𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒, tmr x tw | ✓

16: Fine and Fin

(fin = 'end' in French)

Thomas's lying on his back, breathing heavily. He's been like this ever since they injected the 'potion'.  He's been going in and out of consciousness the whole time but he hasn't been capable of really waking up or saying anything. This time he opens his eyes, though, he can. 

His eyes fly open. Despite his whole body protesting against it, he sits up straight.

"Guys, he's awake," says Melissa. 

"Newt-" says Thomas, feeling out of breath. He mumbles: "'s he 'kay?"

"He'll be fine, don't worry," she replies quickly. "Just breathe." Her saying this makes Thomas realize he hadn't sucked in the air again after his question. He does so before his head internally explodes.

"What happened?" he asks silently. "How long have I been out?"

"A few days," she replies. Minho, Fry, Gally, Jorge, Brenda, and Scott walk inside of the room.

"How are you feeling?" asks Brenda.

"Honestly, I don't know," he replies. His feelings aren't the nogitunes anymore, but are they his now? He feels nothing and everything at the same time.

"I'm glad to see you awake, shank," says Minho. According to the bags underneath his eyes, he hasn't slept a lot in the past few days. Maybe weeks.

Scott sits down next to him as some of the others sit down, too.

 "I can't hear him anymore," he states, his voice breaking, tears threatening to spill. Tears of relief. When he can no longer keep them close to his eyes, they roll down his face. He wipes them off his cheek but it's no use. New ones keep streaming down.

"Thank you," says Thomas. 

"Of course, man," says Scott. It's quiet for a while.

Minho stands up and sits down on Thomas's bed. He hugs him tightly. And he needed that so much. They both did.

"Thank you, Minho," says Thomas. Thank you for everything: for helping to save me, for not hating me, for shutting me up when the nogitsune talked about those damn scars on my body.

"You don't need to thank me," says Minho genuinely. "You would have done the same for me." And he's right. Thomas would do anything for his friends.

★

After another while of being inside that same room, he can finally leave. He can go see Newt.

"He's in the second room on the left," says Melissa, flashing him a warm smile. Minho left to get them some food.

"Lizard?" says Thomas as he walks through the door, briefly stopping at the doorframe. 

Newt looks away from the window, towards Thomas. "Tommy."

Thomas looks at him as he feels his eyes getting glassy. Thomas can't ask 'Who hurt you?' and go kill that motherfucker, because he's the motherfucker that hurt him, and killing himself would mean everything had been for nothing.

Newt seems to sense his frustration and feelings of guilt.

"I'm okay, Tommy," says Newt. "It's not your fault."

"Can I see it?" asks Thomas carefully, meaning his ribs. Hesitant, Newt lifts his shirt. His ribs are a dark purple, red color. It looks a little swollen and it looks painful.

"I'm so sorry, Newt." He forces his tears to stay inside. He shouldn't cry now, right? It's not his ribs that were broken by someone close to him. His ribs are just fine. He's just fine.