the death cure
chapter fifteen

❛❛ welcome to the safe haven! ❜❜

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The Gladers and the rest of the Immunes have come to a place where neither of them had thought to exist.

Paradise. Safe Haven.

It was peaceful, a small community was already there like it had been prepared for them. It was there long before the Scorch, for a while, the remaining people have been building up and preparing for the Immunes to welcome them home.

It was beautiful. Very beautiful and peaceful. They lived near the ocean, where the land was all green and living. Living between the rocky and green hills. They built their homes on the shores, about a dozen of huts were already built, there were tents and sheds, a field of crops was growing, and more homes were being built. Wherever this place was, it was a place where they wouldn't have to worry about WCKD anymore, even Cranks and the Flare. All that was out of their reach and they can no longer be afraid.

Sort of.

The Flare was still amongst them.

But the Gladers never felt safer than ever before, they knew they will be okay, they knew this was their home. Instead of hearing the loud deep and distant rumblings in the nights they kept hearing back in the Glade when they sleep, instead of the quiet and the winds whispering back in the Scorch at nights, instead of the utter silence back in the Right Arm camps, now they hear oceans, waves crashing onto the land, various kinds of birds flying by, the laughter from the small civilization and that was the sound of peacefulness. The sounds of everything will be truly okay, the sounds of paradise.

But the last remaining Gladers have suffered so much, gone through so much the last three years, they had won and lost along the way. They lost their friends, everything they went through, cost them almost everything, cost them a lot to get here. Now they'd have to carry the sorrow of their losses every day until the rest of their lives.

It wasn't just them, but also the Icers and those in the Right Arm who went to war against WCKD the past year or so.

They had won and lost. So did WCKD, they had won and lost. But in the end, the Gladers, the Icers, the Immunes and the Right Arm survived, and WCKD did not.

Thomas woke up from a coma, after being unconscious for days since WCKD, a sharp gasp escape through his lips as he shot up to a sitting position. A sudden pain stung him on his stomach where he got shot, let out soft grunts, he looked down at the wound, only the wound to be covered by bandages. It didn't hurt much as it did that night. Found himself in a small hut, walls and roof made of bamboos. The hut reminded him back in the Glade, where Med-jacks lived and worked. There was also medicine on a wooden table nearby. Gentle winds snuck into the hut.

He began hearing the sounds of crashing, sounds of building nearby, and distant chattering. For a moment, he thought he was back in the Glade. But he quickly remembered what happened.

The Last City. WCKD. Janson. Ava Paige. Losing Newt. Anton. And Teresa. WCKD falling.

They're all gone.

And he's alive. I'm alive, Thomas thought. There was a hint of disappointment deep within.

Thomas got up slowly, slowly approached outside, outside he saw an endless ocean, a ship that the Right Arm worked on the past few months stood ahead. His gaze shifted to the right when hearing laughter and found what appears to be a civilization, a small community already built up and people working. There could be over a hundred or so people.

Thomas wanted to feel astonished, it all almost looked like a dream, a place like this could only exist in the dreams. He never thought Safe Haven would look like this, Safe Haven that Vince spoke of for months and Thomas never thought it was true.

He strolled ahead to take a look around. Most of the people he had seen were around his own age, a lot of young adults. They were all walking around with one another, strolling around, talking to each other and sharing laughs. There were a group of men working, building another house perhaps as he walked past them.

It took a moment for his friends to spot him, once they did, they all got up and approached Thomas. Minho, Brenda, Frypan, Nico, Jorge, Harriet, Aris, Leigh and Gally, also Vince and Sonya behind him. There was no sign of Teo or Poe around.

Both Thomas and Minho stood in front of each other, looked at each other momentarily, Thomas wondered if Minho knows about what he did to Newt, he could never bring himself to tell him, or maybe he knew already. The look on Minho's face told Thomas something, that he was relieved, that his friend was okay. Their eyes teared up. Both boys stepped toward each other and embraced in a long and comfort hug. It was also a grieving hug. Grieving for their friend that they both lost.

