I Know Places [Thomas The Maze Runner]

[28: The Return of Ava Paige]

"What?" Thomas and Newt exclaimed together. Elle winced.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Thomas wondered, growing concerned.

"I thought I might be reading into things too much, but then you mentioned the shady stuff happening at night and it got me thinking that maybe I'm onto something. Things have just been so weird in the med-wing," Elle explained, shaking her head. "I mean, they kept doing all these tests that I passed – even a neurologist said nothing was wrong with me – and they still insisted on keeping me overnight for observation." She bit her bottom lip worriedly. "They gave me all these IV fluids because I was dehydrated, and then I woke up feeling worse in the morning. Isn't that weird?" Elle glanced around the room, looking for validation. The boys all looked at her with compassion, patiently waiting for her to keep going. "I was perfectly healthy the day before but after they pumped stuff into my body I was suddenly worse. It doesn't make sense."

"I think that definitely sounds weird," Minho agreed with her.

"Maybe you're just sick and that's why you felt weird," Newt argued. "Why would they waste resources on you if you're completely healthy?"

"I know it sounds crazy but nobody has a solid explanation for why they kept me there," Elle insisted. She looked between the Gladers, hoping they didn't think she was blowing things out of proportion. "And they kept saying I couldn't join you for meals in case I had a viral infection, but when Janson came to talk to me and realised I was keeping things from him, he let me have dinner with you guys the second I requested it. Dr Crawford agreed even though she insisted it was dangerous to let me around other people five hours beforehand. Why did her medical advice suddenly change when Janson thought I'd tell him more about the Maze if I saw you guys?" she pointed out the inconsistencies she noticed throughout the day.

"It sounds like they could be keeping you there on purpose," Thomas backed up Elle's thoughts. "Maybe whatever they put in your IV wasn't to help you get better but to make you stay in the hospital."

"What do we know? We're not doctors," Newt pointed out. "This could all just be a big misunderstanding."

"Don't you think we should know for sure?" Elle pointed out. "I know Thomas and I went through nothing in comparison to you guys, but if there is the slightest chance these people are lying to us then we should know all the facts," she insisted. "If they really are here to help us then they won't have anything to hide. And if we don't find anything incriminating, then I'm sure Thomas and I will start being more trusting." Thomas's head shot up, startled by her proclamation. "Isn't that right, Thomas?"

Before he could answer, the sound of a metal grate flying across the floor caught everyone's attention. Elle looked as a voice rang out from the vent under a bunk, "Hey, Thomas." The small, thin brunette boy from the mess hall was lying on his stomach under the bunk.

"What the--" Frypan exclaimed, surprised by his entrance.

"You got it, didn't you?" Aris asked.

Thomas held up the key card in confirmation. "Yeah. Yeah, let's go," he replied.

"I'm coming with you," Elle insisted, pushing ahead of Thomas and crawling after Aris into the vent. A couple Gladers protested behind her. "I know I'm the only girl but I'm no more fragile than any of you," she argued before they could find a reason for her to stay. "And if my doctor is poisoning me and doing suspicious things behind my back, then I want to be the first to know."

Nobody could argue with that.

As Thomas and the Gladers talked, Elle crawled into the vent behind the new boy. "Hi there," she greeted cheerfully, waving. "I'm Elle, you must be Aris."