My eyes open slowly. I take my time in sitting up, my head pounding and my entire body aching. I'm hooked to an IV laying on a cot inside of what looks like a tent. I rub the sleep from my eyes with the hand not hooked to the IV before placing my palm on my forehead, pushing my greasy hair from my face. 

I look around the tent. There's a vacant chair in the corner, along with a small table with a tray of medical equipment beside it. Other than that, the tent is empty. 

I unhook myself from the IV, grimacing slightly. I close my eyes, trying to rack my brain for what happened. I remember Thomas and Newt, but was that just a dream? Was I just imagining them?

The tent flap is pulled aside as someone walks in. A look of relief passes over Newt's face when he notices me sitting up. I immediately shoot to my feet and stumble my way over to Newt, who, noticing my struggle, meets me halfway. I throw myself into his arms and he steadies me, holding me close to him.

The sound of me sniffling is the only noise in the tent. Newt holds me close to him, letting the tears that slip from my eyes wet his shirt.

He pulls away from me, his hands going to my face and pushing my hair away from my skin. He gently wipes the tears from my cheeks, a small smile on his face. 

I push myself away from him, running my hands through my hair as I stumble back. Confusion washes over his face as I tangle my fingers in my hair, shaking my head over and over again. "No." I mutter. "No, no, no. You're not real. You're not- this isn't real. None of it. No. No..." 

"Venus," Newt says cautiously, slowly walking towards me. "I'm real." His hands are held out in front of him as if he's approaching a wild animal. I'm shaking my head over and over again, tears running down my face. Newt gently unravels my fingers from my hair before cradling my face in his hands. His thumbs brush against my cheeks, catching the tears as they fall. 

My bottom lip trembles violently, my voice caught in my throat. I grip the front of his shirt instead, so tightly that I'm afraid I might tear the fabric if he tries to walk away from me. "It isn't all in my head?" I finally ask, my voice soft. Newt shakes his head. "You're real?"

"I'm real," He replies, his voice muffled by my hair. "and I'm not letting you go again." He pulls me into his chest once again, rocking me back and forth gently. I close my eyes tight, relishing in the warmth of the embrace.

"You'll still be here?" I ask, afraid that he'll vanish if I pull away. 

"Always." He whispers. I slowly open my eyes. Newt pulls away from me, a small smile on his face. He gently guides me to the cot, pulling the vacant chair over so that it's across from me. He sits down on it and gently takes one of my hands in his, me sitting down on the edge of the cot. 

"Are Aris and Sonya okay?" My voice is hoarse and raspy. It isn't mine, is it? What happened to it? My free hand travels up to the necklace around my neck. I don't remember putting it back on, but I don't spend time trying to figure out when it got there. All that matters is that it's around my neck once again, familiar and comforting. If Newt notices me fiddling with it, he doesn't mention it. 

Newt's eyebrows draw together. "They're fine. They're talking to Tommy and Vince right now, I think." His eyes dart between mine, searching for something that I'm unsure of.

"And the rest of the kids in the compartment? Are they okay?"

"They're all fine, Venny." Newt replies. "A little shaken, but they're all fine." I nod, silence filling the small tent. Newt's thumb soothingly brushes against the skin on the back of my hand. "Are you-"

I shake my head, cutting him off. "Please don't ask me that." I say quickly, swallowing the lump forming in the back of my throat. "I can't-" I close my eyes, willing myself not to start crying again. "I can't lie to you. I don't want to lie to you."

"Okay." Newt says softly. I can hear him shift forward in his chair. I open my eyes to see that he's leaning slightly closer to me, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. "I won't ask you that."

"Thank you." I whisper. He nods, silence falling over us once again. 

"Do you want to... talk about it?" Newt hesitates. He sounds slightly unsure of his question, unclear whether or not he crossed a line. He searches my eyes for an answer.

My fingers fiddle with the necklace, sliding the ring back and forth across the leather. "There's nothing to talk about." I reply, my eyes falling to my lap. Newt begins to retort, but I cut him off, my eyes snapping up to meet his. "I said there's nothing to talk about." I snap, my gaze cutting into him.

Newt nods silently, not pressing any further. "We missed you, V." He finally says after a long silence. "It wasn't the same without you. We really missed you."

"The feeling was mutual." I offer him a small smile, but it doesn't quite reach my eyes. "How... how long was it?" I ask after a moment. Newt's face falls slightly. "How long was I there for?"

He hesitates before answering, "six months." He places a hand on my shoulder, his thumb running back and forth. "I'm glad we found you." He says with a small smile. He reaches up and ruffles my hair before gently cupping my cheek in his palm. I lean into his hand, relishing in the familiar touch. 

"Thank you." I whisper, a tear falling from the corner of my eyes and hitting his palm. "Thank you for saving me."

"That's what we do." Newt replies with a small shrug. "We save each other." He leans forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead. He stands up, gently pushing my hair away from my face. "Try to get some more rest. I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Promise?" I ask.

"I promise." He replies, a small smile on his face. I nod and watch as Newt walks out, leaving me in the tent. 

I lay down, flipping over to my right side and hugging my arms around my body, just as Gally would've done if he were here. The feeling provides me comfort as well as sorrow, my heart aching for the boy who lives only inside of my mind.

I stare at the blank canvas of the tent until my eyes begin to grow heavy. I inhale deeply as I begin drifting off. "I miss you." I breathe out as I fall into sleep.