Thomas learned from Minho and Frypan that Poe has resided and never left the ship that stood in the ocean, and Teo was with him who refused to leave him alone. Teo comes and goes to the shore before going back to the ship. Bark was also with them. They told him that Poe wasn't immune and he's infected. The Gladers and the Icers have been visiting him every day, at least about four times a day, delivering meals and clothes to them. Vince has tried to offer Poe his own home where he can live alone on the shore and he didn't have to live on the ship which Poe rejected.

Thomas asked why they haven't given him the cure. Minho replied, "We told him that . . . but he doesn't want it"

"How is he still alive? He should've changed that night"

"He's been taking the Bliss" Frypan answered, "within' a few days, he'll run out. We want to persuade him to take the cure but we don't want to push him further or force him. We hope eventually he'll give in"

"I don't know" Minho shrugged sullenly, "He already made a choice . . . "

"What choice?" Thomas asked.

"He wants to die"

Poe lost so much that night, they all did, they all lost something that night, but they couldn't compare their losses to Poe's loss. How can they? He lost everything that night. How can they save Poe now if he made his choice?

In the early evening, before the sun settled for the night, Vince announced that there'll be some sort of welcoming ceremony at night, they'll be expecting a speech, and remember those that they have lost. Frypan, Nico, Leigh, Harriet and Aris went to go see Poe and ask if he could attend the ceremony, they wanted him there and hope that the ceremony will change the boy's mind.

But they failed to persuade him. Instead, they came back with Teo and Bark. Teo told Thomas that Poe said he didn't want to, and besides, he didn't want to risk of infecting the remaining non-immunes. Poe didn't let anyone stay with him and told them to go to attend the ceremony despite they insisted. He wanted to be alone for once.

Neither of them couldn't stop thinking about him when the ceremony started in the late evening. The sun was under the horizon, the sky was mixed with different shades of blues, orange and reds reflecting the white clouds. The bonfire started and everyone gathered around, having drinks in their hands while Vince stood in front of the crowd.

"We have come a long way together" Vince began, slowly paced around the bonfire, "So many have sacrificed so much to make this place possible"

The Gladers and the Icers have thought about that those that lost their lives in their mazes. Their friends, those that never made it out, those that couldn't get through the Scorch, and those who could not be here.

"Your friends and your family" Vince went on, he raised his cup and they followed along to raise theirs. "So here's to the ones who couldn't be here, here's to the friends we lost . . . This place is for you. It's for all of us. But this—" Vince gestured behind him, behind him was a stone, that stood about ten to twelve feet tall. "This is for them . . . So, in your own time, in your own way, come make your peace"

Vince set the knife down on a wooden table near him before raising his cup.

"And welcome to the Safe Haven!"

Cheers broke out from the people, clapping along in celebration, all of them smiling, celebrating for the new beginning.

When the night was dark, Thomas was sitting with Minho as they both looked on the ceremony, they all eventually slowly to settle after they ate supper.

"This is gonna be a good home for us" Minho looked at Thomas, gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah" Thomas agreed.

Minho was looking at him for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulled out what it seemed to be a necklace that belonged to Thomas. "You had this on you while you were passed out"

Thomas remembered it. Originally, it belonged to Newt until he gave it to Thomas back in the city when Minho, Gally and Nico left before Poe found them.

"Figured I'd keep it safe for ya," said Minho.

Thomas looked at the pendant for a long moment, wondered if Newt was meant to give it to Thomas, or maybe it was meant for Poe. He wasn't quite sure. "Thanks, Minho"

Minho softly pat Thomas's back. "See you out there"

"See you," Thomas said before Minho walked away.

Looked back down at the silver, cylindrical pendant to examine it closely. Already thinking about giving it to Poe. Then he noticed something, on the pendant was some sort of a lid, he slowly pulled it and it surprised and confused him that it came off. Inside, was a note. For a moment he didn't want to take it out and just close it then give it to Poe. But his curiosity won him over, he took it out, the note was rolled, he unrolled it, revealing there was more than one. He looked at them, his name was written on it, for a second, he was afraid of reading it as he realized the notes were for him. He hesitated to read it, but he did anyway . . .

