RECKLESS [The Maze Runner || Newt || Book 1]

21 - He's been stung

Clara stood at the entrance to the homestead, leaning against the doorframe as she watched Thomas carve his name into the maze walls, the soft clinking of the knife in the stone echoing through the glade. There was an itch somewhere deep in the back of her mind, like something trying to fight its way out of her brain. From the minute she saw Thomas in the box it had been there, scratching in her skull, she felt like she recognized the boy but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember him. A voice behind her startled her, making her jump slightly,

"You're up early." She turned to see Newt standing there, dressed in his usual orange tank top with his machete strapped to his back.

"Couldn't sleep." She said, turning back towards Alby and Thomas at the walls.

"Nightmares?" He asked, and she only nodded in response, reaching up and brushing her fingers over the small scar on her cheek she got from the griever that day in the maze.

"I get them too, you know, about him."

Just as she was about to respond Alby and Thomas walked up to the homestead,

"Morning Newt, Clara." Alby said, nodding his head at the pair, "Newt, you ready to take the greenie to work?"

"Yeah, come on mate." Newt walked forward, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, " Zart's waiting for us." He led the boy away from her and Alby, but Thomas kept turning back to stare at Clara, a look of recognition in his eyes.

"You okay Clara?" Alby asked, pulling her eyes away from the greenie and towards him,

"Uh- yeah, I'm... I'm fine."

"You've been giving Thomas weird looks since he arrived, what aren't you telling me?"

"It's nothing, I just... I thought I recognized him, but I can't remember anything about him."

"Well, you tell me if you do alright?" He asked, gently squeezing her arm, and walking away. She quickly looked over to the fields where Zart was shaking Thomas's hand, and she turned around and walked back into the med room, getting ready for the day.

Time moved slower than usual, or at least she felt like it did, she checked her watch for what felt like the tenth time in an hour, tapping her fingers against the desk. It was a boring day, she'd only had one boy come in so far, a builder who'd got a nasty splinter in his hand which she had to pluck out.

"Clara?"

She turned in her seat and saw Winston at the door,

"Oh hey, what happened?" She asked. Winston was one of her more regular visitors, as were most of the slicers, they were always managing to nick themselves with the sharp knives they used.

"Got my thumb with the knife again." He said, walking over and taking a seat on one of the beds. Clara chuckled and grabbed a cotton ball, dipping it in some disinfectant before sitting in front of him and grabbing his hand, cleaning the cut on his finger. 

They sat in comfortable silence while she worked, gently dabbing at the wound. Although Winston was one of her common patients, he was also her favourite, he was so used to being treated by the med-jacks that he basically never winced when she cleaned his injuries, unlike Newt who squirmed like a toddler. After a few minutes she'd finished cleaning it and she taped a small bandage down on top of it, not bothering to give him the usual instructions, he already knew the procedure.

Just as she was throwing away the cotton ball, she heard a loud yell coming from outside and she rushed out of the homestead, looking around to see where the yell had come from. A flash of movement near the deadheads got her attention and she saw Thomas yelling and running away from someone. She jogged towards them and as she got closer, she realized that the other boy was Ben. 

As she reached them Newt ran forward, yelling to get Ben's attention and slamming a shovel into the side of his head. Clara dropped down to her knees next to Ben, grabbing one of his arms as Frypan, Gally and Newt helped hold him down.

"Calm down mate! What are you doing?" Newt shouted at the boy, gripping his arm opposite Clara,

"Calm down Ben." She said as the boy struggled under their grip, breathing heavily.

"What the hell happened?" Frypan asked, holding Ben's leg down. Alby approached the group, pushing a few boys out of the way,

"He just attacked me!" Thomas panted, brushing the dirt off his shirt. Clara looked down at Ben who was now bleeding from where Newt had hit him with the shovel, she noticed his eyeballs which were completely bloodshot, and she felt her heart drop as she realized what she was seeing. She looked up at Alby,

"Lift his shirt." He said,

"No. No no no..." Ben mumbled as Alby got closer and repeated what he said,

"Lift his shirt."

Clara reached over and slowly lifted up the runner's shirt, revealing a large black mark with dark veins surrounding it.

"He's been stung." Gally muttered, "In the middle of the day?"

"Put him in the pit. Come on." Alby said, and the small group of them started to lift Ben off the ground as he struggled under their grip. Newt called Jeff and a few other boys to help them and together they moved him, putting him down in the pit as Gally shut the door and they all walked away, listening to Ben's desperate yelling get quieter and quieter.