Evelyn and the group walked. Trudging across the last stretch of the scorch. She had her infected arm cradled close to her chest. It had been shooting pain, even sharper than before. Ever since she cranked back at the shack.

The mountains slowly became jagged peaks of shadow, growing taller and taller as they walked. There were no real foothills to speak of; the flat valley just stretched forward until the ground erupted toward the sky in sheer cliffs and steep slopes. All brown and ugly, lifeless.

Evelyn hoped an obvious path would present itself once they'd made it that far. There was no way she would be able to climb. Her arm wouldn't be able to help. Her hand was sore and her fingers stiff. Trying to pick up her bag she just about dropped it, it was too heavy. She hissed in pain and gasped as the pain shot into her chest. Sonya was right beside her, she caught her bag and  grabbed Evelyn's arm, supporting it. She gave Evelyn a nod and helped switch the bag to the other shoulder without a word.

No one spoke much as they marched along. Newt and Sonya stayed close but quiet. No one talked much. Evelyn was closing in on herself. Everything was awkward between her and everyone. They had seen her crank out a few times now, everyone knew she couldn't stay with them. She felt the glanced and side eyes. She slowled down and walked at the back of the group. Trying to avoid the looks of pity.

She was glad they walked at night, the stars and moon their only guides. Their light was enough, the group didn't need much when the ground was flat and all you had to do was walk toward the looming wall of rock in front of you. The crunch crunch crunch of their footsteps on the earth filled the air.

Newt sped up just enough to walk beside Thomas.

"Been thinkin'," Newt said.

"About what?" Thomas asked, picking his head up, he had also been oddly quiet, head down, focusing on his feet.

"WICKED. Ya know, they broke their own bloody rules with you...and Evy."

Evelyn couldn't help it she strained her ears to listen to the quiet conversation.

"How's that?"

"RatMan...he said there were no rules. Said we had so much time to get to the bloody end an' that was that. No rules. People dying left and right, then they come down in a buggin' monster flying thin' and save you and Evy's arse. Doesn't make sense." He paused. "Not that I'm complaining―I'm glad you guys are bloody alive and all."

"Gee, thanks."

Evelyn knew it was a good point, but she was tired of thinking about it, she had no idea why Janson wanted to keep a crank alive. Thomas...sure he was a healthy immune Candidate...for what ever WICKED was planning. It just made her frustrated and she growled quietly to herself.

"And then there were all those signs in the city. Weird."

Evelyn saw Thomas looked over at Newt. It was too dark to see their facial expressions.

"What, you jealous or something?" he asked.

Newt laughed. "No, ya shank. Just dyin' to know what's really goin' on around here. What this is bloody all about."

"Yeah." Thomas nodded and shrugged. "The lady said only a few of us were good enough to be Candidates. And she did say I was the best Candidate, and they didn't want me dying from something they hadn't planned. But I don't know what it all means. Has something to do with all that klunk about killzone patterns."

They walked on for a minute or so before Newt spoke again. "Not worth bustin' our brains about, I guess. What's gonna happen'll happen."

"Yeah..." Thomas trailed off.

The group was quiet again. Minho and Teresa were busy whispering quietly, walking hand in hand. Chuck and Frypan, James and Percy were all busy chatting quietly. Thomas had slid over to Brenda and picked up a conversation. Newt had stepped over to Sonya and the two where now busy talking. Evelyn watched them for a bit, it was hard to see details, but they both threw their hands around when they were excited.

Evelyn felt a sudden pain in her chest. It wasn't her emotional heart, it was something else. It sent a wave of pain. Like a hand had squeezed her lungs, making it hard to take a deep breath. With her good hand she rubbed her chest, trying to ease the ache.

They walked and walked and walked. Evelyn's legs were tired. The mountains got ever closer. The air cooled considerably, and it felt wonderful. But the sharp pain in her arm and the deep ache in her chest wouldn't go away. An hour or two passed. She had a few short conversations with a few different people. Nothing ever really lasted long.  It was Jeff's turn to slide up to her.

"Hey Evy." He said quietly.

She nodded her head. "Jeff."

"How ya doing?"

"Oh ya know. Takin' it day by day...hour by hour." She shrugged her good shoulder.