Dear Thomas,
This is the first letter I can remember writing. Obviously, I don't know if I wrote any before the maze, but even if it's not my first, it's likely to be my last. I want you to know that I'm not scared. Well, not of dying, anyway... It's more forgetting. It's losing myself to this virus, that's what scares me. So every night I've been saying their names out loud. Alby, Winston, Chuck, and I just repeat them, over and over, like a prayer, and it all comes flooding back. Just the little things like where the sun used to hit the Glade at that perfect moment right before it slipped beneath the walls. And I remember the taste of Frypan's stew... I never thought I'd miss that stuff so much. The times I spent with Poe.
And I remember you. I remember the first time you came up in the Box, just a scared little Greenie who couldn't even remember his own name. And from that moment you ran into the maze I knew I would follow you anywhere. And I have. We all have. If I could do it all over again, I would, and I wouldn't change a thing. And my hope for you is that when you're looking back years from now, you'll be able to say the same. The future's in your hands now, Tommy. And I know you'll find a way to do what's right. You always have.
Take care of Poe for me. I know he'll need you and everyone even if he thinks he doesn't. Take care of everyone for me. And take care of yourself. You deserve to be happy. Thank you for being my friend. Goodbye, mate.
Newt.

He didn't realize how many tears had fallen from his eyes while reading, he could hear Newt talking when he read it. His heart panged, his chest hurt, it took a long moment to process what the letter said.

The future was on his hands, he decides what he should do and what to do next in this very moment.

And he knew what he to do next.

He remembered what Teresa gave him that night on the roof of WCKD building when everything was burning, she gave him the cure that belonged to him, how she tearfully apologized before he kissed her. Thomas knew Teresa wanted to save people, and save Poe.

Take care of Poe for me. It's the promise Thomas must keep for Newt. Save Poe for Teresa.

Poe didn't feel anything, no sorrow, no pain, there was nothing to feel at all, there was only numbness. His mind was empty. If you look at him, it's as if you're looking at a shell, a shell without a body.

That's what the Bliss does to him, he feels nothing, his mind completely empty, nothing to mourn for as if he never lost anything, unable to worry or stress as if he's got nothing to lose, unable to think.

What was he waiting for? The past few days, he's been letting his friends see him, spent time with him as if he was living his last days. And because he was, he was living his last days.

What is he supposed to do? There was nothing in the world for him anymore. He lost everything that night. Anton, Teresa and Newt, WCKD took them from him and they won. They broke him. He was broken, and there was no possibility in the world that can fix him. Or maybe he just doesn't want to be fixed.

He laid on a cot inside the captain's cabin where he's been living the past couple of days, staring at the fire that was blazing within a barrel, the smoke from the fire would escape through the open door and windows.

At daytime, he'd wander off around within the ship, doing nothing but walking and waiting. He wakes up, injects himself with the Bliss to soothe him and the Flare before wanders off. There were plenty of times where he wasn't sure what he was doing, his mind barely focused. Then he takes another dose of Bliss around noon and then proceeds into the ship, doing nothing. And then another in the evening. Last one he'd take before he goes to sleep.

Before he takes the last dosage of the day, he pulls out Teresa's envelope and debates whether he should open it or not. But resulting that he never does.

He hasn't opened it.

His friends come by a couple of times a day, at least two people keep him in company. Each of them only asked once to take the cure and his replies are all the same. No, he doesn't want the cure. He doesn't even want it at all, he doesn't want to be saved, he just wants to be gone because he knew there was nothing left for him out here. Newt was supposed to be here like they always talked about, how they both couldn't wait to be in the place like this. Even he couldn't wait to bring Anton here and show him the possible happy life he could've had. And Teresa, she should've been here as well and everyone would forgive her and welcome her home. Even if Poe wasn't here.

"I need you, we all do. You are our friend, you are our family. Come home with us. Let's go home" those were Teo's words.

