Gally

Gally sat, staring out over the Scorch but not seeing anything. His mind was spinning so fast it was hard to grasp one thought.

Charlie was dead. Charlie was gone. And that hurt so much. He shouldn't have kissed someone else. It felt wrong, like he cheated. But why? Charlie wasn't here anymore. Sophie kissed him back, well...she had initiated it... Gally obviously wasn't over Charlie if he was making out with a girl and calling her by his dead girlfriend's name.

No. He definitely shouldn't have done that and definitely wasn't over Charlie. He felt like he had a stone in the pit of his stomach. He felt like crying, but no tears came, so he just stared out, wrapped up in his misery and anger and resentment, he sat for a long time. The sun had set and the stars were making their appearance.

The stars...Charlie had come to say hello. He looked up at the brightest one.

"I'm sorry Charlie! I'm so sorry, for everything! I wish I could change it. Change our past. I wish I had listened to you! I wish I held you closer. I wish I could go back and not let my anger and jelousy get between us. Charlie ..."

His voice finally cracked, the emotions bubbling up.

"I miss you!"

He was so distracted he didn't hear the door behind him open. He didn't notice the footsteps, only until a bottle was dangling in front of his face did he blink and look around.

Zayn sat down beside him, dangling his legs over the side.

"Do I bother asking how you're doing?"

Gally snorted in dirision. He twisted the cap open, taking a long gulp.

"Yeah...Sophie told me."

"Fan-shucken-tastic." Gally said dryly.

"Relax. I ain't mad."

Gally didn't say anything, picking at the drink label with his thumb.

"I told her she was being an idiot."

"What? Why?" Gally asked shocked, looking up at his friend.

"'Cause, she shouldn't have done it. You're still mourning, and still processing Charlie's death! She took advantage of a vaunerable moment."

"But I kissed her back, man! I can't take that away! And ... Don't get me wrong...it was- umm- it just-she's great... it's just-"

Zayn held up a hand. Gally stopped trying to talk and deflated, running a hand through his hair and down to his neck, and groaned.

"Dude, don't. She's like a sister, I don't want details. And I know what your trying to say. She takes responsibility."

"I feel like I just cheated!" Gally finally cried, and threw his empty bottle over the edge.

Zayn hummed. He was quiet for a moment.

"There is a group of us going to The Last City. Laurence got ahold of another warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Come with me. It'll be good to get out, get away."

"Dude it's gonna be so awkward now! Shuck I shucked up!"

"Nah, she'll be weird for like a day. She'll get over it fast. She doesn't hold onto things like this."

"Oh? She's kissed other guys who call her their old girlfriends names?" Gally raised an eyebrow at Zayn.

Zayn snorted and gave him a lopsided smile.

"No... can't say that she has. But. We tried dating one time. It was too weird. Look at us now."

"What? Seriously? You and Sophie? Now that's weird!" Gally looked around to Zayn.

He nodded, "it was weird for like...a week. But it was fine after that."

That made Gally feel a bit better. He didn't want to loose Sophie as a friend. He hoped they could get over this. Gally had to process it first. He still felt guilty, cheating on Charlie's memory. Getting away would be a good idea.

He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.

"I should probably go talk to her."

"Nah. Leave it for today. I mean she's still a girl, she's gonna be emotional about it."

"Shuck, you sure you're not like Newt reincarnated? Or have secret meet ups? Like shuck sakes, ya shank!" Gally chuckled.

Zayn just gave him a half lopsided grin.

___________________________

Gally was packing up the truck, when Sophie appeared beside him, a backpack on, grabbed the bag if weapons and helped toss it into the back.

Gally froze, unsure what to do. He didn't have a lot of experience with girls... He wasn't sure how she was going to be right now.

"You gonna make me do all the heavy lifting?" She straightened up and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were a he-man?" Gally scoffed folding his arms across his chest.

She rolled her eyes, and gave him a cheeky grin.

"Never send a man to do what a woman could have done better."

"Pfft. Please. Look at those weak little noodle arms! You're like baby arms! Teeny tiny little baby!" Gally mocked her, he gently pushed her head away.

"Hey! The hair man! Don't mess with the hair!"

"Man! Zayn is Newt and your Minho! Always with his hair too! It's like Gladers spirits are here to haunt my shuck ass!"

Sophie just laughed at his exhaspiration. Gally grinned. Together they finished loading the truck. He was glad Sophie was cool about the other night. He felt horrible. He tried to talk to her about it, but she cut him off.

"Gally, it was my fault. I took advantage of a vaunerable moment. It was unfair on you. My fault and I'm sorry. We don't need to talk about it again. Okay? We're good."

Gally nodded greatly. Sophie grinned, tilting her head slightly.

"I mean wholly fuck that was some kiss, though, Charlie was a lucky girl, but nah man."

Gally could feel his face growing warm. Sophie chuckled and patted his shoulder and walked away. The next day Zayn said half the group was moving to The Last City.

"So you're coming with then?" Gally asked as he slammed the truck bed door closed.

Sophie nodded. "Yep!" She popped the p. "I ain't gonna be left behind. Besides you and Zayn would be so lost without me!"

Gally rolled his eyes and messed her hair up. She shreaked and slapped his hands away, cursing him. Gally just laughed back at her. He was glad somehow they managed to go back to before that awkward moment. It would probably haunt him for the rest of his life, but maybe, one day when Charlie's death wasn't so fresh he could find someone who makes his heart flutter like she did.

________________________________

Charlie

Four months...it had been another four months of being under Janson's thumb. And my situation didn't improve. I was given a different cell. I had a room mate now.

Captain Magnus opened up the cell door and carried me in. Another long day of the Fear Landscape. Another day if being beat first then strapped to a chair, wires and monitors attached to me, IVs incerted.

