𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍 & 𝐄𝐂𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐘-𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮

SEVEN

Vince and Jorge were waiting for us on the berg, along with the twenty-eight kids we had rescued. They didn't say anything as they watched us carry Newt's lifeless body onto the ship. Jorge had disappeared and came back with a sheet. We covered Newt and tucked it under his body and then Gally, Vince, and Jorge carried him to a different room.

In moments the bay door was closed and Jorge was lifting us into the air, flying toward the WICKED building. We all heard Teresa over the speakers and knew that's where Thomas had headed.

I tried to stay away from the windows, not wanting to watch as the cranks raged war on the city. Buildings were being blown up, people scattering towards what looked like an emergency escape berg.

I didn't feel bad for the people as they lost the paradise they created. I didn't feel anything for them. They thrived while people suffered and they never batted an eye. They could burn for all I cared.

Gally found me in the small washroom, the sink was running, the water falling over my hands. He didn't say anything as he took a bar of soap and washed my hands, but I felt his eyes on me. "What?" I looked up at him and his eyes looked so tired.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "It can wait."

I wanted to know what he was thinking, but was too tired to press him. He was right, it could wait. I dried my hands and leaned against him, my forehead on his chest. His arms immediately found their way around me and I couldn't hold back the tears as they fell.

I wanted all of this to be over. I wanted a moment where we weren't fighting for our lives or having to grieve over the friends we lost. I wanted it all to end.

There was commotion in the belly of the berg and I pulled away from Gally, wiping my face as he pulled open the door. I followed him out and saw that the bay door was open. Below us were buildings on fire, the heat reaching into the ship, suffocating. I saw Thomas and Teresa standing on the building directly below us, Minho and Vince reaching out for him.

Teresa was holding him up, trying to push him into the berg. He was hurt. The berg got closer to them and Teresa practically threw him in. Minho and Vince pulled him into the berg and then reached out for her.

She looked to her left, another building fell and crashed into hers. She gave us one last look and then she was gone, falling and disappearing into the smoke and fire.

I stared wide eyed. She had enough time. She could have made it on. Why did she allow herself to die?

The berg pulled away from the fires and the door closed. I heard someone calling my name and blinked, looking over at Minho. "You were a Med-jack, do something."

I kneeled beside Thomas and pulled up his bloody shirt to see a bullet in his stomach. I shook my head. "I've never done something like this."

"I have." Vince went to a compartment in the wall and pulled out medical supplies. "It's not gonna be the best, but it will get him to the Safe Haven."

The Safe Haven. It was all Vince talked about, getting us there was his main goal. And we were only some amount of hours from it.

I helped Vince with removing the bullet from Thomas and bandaged him as best we could. Blood stained the wrap, but it wasn't enough to cause alarm. Thomas would not bleed out on the ship. He wouldn't be added to our long list of losses.

I washed my hands again and sat against the wall in the belly of the berg. The other immunes sat around, waiting for us to get to our destination. Some slept and others just sat up, looking out beyond our mechanic surroundings. I didn't know what they went through while at WICKED, I wasn't sure what they were put through, but if I knew anything about the organization who excused their torture with the intentions of a cure, it was nothing short of what they put us through.