Leigh left her teddy bear for Poe to keep and gave him the envelope back that she kept safe for him, "You mean a lot to me than you think, you've been there for me these past months, you're the first person I come to when I needed someone the most. So please, don't do this"

And Poe made no response at all while feeling . . . nothing. But he knew he was hurting them. Minho, Gally, Nico, Frypan and Harriet have tried too.

Not long before he heard someone outside, he heard them climbing up onto the ship, Poe knew it was Teo because he usually gets in and out during the day and at this time of the night was his last and about to settle for the night. Teo settles just outside of the cabin. He looks out for Poe every day, making sure if Poe does nothing to harm himself.

But Teo didn't come alone, Poe can hear him talking to another person just outside of the cabin.

His best friend came in, he brought a jug of water and more food as routined every night. He walked around the fire to Poe. Teo kneeled down to Poe's level, "Hey, man . . . I got you more water and something that Frypan made" there was a soft chuckle from him. As he set the water and food down beside Poe's cot, he froze for a moment as if he's about to say something before looking at Poe again. "So . . . Thomas woke up . . . and he's here. He wants to talk to you. I hope that's okay with you"

Poe merely stared at Teo, making no responses.

"Come on, I think you should sit for this" Teo grabbed Poe's hand and arm to help him to sit up slowly. "I'll leave you alone with him. If you need me, you know where to find me"

Poe leaned back against the wall, his bare feet on the ground and kept his eyes on the fire while Teo left the cabin and Thomas came in.

Thomas slowly walked around the fire and made his place near Poe, just beside the end of the cot, kneeled down and looked over at the fire as well. He didn't know where to begin. His hand clutched Newt's pendant, at the moment, he didn't want to give it to him just yet. Thomas expected the worst from Poe, he expected to look like Lawrence who they met in the Crank Palace, but Poe looked the same just as the last time he saw him. But barely made any moment.

"Poe— I . . . I'm sorry about Newt" Thomas swallowed, he looked over at Poe, no response from him, neither any moment of reaction. "And I'm sorry about Anton . . . And Teresa. I know you tried to save them all, we tried. We all did"

Poe felt the same as what others have told him . . . Nothing.

"I'll never forgive myself for what I did to Newt" Thomas went on, he fought back the tears as he saw the image of Newt when he killed him that night. And how he whispered Thomas's name. "Look, I get what you're going through, maybe I don't, but I imagine how painful it must be, nothing compared to mine . . . I'll carry on the guilt for the rest of my life, so for whatever you want to say to me, whatever you want to do to me, I understand. Whatever you wanna do, I get it and it's okay"

As Poe kept his glance on the fire, he knew what Thomas did, but he also knew what he did for Thomas.

"Before Newt—" he reached the pendant, looked at it briefly, "before you found Newt and me that night, he gave me this . . . And I think you should have it"

Thomas remembered what Teo said about Poe, how he's mostly unresponsive due to the effects of the Bliss, what it does to him, barely aware of what's happening. But eventually it'll wear off and when it does, Poe takes a dose of the Bliss. So, he put the pendant on Poe's hand that rested on his lap.

"I think maybe you should see what's inside of it. Maybe Newt gave it to me to give it to you"

The letter may be noted to Thomas but he wanted to let Poe see it first and maybe he'll keep it safe or give it back. Whatever he decides, he's okay with it.

"We both made the same promise for him. We gotta look out for each other. You saved me, and I owe you for that"

Thomas reaches into his coat pocket, pulled out the vile, the cure.

"I remember what Teresa said before the maze, one of the memories I regain back in the maze when I Stung myself. She said I have to save him, we have to save him. Now I get what she meant by that. Now I understand, she meant you . . . I know what she would want and what Newt would want" Thomas placed the cure besides Poe, "It's yours now. I'm giving it to you, whatever you want to do with it, it's your decision. Even if you don't want to take it, we'll understand. Think about it first before you decide you don't want it, Teresa, Anton and Newt. Think about them, and those that we lost on the way . . . I'll leave you alone now. I hope you make the right decision. We'll all be waiting for you . . . I hope I'll see you there"

Thomas got up and left the cabin. He said his goodnight to Teo before he left the ship. Thomas hoped, he hoped Poe would take the cure and he knows for sure that he'll see him again tomorrow. Either to come to visit him or Poe will come instead.

