To The Shucking End

Chapter 32

Gally hadn't hesitated to be first to get his tag removed, the boy grunting as Teresa cut into his skin and Tanya watching so very anxiously as she bit her nails. The only solace she had was the feeling of Gally's gun in her hand.

The second he was done and pressing gauze to his neck, she was in his arms as Newt took his turn.

Frypan had gone next before it was Tanya's turn.

Gally was already reluctant to let her go, much less allow Teresa to cut into the back of her neck as he squeezed the handle of the gun in his hand.

The cutting into her didn't hurt nearly as much as the pulling out of the tag did. She let out a pained sound and she winced, and just like that Gally was on his feet, cocking the gun.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Thomas exclaimed as he pushed him back and Tanya held out her hand to stop him from advancing.

"I'm alright. I'm ok," she promised, Gally's jaw tense as he reluctantly handed over the gun to Thomas before marching over to Tanya and reaching for her hand, pulling her over to where he was sitting before. He gently sat her on his lap as he pushed her braid further over her shoulder before pressing some gauze to the wound.

Tanya was playing with his fingers that were on her stomach as Thomas took his turn in the hot seat and she tried not to wince at the pressure that Gally applied to her neck.

"I bet she fucking enjoyed that," Gally remarked as Frypan let out a pained grunt as he also pressed gauze to the back of his neck.

"You're probably right," Fry agreed before Tanya winced and Gally sat up straighter.

"Sorry, Tan, but I got to stop the bleeding," Gally said softly.

"I know," she groaned. "Doesn't make it hurt any less."

"Here, see if these fit," Newt said as he handed Frypan and Gally extra shirts.

"Thanks, Newt," Gally said before tapping Tanya's leg, a silent gesture for her to stand as he got a better look at the wound on the back of her neck. "I think you should be good."

"Thanks, Gals," she said as she cracked her neck from side to side.

"Here. You can use some of my shirts if you want a change of clothes. Tie them up or I can cut them down to length if they're too long," he offered, and she gave him a small smile.

"I'd almost forgotten what it's like having someone take care of me the way you do," she said softly before he leaned down to her ear.

"And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never forget again," he promised, and her face warmed with blush as she kissed Gally's cheek.

"This, right here," Tanya began as she tapped his chin with her finger. "This is the Gally I've loved all along and I'm so proud of you for coming this far and letting him see the light."

His small smile was bashful as he looked down at her, but he didn't get a chance to reply when he saw Thomas jump to his feet as he essentially ran away from Teresa.

"You don't believe me?" Teresa had asked as she stood to follow him, and Thomas turned to face her.

"Do you really fucking expect me to?" Thomas replied and you could see the pain in Teresa's expression, especially when Thomas continued with," You made your choice."

"Everything ok over here?" Gally asked as he walked over to Thomas' side.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're done," he answered.

"Come on, Tommy. Let's get you cleaned up," Tanya called as she held out her hand for him.

"Thanks, Tan," he said with a weak smile as he took her hand and let her lead him to a chair where she picked up a fresh piece of gauze and began cleaning up the blood that Teresa didn't get.

Teresa on the other hand was going for the scalpel that was left on the metal tray with the rest of the surgical instruments.

But before she could grab it, Gally's hand gripped her wrist tightly as he dropped the piece of gauze with Tanya's blood on it on the tray.

"Nice try," he said sarcastically as he lifted her hand up and away from the tray. "But by all means, give me a reason to fucking shoot you."

He grabbed her arm as he escorted her out of the room, but he didn't see the two pads of gauze she scooped up from the tray - one from Thomas and one from Tanya.

After Tanya finished up with Thomas, he moved over to the table where Brenda was to gear up as Newt pulled Tanya away into the corner.

"What's up? Are you ok?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine - well as fine as a Crank can be I guess," he said dejectedly, and she whacked his arm.
"Don't fucking say that. We're going to get you that serum and you're going to be fine. "

"You don't know that," he pointed out and when Tanya opened her mouth to retort, Newt promptly covered her mouth with his hand. "Let me finish," he said. "I know that all of you will do everything you can to help me, but Minho comes first. And if we don't make it in time.... I need you to be the one to make sure I don't Crank out."

Her back hit the wall as her lip trembled and her eyes threatened to fill with tears as she understood what he was truly asking her to do.

"Newt -you, you can't ask me to do that. I won't. Please, don't make me," she cried, and her words brought him more pain than she would ever know.

"I know it's unfair to ask this of you. But listen to me," he said as he took a step closer. "No one loves me more than you, I know that and you know that. So, there is no one I trust more to end my pain than you. Please. Please promise me. I don't want to become one of them. Please, Tanya," he begged as she started crying.

And the next words she said killed her inside.

"I promise."