Burnt; TDC ➵ Thomas [DISCONTINUED]

A3

[...]

HOT WATER gushed out of the shower head. Rat-Man had left informed Thomas that he had only 30 minutes to prepare himself. However, Thomas assumed he had already wasted 20 minutes just by standing under the flowing water.

A t-shirt and jeans, along with running shoes and fresh, soft socks were the only new clothes he was given. Thomas stood outside the door to the bathroom, leaning against the wall as he waited patiently for Rat-Man to return.

"Well, aren't you looking spiffy?" Rat-Man complimented. The edges of his mouth crawled up his cheeks in an uncomfortable-looking smile. Thomas wished to reply with a sarcastic answer but he stayed professional. "When do I get to see the other Gladers?"

"Right now," Rat-Man admitted. He gestured for Thomas to follow him. As they walked, Rat-Man informed him of what WICKED had planned for Phase Three of the Trials. Everybody's Phase Three was different - Thomas assumed that his was the white room.

Finally, they arrived at a door. He opened it without hesitation and stepped through. They entered a small auditorium.

Scattered among a dozen or so rows of seats were his friends - safe and presumably healthy. From where he stood, he could see Newt, Minho and Frypan, along with the Group B boys and Harriet, Sonya and Teresa. They seemed genuinely happy.

Thomas scanned the room not only for Jorge and Brenda but someone else. He knew her well enough to recognise her silhouette. Unfortunately for Thomas, she wasn't in the room. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when she wasn't to be seen.

"Well, I've been shucked and gone to heaven. It's Thomas!" Minho yelled. Thomas couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face as Minho's announcement was followed by hoots and cheers.

"At least you didn't bloody rollover and die, Tommy." Newt gave the boy a grin as he stood by his side. Minho pulled Thomas into the room, slapping him on the back and shaking his hand.

"The mighty Gladers. Back together again," Minho smirked. A hard glint in his eyes showed he'd been through an awful time. Thomas knew that he wasn't himself quite yet, but he was smart enough to know that Minho was just trying to act like it. "Good to see ya alive, shuck-face. I've imagined you dead in about a hundred different ways. I bet you cried every night, missing me."

Thomas snorted but chuckled. He was genuinely thrilled to see all his friends again. He just had trouble finding the correct words to express himself. Although he already knew the answer, he still asked the one question that was stuck in his mind over the four weeks.

"Where's Amelia?"

The grins from Minho's, Newt's and anybody who heard the question's faces faltered. Thomas assumed everyone had the same answer in his mind. They were all simply afraid to vocalise it.