Teo never said his goodnight to Poe like he does every night before he goes to sleep. Poe, still sitting as Thomas left him.

Poe was suddenly thinking, something came flooding back into his mind, and it was Newt he was actually thinking of. That meant the Bliss was wearing off again, that's usually when he takes it again.

But before he got up to the drawers where he kept the serums, he froze when he clutched an object into his hand, he looked down at his hand, opening his hand, and with that, immediately remembered that this was the pendant he gave to Newt days ago back in the Right Arm camp.

A junk, Poe called it. Only it wasn't a junk for Newt, he kept it. He remembered Newt implying he could put something in it. Poe pulled the lid off and Newt did indeed put something in it. Inside were notes, notes for Thomas, he only had taken a quick look at the notes. Somehow he was able to read them through.

Newt tells Thomas about the "prayer", how he whispers the names that help him to regain his sanity. Poe remembered Newt telling him that back in the Scorch, he remembered whispering the names back in the Last City when making his way back to WCKD.

"Newt . . . Anton . . . Nick . . . Winston, Alby, Chuck . . . Teresa" Poe began to slowly mutter as memories of those he lost came rushing back into his mind.

What hit him the most was Newt mentioning Poe, how he was scared of forgetting, and making Thomas promise to take care of Poe.

Almost everything came back to Poe. The memories of Newt.

The pendant could be a reminder. The pendant was in fact Newt. And Anton and Nick and Winston and Alby. The pendant was the Glade's giant walls that made the Gladers feel safe while they slept through the nights. The pendant was Teresa. Even her soft and soothing voice. The pendant was Anton, still protecting Poe and looking after him. The pendant was Newt's smile, his laugh, his comforts and tells Poe that everything will be okay.

The pendant was a reminder, that when Poe falls asleep, then comes Newt, every night. "I'll sleep til you sleep" he will always remember and suddenly, there were tears in Poe's eyes.

It all came flooding back. It's been days since he mourned . . . since he felt anything.

What also hit him was Teresa and the envelope she gave him. While everything had come back to him, he now knew it was the right moment to open the envelope. He reached blindly under the pillow where he had hid the envelope and pulled it out. He set down Newt's notes and the pendant on his lap and moved his attention to the envelope.

A wrinkled envelope, smeared with dried blood that must've been Newt's before Poe handed it to Leigh. He carefully ripped it open from the corners on the side of the envelope and pulled a folded paper out.

At first, he was reluctant to go on, his heart jolted and ran quickly, unprepared to see what Teresa will say in the letter. He took deep breaths through his nose before finally unfolding it.

Her writing was in almost cursive, but all in italic. The entire paper was almost full, he adjusted the letter, moved a little closer to the light from the fire to see clearly . . .

Dear Poe

If you're reading this letter, these will be my last words I say to you and after this, I'll probably be long gone. I know you don't forgive me for what I did and I'm truly sorry. I'm sorry that if I hurt you . . . Again.

I want you to know that the main reason why I did it, why I want to find the cure is because I wanted to save you. We both knew from the start that you're not immune and we both vowed that we'd find the cure together. I promised you that. Since we were kids. You don't remember that.

What you also don't remember is that I love you, I always have. I remember the first time we met, I remember our first kiss and I remember the first time we said we loved each other. But you don't remember all of that when you were sent into the maze. And I did that, I took all of that from us and it's the only thing I regret the most. I'll carry that for the rest of my life and never forgive myself for that.

Then I saw that you changed, the maze changed you, the Gladers changed you, you changed into a better person who just wants to protect his own friends. And I'm proud of you. I believe that's best for you and I want you to do what's right for yourself and your friends.

