All That We Are | NEWT (tst)

Nine | THE UNKNOWN

Night Three

The rest of the journey to the med lab was spent in relative silence, the only sounds their frantic footsteps echoing off slippery floors and their harried breaths as they fought to keep the oxygen in their lungs without slowing, without stopping.

The shouts of the guards were everywhere – the one that Minho had taken out must have had just enough time to shout off a warning, a location, because not even three hallways away Ada had heard the rush of movement that told her if they didn't move quick, they'd be screwed.

Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs the deeper into the bowels of the facility they got, and she tried without success to recognise any hallway, to gain any sense of where they were.

They slowed at last in front of a door, and one cursory glance at the surrounding exits told her this must have been the other side of the medical wing, the entrance they had been ushered past and not allowed into.

She hadn't questioned it at the time, had been completely oblivious to the red flags the facility had waved in her face.

Crawford pushed the door open a crack, just enough for her face to be visible, and there was barely a moment for the doctor on the other side to process her arrival before Thomas was bursting into the room, waving the gun around as if he had the slightest idea of how to wield it.

Ada watched him for a moment, baffled, before movement behind her spurred her forwards.

"Get back!" Thomas ordered, ushering the doctors into the corner of the room. They were stammering and cursing, voices falling all over each other, but Ada didn't bother trying to make out what they were saying as she scanned the room eagerly.

It was a relatively small space, lined with cabinets full of needles and glass shelves with various bottles on them. There was a curtain separating one section of the room from the other, right by the large window that she knew was one way and overlooked the larger medical suite they had all been examined in beforehand.

There were several scalpels sat unattended on the shelf right by her, and Ada reached forward to grab the largest one, her fingers itching for some sort of weapon.

It was a poor replacement for her dagger, but the cold of the metal against her palm was more than welcome and provided that blanket of security she had felt every time she felt the brush of her blade at her waist in the glade.

"Where is she?" Thomas demanded, looking angrier than she had ever seen him. "Where is she?!"

The doctor closest to them dropped his tray in fright as Thomas aimed the gun directly at him, glass shattering at their feet as liquid seeped into the ground. A fresh vial of blood cracked and spilled, an angry red blossom on the stone.

The doctor squeaked, barely hesitating before he pointed a shaking hand at the curtain. Ada moved towards it instantly, tearing the thin fabric back, eyes immediately landing on the still figure on the bed.

"Thomas," she waved him over frantically, already reaching to check Teresa's pulse, barely aware of Thomas thrusting the gun at Minho behind her. She let out a sigh of relief when her fingers were met with a strong rhythm.

"Get over!" Minho snapped, shoving the doctor towards the others. Ada glanced up briefly and spotted them all cowering in the corner, on their knees, before she turned back to Teresa. She was completely unconscious, despite the blaring of the siren still screaming its vengeful tune. "Get down!"

"Teresa," Thomas murmured, voice soft and gentle as he cupped her face.

Ada had the sudden and rather revolting feeling that she was interrupting something, but didn't move away as she reached down to shake the other girl's shoulder. "Wake up sunshine," she said hurriedly, flicking the skin exposed by her white tank top. "We gotta go."