ᵗʰʳᵉᵉ 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 ⁿᵉʷᵗᵐᵃˢ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

A Hard Pill To Swallow

NEWT POV

I walk about 2 miles, numb to the world. Thomas has the Flare. I don't even understand how. How can you just take someone's immunity? I have to find a cure. But he was the shucking cure. How am I supposed to find a cure for the cure? Is it even shucking possible? 

I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to lie down and give up. But I can't. There has to be a way to save Tommy. There has to. I can't let him die. Then, I get an idea. I look through my bag and pull out a knife. I wonder if my blood could save him like his saved me. But I'm not immune. Still, maybe. 

I shouldn't have left him. I don't care if I get the Flare, I have to find him. 

I take the knife and press the tip gently into the top of my finger. One dot on dark blood comes out but it has a sheen that blood shouldn't have. It's a pale blue that sparkles when the moonlight hits it. I wipe the blood away on my sleeve. 

Now I have to find Thomas. It takes me till morning to get back to where I left him. He's still there. 

"TOMMY!" I shout, running over to him.

He looks up at me, his cheeks covered in dried tears. "Newt, I told you to go."

"I just have to try something." I say. "You have to trust me."

He sighs but relents.

"Give me your hand." I say. 

He does. I drag the knife across the palm of his hand. He cries out.

"Newt, ow!" He cries. 

Our eyes meet. It almost breaks my heart. 

"Keep your hand still." I say, struggling to keep my voice from shaking. 

I unwrap the bandage around my hand. I reopen the wound. I grab Thomas's hand and press it against mine. The pain threatens to make me black out but I ignore it. He gasps and shudders. 

"Newt, what are you-" He starts. 

I don't let him finish. I kiss him, intertwining our fingers. I pull away, pressing our foreheads together.

"There is no way in hell I'm letting you die, Tommy." I whisper. "And I don't know if my blood can save you like yours saved me but I will find a cure for you or I'll die trying." 

"Newt, I-" But then, something happens. 

His eyes flash blue and his skin goes cold. 

"Tommy?" I say. "Tommy, what's happening?" 

"I-I don't know." He says. 

He opens his mouth, presumably to say something more, but a blue mist comes out. 

"Oh my god, what the hell?!" I cry.

"W-why is it so c-cold?" He says. 

"I don't know what's happening!" I say.

My hands start to shake. 

"Tommy, are you dying?" I ask.

"M-maybe." He says honestly. "I do have the Flare."

Then, he jumps to his feet.

"Tommy, what the shuck?" I ask, standing too.

"I'm..." He looks at his hands. "Better?" He pulls back his sleeve. "Oh my god, I'm better. How the shuck am I better?" 

I can't help it. I throw myself into his arms. 

"I'm so so sorry." I whisper. "I should never have left you." 

"No." He says. "I asked you to."

"But I shouldn't have listened." I say, tears falling out of my eyes. 

"Newt, I'm fine now." He says, grabbing my face in his hands. "I'm fine. I didn't die. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?"

"I'm never leaving you again." I say. "Not even if you jump off a shucking cliff."

"Haven't you ever heard the saying that says specifically not to do that?" He says. 

I laugh slightly. "I'm glad you're not dead, Tommy. Really, really glad."

He kisses me gently. "I love you. Thank you for coming back."

"Always." I say. 

"Where are the others?" Thomas asks.

"I kind of abandoned them..." I admit.

He sighs. "Of course you did."

"I had to find you!" I defend. 

He chuckles. "Alright. Well, now that I'm...well, fine is a strong word, but now that I'm better, we should go find them again."

I nod. "Yeah, probably." 

He starts to walk but I grab his wrist. 

"What is it?" He asks.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask. "And what was that mist coming out of your mouth? Why did your eyes flash blue? Why d-"

He puts a hand over my mouth. "Newt, I love you, but I don't have anymore answers than you do."

I blush slightly. "Right. Right, of course." I grab his hand. "Let's just go." 

After a few hours, we reach that building I left after going to look for Thomas. I see everyone in front of it but...there's more people than there should be. Then, a gunshot rings out. I drop Thomas's hand and sprint over.

The people who took us. It's them. 

"STOP RIGHT THERE, KID!" Someone roars.

I come to a stop. Thomas stops next to me.

"Thomas?" Aris says. "He did find you!" Someone punches him in the stomach.

"Shut up." They growl. 

"What the shuck do you want with us?" I ask.

The man with the shield emerges. "The same reason IMAT wants you. We need your help."

A/N: OMG I just- okay, this sucks. Sorry. It was also shorter than normal. Also sorry. Anyway, thanks for reading. Promise the next chapter'll be better.