Scorched // Thomas (The Scorch Trials)

XV

The two of them sat as they watched Brenda's sleeping form. Thomas slipped on a jacket and noticed a locket under Brenda. He picked it up and saw a photo of a boy and showed Ariella.

"He was my brother." Brenda said.

"Hey. Sorry. Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"You two remind me of him. You especially." Her gaze shifted to Thomas. "He always saw the best in people."

"Where is he now?" Ariella asked softly.

Brenda met the blonde's eyes. "I don't know. When we were kids...we were taken in by one of WICKED's camps. They gave us a bunch of tests. They didn't want me. They wanted him, though. They didn't even let me say goodbye."

"What was his name?" Thomas wondered.

"George."

Ariella's breath hitched as Thomas answered, "That was Chuck's." He gave her the figurine.

"How did he die?"

"Saving my life."

Ariella stood up and smiled. "Get some rest, okay?"

Brenda looked to Thomas and said so only he could hear, "You should ask her out."

Jorge walked up to the two of them and hugged them. "Hermano. Hermana. If anything were to happen to her, I..."

"I know, I know." Thomas interrupted. "You should get in there. Go talk to her."

"I guess I owe you two now."

Thomas and Ariella walked up to where Newt, Frypan, and Minho were seated. After a moment, Newt said, "I wish Alby could have seen all this."

"And Winston." Frypan said.

"And Chuck." Thomas added, fingering Chuck's figurine.

"He'd be proud of you, you know, Tommy. You as well, Ariella."

"Yeah." Thomas said.

"Hey, Aris!" Frypan called.

Aris looked up. "Hey, guys!"

Frypan smiled. "I kinda like that kid."

"Yeah. I still don't trust him, though." Minho said, though Ariella suspected he was teasing.

She frowned. "You guys seen Teresa?"

Newt pointed to the ledge behind him. "She went up there."

Ariella and Thomas walked up to where Teresa was and Thomas asked, "Hey, you okay?"

"What are you doing up here all alone?" Ariella added.

"Just thinking." Teresa answered.

Thomas nodded, taking Ariella's hand. "Alright, we'll let you be alone."

Teresa's voice stopped them. "Do either of you remember your mother?"

"I think so." Thomas answered.

Ariella shook her head. "Not exactly. I mean, I know who she is, but I don't really remember a nurturing side to her."

"I remember mine." Teresa said, turning to face them. "She was a beautiful woman. Everybody loved her. And before WICKED, she was all I had. When she got sick, I didn't know what to do. I just kept her locked up. Hidden. I thought she'd get better. Everynight, she'd make these awful sounds, like screaming. And then, one night, she just stopped. She was finally quiet. I went down to her room. And there was blood everywhere. But she was just sat there, calm. She said she was feeling better. The visions were gone. She'd taken care of them. She took her eyes out, Thomas, Ariella. There are millions of people suffering out there. Millions of stories, just like mine. We can't turn our backs on them. I won't."

Thomas frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, I want you to understand."

"Understand what, exactly?" Ariella asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Why I did it." As soon as the words left her mouth, they saw headlights from planes. And soon, the engines.