I ONLY EVER CARED FOR... [THOMESA]

CHAPTER SEVEN

The room exploded into chaos.

Thomas saw some of the girls from Group B start crying. He saw some of his friends Gladers motionless. All life gone from them.

They had the Flare. They were going to go crazy. Become Cranks.  

And Newt, who sat on his seat calm and smiling, was among them.

Thomas desperately wanted to say something. To try and ease the pain that he knew was hidden with that smile. Newt 'eyes didn't lie. He was broken.

Minho looked at Newt, Thomas understood that he was trying to keep calm. Minho opened his mouth but only air came from his mouth. It was over.

"What is that bloody look you shanks have there?" said Newt. The pain was clear. Life has taken away everything from him, Thomas thought. No, not life. WICKED.

WICKED had taken everything from them.

"Newt, I..." Thomas started but Newt broke him off. "No Thomas. There is nothing to say. I understand. And anyway it's better this way. I've bloody seen enough of this crappy world anyway, and have no desire to live in it. None at all."

Minho looked down, his hand on his lap, and sighed.

Thomas looked up to see The Rat Man trying to control the situation.

Teresa still sat on her own. No emotion on her face. Thomas almost wished that she had the Flare instead of Newt. But then he felt ashamed of the thought. She wasn't his friend and he hated her, but he couldn't wish such a thing to no one, not even her.

The Rat Man had everyone seated again. The room was still filled with people's muffled cries.

"Now, we know how you guys must feel" The Rat Man said "But not anything is lost. All the trials have been a success. We have calculate the blueprint for the cure."

He smiled. Thomas dared to believe.

"We have a cure".