Death Cure Part 6: Shit's About to Go Down

Getting a new job!

Okie dokie, kids. I did very little reading this week. I've been busy as hell and I'm starting a new job soon I'm very excited for the new job, but there will probably need to be a revision of my update schedule. Stay
tuned for that. Anyway, on to the reading!

Chapters 26-28

I know, I know. Yes, that's all I read. Like I said, very busy. Things happening. Priorities.

Gally has just told the gang that the only doctor who can help remove or deactivate the Swipe from Thomas and Minho is being hunted by WICKED. The gang are all set to leave when Thomas tells Gally that he no longer blames Gally for anything. There's basic forgiveness, but they are still not buddies, you know? The feeling is totally mutual. They then discuss how they can help the Right Arm. Gally tells them to be back at his apartment before nine any day for the next week. He then says, "I don't think we'll make any moves before then." Thomas asks what he means by 'moves' but Gally doesn't explain, of course. No one explains shit.



Before they leave, Thomas and Gally shake hands. Gally squeezes his elbow and tells him, "Time's running out. But we can do something." This is the most hopeful sentence that has been written in the entirety of this series. Apparently, Thomas feels the same because he reacts with: "Fear of the unknown no longer controlled him. Hope had found its way in and taken hold." Hope. For the first time, Thomas has a little hope. That's lovely. I wonder how long it will last.

Jorge procures a cheap hotel room for the gang. The gang set out to find the doctor, whose name is Hans. Jorge and Brenda make calls while Minho and Thomas use something called the Netblock (I'm assuming it's like the internet). Jorge gets an address and the gang go to sleep. The next morning they wake and set out to the address they are given. They meet Hans, who is none to fond of Thomas. No one is ever too fond of Thomas at first. The only person who liked him instantly was Chuck.

They get all set up for the operation and something unnerving happens, because nothing can ever go smoothly. Thomas starts having horrible spasms and can't control his limbs. He falls to the floor and feels like he is being controlled. Thomas's mind is still clear, he can think for himself, but he can't control his body or his mouth. "It was as if he'd become a puppet." He starts to panic. His mouth speaks words his mind never

It would be way better if this were the explanation for this bit.

formed. "I can't...let you...do this."

He gets up off the floor, or perhaps more accurately, is made to get up off the floor. He shoves everyone aside and takes a knife off of the counter. he walks toward the door Hans had exited through. Thomas has a vague memory of there being a fail-safe in his device the prevents it from being removed. Hans re-enters the room and "Thomas" tries to attack him. He just keeps repeating "I can't...let you...do this" over and over. There is a struggle where Thomas punches nearly everyone in the room. Minho finally tackles him to the ground, allowing everyone else to get a hold of him. They carry him into a small lab at the end of the hall where Hans drugs him so that they can begin the operation. Just before he passes out, Thomas regains control and says, "I hate those shucks." I love the level of low-key loathing Thomas has in this moment. It's just such a beautiful understatement you'd have expect it to have come from Minho.

While Thomas is under, he has yet another memory/dream. He is 15 and with Teresa. They have just completed The Purge, a process through which they killed all of the original Creators because of an outbreak of the Flare that had infected them all. The Creators had wanted it that way, but Thomas still feels really shitty about it. Understandable, considering  he did kill them.

Thomas wakes up and tries to push his thoughts of the Purge out of his mind. His and Minho's operations were successful, so nothing like what had just happened will happen again. He talks to the gang for a while, Hans says that he and his wife are leaving town and wishes them luck. Brenda asks Thomas what comes next and he makes an excellent decision. He tells the group that they are going to help the Right Arm. No one says anything for a while. The first to speak is Minho, who unleashes this gem: "Okay...But first let's go eat something." I love Minho.

Analysis

Hope is important. We all know this. When you have hope, you have power. Until this point, Thomas has had no hope. He's been in a bad situation that was only going to get worse. He had no reason to be hopeful because he only saw his situation getting worse. With the introduction of the Right Arm, we have the first glimmer of something good. There is finally someone who wants to help them. They aren't going it alone for the first time. This little bit of hope give the gang what they need to keep going, to fight for what is right. Before, they could have easily just went into hiding and never spoken of any of this again. They would have lived in fear, but they would have been okay. The Right Arm makes it possible for them to fight back and actually accomplish something. It also gives them the confidence that what they are doing is right. Hope is a powerful thing. To paraphrase Firefly, it makes them mighty.

That's it for now, muchachos. have a great week. And, as always, until next time, happy reading.