The Memoriam Files: Hearts ✔

| Chapter 7, Lab rats or rebels

|We were just two kids thrown into the flames, we would never ever be the same

|Song: Art of war, We the kings

|||

Lisa's P.O.V.

Suddenly it was hard to breathe. While trying not to let the panic get the best of me I bit my lip, then turned around. We all stared in silence at Newt, waiting for his reaction. A weird grimace appeared on his face like he was trying to smile but couldn't. 'Slim yourselves,' he suddenly spoke. 'Slim myself? That old shank just said you're not immune to the Flare. How can you-' 'I'm not worried about the bloody Flare, man,' Newt interrupted Thomas. 'I never thought I'd still be alive at this buggin' point and living hasn't exactly been so great anyway.'

I couldn't tell if he was being serious, because the forced smile still hadn't left his face. It wasn't until Dawn gave him a hug that a pained frown appeared on his face.
'If you're cool with slowly going crazy and wanting to eat small children, then I guess we won't cry for you,' Thomas said once Dawn had released Newt.
'Good that,' the blond boy replied..
'Would you shanks stop trying to pretend this is funny,' I snapped.
They all turned to me, suddenly looking worried.
Taking a deep breath again I fought to find the right words. Opening my mouth, then closing it again I found myself unable to do anything.
Suddenly Newt walked forward and pulled me into a hug.
I froze by his sudden action but then slowly eased into his embrace. 'I'm sorry,' I whispered, my voice breaking and I hated myself for it.
'Don't be,' the Glader responded.

'I wanted to get that out of the way,' Ratman said.
Newt released me and we all turned to look at the man.
Dawn came standing next to me and gave me a weak smile. I took her hand, pinching her slightly to let her know I was here.
'Mainly so I could tell you myself and remind you that the whole point of this operation has been to build toward a cure. Most of you not immune are in the early stages of the Flare and I have confidence that you'll be taken care of before it goes too far. But the Trials required your participation,' Janson continued.

'And what if you don't figure things out?' Minho asked, voicing my thoughts.
Ratman ignored him and walked over to the closest bed. He reached out and took the metal mask. Then he started to explain how it all worked but my thoughts drifted away.
I wasn't going to do it anyway, not that I had a say in the matter. I took a shaky breathe. A part of me had never believed in a cure but now I couldn't help it but to hope that maybe something useful had come out of all those torturing, haunting moments. And I hated myself for even hoping it.

'...There are more rooms like these. I will call the names of those who will stay here,' Ratman said, breaking through my thoughts. He called a few names and no one said they didn't want it. So he nodded to them and gestured for the rest of us to follow him out of the room.

'Ah man,' Frypan's voice suddenly sounded from behind me as we crossed the halls. 'We can't let them put those things on our face, can we? I'd just be happy back in my kitchen in the Homestead, I swear I would.' 'You forget about the Grievers?' Newt asked.
Frypan paused a second, then said, 'They never messed with me in the kitchen, now, did they?'
I couldn't hold back a small smirk appearing on my face.
'Yeah, well, we'll just have to find you a new place to cook,' Newt said before grabbing Thomas, Minho, Dawn and me and pulling us away from the group.

We walked just a few feet behind them. 'I've heard enough bloody arguments. I'm not getting on one of those beds,' Newt whispered.
Minho reached over and squeezed his shoulder. 'Me neither, man.'
I nodded firmly, I might as well pretend I had a say in the matter. Maybe that way Ratman his true intentions would become clear. 'I'm with you guys.'
'So am I,' Dawn said, a strange tone in her voice that I couldn't place.
'Same here,' Thomas said, 'we'll stick around, play along and act nice, but as soon as we get a chance, we're going to fight our way out of this place.'