"i'm sorry," he said. "it's my fault this is happening to you."
"We'll find a way," she repeated.
When Thomas falls in love with an immune, will he be able to let her go and send her up to Group A?
All rights go to the brilliant author James Dashn...
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the next day, ben was put in the slammer. alby held a gathering and the decision was unanimous; ben was to be banished later that day. emmett was a keeper, but he didn't attend the gathering because he knew he would be outnumbered in the vote so he spent that time with ben, talking to him through the bars of the slammer.
the gladers carried on as usual, doing their jobs like nothing was wrong, but everyone felt like a dark cloud was looming above, bringing uneasiness on them.
hayley hung out with newt after working in the gardens. neither of them said anything, but somehow the presence of each other was enough. they made their way to the kitchens but didn't eat anything, instead they sat at one of the tables. newt reached over and brushed aside her hair to take a look at the stitches on her forehead. "do they hurt?" he asked.
"no," she shook her head. her voice sounded hollow in her own ears.
newt looked up at the sky and stood up. "we should head over to the east doors."
she didn't have to ask what he was talking about. it was time for ben's banishment. she stood up and walked alongside him, but halfway to the doors she stopped and shook her head violently back and forth. "no," she choked. "i can't watch. . ."
newt wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried into his chest. she didn't know ben long, but what was happening was terrible and horrifying. she couldn't watch it happen. "go to the homestead," he said. "i'll come find you when it's over."
she nodded and hurried away.
newt watched her go before slowly turning around and going to the east doors. attendance was mandatory during banishments, but he couldn't force hayley to go, he just couldn't do that to her. he wished he could've gone with her but he was second in command and needed to be present during banishments.
during the gathering, newt didn't say anything, even when they asked him for his vote— he refused to give one. he didn't like the idea of banishing someone, in fact he hated it.
