~|Charge|~ Thomas

Chapter 40: The Dead Doctor

Before Linnea and the gladers stepped through the door, the one that showed the light, the way that they would be completely out, all of them shared a look of success, sorrow, and celebration. Success because they lived through it, sorrow, because they didn't all make it, and celebration, because they were out of the hold of the maze. Out of their home, out into the world beyond all they could remember.

Smiling a bit, Linnea looked over at the sweaty brunette next to her, and Thomas's head fell back, and he laughs. It's a delicious sound, sweeter than honey. It's a laugh of relief that Linnea joins in on, enveloping herself in his arms.  There was something in the way his touch sent shockwaves through her body that made her just say, "We did it. We finally made it." She tilted her head back, staring up into Thomas's eyes, and said, "Tommy, I love you."

"I love you too," he said, before slamming his lips onto her own. Linnea could taste the blood that was crusting around his lips, but she knew that he could taste hers as well.  Her own lips were dry, and unsettled, and yet Thomas kept on digging in deeper. His breath is warm on her lips, and soft to the touch, and it all sends butterflies to her stomach. It sends a warmth through her body that spreads through her cheeks and settles in her belly. It feels so good, but one touch of someone else that just HAD to ruin in stopped it all.

Teresa put her hand on Linnea's back, and she received an annoyed look, but Linnea knew that they should probably go through. The girl nodded and moved out of Thomas's clutch. Pain stabbed her calves as her feet slapped against the cracking pavement.

Carefully, they all start walking out, and enter into a steel hall. The florescent lights above them light up starting from one side and moving to the next, and all of their eyes trail along them, as if they hadn't seen any form of electricity before. They slowly walk along the hall together, one way, watching their surroundings, some of them because of them being cautious, afraid of something coming, others just curious, examining the place, unlike what they were used to.

They stopped when they reached a door, cleaner appearance than the rest of the hall. On the top of the door, flashed a green light, with the words spelling out, 'ENTER.'

"Seriously?" Frypan said, and some of the others almost stumbled out a laugh. It was too funny actually. They had to go through all of that work and the only escape they had to get through was a door marked exit?

Linnea carefully walked forward, but looked back first. On the faces of the gladers, sweat isn't just sheen on their faces; it drips off of them in beads. They had all worked so hard to get there, and there weren't many left. Behind her, was only Thomas, Minho, Newt, Frypan, Teresa, Chuck, Winston, Jack, and about two more. Only that many lived. They lost so many, and it was so painful to think about. Turning back, Linnea placed her hand on the cold door handle.

She presses down on it, and opens the door to reveal a room. There are bodies lying dead on the floor, a yellow light flashing. Carefully, they continue to walk through. There was blood on the wall next to the dead doctors that lie there, shattered glass and white sheets covering some bodies, with blood seeping out of their chests. Linnea held at her wrist, the band that had belonged to George still on, but was soaked with blood.

The room is eerily silent. They carefully walk into what seems to be a technological room. Sparks fly out of the lights above them, and dead bodies are scattered everywhere, things broken, the room clearly a mess, and all of the gladers were left to wonder what really happened there. Was there an attack, or did this happen on its own? Were they in danger as well, now, or was this all because of them?

Linnea walked up to the screens on one of the desks and sees a very familiar setting on them. The glade. "So they were watching us," Newt said next to her. "This whole time."