The Light: Newt x OC

The Desolate Place:

"A bit better," She said with her voice cracking. "I'm worried about the baby."

"Everything is going to be fine. We just need to get to the right arm and then we can get help," I tried to reassure her.

"I'm scared Newt."

I wiped away her tears with my fingers, "Hey it's okay. I'm scared too. We are going to be okay. I'm going to take care of us and our baby."

"Do you think the rest of the world is like this?" She asked. "Because now I'm not even sure I want to bring a child into it."

"Well, I don't know. We'll find a home Zoe. I promised you that. One day. Soon."

"One day seems so far away."

~Zoe~

The sun beat down on us as we continued dragging ourselves through the wasteland. Our group climbed a large sandbank outside the city. Never had my body felt so exhausted. I wanted to lie down and never get up again but I knew I had to keep going. We finally made it to the top. Sand blew around my feet as I stared at what lay before us. Sand. As far as the eye could see, just sand.

"Great," Daniel breathed beside me. I leaned into my brother for a minute. 

"There's mountains!" Thomas pointed at the horizon. "That's gotta be it."

"That's a long way off," Newt said and slipped his arm around me.

I saw Winston out of the corner of my eyes. His toppled down the slope.

"Winston!" I screamed.

"Winston!" Thomas slid down beside him. "Hey winston?"

Winston was not doing well at all. I held his head in my lap so it was out of the sand.

"He's hurt pretty bad?" Frypan said.

"What do we do?" Teresa asked. Winston choked.

Winston was gasping.

"Winston? Can you hear me?" My husband asked in a small voice. He looked up at me, broken. I looked down at our best friend, "Winston?"

We went back to the city and found a large room cleared of junk in the building closest to the edge. Frypan and Daniel put winston down on the jackets Molly and I spread out.

I pulled open Winston's shirt and nearly puked. The tears in his abdomen were bleeding with a mix of red blood and black sledge.

"Zoe," He whispered.

"Hey you," I smiled. "You scared me."

"Zoe, you gotta take care of him for me."

"What are you talking about?" My eyes shifted to Newt who was trying to start a fire.

"Newt. He's been like a brother to me all these years. You gotta take care of him for me," He weakly grabbed my hand. "Promise me."

"Hey you're going to be fine," I said and re-wrapped the rag bandages.

"Promise me Zoe," He stopped me.

"I promise."

"You two are going to be the best parents. Make sure you both love that baby extra hard for me," He smiled.

"He or she is excited to meet their Uncle Winston," I said and tucked a sweater around him.

My friend smiled up at me, "Thanks sis."

"You're welcome bro," I said and walked over to Newt.

Newt handed me a cup of water, "How is he?"

"Not good," I said. "Very not good."

The next day the boys made a makeshift stretcher out of some tarp and pipes they had found. Frypan and Minho dragged Winston on it. When we couldn't drag him two people carried him. We walked over more sand. And more sand. And more sand after that. The mountains seemed to be getting further and further away.

~*~

A sand storm came up during the later part of the morning. We found shelter under a slanted ruin that looked like it had been some type of bridge at one time. I made sure winston was as comfortable as possible before I collapsed on my coat beside my brother.

He had his arms behind his head, sleeping. Newt gave me a cup of water and sat down beside me, "How are you?"

I rolled over to face him, "Tired."

Newt slid over and pulled me against his chest. I closed my eyes and relaxed.

I was awoken to the sound of gun shots. Daniel pulled me up and shoved me behind him.

Winston was on his hands and knees coughing. Black spit dripped from his red lips.

"What the-" My brother said and pushed me back further.

"Winston what are you doing?" Frypan asked as he held his hands up.

"Give me that!" Molly motioned to the gun.

Teresa and Thomas ran into the shelter.

"What happened?" Teresa asked. 

"I don't know!" Frypan exclaimed. "He just woke up, grabbed the gun, and tried to."

"Winston you okay?" Thomas knelt beside our friend. Winston puked up a mouthful of black goo. I gagged. Winston fell back onto the sand and gasped for air. He lifted his shirt, "It's growing inside me."

His stomach was shredded. Black goo filled the holes. I put my hand over my mouth. Molly stared at him with terror in her eyes. We all stared at Winston. He stared back at us, "I'm not gonna make it."

"No, you're gonna be okay," I said in denial. Winston looked at me with blood-shot eyes, "Zoe, remember your promise."

I sobbed.

"Please," Winston reached out. "Don't let me turn into one of those things."

Molly and I were both crying.

Newt took the pistol from Frypan.

"Newt," Thomas whispered.

My husband knelt beside his best friend and tucked the gun into Winston's hand.

"Thank you," Wiston replied. "Get out of here."

Newt's face was grief ridden as he said a simple, broken, "Good bye Winston."

Newt led me over to our stuff and started shoving things into our bag. He was shaking, trying to hold in the tears. We all took one last look at Winston. He still held the gun, watching us leave one by one. Daniel led me away. I turned and nodded to winston. He nodded back.

           That night our campfire was a silent one. Our group had found shelter under an old ship. I suppose that meant there used to be water nearby.

We all sat around just staring at the small flames. Aris tossed another armful of wood pieces on the embers.

"I thought we were supposed to be immune," Minho said.

"Not all of us I guess," Molly replied.

"If winston can get infected we should assume so can the rest of us," Newt spoke up.

Frypan had tears dripping slowly down his cheek, "I never thought I' say it but I miss the glade."

"So do I," I rubbed my stomach.

Newt kissed my head. 

When we decided it was time to sleep, Newt and I cuddled up on our jackets.

"I think I know what we should name our baby," I whispered in the darkness.

"After Winston," Newt said. I nodded. My heart was broken. I rolled over and cried silently into my hands. Newt wrapped his arm around my waist.