Single-Blind - Newt (TMR)

Chapter 39 - Two boys, One Memory

My knees crumbled underneath me, sliding in the sand. My chest forgot how to take in air. Thomas came to my side first, since he was right behind me. I gripped onto his arm, trying to steady myself in reality. I blinked again, a firelit smile from Chuck as we danced flooded my mind.

Newt landed next to me, lightly grabbing the side of my face. I only realized now that my cheeks were soaking wet.

"Fi? Fi! Come on, it's gonna be okay." He consoled me. "It was the only way. Winston did it to protect us."

My mouth attempted to form words but I could only get their names out. "Gally... Chuck..." Newt's face broke into a softness, I noticed the other boys turn to look at me. "I remember them. I remember..."

"Shit..." Frypan's hand covered his mouth in aw.

"Oh, love." He caressed his thumb across my cheek, feeling comforting even though I knew it was wrong. I looked around trying to find a way to calm myself down but I felt too weak to do anything. I let out all the air in my lungs, letting my forehead fall to Newt's shoulder.

"Come on, guys. Let's give them a minute." Thomas requested unlocking his grip and leading the boys away. Aris glanced at me worriedly but still followed.

"If all my memories are like this, I don't know if I want to remember." I panted.

He ran his hand down the back of my hair, "No, no. Please don't say that."

I closed my eyes tighter to fight the headache, "I feel like I just watched him die all over again. I- I felt him in my arms."

"We never had a fairy tale. Life in the maze wasn't easy nor was it what we deserved. The glade was heaven and hell. I meet the most important people to me. I found a family and the love of my life, I wouldn't trade that for the damn cure. And I surely would not want to forget any of it."

"The love of your life? Did you lose her to the maze?" I sniffled, my chest feeling a break for Newt as well. Gally was my best friend, my twin flame. Maze or no maze I was sure we would end up taking on the world together. He was a brother to me.

He sighed, "I thought I did. WCKD has the tendency to wreck our plans. I made a couple of mistakes on the way, but she never gave up on me. I can't either. I have to get her back. I wouldn't trade a single day of not knowing her for a hundred without."

"Did I know her?"

"You did. She's the best of us. One of these days, I'll tell you all about her." He chuckled. "She would have told me I was incredibly cheesy right now."

"It was only like 60% cheesy. I'm sure she would have loved it anyway." I finally lifted my head up, giving a weak smile at him as a way of thanking him. Suddenly felt like I was trespassing at some point of a girl code. "That must be weird for you."

"You have no idea." He raised his eyebrows. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something but changed his course. "We should get going, we don't want to lose the group."

He helped me up, the awkwardness of the situation only increasing. He took my backpack, slinging it over his so I didn't have to carry it.

"You don't have to do that."

"It's fine, really," He corrected, "You're carrying enough baggage today."

After night fell and the chill rolled in, the fire was our only comfort. We all rested, all too tired and too hungry to do anything much.

"I thought we were supposed to be immune?" Fi questioned, putting together the pieces before the rest of us.

"Not all of us, I guess," Frypan said sadly.

"If Winston can get infected..." Thomas exhaled, "We should assume so can the rest of us.

"I never thought I'd say it... I miss the Glade." Fry admitted.

"And I miss your stew." Minho shined a little playful laugh into us.

Newt grinned, "That's because you didn't taste it in the beginning. It was bloody awful."

"Next time I get many hands-on some meat, cheese, and whatever the hell else I can find. You're not getting klunk." He pointed at me, brightening spirits with his idol threats.

Fi's eyes grew wider and out of the corner of my eye, I could see her lick her lips.  "Frypan..." She held her head, a paleness reaching her face at a dangerous rate, "It was like water with pig thrown in..."

We glanced back and forth at each other, stunned in our places.

Fry swallowed, testing out a small theory, "The fastest way to a woman's heart..."

"Is her stomach!" Fiona finished the line. "Fry! I remember!"

"What do you remember?" Thomas wondered quickly as she stood up.

"The stew, the bacon, the early morning breakfast. Trading extra moonshine for an extra scoop."

"No way..." Aris mumbled, in awe.

"How did you...?" I began to ask but she continued, letting the words come pouring out of her as the memories flooded back.

"No, no, no, Fry, remember that one morning. It was just before dawn and you had drank way too much moonshine the night before. I wasn't exactly sober either, but I was helping you before all the boys got up and I accidentally dropped an entire pan of bacon on the ground." She laughed hysterically, "You frantically helped me pick it all up and then told me it wasn't the first time it had happened and to throw it back on the heat for a few minutes."

"You swore to never tell anyone that!" He yelled, jumping at her, "Little shit!"

She jumped up, running through the sand and nearly falling. She ducked out of the way until he eventually caught up. Wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a bear hug. She laughed and we all savored the sound. It felt like forever since we all had time to be kids again. Even Aris grinned as Frypan let her down, "I missed your shank ass."

Thomas leaned forward, "Do you remember anything else?" 

"No... I don't." She sighed, her smile fading in the slightest, "But this is a good sign, right? That means it can come back?"

Fry rubbed her shoulder confidently. "Yeah, it might just take some time."

I got up and left the fire, needing some time alone. I looked out into the miles of nothingness. Running the past three days in my head. Everything we knew was gone, the maze chapter of our life was closed. We were all that was left. I didn't know how much more of this I could handle.