Rachel Pennington

Thomas stays in the white room for two weeks, Teresa talks to him once and tells him that WICKED says that he’s been infected with the Flare virus and cannot leave the room until further notice, then Thomas tells Teresa to leave him alone and stop talking to him. One day, the Rat Man (Jensen, a man who works for WICKED and always would and continues to consult Thomas and the rest of the Gladers about their next trials) comes to the room, and tells Thomas that he is their final candidate for the Cure for the Flare virus, but Thomas does not want anything to do with any more of WICKED’s plans for him. Jensen assures him that he will be getting his memories back, and will also be losing all abilities to communicate with Teresa in his mind. He also tells Thomas that it is up to him to decide if he wants his memories back. Finally, he carefully tells Thomas that Newt has the Flare virus, and is not immune to it. Thomas thinks that not being able to connect with Teresa sounds like a wonderful idea, but does not want his memories back. He tells himself that, no matter what, he will not get his memories back. He is scared for Newt, and is slightly swayed in finding a cure for his close friend. He is then let out of the room, and led to a bigger room with the rest of the remaining Gladers and Group B, where Teresa tries to talk him into getting his memories returned. A list is given of who is and is not immune to the Flare virus, some people crying, some staring off into space. Thomas, Minho, and Newt decide they will not allow their memories to be returned. Thomas sees Brenda at the end of one of the beds where the people getting their memories back will lay. She yells his name, runs to him, and hugs him. In his ear, she whispers to him only to trust her and Chancellor Paige, but he does not understand what this means. Jensen screams at Brenda to return to her post the whole time, and she apologizes and said she could not help it for she had not seen Thomas in so long. Thomas, Minho, and Newt then try to escape the big room, but end up getting taken to a small dorm where they must stay in captivity away from the others, still healing from having their memories returned. Eventually, Jensen and a few guards come back and say that Newt, Minho, and Thomas must have their memories returned anyways, even though they previously gave the 3 a choice. Thomas gets separated from Newt and Minho, and is taken into a room where he will be given his memories. Brenda is there, and Thomas remembers what she whispered to him. Thomas is nervous, but Brenda winks at him when the guards behind him are not looking. Thomas then understands, and Brenda gets a syringe full of sleeping medication, and tells him to relax. She then “trips” on something and stabs one of the guards with the syringe, injecting the sleeping medication into him and making him collapse in confusion. Thomas then takes out the other guard and steals her Launcher, a gun that shoots grenades that explode electricity.