Scorched // Thomas (The Scorch Trials)

I

Thomas held Ariella's hand as the helicopter took them somewhere.

The helicopter landed outside a plain brown building. However, Ariella suspected it contained more inside than out. Once they got out of the helicopter, they were rushed into the building.

A weasley-looking man smiled and said, "You kids doing alright? Sorry about all the fuss. We had ourselves a bit of a swarm."

Thomas narrowed his eyes. He didn't trust anyone at the moment, and he wasn't the only one. All the kids were suspicious. "Who are you?"

The man turned to him. "I'm the reason you're all still alive. It's my intention to keep you that way. Now, come with me. We'll get you kids squared away. You can call me Mr. Janson. I run this place. For us, it is a sanctuary, safe from the horrors of the outside world."

A woman walked up and said something to Mr. Janson before silently motioning for Ariella to follow.

The woman led Ariella into a room and the girl sat in front of a screen. On the other side was a woman in a white suit with her hair in a tight bun. Ariella was given a plate full of food. She refused it for the time being, as she wasn't sure how her body would react. It'd been awhile since she'd had a decent meal.

She smiled at the girl. "I'm glad you're here. Tell me. Do you recognize me?"

Ariella shook her head and frowned as her mind brought her to one moment. The screen when they entered the building after escaping the maze. "You're Ava Paige. But you died."

Chancellor Paige smiled. "Blanks."

Before the Chancellor could say another word, Ariella interrupted. "Why did you put me in there? Where are my friends?"

"Your friends are fine. Janson is giving them a tour, as you know, and they will be suitably compensated with a bed and food. I put you in there to see how you would cope with the maze. I didn't want to, but it had to be done."

Ariella scoffed. "It had to be done. You couldn't have at least given me memory of Thomas?"

"You figured it out. The way one feels is incredibly powerful, and you didn't need your memories to figure that out."

It was at that moment that a brunette girl walked in. Chancellor Paige looked at her. "Hello, Teresa."

Teresa smiled. "Hello, Chancellor. You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Ariella, you may go now. Janson will show you to a shower, and then your room."

When Ariella re-entered her room after a shower, she settled down in a chair near the window.

Soon, a woman came and had the girl follow her to another room. The doctor held up a large syringe and Ariella's eyes narrowed. "What is that? What are you going to do to me?"

The doctor smiled. "A few vitamins, calcium, just the things you were deprived of out there."

"What vitamins specifically? I want to know."

"It's a little cocktail. It contains calcium, folate, and vitamins A through Z. Relax; I would never intentionally harm the Chancellor's daughter." The doctor took Ariella's arm and injected the cocktail. Almost instantly, Ariella felt better. "Doctor Crawford will be with you shortly."

Ariella sat staring at the white walls for what felt like hours, and finally, a dark-skinned woman entered the room. "I'm sorry about the wait. I'm Doctor Crawford. Let's check your vitals, make sure everything is as it should be."

Doctor Crawford looked Ariella over and after a few minutes, nodded. "Everything looks normal. You're free to go, Miss Paige."

"It's Ariella." The girl snapped.

The curtain was opened and Ariella noticed Minho running on a treadmill on the opposite side of the room. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Minho said, "Thomas left a few minutes ago. He should be back shortly. Um, Ariella, something's been bothering me. Did you know that the Chancellor was your mom?"

Ariella shook her head. "No, I didn't. And I wish she wasn't, because everyone is blaming me for being put in the maze. I had no control over it. I mean, she put me in the maze, too. Her own kid. That's pretty messed up, if you think about it."

Minho nodded. "Yeah. Listen, I don't blame you at all for that. None of us do. Okay? We formed a bond that no one can break, and not even you being the daughter of the Chancellor can change that, so don't worry. We got your back. Always."

Ariella smiled. "Thanks, Minho. I really appreciate that."