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" Thomas.. You know she can't come with us. Right?"
He rubbed at spot on his arm that only moments ago had extracted blood. Blood - Or better said, enzymes from his blood - that was now in her. That had eased her suffering so quickly. Like a snap of his fingers, her pain had dissipated.
Brenda was laying near still now, gentle in and out of her breathing steadied him watching the slow rise and fall of her chest of person deep in sleep. Unlike before.
He could hear the wheezing behind him, daring not to take his eyes off those in front of them giving attention to Brenda's declining condition. Only a little bit further, if she held on a little bit more it'd be okay. They could help her. That's the misguided lie he'd told.
Then it hit him, literally, she did. Crashed into his shoulder in fright he sprung Brenda collapsed like that. Jorge wasted not a millisecond of shock pushing them aside to grab his little girl.
Thomas's heart sank watching Vince approach her. It'd been their secret of sorts, she'd had him promise he'd say no such thing and well. He hadn't. Deep down the teen had figured she'd have told Jorge. Yet the man's distress and panic proved one key thing, she'd not done that at all.
When Vince had pulled out the gun he was certain he'd have lost her.
Not that he wasn't already. Mary's words played over in his mind as his eyes lingered on her again fixating on her breathing once more following the rhythm of it. She can't come with us.
Then maybe he couldn't go.
A few months, maybe. Couldn't he keep giving her more, and more of this not cure but somewhat a cure? If it was working right now, he had the right immune enzymes then why not.
That was a bit selfish, wasn't it? All because he didn't want to lose her too.
A small metal tin caught his eye glistening in the afternoon light streaming in the faded ten windows. It must have fallen from her pocket in all the ruckus of getting her inside the tent. Slowly he reached for it, careful to pick the item up without disturbing her rest. Cold to the touch he turned it over in his hands. Such a simple small tin with a hint of rust.
His thumb fiddled with the hatch, flipping it open. To be greeted with a crumble picture of someone, had to be around the same age as himself, rammed into the lid of the tin. Tiny seashell and some tiny plastic figurine. He stared at the odd capsule in his hand that Brenda had to have been carrying around with her.
"He was my brother" Brenda's voice shocked him enough he fumbled the tin nearly dropping it. As he gripped it tightly, shifting those rich brown eyes up to meet her there was a hint of a smile on her tired face. "Sorry" he stumbled out shifted closer to her as relief flooded his body. Lightness lifting him up. "Hey.." he mumbles at a loss stopping himself from reaching out like a fool.
He pressed the tin back towards her placing it beside on of her hands resting over her chest. "Are.." his eyes jumped around her face, "Are you okay? How do you feel" he didn't let himself stare down at the wounded human teeth that shouldn't ever settle themselves onto anothers skin like that.
Brenda turned the tin around in her hands, softly creasing the photo inside it. Ignoring the typical deathbed questions letting them lull into silence that only left him fidgeting. "You remind me of him" Brenda eventually said, not taking her eyes off the photo. Her voice was hoarse, he imagined her throat must have been parched. He mumbled about water reaching around the cot he was sat on for the bottle Mary had given him,
Brenda closed the tin as he returned back holding the bottle to her. There was a change in her demeanour now as he looked at her, saddened. "Always saw the best in people" she breathed in blinking rapidly. Thomas reached forward slowly, cautiously. Placing a hand to her head, her hair was still sticky with sweat her temperature still running high as he slowly encouraged her to sit up. He shifted over barely sitting on the edge of the cot with his arm and side supporting her up holding the water bottle up to her lips. She'd only had few sips before pushing it away, "I don't think I'll keep it down" she warned slumping back into him.
Thomas helped her ease back, instead settling himself onto the floor at her side. Brenda rolled uncomfortably onto her side to get a better look at him. "What was his name?" Thomas asked gesturing to the box still clutched firmly in her hand as if Brenda was using all of her remaining strength to keep hold of it.
A smile danced over her features, "George" her face seemed to light up at his name. Thomas on the other hand bit his tough that felt familiar. Felt like back at the maze, like a grave sign in the woods with that exact name. Like the name, Newt had mentioned of someone back in his era. But he couldn't bring himself to say it, instead "Where is he now?" he played dumb knew for now at least it'd work. If Brenda only had a few months ... why shatter her world anymore he thought.
Brenda pressed her face into the pillow closing her eyes a moment before she spoke, "I don't know" she sighed moving back up to meet his again. A subtle shake of her head.
"When we were kids, We were taken in by one of WCKD's camps." Brenda began on slowly. Taking in a deep breath slight smirk played at her lips, "They gave us a bunch of tests" raising an eyebrow at him. Test you'd done too was the implication. Then her smirk faded as the hard part he knew was coming settled, "They didn't want me." Thomas took a deep breath, "They wanted him though" The visual of the grave sight in the woods wouldn't leave his mind.
His hand reached out slowly, so tentivitly one could miss it his fingers brushed against hers. Silent question, I'm here if you want it, Brenda hesitated a moment he could feel the flinch of her fingers wanting to recoil but he waited, letting her set the pace as they brushed his own slipping her hand into his. He returned it with a gentle squeeze.
Brenda smooshed her face with the pillow once more, "They didn't even let me say goodbye" she settled on. Suddenly thought struck him, shifting quickly into his pockets with his free hand he could feel her surprise through their joined hands. Took a moment but his free one did settle on the small wooden figure.
Handing it across to her, "That was Chuck" he said as Brenda twirled the wonderfully carved figure around in her figures. Silence lulled over the pair as Brenda seemed to analyse the wooden figure checking every inch of it. It brought a slight smile to him watching her brain whirl away at it.
Then her eyes came back to meet his, "How did he die?" she barely asked above a whisper that no one outside of this secluded bubble they'd made would hear. Getting shot by Gally. Jumping in front of me who was going to get shot. None of us being quicker on the draw about Gally. All were options, but those all felt so loaded. "Saving my life" he came to say, relishing in the squeeze of her hand in his as she handed the figure back to him.
With Chuck settled back inside zipped up pocket he brought his arm up putting it around the top of her head, sitting his hand over her shoulder with a glance at her waiting for her to shove him off. When the girl didn't he smiled, a smile she mirrored in such a way his chest felt funny. "Get some rest" he had absent-mindedly rubbing up and down her shoulder with Brenda nodding her head in response. Slowly closing her eyes. here Thomas remained waiting for her breathing to even out again.