Through The WICKED Scorch | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

43. Between ashes

I opened my eyes abruptly and sat up straight. Dazed, I looked around and realised that Newt had fallen asleep next to me.
"Well, have you come back from the dead?" someone asked to my left.
I whirled around on the floor. There sat Brenda, cleaning her rifle and smiling wryly at me.
"I should have asked you that before, after your little trip to the realm of the Cranks," I stated sarcastically, smiling back.
"Headache?" she asked as I grabbed my throbbing temples.
I nodded.
"Like I've been punched in the face."
"I can imagine. Must be exhausting getting your memory back."
Confused, I looked at her. "How...?"
"You were talking in your sleep. I listened a bit."
Okay... What did I say?
"Where are the others?" I asked now.
"They're running all over the place. Cleaning up, seeing what can be saved and covering up the bodies. It was quite a fight tonight..."
And that's when it all came back to me.
"Teresa betrayed us."
"That girl is quite annoying if you ask me. Was she your friend?"
I shrugged. I had no idea what to say to that.
"Used to be..." I muttered.
"Then she must have changed quite a bit to her detriment," Brenda stated dryly.
"I think I've changed, not her."
"Well, you've changed for the good then, I guess."
"Minho..."
"They took him away... You really fought tooth and nail against Vince not letting them take you too, if I'm honest. Almost went wrong with the whole thing."
"But it did go wrong. WICKED has Minho. We have to get him out of there!" With those words, I was on my feet, even if I was still swaying a little as I did so.
"Hey, take it easy! What are you going to do? Run after the Berg? It's been gone for hours. And even if you knew where they took him, what are you going to do against a whole organisation?" She was still sitting cross-legged on the floor.
I spun in circles several times as if looking for a way out. Then my eyes caught on Newt, who was curled up on the floor, snoring softly.
"What about him?" I asked Brenda.
"He's asleep. He's tired, I think we should let him rest. Come on, you over-motivated, let's help the others first. Then you can figure out what we can do about these assholes."
She had reassembled the rifle and stood up.
"Does that mean you'll help me?"
"It means I'll do everything I can."
With those words she motioned for me to follow her and walked over to a pile of rubble nearby, half of which was still burning now that the sun was beginning to rise again. With one last look at my sleeping boyfriend, I followed her and together we began to search the rubble for anything useful.

"You're awake..."
I turned over and Fry Pan took me in his arms and hugged me close. I closed my eyes and returned the hug.
"I thought they were really going to take you, klunk."
"They took Minho, Pan..."
"Yes, I know. I know..." His voice broke, as did mine, and when we broke away from each other again, I saw tears in his eyes.
"Anna..." Thomas had stepped up beside us and was now hugging me, too. I held him tightly and felt silent tears running down my cheeks again now.
"What are we going to do, Tommy? We can't abandon him after all.... We promised him, at the mall."
I felt Thomas nodding at my shoulder, on which he had rested his forehead. But he remained silent.
We let go of each other and continued cleaning up. Fry Pan and Thomas helped to carry covered bodies together. I realised that Harriet had also managed not to be captured. She smiled weakly at me as our eyes met.
At some point Newt woke up and joined us to help as well. Before carrying a body to the side with Jorge, he stood in front of me, took my face in his hands and kissed me. Then he looked into my eyes and nodded without saying a word. We understood each other silently. He was with me, that was what mattered most.
It would always be the most important thing.