Different (The Maze Runner)

Chapter 21

So, I know how to get out of the Maze. I just don't remember it. Should I tell someone? No, they might get mad at me. Should I tell Newt about Aris?

No, Teresa's voice says in my mind. If you leave him or if he thinks you will, he'll probably kill himself. He needs to believe there's only him.

I take a deep breath as Newt re-enters the room. I sit up and realize I'm not in as much pain as I was a few days ago.

He puts a plate down in front of me and says "here ya go, love."

I smile. "Thanks." I take a bite of the food, and I suddenly realize just how hungry I really am. I devour the food within a minute, and he says "I think that's a new record."

I laugh and roll my eyes. "Where's Chuck?"

"Working. He's a Slopper."

"You let my brother become a Slopper?"

"He couldn't really handle anything else. Medjacks are highly exclusive, Slicer's too bloody, he isn't a good Builder, can't cook, and he wasn't very good at gardening."

I sigh and say "way to boost his self-esteem."

"We also selected your new job."

"I'm not a Slopper, right?"

He shakes his head. "No, you're a track-hoe with me."

I nod and say "good that."

"How're you feeling?"

"Much better, actually. It hurts less."

"Wanna try to get up?"

I nod eagerly, and he stretches his hand out. I grab it and slowly swing my legs off the bed and down onto the ground. I stand up and almost immediately fall backwards. "Ah!"

He laughs and says "someone might need to teach you how to walk again."

You roll your eyes and say "yeah, I'll let someone teach me how to walk when a pig flies over the Glade screaming the way out."

Alyssa! One of the voices from my memory. Not Thomas or Teresa though. Aris.

Aris?

No response.

I stand up again, maintaining my balance. I take a deep breath and take a few steps forward. I fall after the few steps though. "Ugh, I wanna walk around the Glade."

"You're not even supposed to be out of bed."

"I've been stuck in here for over a week. I haven't moved. I wanna walk around the Glade. I'll be ten minutes at the most. I wanna see Chuck, and I wanna talk to Minho when he gets back."

He sighs and says "Minho just left a few hours ago, but I can go get Chuck."

I shake my head. "No. I wanna go to him."

He walks to the door to the room and says "hey, Jeff! She's awake! Can I take her outside for some fresh air?"

"Fine, but not for too long!"

I sigh in relief as Newt walks over to me. "I'll probably have to support most of your weight."

I nod and put my arm around his shoulder. "If I fall, just pick me up."

He chuckles but nods and leads me out of the medjack hut. We walk around the edge of the Glade, then stop for a minute so I can take my weight off him. I lean against the wall of the Maze and see that something is printed on it. I move the ivy to see the words World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department.