the death cure
chapter thirteen

❛❛ i'm not leaving him ❜❜

————————————————

Everything stopped. The whole world stopped, it's suddenly so quiet, like the world knew what it had lost and began to mourn.

When Poe saw Newt collapsed to his knees, Poe rushed to him, "No, Newt!" He caught the boy in his arms as Newt fell back and set them both down slow and gentle. Newt's chest was bleeding, bleeding through his grey shirt and Poe pressed his hand on the wound to keep pressure while the other arm holding around Newt. "Newt, Newt, you're okay. Y—y— you're okay. Ju—just stay— stay with me. It's gonna be okay" his breath was shaking as the lump in his throat built up. "Newt— you're all right—"

The blood he was pressing on was warm, there was Thomas, still on his feet, stood over Poe as he was pleading and reassuring Newt, Thomas was so horrified, traumatized by what he had done, though he didn't mean it, he never knew what he was doing. He watched and listened to Poe's pleas. It was so unbearable.

He just lost a good friend.

And he killed him.

Newt never said anything. He was looking at Poe. Poe could see something leaving the boy's eyes, like a ghostly presence and the weight of the boy's body had gotten heavier. He could see that Newt had left the world—

"Newt?" Poe kept his hand pressed on the wound as he lightly shook him. "Newt, please—" his voice broke and so did his heart. A sob escaped before lifting the boy until his head was pressed against Poe's head. "Please—" he cried. All of him had broke. Shattered. Like the one thing that mattered the most was gone. A part of him was gone.

Then Brenda came running with the serum in her hand. But only to see that she was too late. She came to an abrupt halt as she spotted one person holding another person who was so still. She quickly realized it was Newt. Dead. Dead in Poe's arms.

She thought she had made it.

Thomas mournfully looked at Brenda from Poe and Newt before glancing back down, instead he looked at the gun in his hand. The gun that killed his own friend.

He took a last look at Newt, though he could not bring himself to look at his face, not even to say a word, not even to face Poe, he had an urge of saying something, but he couldn't.

So he had to leave. He had to go. He had to go anywhere but here. Away from here. He kept the gun and walked away without saying a word.

The rest arrived. Minho, Frypan, Gally, Nico and Leigh. Found themselves so shocked by what they were seeing. Minho, Gally, Frypan and Nico has known Newt for three years but it always felt longer than that.

Both Minho and Frypan fell to their knees beside the lifeless boy while Poe was still holding him. Nico and Gally stood over the Gladers. Leigh slowly went around the Gladers and made her place beside Poe before she placing her hand on her friend's back in attempt to comfort him. Brenda didn't have the courage to walk and to get close, she felt she could've done it more, she should've run faster.

They had lost another friend. Two Gladers have fell this night.

*

"I'm not leaving him" Poe finally spoke out after what it felt like a long time of silence. He looked up at Minho, Gally, Nico and Frypan. "Don't make me leave him here. Don't leave him here" he dropped his gaze on Newt again.

"Then let us take him" Leigh replied mournfully. "Let us take him. We won't leave him, okay?"

"It's okay, man" Frypan put a hand on Poe's shoulder, "Come on, we got him, we'll get him out of here"

Poe couldn't gain the ability of letting Newt go, he didn't want to, least until Leigh slowly and gently reached for his hand that was still on Newt's chest and pulled the hand away. "Let us take him, okay? Please... he—he was our friend, he was our family too"

Minho and Frypan began slowly to grab the lifeless boy from Poe, he still had the hold of the boy's jacket until he slipped away as the Gladers pulled him away.

"We'll take turns of carrying him" Nico implied, talking to Frypan and Minho. Frypan responded with a weak nod.

"Okay—" Gally breathed out slowly, "Let's—let's get back to the Berg... Brenda, go on ahead"

The girl was still standing where she halted.

"Brenda" Gally called. Brenda's eyes shifted onto Gally. "Go, lead us the way, all right?"

Brenda shakily nodded without saying a word. The serum was still grasped in her hand until she put it in her pocket. She turned them started walking, followed by Frypan and Minho carrying Newt.

Leigh helped Poe to stand, "Come on, we gotta go" as she walked forward to follow the boys.

Poe only took a few steps forward before halting. He looked down at his hand, stared at his arm where the infection was spreading. No one else knows that he's not Immune and he's already infected with the Flare. Who knows who else isn't Immune.

What he also thought of was Newt. Also Thomas, and even Teresa. What Newt had said to him and Thomas, how they should look out for each other, but that seemed impossible for Poe to do that, especially after what just happened. But Poe felt it was his fault too. He slowly reached into his pocket, pulled out the envelope that Teresa gave him. He had an urge of opening it, but it felt it wasn't the right time.

Anton is dead. Newt is dead. Both gone. A massive part of Poe was gone too.

But he cannot lose anymore. He can't lose anyone else anymore. Even if it's Thomas, but the boy meant a lot to Newt, they were friends. Even if it's Teresa, something about her that he needed.

"Poe?" Leigh noticed Poe wasn't following them. "Poe, we have to go"

Poe knew what he has to do. "I can't go" he replied. He looked at Leigh and there was Nico and Gally halting behind her while Frypan, Minho went on ahead. Nico and Gally turned around when they heard Poe. "I'm not coming"

"What are you talking about?" Gally asked.

"I have to go... I have to go back"

"No, wait—Poe" Leigh approached him, "I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, I probably do but... please, come with us. Come with us, all right?"

Poe shook his head lightly, "I can't... I gotta do something first... I need—" he knew there was no way else to convince them, so he lifted his sleeve up, "I have to take care of this" even though it wasn't the main reason why he had to go back, he didn't care about that he has the Flare.

Leigh, Nico and Gally expressed shocked looks as they saw Poe's infected arm.

"We got the serum, man. No worries" Nico said, "We got loads back in the Berg"

"What's best for me? The serum or the cure?" Poe asked and no one responded as if they knew what exactly was best for him. "Besides, Newt made me promise something and I gotta go do that... just go. Go and take Newt to safety for me. Take him home for me, please and—" he reached the envelope out to Leigh, "Take this... Keep it for safe keeping for me"

Leigh reluctantly took the envelope before she tearfully looked up at Poe, weakly shaking her head and gave a pleading look.

Poe started to walk backwards, looked at his friends, as if the last time, "I'll see you later" he told them. He turned around then walked where Thomas had went.

"Poe!" The girl called. He didn't stop, nor said anything, though he shifted his head sideways but never looked back at them. He kept on walking.

Poe wasn't sure what he'll be getting himself into, he knew he was making his way back into the lion's den, whatever happens to him, he'll be ready.

Even if it's death.

*****

Aye, yes... very short chapter
Originally wanted to keep on going then end it with the falling building scene but... my poor boy, Poe needs a break and more time to mourn :(