"Don't lie to a MedJack." He leaned in and whispered, giving her a small gentle elbow. She gave him a half hearted small smile.

"I feel shucken awful Jeffy." She finally sighed.

They were quiet for a while. He walked beside her. Both in their own thoughts. She felt like there was a piece missing. It was hard to see Jeff without Clint, they were a duo. Always glued to the hip. Tears filled her eyes and she sniffed.

"Don't Evy. Please don't." He whispered.

"Don't what?"

"Blame yourself. Don't do it." Jeff's voice was thick with emotion, but it was firm. "I saw it happen. It wasn't your fault. The crank had Clint. You tried holding on."

"Jeff..."

"I'll see him again."

"I'm sorry Jeff!" A tear slid down her cheek, he placed an arm over her shoulders.

"I know you are. You feel everything for everyone. Do you ever stop and feel for yourself?"

"Yes." She whispered. "Right now I feel like klunk. Physically everything hurts. Emotionally? I feel everything and it's almost too overwhelming... its making me feel numb. I don't know how to say good bye to everyone. And... I don't want to. It's too hard. I hate the they kept me alive. I could have just gone, and been over. Now...it prolongs the pain. For me and for everyone else." She whispered bitterly.

"You can't give up."

"Why not?" She asked, frustrated, pulling away from his side hug.

"Because we won't bloody let ya." Newt said, he had slowed down to walk beside them. She had slowly raised her voice.

"You're just making it harder. Making me feel worse. Making me suffer more! You keep saying I never think of myself? Well I have been. I just want the pain and suffering to stop! But no one will let me go!"
Her face was screwed up in frustrated anger.

"It's you guys who are being selfish!" She finally snapped. 

The group had gone oddly quiet.

"Sorry. I'm sorry."

Evelyn shook her head. Detaching herself from the group, she walked a little bit away from everyone and behind the group. Head down, arm cradled to her chest she followed. Because deep inside she didn't really want to leave them. She didn't really want go. If there was a cure Mary could help her with...she would try. Not with WICKED. She didn't trust Janson or WICKED- because this didn't make any sense. Sending them into the scorch to monitor brain activity? That made no scenes to her.

She saw Newt out of the corner of her eye. He had slowed down as well, still giving her space, but he walked beside her.

And on they went.

When the first traces of dawn turned the sky a deep, dark blue, the stars began to wink away for the coming day. She silently said good bye to her friends. As the stars faded with the approaching day break. The cliffs loomed now, dead trees and chunks of scattered rock coming into focus. They'd reach the foot of the mountains by the time the sun popped over the horizon

She finally swallowed her pride and went to talk to Chuck who was also walking beside Kennedy now. Chuck always made her feel better.

"Hey Buddy, how are your feet holding up?" She asked quietly, forcing a small smile for him. She was trying.

"Hey Mom."

"She's not really your mom...is she?" Kennedy asked.

"I would have been like 9 years old when I had him. Shuck no!"

"Then...why Mom?"

"Cuz his greenie day he let it slip, called me mom. And it stuck."

"And...not like I can remember a mom. She's the closest thing to it." Chuck gave her a big grin.

"Also...she brought me back from the dead! Like actually!"

"Yeah I heard about that. So weird!"

"Tell me about it." Evelyn muttered.

She listened to Chuck and Kennedy talk. They were quiet similar. Kennedy was giggly and kind of pouty. She had a habit of pulling on a spiral curl until it was straight then and letting go and having it bounce back into a curl. She also kept wheezing and stumbling. Chuck caught her a few times. He eventually just held her hand, and that seemed to help. It was a long night of walking. They all needed to rest.

"Just up a ways and we'll find a place to sleep for bit." Captain Jaz called.

There were a few grumbles. Everyone was very tired. Jorge and Jaz led the way. Slowly starting to wind around the broken bits of rock and rubble. At the moment there was no clear path. So it ment a lot of climbing.

Evelyn had to stop more than once to try and catch her breath. The pain in her chest made catching her breath almost impossible. A few times she had to stop and cough. She heard the wheeze now in her lungs. They had to climb over a particular large pile of rocks. Evelyn clamped her jaw tight, trying hard to keep her infected arm from being used.

