaving the steaming cup next to Joan. "Be careful, girl. You're so exhausted that you don't notice someone you think is trustworthy has betrayed you."

By the time she gets over her shock, the person has already left, and Joan's eyes stay wide.

***

"There's a traitor," she tells Jasper a few days later, her vision blurry as they walk through the sun.

"Oh?"

She runs a frustrated hand down her face. "Yeah. And we're running out of animals to hunt. Less food. When I try taking my blood, it seems to become less, too. We're running out of time. We need to break into the city or something."

"I've told you, you need more immunes who can also give their blood," he sighs. "You're too tired to even properly walk."

She wishes she could give a sarcastic reply or something, but she can't think of anything, and sits down on a bench. "Any news on the Gladers?"

"Res found them."

Joan's head snaps up. "Yeah? Where?"

"Right outside the city walls," he explains, motioning at the city, which isn't that far away from them right now.

"We have to check it out," she decides as she jumps up. "Right now! If we can get Thomas, we can also take his blood! And the rest must be immune, too. Come on, J."

With a nod, he follows after her. "Drink something first, though. It's hot."

She chugs the few last sips in her bottle of water down quickly, then continues walking towards the walls, so fast that it makes her dizzy and legs hurt.

By the time they've arrived, she's out of breath. Has to sit down against a wall, hand on her forehead. "See anything suspicious?"

"Yeah."

"What?"

"They're coming closer," he says.

The girl notices his movements, but they're blurred. She can't properly see what exactly it is that Jasper is taking out of his pocket, and neither can she see who the people approaching are.

However, one of them has a limp and another one seems to be more then fourteen inches taller than her.

Then everything turns black. Just for a second, then she can see a little bit through the bag that just got pulled over her head. Gasping, she tries to kick anyone close.

"I'm sorry," Jasper murmurs, yet he tightens the grip. The air gets cut off. And soon, she has passed out.