My head hurt the next morning and I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, but that wasn't allowed so I pulled myself out of bed and down to the food hall. I wasn't sure what was being served and I barely ate anyway. Thomas looked exactly how I felt and I felt so bad for him. I wish there was something I could do to help him, but I couldn't find anything. He would just have to deal with this as best as he could.
I made it upstairs to the med-room, the greenie gin still laid in bed, asleep.
My head hurt the next morning and I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, but that wasn't allowed so I pulled myself up and down the food hall. I wasn't sure what was served and I barely ate anyway. Thomas looked exactly how I felt and I felt so bad for him. I wish there was something I could do to help him, but I couldn't find anything. He would just have to deal with this as best as he could.
I made it upstairs to the bedroom where the greenie girl still laid in bed, asleep. I wondered what it felt like to be in a comatose state. I knew what it was like after going through the changing, but I wondered if it was different. Could she still hear what we said? Can she process it? Or was she actually dead to the world, stuck in a dreamless slumber?
I didn't know and knew I wouldn't know anyway, so I took to sitting in the chair and watching her.
It was the first time in weeks where I could just sit in silence. Not have to worry about anything other than myself. And of course the girl, but she was asleep, so how much trouble would she cause. I was mostly here to make sure nothing happened to her, but it got boring after a while. I hated sitting in silence for more than a few minutes. I grabbed a nearby notepad and pen and started doodling a picture, nothing specific in my mind.
A tune popped up in my mind and I decided to hum it, despite not knowing what it was. But it was beautiful, even if I couldn't get some notes. Who was gonna hear besides the sleeping girl? When lunch time came, I ran down to get food and then rushed upstairs. Scouting for the girl wasn't very entertaining, but she did mumble a lot. Most of the time saying Thomas's name.
What did she have to do with Thomas? And why would she come up a day after him? And why does she look familiar to me? Did I know her before the Maze, or was I just gaslighting myself into thinking I know her? I didn't understand and my head hurt too much from trying to figure it out. Clint came to relieve me for a little, so I can stretch and walk around.
I thanked him and practically ran down the stairs. I caught up with Newt, who was talking to a Glader, but dismissed them when he saw me. "Hey Janie, what are you up to?"
"Just on break, thought I needed some space from the babbling girl."
"How is she doing?"
"Well she talks in her sleep, keeps saying something about Tommy and some other stuff. And she eats, but it is less each time."
"Does she look like she's going to wake up soon?" I shook my head and Newt sighed.
"We'll just wait then I guess."
I knew he was desperate to interrogate the girl, hell I was too. But I had a small pocket of doubt. "What if she wakes up and doesn't know anything like us?"
"Then it was useless to send her up, innit? Knows bloody nothing, what was the point of her being here?"
I frowned. He sounded stressed. "What's wrong?"
He stayed quiet and started to bite his nails. They already looked horrible. I felt bad for giving him the habit. I took his hand out of his mouth, squeezing it. He closed his eyes and let a breath out of his nose. "Alby went into the Maze with Minho this morning."
"Right, to look at the dead griever."
"Yeah. And I know he was a Runner before, but it's been a while and I can't stop thinking about everything that can go wrong."
"Minho's with him. They'll be just fine. When do they get back?"
"An hour or two ago. Minho didn't plan on running the whole Maze, just look at the griever and head back."
I nodded. "Let's go wait outside. I need some fresh air." Newt let me lead him outside and we sat at a nearby bench.
Newt had only gotten worse as the minutes passed by, and honestly I was starting to get worried too. If Newt wasn't calm, then that meant something was totally wrong. Thomas and Chuck were nearby, asking each other what was wrong with Newt. Obviously Newt heard them and told them off, but then shared his concern. Of the girl and the note. And then told them how Minho and Alby should have been back hours ago.
We had no choice but to head back to work and I went back to watching the girl. Maybe Minho changed his mind and decided to run the maze, to get some information to not waste a day. It seemed probable, but I couldn't help the negative thoughts. Newts' worry rubbed off on me. I served the girl dinner, before heading down to grab my own food.
It was delicious, but no one got up to get seconds like they usually would. Chuck told me that every Runner was back already, arriving at normal time. But the Keeper and Leader were still missing. Newt was outside waiting for them.
"I can't stay here while they're still missing." Thomas said as he stood, leaving behind his food. "I'm gonna wait with Newt."
Chuck and I followed him, meeting Newt at the West door. He was once again chewing his nails and I knew they were going to hurt him come the morning. "Where are they?" He asked when he saw us approaching.
"Can't we send out a search party?" Thomas asked innocently.
Newt looked like he wanted to say something, but closed his eyes. "It's against the rules. We can't. Don't ask again. Especially with the doors about to close."
"But shouldn't we do something?"
Newt turned red and snapped at him. "What don't you get? We can't! You have been here a couple days and know nothing. Do you think I wouldn't go out there if I could?" I wasn't surprised to see him snap, but it did make me sad. Newt was always so put together, this was stress inducing.
"No, I didn't mean-i'm sorry."
Newt calmed down. "It's too dangerous."
"Newt won't say it so I will. If they're not back, that means they're dead. Minho's too smart to get lost." He turned and walked to the homestead, his head and shoulders low.
My heart ached for him, so young and having to deal with this. I turned back to the older boy. His eyes began to fill with tears and his voice was broken. "He's right. We can't make matters worse by sending in anyone else." He looked at his watch. "The doors close in two minutes." With that Newt walked away, following Chuck to the homestead."
I stayed behind. "Newt, Alby, and Minho have been together since the first day. It was bad enough we lost someone we loved already. Losing those two shanks would set the Glade and Newt off balance." Thomas looked into the Maze as I spoke, his face scrunched up in frustration. I sighed, resting my hand on his shoulder. "Listen. I love those boys with everything I have, and if I could go in there I would."
"They're your friends."
I steeled myself, feeling guilty for not having courage to go out into the Maze. "I wouldn't survive the night out there, then what good would it have been to be out there?"
"You've survived a griever from what I heard."
I scoffed. "That was one. And Minho was there to bring me back. I was lucky." I swallowed a hard lump as the boom and rattling of the Maze doors filled the air. "Just forget it Tommy." I walked away from the Maze doors, wanting to run, break something, scream, cry. But I couldn't. I had made it a quarter of a way to the homestead when Thomas cried out.
"They're coming. I see them!" I turned and looked into the Maze, sure enough there were two blobs coming towards the doors from the Maze.
"Oh my god."
"Don't do it Tommy! Don't you bloody do it!" Newt was making his way back to the doors, running his bobbled gait. I looked at Thomas and saw that he so badly wanted to run into the Maze. And at the hope of seeing Minho and Alby I wanted to as well. But, I knew...I wouldn't make it to morning. And Alby looked injured the way Minho was holding him.
Thomas looked between Newt and the doors and then caught my eyes. "Thomas, don't." I ran to him, but he was already between the walls before my hand could touch his shirt. "Thomas!" he made it to the other side and the doors closed, echoing a boom. Sealing Thomas's death.
Newt made it to me, breathing hard. "He's gonna die out there." I didn't say anything. Because I didn't have to. It was certain that nobody survived a night out in the Maze. He would not be any different.
