"Stop, don't take my food away now," Thomas laughed, reaching for the sandwich and shaking his head. "I'm just not going to shove it in my mouth or anything. I do want to eat this and I will eat it, I'm just taking my time with it. Relax. Thank you for thinking of me."

It wasn't the first time Derek had brought him food and Thomas doubted it'd be the last. He appreciated it more than Derek probably knew and the only thing stopping him from eating it quickly was that he knew his stomach wouldn't take too well to that. He'd learned from his time in the Scorch, starving and sick, that after a time like that, it was better to eat slow and work up to feeling normal again.

"I know," Thomas said, laughter dying away only to be replaced by a gentler smile. "I wasn't really good to be around anyone the first few days after I came back. I thought this was all a trick so I stayed in my bedroom, barely doing anything until I was convinced ash wasn't going to start falling again."