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

23 - Death wish

"Are you watching, Thomas?" Clara asked, startling the boy, and pulling him out of his thoughts. It was his trial day with the med-jacks and Clara was showing him how to do the basic stuff. One of the slicers, Andy, got a nasty cut on his arm and she was using him to show Thomas how to do stitches, but he wasn't focusing, he kept looking around like he was daydreaming, and it was starting to irritate her.

"Tommy, focus!" Newt shouted from the other medical bed, which he was relaxing on, he knew how short Clara's temper was and he'd noticed that Thomas was getting on her nerves.

"Sorry, sorry." He mumbled, "It's just, why would Alby go into the maze. I mean he's not- he's not a runner." He'd obviously seen Alby and Minho go into the maze that morning and he wasn't going to let it go.

"Things are different now, Alby went to retrace Ben's footsteps before sundown. Okay? Now, are you gonna listen to her?" Newt said, sitting up and leaning on his elbows, looking at Thomas,

"What so he's gonna back to where Ben was just stung wh-"

"Look greenie, Alby knows what he's doing alright? Now focus." Clara snapped at Thomas, her patience with him wearing thin. Thomas didn't answer that time, sitting down next to Clara he watched as she stitched the cut closed on Andy's arm. She gave Thomas the bandage and instructed him on how to put it on, making sure he did it properly, before sending the slicer on his way. 

"Not too bad greenie." She said and he smiled up at her. Clara heard a rumble of thunder in the distance, and she looked out the window, seeing dark clouds forming over the glade.

By the time the trio had joined the rest of the Gladers near the hammocks the rain had started pouring down. She sat in front of Frypan, leaning her head back on his legs as everyone watched the maze doors, waiting for Alby and Minho to come running out at any second. Clara's anxiety was growing with every passing second and she checked her watch again, knowing the doors were going to close soon.

"They should've been back by now Newt." She said, looking at the boy. His eyes were glued to the doors as well, and he didn't move them as he answered,

"They're gonna make it."

"What happens if they don't?" Thomas asked, stepping towards them. Newt turned his head to face the greenie, a blank look on his face.

"They're gonna make it."

After a few minutes, the rain had stopped, Newt helped Clara to her feet, and they jogged towards the maze doors with the rest of the Gladers close behind them. They all stood in front of the doors, waiting in anticipation for their leader and the keeper of the runners to return, but nothing was happening.

"Can't we send somebody after them." Thomas asked, clearly stressed about the whole situation

"It's against the rules." Clara said back, she reached down and wrapped her pinky around Newt's, squeezing it tightly and trying desperately to calm her nerves.

"Either they make it back or they don't" Gally piped up, he was crouching on the ground next to Thomas, fiddling with a small stone on the floor.

"We can't risk losing anyone else." Newt whispered, looking at Thomas as the loud rumbling sounded throughout the maze and the familiar wind blew past them, indicating that the doors were about to close. The gears started grinding and the giant stone walls began to move closer to one another, Clara was about to lose all hope when Thomas shouted,

"There!" He pointed at the main passage where a figure appeared,

"Wait, no something's wrong." Newt said, and Clara squinted at the figure trying to figure out what was going on. She realized quickly that Minho was stumbling about, carrying Alby on his back and she felt her heart skip a beat, something had happened to Alby.