nostalgia ✔️ | tough series bonus

↳ 4.2

THE NEXT TIME I saw Frankie, she was carried on Stephen's back.

Something's wrong, I thought immediately. But my head knew that we had no second to lose that my heart didn't even have time to skip a beat. My feet kept moving, my mouth kept yelling for my friends to hurry, and my eyes remained glued to our final destination. The Berg's thrusters had ignited and it started to lift off the ground.

I forced myself to run faster and fell into pace with Reggie, who was clearly keeping an eye on Newt, Stephen, and her.

When we finally reached the Berg, Reggie was the first to climb in. Then Newt, then me.

"Take her!" Stephen yelled over the loud whirrs of machinery.

I circled my hands around her left armpit, Reggie her right, and we pulled her up. I don't remember much since my mind was literally all over the place, but there was a quick blur of blood, red raw skin, and blackened tissues when she slid onto the metallic floor safely.

Reggie said something to me, but all I could think of was she was safe, and there were still a few others who weren't yet. Like Stephen.

Then Jacob.

Brenda.

Frypan.

Doug, Marc, and Dean were left dismantled on the ground, either by the Monster or the lightning strike. Ten Gladers left. Shuck.

Even after everyone alive was securely on board, the hatch didn't close. I stayed by the wide opening and watched their bodies getting smaller and smaller as the Berg flew higher, silently praying and paying my respect, until they were completely out of view. Then I turned around.

Frankie was the first figure I saw, sitting against the wall motionlessly.

"What happened?" I asked (in a demanding tone, though that wasn't my intention), crouching in front of her. Now that she had my full attention, dude, it was so shucking terrifying. Every inch of her exposed skin was either scratched, burnt, or covered in dirt.

Well, I'm sure I wasn't squeaky clean either, but man. The others looked a hundred times better.

"Lightning," she replied curtly.

I frowned, "I was struck by lightning, too. It wasn't this bad for me."

"It's fine."

"It's so not fine," Stephen, who was sitting beside her, retorted between his heavy breaths.

"Okay, it's not," she winced.

"What's next on the bloody agenda?" Newt spoke up.

"Just thought you'd like to eat something, maybe take a shower. Sleep." The W.I.C.K.E.D. guy (David) started to walk around the crowd of Gladers and girls. I felt a little tug on my hand and saw that Frankie was intertwining her fingers with mine, so I held hers back.

At first, I thought David was looking straight at me when he continued, "Maybe some medical attention. It's a very long flight, after all."

But it was Frankie. I mean, it had to be.

The Berg's door moved upwards as one of W.I.C.K.E.D.'s pawns holstered his Launcher and pulled out blankets after blankets from a hidden door. I was about to stand up and help Marie distributing them when something banged lightly against my left shoulder.

"Frankie?"

She didn't reply.

"Steve," I called out, not daring to move, "Is she asleep?"