I want you to know that I'm proud of you, I want you to know that I'll be okay and I hope that you will be too.

I've been meaning to you tell something else since I regain the memories. I want to let you know something that I believe you deserve to know, I've wanted to talk to you about it in the Scorch but I never found the right time. I wanted to tell you that Leigh is your little sister and you two had two older siblings, Mark and Madison. But Madison I never met. You, Mark and Leigh, the three of you found me and saved me before WCKD found us. But unfortunately, Mark didn't make it because he wasn't Immune either.

Poe or I should say, Teddy, that is your real name that your mother gave you, and Leigh's name is Annalee who called you "Teddy Bear" all the time when she was so little at the time.

I hope you take care of yourself and your sister and your friends. I want you two to find the place and have the life that you never had. You both deserve better.

I never got to say it, thank you, thank you both for saving my life.

I love you, Teddy... always will.
Goodbye.

Love always,
Deedee.

It took Poe a long time to process of what the letter said. He felt almost everything, all at the same time, it was all overwhelming, too overwhelming that he almost burst out crying. He wasn't sure how to think or what to think anymore. He was suddenly scared while feeling conflicted, guilty, shocked, hurt . . .

He was leaning forward as his elbows rested on his lap, his hand over his mouth and the other hand holding onto the letter while processing and trembling. He had so much to think of now.

His name . . . His real name . . . Teddy. It sounded almost strange but right at the same time. The girl he's been offering comfort, that he thought of as his best friend all this time is his sister, all this time, it must've been why he always felt the need of protecting her and was there for her.

Deedee, Newt had told him at times after Poe woke up from the dreams, tells him that he mutters out "Deedee" in his sleep. Deedee is a name, and Deedee is Teresa. She loved him, she always did, and he did too. But he never knew. It was painful that he will never remember.

It all became too much to bear everything he was feeling. He got up quickly, went over to the drawers, pulled out another vile of the Bliss and a needle then turned back to the cot. But before he sat back down, he froze as he saw a different vile caught his attention that laid on his cot.

The Cure. Thomas's cure. Reminded Poe of what Thomas said earlier. Said that it's his now. Said that he saved him and he owes him for that. How he hopes Poe to make the right decision, but whatever he decides, it's okay. But not everyone would be okay . . .

Teo, Bark, Frypan . . . Leigh . . . How can they? Especially to leave her without ever acknowledging the fact that they're related. She deserves to know too.

Especially what Teo has told him before, "We lost much, we lost a lot of our friends. I lost Winston, and I don't want to lose you either. I feel you're all I've got"

He picked up the cure, looked at it for several moments, shifted his eyes onto the Bliss serum in his other hand. The Bliss is for to feel nothing, a drug that eased his sense, his emotions, that made him feel nothing and turn him into a complete shell. The Cure, even the cure can't save him, save him from the pain that he'll have to carry for a very long journey that he believes he wouldn't make it through. He'll have to endure the sorrow of his losses.

What he has thought of was what Thomas had said, how he mentioned Teresa, Anton and Newt. What they would want.

If Poe doesn't take the cure, then Teresa died for nothing. If he doesn't take the cure, Newt died for nothing. If he doesn't, Anton also died for nothing. All that pain Anton had to endure before changing, all those times he saved and protected Poe, all that would be for nothing.

How can he do this to them? He shouldn't do this to them. His heart had been broken since that night, broken in many ways, broken that may never mend.

Anton . . . Teresa . . . Newt . . . My Newt.

For Anton, for Teresa, for Newt. It was as if it was the hardest decision he had ever made in his life. For Anton, for Teresa, for Newt.

Then finally, he dropped the Bliss.

Thomas woke up in the earliest morning before the sun had risen above the horizon. He barely slept at all, he couldn't stop thinking about Teresa, about Newt, about Newt's letter and about Poe.

Upon waking up, slowly got up, he looked around and spotted Vince sitting in front of the camp. Gazing over at the ocean. When Thomas gazed toward the ocean as well, and to his surprise and his overwhelming relief, he spotted two familiar boys with Bark standing in front of the stone that everyone had carved the names of the people they lost.