Her foot skipped and she landed. Hard on her infected arm. Making her cry out and curse. Tears sprung to her eyes. And the tight feeling in her chest increased with the incoming tears. She felt arms picking her up.

"Evy..."

Sonny and helped her sit up. He was crouched down beside her, sorrow in his dark eyes.

"I can't Sonny. I can't. It hurts so much." She wheezed out between tears and coughing.

She couldn't catch her breath.

Newt was beside her in a second. Sonya pulled a water out and handed it over. Newt pulled Evelyn's bag off and unzipped her jacket, trying to help her catch her breath.

"Slowly, Love. Slow down." Newt encouraged, tucking some hair behind her ear. Evelyn tilted her head back, trying to breath. It was like trying to breath through a straw. The couching helped a little, but made her lungs work harder. Which made the pain in her arm worse.

"Shhhh. It's alright, Evy. Shh. Breath."

It took a few minutes for her to catch her breath. With the help of Sonny, Sonya and Newt she was back in her feet.

Sonya took her bag and jacket, Sonny and Newt helped her up and supported her on each side. She didn't both looking at anyone. She knew she looked awful, she felt awful and knew this was pointless.

Jorge finally found a place to camp for a bit, just as the sun made an appearance. It was cooler in the shade of the mountain. Aris helped Jorge and Harriet and James make a fire. Percy, Amy, Jeff and a few girls helped pass out what was left of their food.

Evelyn was starving, but felt sick. She just wanted to sleep. Her head was rolling. She finally gave up. Laying down, her head in Newt's lap she drifted off with Newt's fingers in her hair.

She woke up a while later to a few quiet voices.

"...You know Mi Hijo, she can't come with us when we reach the Right Arm..." Jorge said quietly, his voice sad and guilty.

"I...I know." She heard Newt sniff. "I'm really hoping Mary can help!"

"That's a big hope."

Evelyn heard a slight scoff from Brenda.

"Hope-"

Another voice joined; Nick. Nick and Brenda said in unison, "Hope has killed more of my friends than-"

Nick trailed off, leaving Brenda to finish.

"The Flare and the Scorch combined."

"The heck? How do you know that?" Brenda asked, Evelyn could hear the surprise in her voice.

There was a pause. "I...I don't know." He sounded confused. "I heard it? So done said it once...? Maybe? I don't know. Why?"

"My dad used to say it...after mom died..from the Flare." Brenda said quietly. "After WICKED...took my two brothers."

It was quiet for a moment around the fire. Evelyn heard a few sniffs.

"What were their names?" Nick finally asked.

"Nikolai and Yury. Nikolai was older than me. And Yury was younger. WICKED took them when we were all younger. I was immune too, but they didn't want me. They shot dad. Papi Jorge found me."

"I'm sorry Brenda."

"That's bloody awful."

"Yury...that's Ukranian for George?" Nick asked hesitantly, like he was trying to remember.

"Yeah." Brenda said.

"We had a George in the maze. An original Glader with me and Newt here. Well...Evy and Minho too...he was really close to Evy..."

"What...what happened to him?" She asked hesitantly.

"WICKED. The creators killed him. Used him as a human trial for their stupid shucken poisons. Evy tried saving him. Made his partner so sick with grief he ran into the maze..."

"Ya know... wouldn't buggen' surprise me if you three were siblings. WICKED is jacked enough like that. Yury Ukranian for George...Nikolai Ukranian for Nick...You'll have to ask Tessa tomorrow if she bloody knows anything." Newt tried hiding a yawned.

"But WICKED might be buggen' messing with her memories." Sonya pointed out.

"Well...would be awesome to see my big brother again." Brenda's voice had a hesitant happiness.

"Come on...everyone needs to sleep a bit before we keep going." Jorge finally said.

Evelyn felt Newt gently slide out from under her and and then shift and he lay down facing her, and scootching closer, draping and arm over her.

"We might have figured George and Nick were brothers." Newt whispered.

"I heard." Evelyn mumbled, without opening her eyes.

"Go back to sleep Love."

Evelyn was asleep within minutes, snuggled close into Newt's chest.

_____________________________

**Can we see Nick, Brenda and George as siblings?!?**