𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗧𝗛, gally (tmr)

Chapter Twenty One

A lot had happened since the Maze.

After Ada was dragged from Chuck and Gally's bodies, the Gladers found themselves in a helicopter, whisked away to a facility supposedly rescuing them from the claws of WCKD. She could still remember the moment she arrived inside: face still stinging with tears, throat scratched raw from screaming, mouth agape and parched for water.

And then she was separated from her friends. 

At first, she barely even registered the last fact. She was still in utter shock. No matter how many times she thought of it, she couldn't digest it; both Chuck and Gally, lying motionlessly in front of her, dead. Previously, they had been so full of life. 

Chuck, like a puppy, always willing to make you laugh or pull a funny - and sometimes a little carelessly harsh - prank on someone. The girl didn't want to accept that his life wouldn't go beyond the Glade. He was so, so young. 

Fuck WCKD.

And Gally. 

What was Ada supposed to feel about that?

No matter the person he had turned into when Thomas arrived, she was in love with him. He was a softie really. And he cared more fiercely for Ada than anything else in the world. Despite his refusal to accept they were leaving - and refusal of the invitation to join those going - she wanted a life outside the Glade with him.

But she never gained the courage to tell him that. And she was now facing the consequences.

When Ada finally got to grips with the fact she had been pushed into separate sleeping quarters from the boys, Teresa was taken from her too. Then, she was well and truly alone, just when she needed people the most. 

Days went by - she had no idea how many - but time became normal again when the Gladers burst suddenly into her room and whisked her away; having caught wind of the fact their rescuers from the Maze were actually WCKD.

They somehow escaped from the facility. Now set loose in the Scorch, Ada was caught up to the awful things Thomas and his new friend Aris had seen in WCKD. The group was firmly set against them - in particular Janson - and had to do everything to stay far, far away.

This led them to travelling to find the Right Arm. 

But when they finally caught sight of the mountains the Right Arm was allegedly set in, disaster struck. Winston collapsed, and later went berserk with a gun, revealing a dark infection crawling over his chest and taking over his entire body.

They said their goodbyes and left him with a gun.

That night, settled down in the desert in front of a blazing fire, it all came rushing back for Ada. Chuck jumping in front of the bullet meant for Thomas, Gally instantly being speared to the ground, and then the girl being ripped away from the scene before she could mourn either of them.

Everyone was asleep, except from her. At least, that's what she thought.

She sat with her knees tucked up to her chest and her hands raised just in front of the flames, feeling the heat raise from the orange and red embers. Her cheeks were tearstained, and her body trembling ever so slightly, trying to hide the small sobs that wracked her body.

She hadn't cried since it all went down, because she hadn't yet processed it. But now she was starting to.

Thomas wasn't yet asleep. He was turned away from the girl, lying in his sleeping bag with his eyes fluttering closed. He'd be lying if he said that the reason he wasn't sleeping was because he wasn't tired. He couldn't sleep because her crying broke his heart.