𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦, thomas (tmr)

Chapter Six

"We need a Keepers meeting."

Clara's call for a meeting was answered quickly by their first-in-command, who summoned the members of the Council in the Council Room early the next morning. Everyone looked exhausted and quite frankly annoyed - particularly Minho since it was his day off - but no one looked more skittish than Alby. 

He was sat on the isolated wooden chair Gally made only a few days into being in the Glade, and he was fidgeting excessively. Clara could see dark circles looming under his bloodshot eyes and the way he was wringing his hands in his lap.

"So," Nick began. He stood from his seat on the bench in front of Alby, and strolled over to stand a few feet to the side of Alby, to address both him and the Keepers in a good position. "Yesterday was difficult."

"That's an understatement." Gally grimaced, shuffling uncomfortably at the reminder.

Clara studied Nick and realised he was struggling. She almost felt ashamed then; that she hadn't checked to see if he was okay after it all. George was one of his closest friends, and having to talk about his death in detail would be harder for him than any of the others.

"This is the first time the Council has ever had to discuss something like this." 

She spoke up from her place on the bench, to which Nick gave her a grateful smile. He swallowed down his pain as he sat back on the end of the bench, avoiding anyone's eyes as she continued.

"I think that as awful as it is, it's not gonna be the last time we'll have to meet about something so terrible. We're gonna have to figure out how to navigate it, so we can do it again well in the future." She said firmly, to no interruptions - not even from Gally. "So what I think we should do, is go around the room and allow everyone to say what they think we should do with Alby. Nick and I will go last. Good that?"

Everyone was pretty quiet as they nodded at her suggestion. Glancing around at all the Keepers, Clara found that they all wore similar expressions of devastation and upset. She wished they could all take a minute to mourn George, and process what had happened, but she knew they had a duty to keep the place in order. They didn't have time to stop and process.

"Zart, you go first." She directed. The boy looked put on the spot, but gave the girl a small accepting smile and cleared his throat to speak. 

"Well firstly, I miss George."

Clara heard a sharp intake of breath beside her, and tilted her head ever so slightly to the side to find that Nick was fighting back tears. She placed her hand over his, squeezing his reassuringly. 

It wasn't often that you'd see someone in the Glade showing emotion, which Clara guessed was part of being in a group of boys who thought being masculine meant having no feelings. She couldn't rightfully say she wasn't the same, however. 

It was like she had no tears left to cry. Although being in the Maze, away from the family she probably had and the rest of the world, she couldn't bring herself to be upset about it. It was like she drained all the emotion from herself already. 

And even if she could cry, she'd never do it in front of any of these boys.

"I think it was all under awful circumstances," Zart paused, meeting Alby's eye and wincing subtly. "But I think Alby acted to save Nick. He had to do it. He shouldn't be punished for that."

He fell silent and Clara gathered that he was done with speaking. Alby was staring at the floor, but Clara could tell that from his relaxed shoulders, he was grateful for Zart's words.

"Okay, thank you." She said, moving her hand back from Nick as she glanced to Frypan, who was sat beside Zart. "Fry?"

Frypan's opinion was pretty similar to Zart's. He agreed that what Alby did was necessary, but he differed in thinking that they should keep him in the Slammer for a short amount of time, considering the fact he broke one of their three rules.