Infinite (Newt fanfiction)

Chapter 18

Everyone was quiet until Alby dismissed them. Isabelle's eyes filled with tears and Gally thanked the ones who "had set him free".

When Alby walked past Isabelle, she grabbed his arm and looked up to him.

"You know I'm innocent," she hissed.

Alby shook his arm free and continued walking like he didn't hear her. Isabelle's tears fell down her cheeks and two boys, she didn't see who, lifted her from the chair and took her to the slammer.

Minho followed them. He waited until they were gone to talk to her. Her head was down and she wouldn't look at him.

"What do you want me to do? I can find a way to break you out of here..." Minho waited for her to give him instructions.

"Go. I just want you to go. If you try to break me out, where would I hide? And I don't need you getting banished too. So just go. Forget about me." Isabelle laid down with her back to him and let tears slide down her cheeks.

Minho was shocked. He tried talking to her more but she wouldn't respond. He had nothing more he could do than leave. He was helpless.

Isabelle sat in the Slammer for the rest of the day. Anyone who tried to talk to her soon realized that she wouldn't talk back. She'd given up.

Isabelle watched an ant make its way up the stone wall and out to the Glade. If only she could be that small and that free. Better than this reality she was living.

It seemed like eternity before they came for her. She heard them undo the lock and open the door. She didn't need to be told what to do, so she got up and walked instead of being dragged to the Maze doors. There was no hope for her now. Why fight her inevitable fate?

When she was thrown to the ground in the middle of the circle of Gladers, in front of the open Maze doors, Minho began yelling.

"She didn't do it! She's innocent. Gally was lying!"

Alby made Zart and Kyle take him to the pit until she'd been banished. She'd told him not to try.

Alby looked to the ground and back up to his banishing stick. "It's time," he told the others.

Isabelle stood from where she'd been thrown and let them push her into the Maze. She didn't try to fight. What was the point? Delay her fate for a couple seconds? Maybe death would be kinder to her since she was innocent.

And then she walked into the Maze without looking back.

***

Once Minho was released from the pit, having to watch the whole thing while being trapped, he pushed past the other Gladers and went to the Med-Jacks hut. He'd be with Newt since she couldn't.

When he entered, he was shocked to see Newt the way he was. Bandaged and broken like a shattered vase someone had tried to glue back together.

Minho pulled a chair up and sat next to Newt. Clint said he should be regaining consciousness pretty soon. So he waited. And waited. And waited. It had to be somewhere around midnight when he dozed off.

"Minho?" A strained voice said. He jumped awake and looked around in alarm.

Then he saw Newt, staring at him.

"Hey you're awake," he said.

"Obviously," Newt replied. He tried to sit up and then cried out when his leg moved.

"Hey don't move. You nearly died. Lucky for your sorry butt, Isabelle, Clint and Jeff were able to patch you back together."

"Isabelle?" Newt remembered their fight at the mention of her name.

Minhos face saddened. He gave a bitter laugh. "Yeah, turns out she was a pretty good Med-Jack, ya know?"

"Will you go get her for me?" Newt sighed. He had a regretful look on his face. "I need to apologize to her."

Minho looked up to Newt with a dark look and said nothing, nor did he move.

"Minho?"

"She was banished, Newt."

Newt didn't make a sound. He couldn't speak. Was this some sick joke from Minho? He knew he liked to laugh but this was low.

Newt finally gathered the strength to speak. "For what?"

"Trying to save you." Minho crossed his arms and looked down to his feet.

"Look Minho, if you're trying to pull something on me-"

"I'm not joking around, Newt. They had the Gathering today, Gally lied, and now she's gone." Minho felt bad for being so blunt but Newt had to know he was serious.

"No I...I don't believe you. She can't-"

"Newt! She's gone! In the Maze as we speak."

Newt pushed his feet off the bed even though it was the most intense pain he'd been in.

"She can't be just gone, Minho! You're lying to me. I'm dreaming. Or maybe I really did die!"

Newt pushed against the wall and started dragging his hurt leg out the door.

"Isabelle!" Newt screamed. "Isabelle!"

Minho stepped in front of him to stop him from going any further.

"Newt you're probably messing up all the work she did! You're hurting yourself you need to lay back down."

Newt ignored him and yelled her name over and over until his throat went raw.

He made it to her room and pushed the door open. Nothing. Next, he limped to his room down the hall. Everything was as he'd left it.

He went back into the dark Glade and yelled her name again and again. Tears were staining his face and he fell to the ground after he tried to walk again. He stayed down and said her name again, only this time it was hardly more than a whisper.

"Belle please."