Through The WICKED Scorch | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

53. A hot shower

We reached the building and entered. I recognised a hall with high ceilings and doors branching off from it, probably into smaller rooms. Heath led us to one of these doors and opened it. A humid warmth came towards us.
"Hey, Heath, do you think we can get some fresh clothes from somewhere?" I asked.
Heath grabbed his head.
"Man, I totally forgot about that! Yeah sure, you can get some over there."
He pointed to a door on the other side of the hall.
"I'll leave you to it then. By the way, the women's showers are right next door."
He pointed to a door to the right of the one we were standing in front of, then nodded at us and disappeared with quick steps.
"Interesting personality," Jorge noted dryly, then made his way to the laundry counter. We followed him.
We picked up clothes and I made sure I got a pair of long trousers because I had been freezing ever since we escaped from WICKED. I also grabbed a thin, long-sleeved T-shirt and a jumper.
"Here," Newt said, holding out a jacket to me.
I smiled at him. "Thanks."
Together we made our way back to the showers. Once there, we parted and I followed Brenda through the door on the right. We were presented with a sight that made my heart beat faster. Five cubicles, each with a large shower, enough soap and towels on the opposite wall. I quickly grabbed a large one and a slightly smaller one for my hair and disappeared into a cubicle.
It wasn't long before I heard Brenda turn on the water next to me. She made a startled noise, but then started laughing.
"Oh my god, Anna. That's really warm!"
I turned the water on now, too, and felt a shiver run down my spine as the warm stream touched my skin. I couldn't help thinking of the moment when I had used warm water at WICKED for the first time in three years. That had been less than a week ago. Minho had still been with us and we had had no idea that we were still being held by them. It was just unbelievable what had happened in that short time after we had been in the maze for three years.
I showered extensively and hoped that it hadn't been the last time again for several days or even longer when I dried off. I had quite a good feeling about that, though. I quickly slipped into the fresh clothes and enjoyed the feeling of the soft fabric on my skin.
When I stepped out of the cubicle, Brenda was already standing in front of a sink and looking at herself in the mirror on the wall. I stood next to her and began combing my wet hair with a comb lying nearby. As I ran it through my hair, she eyed me in the mirror and I smiled slightly as it caught my eye.
"You have such beautiful hair," she said.
"Thank you," I smiled. "Why did you cut your hair?"
"It was easier that way. It can be quite dangerous out there if you have long hair. Once a Crank got hold of my hair. I had hair almost as long as yours before. After that, I cut it off when he almost bit me."
Speaking of being bitten.
"How's your leg?" I asked, stopping to brush my hair.
We both looked down her leg and she pulled up the fabric of her new pants. I could see exactly where the Crank had bitten her, but the spot was already starting to turn paler.
"It looks pretty good, I think. Thanks to Thomas..."
"And Mary," I added, thinking of the woman who had raised me among others - and was now dead.
Brenda nodded slowly.
"I don't know anyone who's been bitten and made it. But then again, she said it only gave me a few months."
"We'll find a way to help you. I promise you that. There's something about our blood that's different. And if Mary can make a serum from Thomas's blood, we can do it, too. Even if I have to knock on Ava Paige's door personally."
"You're crazy," she laughed now.
I joined in. "You're probably right, I won't do that after all."
Now I became serious again.
"But honestly, we'll get it done. After all, we have a few months. We'll think of something. You know I'm particularly intelligent." I tapped my head and again we laughed.
I looked at myself in the mirror and decided I had combed my hair enough. Then I looked at Brenda's reflection again.
"What do you think about growing your hair back now? I bet it would look really good on you."
She nodded. "I'll do that... Come on, the others are probably waiting for us."
And indeed they did. The three boys and Jorge were sitting on some crates outside the door, watching men who were in the process of moving crates similar to the ones they were sitting on.
"Well, how are you feeling?" I asked Newt as they got up and we made our way to our tent together.
"Better than before the shower for sure. And you?" he smiled at me.
"I'm much better. I hope we can enjoy this luxury all the time now."
"You said something!" Fry Pan interjected. "A shower like this is quite something..."
"Don't worry! You can shower as often as you like!" someone said behind us and we turned around.
Heath came up to us and grinned broadly.
"Here we go again..." Brenda muttered.
"Have you guys freshened up? Wonderful! Then you can tell me all about it now!"
"There's no getting around it, is there, Hermano?"
"Exactly! I want to know how my friends have been. And how you met."
So he accompanied us to our quarters and while we settled in for the night, we began to take turns telling our story.