ᵗʰʳᵉᵉ 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 ⁿᵉʷᵗᵐᵃˢ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

Danger Zone

NEWT POV

When I wake up, my head is throbbing. I groan and try to sit up, but Thomas pushes me back.

"Oh no, no, no." He says. "You are staying put."

"But we have to go!" I cry. "I can't just lay here, Tommy!"

Olivia's head pops into view. "Hey, Newt." She says, her face serious. 

"Hey, Olivia." I say. "Can you please make Tommy let me up?"

Olivia thins her lips. "No." She says. "You don't get to sit up."

I roll my eyes. "I'm fine, really!" I say. 

"You were shot, shuck-face." Thomas says. 

"Thanks." I say. "I had no idea." 

"Don't be a smartass." He scolds. "You can sit up, but don't stand." 

I sit up, my head hurting worse. I bite my lip to keep from making any noise. I try to move my arm. This time I can't help but cry out. Thomas kisses my forehead. 

"Don't move your arm, Newt." He says. 

I look at him indignantly. "I can take care of myself."

Thomas sighs. "Newt..." He shakes his head. "Fine. Stand up. Move your arm. Whatever. I give up." 

I push myself up with my good arm. My stomach swoons. I can feel my heartbeat in my arm. I groan. I fall against Thomas. 

"Ugh, sorry." I say. "I'm alright."

Thomas grabs my hands. "Newt, you're not alright. Please, just lay back down."

"Laying down is bloody boring, Tommy." I say. 

I release his hands and stand on my own, my legs shaking. Olivia and Thomas watch, arms folded across their chests. I try to take a step but fall to my knees.

"UGH!" I shout. "Why can't I walk!?"

"Blood loss." Olivia says, leaning in front of me. "Makes you weak."

"I'm not weak!" I say. 

Olivia glances at Thomas. "Help." She says. 

Thomas puts his hands on my shoulders from behind. "Alright, Newt, you clearly can't walk, but, if you really want to keep moving, I'll help you."

"I can walk." I defend. "If you give me a bit to practice."

Thomas sighs. "Okay then." He says. "Go walk over to that wall." He points across the room. 

I rise to my feet. I press my palm against the wall.

"Cheater." He says. 

I glare at him, taking it off. My legs are shaking really bad. I take another step. Nausea envelopes me. I take deep breaths. I make to the wall, but fall against it, panting, struggling not to throw up. 

"S-see." I say. "I did it."

"Newt, you look awful." He says. "And that was only like, 20 feet." 

I groan. "Come on! We can't stay here!" 

He walks over to me, pulls me to my feet and hugs me. "Yes, we can." 

"Tommy, let me go." I complain.

"No." He says. 

I sigh, but give in and hug him back. 

"You suck." I say grumpily.

"Love you too." He says. 

I sink back against the wall and Thomas and Olivia sit next to me. 

"I hate you slintheads." I say. 

Olivia chuckles and Thomas kisses my cheek. 

"So, when are we going to leave?" I ask.

"In a couple days or so, when you can walk without throwing up or falling to the ground." Thomas teases. 

"Shut up." I mutter indignantly. "I don't want to stay here, Tommy." I say.

"I know." He says, actually sympathetic this time. "But we can afford to do it. It's alright."

I rest my head on his shoulder. "Getting shot sucks."

Thomas chuckles. "Yeah, I know."

"Be glad you don't know, Livs." I say, messing up her hair.

"Hey!" She giggles. 

"My arm hurts." I complain. 

"It should." Thomas says. "Lemme see it."

I put my injured arm in his lap and he undoes the bandage. I don't look. I can't look at my own injuries. Instead, I watch Thomas's face. He looks concerned.

"That face scares me." I say, my heart beating faster. "It really scares me."

He rearranges his face and bandages my arm. "No. Don't be scared." He turns to Olivia. "Can I talk to you?" 

"DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!" I shout after them. 

Brenda walks out of the room they enter. "Hey, Newt." She says, sitting down next to me, flinging her arm over my shoulder.

"Hey." I say glumly. 

"What's the matter?" She asks. "Other than your arm." 

"Thomas." I say. "He won't tell me what's going on. He looked at my arm and got concerned. Now he's talking to Olivia."

"Show me." She says. "I'll tell you." 

"I dunno, Brenda..." I say. "Tommy'd be mad." 

"Oh, don't worry about him." She says. "I'll deal with him." 

I reluctantly hand her my arm. She unbandages it. She gets the same face as Thomas.

"Brenda, what is it?" I ask.

"Thomas was right." She says, covering it back up. "You don't want to know."

I glare at her. "I'll look myself."

"No you won't." She says. "You hate your own blood." 

I purse my lips. "You suck. Go away."

Brenda leaves and Thomas and Olivia come back.

"Now tell me what the shuck is going on." I say forcefully. 

Olivia sits next to me. "Last time, Newt, but show me your arm." 

I hand her my arm. "Why don't you two just bloody keep it?" I grumble. 

"Oh, shit." Olivia says. "Oh, this is not good." 

"WHAT!?" I shout. "Someone tell me!"

"I think..." Olivia says. "I think it's infected but...it doesn't look right." 

"What do you mean it doesn't look right?" I snap. 

"It's...the infection, it's nothing I've seen before." She says. "It's weird. This must be why it's so hard to walk. It's harder for you than it should be."

"Wh-" I think. "So am I going to die?" 

"It's possible." She says. "If I don't figure out what this is. If we can't find out how to get rid of it." 

Thomas stands, stone-faced. I stand, leaning heavily against the wall, Olivia having wrapped up my arm. 

"Tommy." I say. "Tommy, come here." 

He does and I wrap my arms around his neck. "I won't die, kay?" I say. "I promise."

He kisses me. I lean into him. 

"I'll be fine." I whisper. "I always am."

"I'll find a way, Thomas." Olivia says. "I promise."

Thomas nods, pulling away. "Okay." He says dryly. "Okay, I believe you."