Another story on The fault in our stars, i hope you like it. The story bellow it´s a 2 shots which takes place after the end of the book, hovewer, this time, Augustus didn´t die; let´s assume that Mr. Green doesn´t killed his character, his cancer got back yes, but the book ended with Hazel and Gus, just promissing each other to make their infinity the great as they can, while they have time.

Other thing, this story isn´t based in nothing in particular, i just want to explore the character selfsness and give him a chance to be a hero. I wish you all a deligtfull reading and a nice afternoon and a special thanks for my dear friend and colleague DSCWin, for helping me write this story

Dr. Serpico

Other thing, the parts in ITALIC represent the present time, while the parts in NORMAL represent the memory.

THE PRICE IN OUR STARS – Part 1

Augustus Cesar Waters woke up with a start, as he heard an annoying beep coming from somewhere near. He tried to open is eyes, but a white light almost blinding him, forcing him to close his eyes again.

Suddenly, a wave of pain washed over him, he tried to scream, but what came out was a moaning and just seconds later, someone approaches him, caressing his face and spoke soft words on his ear. He felt hot and cold at the same time, another wave of pain and the sound of someone crying scared him. He wasn´t dead, much less in haven, otherwise, the pain would never exist. Where the hell was he? What happened? He asked himself over and over.

He opened and closes his eyes again and everything he could see were wild flames, coming toward him.

_/_

Five days ago… Hazel Grace was a bit annoyed, as her mother asked her to go to the support group, in order to celebrate Patrick´s birthday, once he had invite the whole group to the party. Of course, she tried to convince her mother that she was too busy for a party, but still, Mrs. Lancaster told her to go.

Annoyed, he called Augustus, expecting to convince him to found something interesting, so she couldn´t go to the group, however, to her surprise, the boy of the unlighted cigarettes, told cher that was important to they, go from time to time, to the place where they first met. After that, in order to make her happy, he suggested that they could go to the theater after the meeting, watch the new X-Men movie and in response; Hazel just rolled her eyes as she never liked those movies, but agree to come with him.

This way, they arrived at the basement at the right hour, with the gifts, Gus had brought Patrick a videogame joystick and Hazel gives him a book about diet for cancer patients, which he loved.

After the greetings, they started the same boring reunion, with everyone saying their names, ages and type of tumor.

Isaac wasn´t with them this time, as he and his family had traveled to Ohio for a few days, visiting his grandparents. In this meantime, they had giving the welcome to a 12-year old boy name Mark, who had the same cancer of Isaac, but contrary of the older boy, Mark haven´t any friend or girlfriend to give him support and he was terrified.

Hazel and Gus felt sorry for the young kid as he was nervously playing with his hands when he spoke.

However, something was off about the meeting. It wasn't because it was Patrick's birthday or that the new boy was timid and shy. It was the smoky atmosphere that seemed to settle on top of the small group.

"You smell that?" Gus said out loud doing loud sniffs. Hazel shook her head a as she had trouble smelling anything with the nubbins in her nose. But her eyes were starting to sting.

''Augustus?'' she took her boyfriend´s hand, as a pang of fear started to wash over her

Gus quickly stood up and tried to find the source of the smoke. As he walked in the tiny basement he fell backwards as flames began to consume the area around him.

Panic filled the room as the flames danced and spread it's fingers clutching at beams and the large wooden cross that stood as a test emanate that God was there, but for Hazel as she dragged Phillip towards the stares it was an ironic metaphor that God had the ability to take life away.

''David, take Hazel out of here, I will follow you guys'' Augustus shouted to the other boy, who without warning, took Hazel on his arms

"Let me help you!" Patrick said grabbing hold of Phillip "the rest of you, follow me quickly!" He didn't really have to say that as the kids of the support group were scrambling to climb the stairs as the putrid black smoke tried to engulf them to their death.

''wait!'' Hazel managed to gasped, ''Gus stayed behind''

''Come on Augustus, we need to get out!'' Sid barked to his colleague, but the one legged boy didn´t listen and Sid ran away

"Mark grab my hand!" Gus screamed as his eyes were stinging from the heat of the fire and the stench of the smoke. Mark was on the ground his tiny twelve year old body huddled close to the ground his cancer filled eyes closed. He was blindly reaching out his hand out trying to triangulate Gus's voice. "Mark to your left!" he screamed and he was forced to close his eyes.

Mark's tiny hand felt like a baby's in Gus's hand as he finally was able to make contact.

The two were crawling blind until Gus thought he heard another scream coming from behind them. "Don't leave me!" Mark screamed but his words seemed to be eaten by the flames.

"I got to save that person in there." Gus screamed shoving Mark to the stairs. "Keep going up until you feel fresh air. Then send someone down as quickly as you can!" Gus had his eyes barely open and he saw Mark nod. "Alright I'm coming!" Gus screamed into the flames. He still had his body low. "Hello!" He screamed. The scream was gone only to be replaced by the crackling of wood above him. The large wooden cross leaned towards Gus on unstable stand. Gus's eyes felt a soft boiled egg getting cooked when he felt something heavy and extremely warm fall on top of him. He tried to move but his fake leg, something he was happy to have now hindered him. "H-" he opened his mouth to scream but his throat felt dry and itchy like sandpaper. He let out a gasping cough and fell to the floor the heat burning into his skin.

