Always and Forever》Death Cure (TMR)

Seven

No. No. This can't be happening. I must be dreaming. No, I must be having a nightmare. There is no way that Newt has the Flare. Newt can't be affected. This is just some trick. That has to be it. WICKED is tricking us into thinking that Newt has the Flare so they could get something out of it. Newt can't...Newt can't...he can't have the Flare. He just can't. He has to be immune. But that would explain why he's been acting so strangely the past few weeks. The mood swings. His possessiveness. The way he's ready to attack Tony at any given moment. The fight he almost had with Minho. The way he tightened his grip on me not moments ago.

I looked over at Newt just to see him with his arms folded and a grin on his face. A grin?! He just finds out that he has the Flare and he's grinning.

"Don't pout, Danny," Newt said.

I felt my eye twitch. "Don't pout? That shuck-face just said that you're not immune to the Flare and you're just standing there grinning -"

"I'm not worried about the bloody Flare. I never thought I'd still be alive at this buggin' point - and living hasn't exactly been so great anyway."

My mouth flew open. I don't know if he's being serious or if he's trying to make a joke. I can't tell with that stupid grin on his face.

"If you're cool with slowly going crazy and wanting to eat small children, then I guess we won't cry for you," Tom Tom said with a forced smile.

Newt's smile disappeared. "Good that."

No, not good that. There has to be a way for Newt to get the cure. A blood transfusion with someone who is immune? Or if we freeze him until we find one? Is there anything we can do? Newt can try to be tough all he wants but when he grabs my hand and pulls me next to him, it tells me a different story.

"I wanted to get that out of the way. Mainly so I could tell you myself and remind you that the whole point of this operation has been to build toward a cure," Rat Man said. "Most of you not immune are in the early stages of the Flare, and I have every confidence that you'll be taken care of before it goes too far. But the Trials required your participation."

"And what if you don't figure things out?" Minho asked.

Like the shank he is, Rat Man ignored him. He walked over to one of the beds and placed his hand on one of the devices. "This is something we're very proud of here - a feat of scientific and medical engineering. It's called a Retractor, and it will be performing this procedure. It'll be placed on your face - and I promise you'll still look just as pretty when everything is done. Small wires within the device will descend and enter your canals. From there they will remove the machinery in your brain. Our doctors and nurses will give you a sedative to calm your nerves and something to dull the discomfort.

"You will fall into a trance-like state as the nerves repair themselves and your memories return, similar to what some of you went through during what you called the Changing back in the Maze. But not nearly as bad, I promise. Much of that was for the purpose of stimulating brain patterns. We have several more rooms like this one, and a whole team of doctors waiting to get started. Now, I'm sure you have a million questions, but most of them will be answered by your own memories, so I'm going to wait until after the procedure for any more Q and A."

That's when Rat Man took a short pause.

"Give me just a few moments to make sure the medical team are ready. You can take this time to make your decisions."

Then he disappeared through the first steel door. That's when everyone started to talk. Teresa walked up to us with Minho following closely. He leaned closer to us as he talked over the loud room.