𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 - 𝘋𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘏 𝘊𝘜𝘙𝘌

23 ~ bliss

Lottie

The first time Newt had woken up after being hit with the Launcher was a nightmare. 

His eyes were black, emotionless, and hungry. Saliva flew from his mouth as he snapped in my direction, not an ounce of recognition in his eyes. I stood, watching, the hope draining from my body. My Newt was gone, and I wasn't sure if I could get him back. There was no guarantee that Annabelle would be able to help us.

I was alone with Newt when he woke up, as I requested. I wasn't sure what I was thinking – maybe I thought I could talk the Flare out of him. I soon realized I was wrong, and resorted to staring at him with my lip trembling, ready to run if his restraints gave out. He would kill me. The one person I trusted the most in the world. Or used to, anyway.

After a while, the door opened and a hand appeared at my elbow to guide me out. I let it, going quietly. I didn't want to see Newt anymore.

"Annabelle, remember?" The voice that went along with the hand said. Thomas. I nodded silently.

The Right Arm raid was tomorrow and we had no idea what to do with Newt during it. He could not be unsupervised, and he needed to be taken to Annabelle anyway. 

"He's your responsibility," said Vince with his big arms folded. He was preparing us for the raid while simultaneously trying to convince us to leave Newt on the street. All seven of us disagreed; he was coming with us, even if we had to drag him behind us in a net.

"I know he's my responsibility," I snapped at Vince. "I'll take care of him. We all will. You won't have to do a thing."

"If he attacks one of my men, he's gone," Vince warned. I didn't bother telling him that it wouldn't happen, because I wasn't so sure of that anymore. It seemed like I wasn't sure of anything.

"Is there a way we can make him calmer?" I desperately asked Jorge that night. "A serum, or pill, or something?"

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, and I looked away. I hated seeing pity for me from other people. "There is something... The Bliss. Infected people take it to stop the pain until they go crazy, but it keeps them calm too. I'm not sure how it would work on Newt though... he's very far gone." Jorge's head jerked up after he finished his sentence, as if he didn't mean to say it. 

I swallowed my tears and replied, "Can we try it? Please?"

He shrugged. "You can try. But you have to convince Vince, not me." 

In an instant I was running through the hallways of the basement, heading for Vince's office. It was late, and although many of the spies were asleep, Vince would be awake. I barged into the room without knocking, unafraid of the consequences. Luckily, he was only seated at his desk and looked up in exasperation as I came in.

"You know, I'm seriously convincing on throwing you out on the street along with your crazy boyfriend."

I gritted my teeth. "He's only crazy because of the Flare. But that's what I'm coming to you about – what if he wasn't crazy? What if he was calm, like he was drugged?" I raised my eyebrows, hoping Vince would catch on. 

"The Bliss," sighed Vince. "You want to drug him up while we're on the raid. Well I hate to break it to you, but the Bliss is expensive. Only the most entitled people in Denver are able to get their hands on it. I'm not about to waste resources on your boyfriend."

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and trying not to launch a stapler at his fat head. "Fine. The least you could do is tell me where I would find a stock of this Bliss. I'm getting some tonight whether you like it or not."