Something large and dark came into the room as Gus lay there slowly burning. He tried to move his arms, but only he could fell was pain, which prevent him to lifted them up, to reach for the shadow. As ironic of being in a church, Gus never truly believed in God or heaven. But at the moment before darkness engulfed him he thought only about Hazel, praying that she ad walk away okay.

_/_

It has been two days after Augustus woke up from what he presumed been a coma, but still disorientate, due the high dose of morphine they had given him. He felt strange, something was burning inside him toward his lower abdomen, but he couldn´t make sure what it was. ''I must have hit my head pretty bad'' he thought, feeling like a supernova was exploding inside his brain.

He opened his eyes again, after another long nap, still facing again that white light. ''sure, I'm on an ICU. But why?'' he asked himself, as a nurse approached and started to work on him, he cried again and the nurse continue her work. Well, at least, those tubes on his throat and nose had gone away, replaced by a simply oxygen mask.

Once the nurse had gone, Augustus tried to raise his head from the pillow; his remaining leg and right arm were wrapped on a cast, indicating that something very bad had happened indeed.

Suddenly, he started to fell numb; maybe he had received another dose of morphine and the last thing he heard was his sister´s voice singing to him.

_/_

The fire had spread quickly through the building when the firefighters arrived. People all around the church gathered pulling the children away from the flames and as the firefighters began their work to contain the fire. The wailing of ambulances and policemen filled the streets pushing people across the street. Reporters, in their best suits stood in front of their cameras almost saying the same thing even though they worked for different news crews.

Hazel felt as though she was flying when she stepped out of the thick air of the church and out in the free air outside. Mrs. Lancaster was flying down the street and Hazel could hear the tires squealing to a stop. Soon Hazel was overcome by both her parents.

"Hazel, sweetie..." Mrs. Lancaster started. "Are you okay?"

"She'll be fine, Mrs. Lancaster." Patrick said helping Hazel to sit down on a lawn a few hundred feet away from the flames. EMTs quickly swarmed around Hazel like a moth to fire but Hazel didn't want to be checked out. She wanted to see if she could find Gus.

"Where's..." Her vision was blocked by an eager EMT who shone a light in her eyes. Hazel gently pushed them away and looked back at the door. "Where's Gus? Patrick you seen Gus?"

"I'll go look." Patrick left leaving Hazel with her parents and the EMTs. There was a commotion near the exit as a small form climbed out coughing and sputtering as they climbed out of the door. Firefighters rushed over and carried the small form of Mark away from the door just as flames exploded out of the door.

"Where's Gus?" She cried as Mark was placed beside her.

"He..." Mark coughed and wheezed as EMTs now fussed over him. "He...heard someone scream..." He let out another fit of coughs. "I think...I think he's still in the building."

The fire chief overheard the young boy talking and then turned his back towards the two young people coughing from the smoke, but Hazel could still hear him say into his walkie-talkie. "Carlos, you and Miller need to head inside." She was starting to tear up as it finally hit her that he was still inside. "There's one more person inside!"

"But boss..." The walkie-talkie began to cut out. "The...blocked."

"Then open it up!" Barked the Fire chief.

The wait was like an eternity for Hazel as two firefighters managed to break inside, in their full firefighter gear, and come out with an unconscious form of Augustus. The sight made Hazel's heart flutter with excitement but break at the sight of him burned up. 'He truly is a hero.' She thought as she tried to move from her sitting position to try and get inside the ambulance where they had taken Augustus. But she couldn't move, her energy was consumed by fighting for life from the flames.

_/_

Mrs. Waters was twitching nervously in the chair in front of Dr. Chester. It had been ten days since her baby boy was brought to the hospital after he tried to make sure everyone was out of the church fire. She was becoming more and more unstable as the image of her son laying in the hospital bed tubes and wires cocooning him while his skin looked like a lobster from the burns he had received for his selfless actions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Waters..." The doctor's voice droned in Mrs. Waters' head. "I'm afraid to say it doesn't look good for your son."

"He's not going to die is he?" Mrs. Waters asked only hearing the part of her son's options not looking good. "Oh, God, Doc please don't tell me I'm going to lose my son!"

"Mrs. Waters, I can assure you, you're not losing your son at this time. I was just going to inform you that your son is going to be in a lot of pain. His remaining leg is badly burned and he's most likely never going to walk again. His right arm was saved with minor burns but his left..." The doctor took in a breath and reached for a box of tissues and prepared to hand it to Mrs. Waters. "I'm afraid your son's going to be losing his left arm. It's badly burned beyond saving." He tried to explain ''besides…a few of the tumors we´re been trying to get rid of, are stuck in his in it, I'm afraid.''

Mrs. Waters' wails filled the small office of Dr. Chester and Mr. Waters instantly went to work in trying to calm down his wife. "It's going to be okay, Madison." Mr. Waters said stroking his wife's head. "Our son is strong. He'll be okay."

"But Charles," Madison Waters cried. "My baby is hurt! My baby is hurt, Charles."

"But he isn't dead. You know how stubborn he is."

"He's right, Mrs. Waters. Augustus will be in pain but he'll be alive. He'll just have to stay here for a while." with that, they just nodded, as the doctor explain the procedures of the surgery.