They were the first to see the red stain in his shirt.
But not Chuck's shirt.
I jumped up to see the one that got shot.
Not Thomas' shirt.
Newt's mouth fell open.
Gally's shirt.
The one I was wearing.
Everyone was staring at me. I looked down, and indeed, a red stain was growing bigger and bigger by the second. It was already soaking my shirt.
Newt was the first to move. He took my body right before my legs gave up, and I realized what was happening.
I got shot.
I got shot by the one I loved.
I would die after the one I loved.
I stared up at Newt's pretty face, somehow managing a smile. But he had tears in his eyes. "It's okay." I said.
I had never stopped admiring his eyes. They were such a beautiful brown color. So comforting.
"Hold on. We'll get help." He assured, his voice trembling from panic.
I shook my head.
"No." I whispered. "It's okay. I have always wanted to die anyways, Newt."
Nothing was left for me. Not without Gally. Or all those friends I lost.
"Don't say that, Valerie." He sniffed. Let out a sob. "Just don't."
I smiled again. "It doesn't hurt, you know? I can't feel anything."
It was true. All I felt was blood filling my lungs. I couldn't breathe, but that was it. It didn't hurt in any other ways.
He shook his head too. "Stop. Please, don't—."
"It's okay." I assured again. This time it got harder to talk for me. I was nearing my end. Finally, maybe. "Really, N-Newt. It is."
"Hold on, love." He squeezed my hand. "Thomas!" He turned his head. "Thomas! Get help. Please. Please get help!"
I was having hard time talking normally. "Don't. Newt... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I- I didn't talk to you much these last months. But... but maybe it's better. You know?" A small smile again. "So it won't hurt as much."
I was losing my breaths.
Newt was crying. Shaking his head. He shouted for Thomas again. "Valerie. I don't want you- I don't want you to let go. I can't."
A tear rolled down my cheek too. "This is maybe one of the nicest gifts I've ever got, Newt. I-I get to stay with Ben... the Med-jacks. A-Alby can boss me around. I can live with Josephine. And in like sixty years I'll see you, too. And T-Thomas. Chuck will have a- a girlfriend like I told him he would."
He swallowed deeply. "Don't let go, Val. Please don't." One last time he turned to the others. "Help her... Tommy, help. Please."
My heart was having a war with itself.
And it lost the war.
I gave him my last warm smile ever. "A-and I get to stay with Gally. My Gally..."
My heart stopped beating. I ran out of breaths. And my eyes unfocused off Newt, the world fading away.