Feral → newt, tmr

The Glade is quiet except for the sound of rustling leaves and murmured voices as the group huddles around Alby’s bed. Sweat beads on his forehead, and his breaths come in short, ragged gasps. Newt stands beside the bed, jaw clenched as he watches Katherine and Thomas exchange a worried look. Alby’s skin is pale, almost gray, a stark contrast to the angry red and black streaks that snake up his veins from the infected wound.

Newt breaks the tense silence. “We don’t even know what this stuff is,” he says, his voice low but urgent as his gaze flickers to the serum in Katherine’s hands. “We don’t know who sent it or why it came up here with you. For all we know, this thing could kill him.”

Katherine takes a step forward, a fiery determination lighting her eyes. “He’s already dying,” she counters, her tone steady but laced with desperation. “Look at him.”

Newt’s gaze shifts back to Alby, lying motionless except for the faint rise and fall of his chest. He hesitates, then meets Katherine’s eyes. “How could this possibly make it any worse?” he mutters, mostly to himself.

Thomas steps in, his voice breaking the heavy quiet. “Kat’s right. It’s worth a try. We don’t have any other options.” His hands shake as he reaches for the syringe. He can’t quite hide the tremor in his fingers.

Newt takes a breath, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. “All right,” he says, his voice firm. “Do it.” He hands the syringe to Thomas, his fingers lingering for a moment as if second-guessing himself. “Just… be careful.”

Thomas nods, swallowing hard. He positions the syringe above Alby’s chest, gripping it tightly. For a moment, everything feels suspended, the whole Glade holding its breath.

Then, without warning, Alby jerks upright, a guttural scream ripping from his throat. He grabs Thomas by the arms, his eyes wild, voice strained and broken. “You shouldn’t be here! You shouldn’t be here!”

Katherine’s heart leaps to her throat as she and Newt lunge forward, pulling Alby’s hands off Thomas’s neck. Alby thrashes violently, eyes wide with a terror that seems to pierce through to his soul. Before they can restrain him, Teresa steps in swiftly, plunging the syringe deep into Alby’s chest. The effect is almost immediate; Alby’s body goes limp, collapsing back onto the bed, his breathing slowing into a heavy, uneven rhythm.

The room falls into a tense silence, the echo of Alby’s screams fading. “Well, that worked,” Jeff mumbles, his voice breaking the quiet with a hint of disbelief.

Newt runs a hand through his hair, trying to calm the frantic beat of his heart. “All right,” he says, his voice steady but strained. “From now on, someone stays here and watches him. No one leaves him alone.”

The door creaks open, and Gally steps in, his usual scowl set deep on his face. “Hey. Sundown, Greenie,” he grunts, jerking his head towards the door. “Time to go.”

Katherine lets out a breath, rolling her eyes as she punches Thomas playfully on the arm. “Try not to turn into a Griever and eat Gally on your way to the pit.”

Thomas forces a grin, the weight of the past few minutes still pressing on him. “Can’t make any promises,” he jokes weakly, shooting Katherine a grateful look before following Gally out.

Later, the dim light filters through Newt’s small window as he and Katherine stumble into his room. The exhaustion hangs heavy in the air, and Katherine collapses onto the bed with a sigh. Her muscles ache from the strain of the day, and for a moment, she just lets herself sink into the mattress.