Chapter 74 {TMR Alternative ending}

Chapter 74

For the first time since the trials started Thomas felt safe. With Brenda by his side he felt like everything would be okay. But somewhere deep down told him the trials weren't over and he couldn't seem to let the feeling go.

"Are we safe?" Thomas wasn't quite sure where the question came from but he felt it vibrate off his lips before he could think twice.

"Probably," Brenda said placing her head on his shoulder, the words echoed through his head.

Towards the horizon a ball of fire emerged. He tried to find Brenda's hand but she was gone, vanished into thin air. The world started to fall apart like paper burning in a fire.

"Brenda? Brenda!" his words disappeared under the crackling sound. Sweat started to pour down his face until it became unbearable. Thomas felt himself fading away until he felt... nothing.

"Thomas," the words were distant, almost as if they weren't real. Again the voice spoke and Thomas had to fight the haze that had settled around him. He heard movement, something like wind rustling a blind. It too felt far away, like his mind was there but his body was on another world.

"It's okay, Thomas," as his brain started to slowly kick into gear Thomas noticed that the voice sounded familiar. He had to find it's source, even if it took every ounce of energy he had left. A blinding yellow light streamed into his eyes and it was as if his body was had just fallen from space back to Earth. Then something made the adrenaline kick into his system; sitting next to his bed was Rat Man.

"You!" he sat up right to try to distance himself from his enemy.

"Thomas. Thomas. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," Janson was calm as he gestured from Thomas to go off guard. A direction Thomas refused to follow. To the right of Thomas was a tower of machines, then beyond that was an open window with light and a slight breeze flowing through it. On the other side of the bed was a closed door and the chair where Janson sat with his hands in surrender in attempt to make Thomas believe it was okay.

Just as Thomas was about to open his mouth to ask one of the many questions circling in his head a man walked through the door. Thomas noted how strangers white lab coat contrasted his complexion as he closed the door behind him.

"And that concludes Thomas' testing," the man's pleasant sounding accent somehow made Thomas feel slightly less on guard. Slightly. "Thank you Janson, I'll take it from here. They're just about to wake up the patient in A7."

"Thank you, Galen," Janson said leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Galen went over to the machines next to Thomas and started to press some buttons. "How are you feeling?" Galen asked as he pulled cables off of Thomas' body.

"Where am I?" his voice was dry as he ignored Galen's question.

"Don't worry I'll explain everything. But Thomas, I first need you to tell me if you are okay?" the sincerity in his eyes made Thomas want to believe him and do what the man said. But Thomas was done playing games and nothing was going to keep him from getting answers.

"Okay!?" all the negative emotions built in Thomas over the last weeks escaped him. "I just went through the most horrible, inhuman experience in the world and you want to know if I'm okay? Why is there so much secrecy?! Just tell me what's going on! My body is stiff and my brain hurts!! Please just tell me what I need to know!"

Galen had backed into the corner between the window and a black screen. The man was scared of Thomas's rage, but on the outside he still remained calm. "Please Thomas. I promise we're the good guys... I'm not supposed to show you this until I'm finished checking your vitals so... please don't tell anyone... just watch," Galen flicked on the screen and a video of a news report appeared.
"After years of research today Director Janson and his team are proud to announce that a cure to the disease commonly known as the Flare has been found," the lady on the screen said as videos of Janson and some other people at a press conference flashed by. "I have just received word that the subjects are currently in the process of being woken up after being hooked up to machines for over 2 years. We salute the young men and women who went through this horrific experience for us." Thomas stared into the now dark screen.
He looked to Galen, disbelief in his eyes, "so you're telling me the maze and the Scorch. And the pain. And the death. They... they were all fake?" Galen simply nodded as Thomas threw himself back into his pillow to take it all in.
"Your friends are waiting for you out here when you're ready," Galen walked towards the door. "And Thomas, I know what you went through was terrible but it's over now. And..." Galen's voice started to shake. "And you saved my brothers life. He was cured this morning. You saved him Thomas. You saved his life. Thank you."
And then Thomas was alone. The word hero stuck in his head. Was he really a hero? Was he happy about that or mad that he was forced into it?
After hours of lying there he heard a noise. The noise was familiar and sent a pain in his heart. It sounded like Newts laugh.
Before the guilt could set in and before he could stop himself he got up and went flying out of his room. He ran until he entered a rather basic room, still white but with many more windows. Then he saw him. Newt stood from a table where all the other Gladers were sat and walked over to him.
Newt didn't look mad. He looked genuinely happy. Happier than Thomas had ever seen him.
"I can't believe you shot me, you bloody shuck face!" he laughed pulling Thomas into a hug, then whispering in his eye he said, "thank you."
Newt pulled away first saying and led Thomas over to the table.
"Not dying is pretty great ayy," Minho said through a mouthful of food that smelt yummier than anything he could remember. Everyone laughed but still something wasn't quite right. Chuck.
"Hey where's Chuck," Thomas asked the paranoia returning to his chest.
Some shook their heads, others suggested that maybe he hadn't woken up yet and that they should wait. But Thomas was done with waiting. He got out of his chair and started running ignoring Minho's "once a runner always a runner," joke.
Down the hall he went until he reached a small desk. The lady asked him to calm down but Thomas refused. "Where is he?!"
"Thomas?" the child's voice was soft and innocent. Thomas turned around to see a smiling Chuck standing in front of two adults, a man and a woman.
"Thomas I'm okay," Chuck said running to Thomas. "They let me home early. But they said we had to wait for you to first wake up, then get your memory back and stuff before we saw you."
"I'm so happy you're alive," was all Thomas could say.
"So Thomas, you don't remember yet?" Chuck took his silence as a no. "I've got to tell you something!" Chuck was practically jumping up and down. "I found our parents!"
Our. What did that mean 'our'?
"We're brothers, Thomas. And they are our parents," the man and woman held onto each other wiping back tears.
Thomas had a family. Newt was alive. Chuck was alive. Thomas was considered a hero. He didn't know what to say or do, he just started crying.