The only difference now, was that Teresa was there, she was one of the main works to strap me down. I could never figure out what was going on inside her head. Her eyes looked dead, and her face was always the same. She stood by the chair watching while Janson cooed and fussed over her while he snarled and beat me. I guess she really was his favorite...which she kept bragging about, like I wanted his favor.

The other difference was Minho was always with me. Which was a nice change. But sometimes he made things worse. They just made him sit at the table, cuffed and chained, and made him watch. Any time he said something snarky or talked back or protested I got a smake or a ouch to the gut, a swift sharp kick.

They just made him watch. The first few days and weeks were terrible. Minho had a hard time keeping his mouth shut. So I was a bloody bruised mess. He was finally learning. They were using me to break him.

And it was working , while breaking me even more. I had no hope anymore. At the end of each day when Captain Magnus layed me down in my bed I just wished I would die in my sleep. I wished each night my heart would stop and I wouldn't have to go back.

Minho tried to keep my spirits up. He tried to give me hope. But...he wasn't beat or bruised, he didn't have to relive his worst fears constantly. He didn't wake to nightmares every night. I loved him...but I was starting to resent him.

Captain Magnus layed me down and I just whimpered. I didn't even bother to move. Just closed my eyes willing myself to just die. Minho threw himself down into the floor beside my bed, gently tucking a piece of strangely dirty hair out of my face.

"Hey Tiger! Come on, open those eyes! Come on...sit up, Magnus brought supper." He pleaded, "also we're gonna clean up that blood."

"I just...want...to..die." I breathed. It took all my energy just to say those five words.

"No! No, you can't say that!" Minho pleaded. I could hear his voice break. I tried to open my eyes, I just couldn't though.

"You have to fight it! Fight him! Fight WICKED!" He whispered, despritly trying to get me to open my eyes, out some fight back in me.

He had cupped my face in his hand, but he pushed on my new bruises making me whimper and wince. His hand left,

"I'm sorry!"

There was heavy footsteps. I did my best to keep my eyes open, they kept fluttering. I had no strength left. No more will to live. Magnus crouched down with a bowl of warm water and a cloth, he gently started cleaning up the blood on my wrists and ankles, my lip from bitting it and my nose.

"She can't keep this up! They are killing her!" Minho hissed to Magnus.

Magnus had carried me back to bed every night and cleaned me up, he was the one to bring food and water. Every morning he would unlock the door and wake me up, his eyes full of sadness. Him and Minho would help me up and out the door.

He nodded at Minho's words.

"I know. I'm working on it." He said quietly, keeping his head down. There were no cameras in the room, but he knew the stakes if talking about this kind of thing.

"What?" Minho hissed back, handing him a fresh bandage.

"I said I'm working on something. Hear that Snips? Just hold on just a bit longer!" He growled quietly.

"Just let me die." I whispered weakly, "I can't hold on."

"What can I do?" Minho asked.

"Keep your head down, mouth closed and eyes open." He growled.

Minho nodded. It was quiet while they worked.

"I don't understand why they keep messing with her mind! Aren't they trying to find a cure? How does this help?" Minho asked frustrated.

"They think the cure is found in the brains of the immune. Janson seems to have taken a twisted sick obsession with Snips fear landscape."

"Pretty sure RatMan caught the flare! That doesn't make any sense!"

"No. No it doesn't." Magnus agreed.

"Shouldn't they look at the blood of the immunes or our DNA or something?" Minho asked.

"One would think, yes." Magnus growled, "but I'm just a WICKED Captain of the army. They won't listen to me."

"That's dumb!"

Magnus just growled in agreement.

"Looks...like the changing." I whispered, peeking my eyes open and looked at Minho.

"What?" He asked confused, his eyebrows knit together.

"Cranks...the Flair...they look like...Ben...and Gally... similar looks...and symptoms."

"This Gally..." Magnus started.

"What about him?" Minho asked, giving him a glance. I slowly flicked my eyes to Magnus. He was frowning slightly and his eyebrows knit together.

"Did he ever talk about his memories? His past?" Magnus asked.

"No. After the first time he went through the changing he was out for three days after the Grief Serum, but the other two times...I'm not sure he must have been with WICKED after the second time and then he uhh...died after the third time..."

"This Grief Serum killed him?"

"Uhh no. A...um spear did." Minho cleared his throat.

"Hmm. Never said anything about his personal past?"

"No...the serum gets ride of the poison in your system and gives...you some... memories. It's....all random." I struggled to get out.

"As far as we know." Minho added.

"Each...guy had different memories return....each person had.. different reactions...and different...recovery times."

This conversation was taking all my energy, my voice was getting softer and quieter.

"What was in the serum?" Magnus asked.

"What was in the Grief Serum? Cuz that helped revers the Griever poisoning..." Minho said slowly, rubbing his forehead.

"Explain." Magnus growled.

Minho quickly explained what the Griever poisoning did, what the Changing was and how the Grief Serum worked.

"And you said it was similar?"

"Yes." I whispered, "I saw them in my memories. Janson...he kept my mom chained. And forced me and Thomas sometimes..." I had to pause, struggling to take a few breaths. "To walk the crank pits...mom was chained at the end."

Both guys stared at me with pity. Magnus sighed and finished cleaning my bloody wrists. He forced me to sit, him taking most of my weight and made me drink the cup of water, and forced food into my mouth.

I just about threw it back up. I felt so sick. He finally let me lay back down and close my eyes.

It was quiet. I could hear the footsteps of Magnus leaving. The door creaked open and then the door slammed shut again. Leaving Minho and I alone, he sighed and slammed his fist into the door in frustration.

I knew he was frustrated, and angry, worried and scared. But...my eyes closed. And the awful dreams took over, my waking dreams were no better then my night mares.