Touch Of Memory

Chapter XLV

Newt was sitting in a chair next to me. As soon as he saw me, he got up and kissed me hard.

'You're okay,' he whispered, tears streaming down his face.

'I am now,' I replied, hugging him hard.
There was no one else inside the Infirmary.

'Newt, what happened?'

'It's complicated,' he began. 'You got stung, and Minho immediately shot you with the Grief Serum. He tried to carry you back, but he couldn't bring you all the way. The Doors began to close, and Rita and I went in. The three of us spent the night out there.'

'How did we survive?'

'I have no idea. We just couldn't leave you out there. We hid you under some ivy, and hoped they would find you if we didn't make it.'

I couldn't believe they'd risked their lives to save me. But I would've done the same thing for one of them, without hesitating.

'You're both okay, right?' I asked.

'Sort of. Rita is very traumatized. We went to hell and back.'

'I don't know what to say. You guys knew you probably wouldn't make it.'

'You'd do the same for us.'

'Newt, I love you.'

'I love you too,' he replied. And this time he meant it.

He laid down next to me, holding me in his arms. This time it wasn't the crazy passion and desire we'd felt. It was love.

'For how long have I been like this?'

'Two days.'

'Nothing new?'

'Nothing. Minho and the Runners kept exploring the Maze, but Rita and I didn't go out anymore.'

'I want to go out there,' I said.

'I was expecting you to say that. What did you remember?' he asked me.

'My mother. You.'

'Me?'

'Before we got here. Newt, this is an experiment. We're here for a purpose. Sun flares scorched the Earth, and the human race almost faced extinction. As if that wasn't bad enough, a disease that destroys the brain and makes people loose their humanity, basically turns them to animals, haunted the survivors. They call it The Flare. The only hope there is are the Immunes. They are being tested by W.I.C.K.E.D. We are them, Newt.'

'Wow. But why?' He asked.

'They are trying to find a cure. And they're using us for that.'

'Sacrificing us for a greater good.'

'That sums it up. You and I, before this started, we were best friends. And then there's this boy, Thomas, and a girl, and I think they're part of this.'

'What are you talking about?'

'I had this dream, the morning before I got stung. Thomas and this girl were saying goodbye to each other, how they had to do it. And in my memories they appeared again, and she said they would come back for us.'

'I've thought about a lot of theories, but never anything like that.'

'Neither did I. We should tell the others. What time is it?'

'It's about 12 o'clock. Let's talk with everyone at dinner. And your mother?' He asked.

'Newt, I was about to let go, but my mother spoke to me. She told me to be strong. Maybe she's still alive.'

'Maybe,' he told me.

We stayed there, not talking, just being.