❛Until the end❜ - Minho

Chapter 20

----

The woman- who Rose soon learnt went by the name of Mary - told them all about how WICKED used them, the youth, to harvest and produce something of a cure; all while making that exact cure with a mix of Thomas blood and chemicals. She poked the needle into Brenda's arm and pushed the liquid into her body.

"How long will that give her?" Thomas asked.

"It's different for everyone. A few months maybe. But that's the catch, isn't it? She'll always need more," She turned to Jorge, "Let's go outside, let them rest."

Jorge exited the tent but before Mary left, she added, "Thomas, you know she can't come with us, right?"

As she left, Rose patted Thomas on the shoulder and followed her out.

"Wait!" She exclaimed and Mary turned around, "How... how do you know me?"

"Oh, I've known you since you were a baby," Mary laughed slightly, "You were the first to go into the maze, right?"

"Yeah... with Alby," Rose said.

"Oh, yes, Alby. I..." She hesitated, not knowing if she should tell the girl what she knew, "I knew your dad... through work."

"With WICKED," Rose finished, wincing slightly.

"He was Janson's right hand man," Mary placed a hand onto her shoulder, "Well, that was until..."

"Until what?" She asked, eager to know what happened to him.

"He found out they put you into the maze and he just... cracked."

"So he's..."

"Yeah, he's gone," Mary sighed, "I'm sorry."

Rose didn't know what to say so she just sniffed and replied with, "I'm gonna go to my friends now... thanks."

"Wait," Mary stopped and grabbed some clothes from the nearest tent, "It's going to get dark soon, you better get changed into something warmer."

She nodded and took the fabrics.

----

"I swear to you, this is the most comfortable I've ever been," Rose pulled the arms of the maroon sweater over her hands as she sat down next to Minho. She rested her head on his shoulder with her legs huddled against her chest and looked off into the distance. Thomas soon joined the four of them on top of the mountain.

"I wish Alby could have seen this," Rose muttered, taking a deep breath.

"And Winston," Frypan added.

"And Chuck," Thomas stared down at the wooden figure Chuck gave him.

"He'd been proud of you, you know, Tommy," Newt said, looking down at Thomas.

"Yeah..."

"Hey Aris!" Frypan shouted down to the boy who was talking to the two girls, Sonya and Harriet.

"Hey, guy!"

"I kinda like that kid."

"Yeah. I still don't trust him, though," Minho joked and they all laughed. 

"Hey, where's Teresa?" Thomas asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Rose wiggled her eyebrows at the boy.

"She went up there," Newt answered, pointing to another cliff with Teresa standing close to the edge. Thomas made his way up the cliff and left the four to themselves.

"Alby would've hated it up here," Rose laughed, ignoring the tears that threatened to spill, "He was always afraid of heights."

"Really?" Minho exclaimed.