Disconnection • Newt • Maze Runner

18 - Marks & Revelations

"You mean, us? Or the Scorch?" He asked warily, a hint of sorrow lacing his words.

Aspen rested a hand on Newt's waist, pulling him closer. "The Scorch, Newt. Not us. We are the one thing is this whole fucked up mess that I am actually sure about. Please don't ever forget that."

Newt let out a breath of relief, his eyes closing for a brief second, as he placed his hand in Aspen's thick hair, running his fingers through it.

"You say that like we're about to be separated."

Aspen genuinely laughed this time. "You know I wouldn't let that happen."

"Corny, much."

"Shut up." He quickly placed his lips on Newt's before a gunshot wrong through the air, tearing their thoughts from each other.

"What the hell?"

"Winston what are you doing, man? Give me that!" Frypan's voice shot through the air as Newt and Aspen along with Thomas and Teresa rushed to the others.

"What's going on?" Newt asked while his hand lingered on Aspen's back.

"I don't know! He just woke up and grabbed the gun, and then he tried to..."

Shit.

Winston, retching up a thick black paste, leaned back into the sand. "It's growing." Was all he said as he lifted his shirt up. Aspen sucked in a shaky breath as he saw the boys stomach. "I'm not gonna make it. Please, please. Don't let me turn into one of those things."

New grabbed the gun from Fry's hand, handing it to Winston as a tear escaped his saddened face.

"Thank you. Now, get out of here."

Newt let out a trembling breath "Goodbye, Winston."

The group pressed on, Aspen walking with Newt, hand in hand. When the gunshot rang through the air, Newt rested his head on Aspen's shoulder. The boy wrapped his arm around Newts waist, holding him, comforting him.

By the time they'd found their next shelter, and built a fire, Aspen had begun to fall asleep, barely able to keep his eyes open. Newt took off his jacket, pulling it over Aspen as he kissed the boys cheek, oblivious to the faint smile that graced the boys face before he fell fast asleep.

"I thought we were supposed to be immune." Minho stated, partially a question.

"Not all of us, I guess." Teresa responded with a layer of sorrow flanking her words.

Newt turned to Aspen sadly. "If Winston can get infected, we should assume so can the rest of us." It pained him to think of Aspen becoming infected, becoming a Crank, it hurt his very being, his soul.

"I never thought I'd say it..." Frypan spoke through salty tears, flowing down his face softly. "But I miss the Glade."

By the time everyone was getting settled to try and catch some sleep, Aspen had awoken.

"You know, I don't know if we're gonna make it." He spoke in barely a whisper, to the boy laying beside him, an arm draped over Aspen's torso, holding onto the boys hand.

"What makes you say that?"

"I guess I'm just not as optimistic as the rest of you." Aspen closed his eyes, curling further into the warmth of Newt's body against his own.

The truth was, Newt wasn't sure they were gonna make it either, but he didn't want to tell Aspen that. He didn't want to add to the burden the boy must already feel.

Aspen worked for W.C.K.D. and though Newt didn't hold that against him, he knew how badly it must've pained Aspen to even think of what he'd done in the past.

Or his past at all.

Newt rubbed his thumb softly over the scars riddling Aspen's arms. The firelight lit them up, and as it slowly faded out, he watched as Aspen drifted off to sleep, to a place where his thoughts couldn't harm him.

Only Aspen's sleep wasn't a safe place. There seemed to be no escape from the thoughts that tormented him, day after day. Only, that night, was the first night since the night in the Maze, that Aspen didn't have any nightmares.

Newt was his safe place.

And as Newt eyed the scars going up the boys arm, he was surprised and relived, that another human being was capable of understanding how he felt. And he knew one thing, and one thing only.

He would never let anyone of anything hurt Aspen, ever again.