Poe and Teo. Looking up at the names on the stone. If Poe is here, then that meant he had made the right decision. He took the cure. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here.

Thomas got onto his feet and approached the boys.

Teo's hand was on Poe's shoulder as they looked at every name on the stone, Poe saw Newt's name, Anton's, Winston's, Alby's, Nick's . . . Teo was telling him that he was put up Winston's name, Gally put up Chuck's, Nico put up Nick's, Frypan put up Anton's and Minho was the one who put up Newt's name. There were so many of them, others he wasn't familiar with.

Before Poe spoke, they heard someone approaching them behind and it was Thomas. Teo turned to Poe, gave him a quick hug, "I'll see you around" Teo smiled before he left. "C'mon Bark" Bark followed him.

Thomas stood beside Poe, both said nothing briefly as they stared at the names until Poe did, "Teresa should up here too"

Thomas nodded, "I know"

Poe dropped his gaze then spotted a hammer and knife, he picked them up. Regardless of how much Poe meant to Teresa, how much she meant to him, but he believed it felt more right to give it to Thomas instead, that he should put up Teresa's name on the stone. "You should do it," he told him. He handed the hammer and the knife to him which Thomas hesitantly took.

"I think you knew her better than I did," Thomas said.

"Probably," Poe shrugged, "but I still think you should" he looked at Thomas.

All these months of avoiding Thomas, all that gone now, Newt was right, they have to look out for each other. He was right that Poe might need him someday even if he thinks he doesn't and everyone else.

"It wasn't your fault, Thomas" Poe was thinking about what Thomas said last night, about having to carry the guilt of killing Newt. "It wasn't your fault" and then gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder before he walked away.

Poe managed to find where they had buried Newt, it was on a hill where he can see the sun rises and where he can see the sunsets. It was a beautiful place after all. He wished Newt could see it, he wished Teresa could see this place, and even Anton, and Nick and Winston. All of them. He wished they all could see this place. How beautiful it is.

Stones rested around the grave, he only regretted of missing out when they buried Newt, he wasn't here when they put Newt to rest. But he's here now.

He had the pendant in his hand, wondered what he should do with it, he can leave it here with Newt because he let him keep it, or maybe he'll put it on so he can carry it with him all his life, or maybe give it back to Thomas because Newt gave it to him.

For now, he put it on, and maybe he'll give it back to Thomas later.

"I'll sleep till you sleep," Poe whispered, looking down at the grave before he walked away and made his way back to the camp.

Back in the camp, half of the people had woke up, and even all of his friends, he was greeted with warm and long hugs by his friends. First, it was Frypan, who smiled as he squeezed Poe when hugging him. Minho pats him on the back while hugging him. Then there was Harriet who smiled so brightly and high as the sun. Gally did also and even Aris. Brenda and Jorge. Nico was almost hesitant to give the guy a hug, it was short but bittersweet. And lastly, it was Leigh whom Poe hugged the longest that a tear fell from his eye. She had the teddy bear with her which she found by the memorial stone where he had left it.

Annalee, he thought when he held her. It was that moment he almost told her. But he thought he should hold that for now, he can tell her later today and show her Teresa's letter. Maybe she will be happy. He knows that.

Almost everyone was there with him, Teo, Frypan, Minho, Gally, Nico, Aris, Harriet, Bark, Brenda, Jorge, and Leigh, but Thomas who had wandered off and strolled around the beach somewhere.

Everyone and everything that Poe needs were all here. He'll maybe never be healed from the broken heart, but they will always be here for him on his journey of healing. It was the beginning of healing.

This was their new beginning.

This was the beginning of their new lives.

*****

Notice how I didn't put "the end"? ;)
May not be just yet but for now, I'm marking it as "completed" for now because I'm still debating on the epilogue chapter.
But let me if I should leave it here
There is a potential prequel, taking place both The Kill Order and The Fever Code and maybe there I'll write an actual epilogue there instead, taking place years after this story :)