They Don't Own Me

Chapter 36

"Because we can't clean your cut while you're asleep."

"Yes you can."

"No we can't. Because when we're done, you have to change clothes."

"But why?"

"Because your shirt is covered in blood."

"You really think I care at the moment?"

"Probably not, but we're going to give you a choice."

"You're mean."

Newt smiled but rolled his eyes. Minho returned a minute later and set to work. Ivy remained lying on her bed, giving him access to her stomach and to the cut. There were only a few times that she winced, which made Minho apologise. Within a few minutes, the wound was clean and bandages were wrapped around her stomach. Ivy made the two step out so she could change. She threw her clothes into a corner of the room and got into bed, calling Newt and Minho back in.

They stepped into the room and looked at her. The two chuckled lightly when they saw her already lying in bed. Newt walked to the bed, climbing on the bed next to Ivy. The girl turned over, curling up next to the blonde boy.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered, gently running his hands through her hair.

Ivy smiled ever so slightly as she fell asleep, finally letting her exhaustion take her.

~end flashback~

Ivy shook her head, returning her attention to her wounds. The cuts hurt only slightly; not enough to bring to Isaac and Nicole's attention, but enough to cause her a little discomfort. She sighed as she tied off the new bandages before standing and returning to her friends.

Nicole glanced back at her, smiling to her in greeting before her expression turned to look worried.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You were back there a while. And you look like you've been crying."

Ivy touched her face, pulling her hand away when she felt wetness on her cheek. She wiped away her tears, nodding to the girl.

"I was just remembering when my friends used to worry over me when I got hurt. They thought I had died in the Maze, but I escaped with only a scar." Ivy smiled slightly when she remembered waking up before the two, finding Newt still beside her while Minho was asleep on the floor. "Those shanks stayed with me the entire night."

"They sound like good friends," Nicole commented.

"They are."

"Hey, so you guys know," Isaac interrupted, "I'm about to radio our contact in the Last City."

Ivy hasn't realized that she had been in the back that long. She walked over to where Isaac was, standing behind his chair next to Nicole. She crossed her arms, her fingers briefly ghosting over her shirt where the scar on her stomach was. Ivy glanced at Nicole as Isaac got the radio ready, fiddling with the knobs to get the right frequency. Nicole had a faint smile on her face as she looked at Isaac. Ivy had to bite back her grin when she recognized the look in his eye; Nicole returned Isaac's feelings, but neither knew it.

"Henry to Talisman," Isaac suddenly said, bringing Ivy's attention back to him.

They waited in silence for almost five minutes, each of them glancing at each other. Isaac was about to use the radio again when a voice came through.

"This is Talisman. What's your status, Henry?"

"We're about thirty minutes out from the rendezvous point. Wanted to give you a heads up before we got there."