The healer [The maze runner Newt x OC]

Chapter sixteen

Grace and Newt led Thomas and Minho towards the Map room, Thomas looking at the burned down building. ''What happened?''

''Everything's gone. The giant map, the trunk with our drawings of the Maze.'' Minho sighed. ''Everything.''

''Who do you think did it?''

''Maybe Gally, he seems to want to stay here? The Grievers, who knows? I don't care.'' 

''Now who's the one giving up?''

''That's not what she meant, shank.'' Thomas frowned as he turned to the two, ''what did-''

''Just shut your hole for now.'' Minho put his fingers to his lips, his eyes darting around to see if anyone was around them. ''Just shut your hole. You'll find out soon enough.'' Thomas nodded before looking at the others. ''I need to tell you guys something, and we need Teresa's help.''

The other three followed Thomas towards Teresa, looking at the girl as Minho stood with his hands on his hips. ''How can we trust her?'' He asked. ''Soon as she woke up, the whole place fell to pieces. She even admitted she triggered something.''

''He's got a point.'' Newt said as Thomas gestured to her. ''We can trust her. Every time I've talked to her, it's something about trying to get out of here. She was sent here just like the rest of us - it's stupid to think she's responsible for any of this.'' Newt grunted as Grace tilted her head towards the Brit. ''Then what the bloody shuck did she mean by sayin' she triggered something?''

Thomas shrugged, ''who knows - her mind was doing all kinds of weird stuff when she woke up. Maybe we all went through that in the Box, talking gibberish before we came totally awake.'' He turned to Grace, ''she did that before too right, when she was in a coma?''

''I guess, but so did Ben, Gally and Alby during the Changing, so I wouldn't say it was a good sign.''

''You guys understand that I can hear everything right?''

''Real sweet girl you picked up, Tommy.'' Grace had to stop herself from chuckling, seeing Newt turn to his girlfriend, taking her hand. 'All right, talk. What's so important?'' Thomas and Teresa looked at each other as the girl lifted her eyebrow.

''What? You talk - they obviously think I'm a serial killer.'' Thomas turned his attention to the three before him. ''Okay, when Teresa was first coming out of her deep sleep, she had memories flashing through her mind. She um - she told me later that she remembers that the Maze is a code. That maybe instead of solving it to find a way out, it's trying to send us a message.''

''A code?'' Minho turned to Grace and Newt. ''How is it a code?'' Thomas shook his head at them. ''I don't know for sure - you are more familiar with them. But I have a theory. That's why I was hoping you would remember some of them.'' Minho glanced at Newt, asking him silently. ''What? You guys are keeping something from me.'' Grace let her eyes dart between the boys, trying to figure their silent message out. 

''We hid the Maps. Thomas. We hid them all in the weapon room, placed fake ones in their place. Because of Alby's warning he gave you when you talked in the Medjack hut.'' He nodded at them. ''They're all safe and sound.''

''Take me to them.''

Grace had never seen any of the Maps and it was overwhelming to say the least. There were hundreds of paper sheets and Minho easily pulled them out. ''Okay, you and the Runners have always compared the maps day to day, right?'' Minho just nodded, his arms crossed over his chest. ''You even said you didn't really know what you were looking for, but you kept studying them anyway. Well, what if all the wall movements had nothing to do with a map or the Maze. What if instead the pattern spelled words? Some kind of clue that'll help us escape.''