Storm Clouds// newtmas fanfiction

Chapter: 15~ Always a runner

Thomas watched Newt for hours, even when Mrs Wright came back at about 1 am. Being the polite boy he was, he gave up the seat to her and sat on the ground. That meant after nearly four hours on the hard plastic floor, Thomas' ass had gone completely numb. Also, the exhaustion that hadn't been fulfilled in the couple of hours he'd been out cold only made him feel worse.

So bad, that he even considered leaving and going home to rest. But that was out of the question, so instead Thomas stood, startling Newt's mom in the process. He shook his legs out and rubbed his thighs to get the blood pumping back into them.

"I'm going to get some air and maybe stretch my legs. I might be a while." Thomas said as he glanced at Newt still peacefully sleeping, the only sounds were the steady beep of the heart monitor and the fluids dripping from a couple of bags.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, stretching your legs, you look shattered." Newt's mother asked with genuine concern.

"I'll be fine. Plus, keeping moving should keep me awake."

Mrs Wright didn't say anything, just looked back at her son with a sad expression. Thomas looked at Newt again then turned towards the door. He grabbed the cold metal handle, the click that signified it had unlocked sounding like a small explosion in the near silence, and pulled the door open as quietly as possible. He stepped out of the room and silently closed the door behind him.

He scanned the hallway for people walking about but all he saw was a nurse collecting items from a storage cupboard. Ignoring her, Thomas strode in the direction of the stairs. He was desperate to get outside now. The air felt too hot and stuffy and the smell of antiseptic clogged his nostrils. The sickness that had disappeared after he'd passed out had returned, making him feel even more exhausted.

He dragged his feet down the steps, with his head dipped, which only caused him to tumble down a few. Luckily, he caught himself on the handrail and continued at a constant pace, his heart jack-hammering against his ribcage. Once at the bottom, he ambled through the corridor and into the reception, that was still very empty.

Rushing outside, Thomas sucked in a deep breath. The cool morning air rushed into his lungs and instantly calmed him while the wind danced around his tired body. The breeze had picked up in the last few hours so that it ruffled Thomas' clothes and whipped his dark hair into his face, as he kept gulping in deep breathes.

The sky was a dark purple but mixed with light pollution as dawn tried to claw its way out of the long, painful night. A thick layer of cloud also covered the atmosphere and at first, Thomas panicked. The fear of what had happened the day before still too fresh on his mind, that the storm from hell was about to release its anger again.

However, Thomas knew he was being ridiculous. The storm they experienced was an abomination, an anomaly. It shouldn't have happened. And even though it had, there was more chance of being mauled by a shark (even on dry land) than the same kind of storm and its effects happening twice.

Still, he was on edge.

Instead of getting worked up about it, Thomas kept pulling in breathes and headed in the direction of the carpark exit. He didn't really know what he was doing, he just needed to keep moving and to be on his own for a while. Seeing Newt hooked up to machines as if he were nothing but a soulless part of its workings really put a strain on Thomas' fragile mind.

Once he'd left the carpark, Thomas began to jog. His legs felt loose and floaty from not moving but with each step, he became more and more grounded. With each step, he felt a weight lifting, either from his heavy heart or from his worked up mind.

This was why he ran.

To escape the horrors and complete boredom of everyday life, even for a few minutes. It was the reason he was so good in the first place. His childhood wasn't difficult just complicated, with his father leaving and coming, his mother crying nearly every night and his little brother, Chuck, cracking jokes to hide the pain he was going through as their parents argued.