10

I can't control my body, can't stop screaming and thrashing. Flashes of memory cut across my vision; a building, a woman's voice, lessons with other kids. Then a familiar face, Thomas, and a girl with black hair and pale skin. The memories speed up, a scorched desert and people covered in sores and scratches, their faces alight with lunacy.


Finally, after what feels like forever, the memories and the pain in my body stop. There's now just a dull ache in my head. I breathe in, then feel myself drifting into unconsciousness.


"I know you probably can't hear me," Newt's voice and a calloused hand holding mine, "but I wanted to check on you anyway. When you got shut out in the Maze, I thought I'd lost you, and that hurt so much. I think, almost losing you, it's made me realise something. I love you, (Y/N), and I can't bare seeing you hurt." A pause, then "I'll let you rest." He kisses the top of my head, and then I hear his footsteps receding.


My whole body feels so heavy, like my muscles are weighted with lead. But I open my eyes, slowly, and blink in the light.


"You're up," says Clint, the lead med-jack, leaning over and feeling my forehead.


I nod, then try to sit up.


"Hey, easy there," he says, "you're still recovering."


"I'm fine," I mumble, pushing my hair out of my eyes and swinging my legs to the floor. I stand, a little shaky, and make my way to the door.


"Hey where do you think you're going?" Clint calls after me but I don't reply, just keep going.


Getting down the stairs takes a while, but by the time I reach the bottom most of my balance and strength has returned.


I lean on the door frame for a minute then, start across the Glade. When I get close to the gardens I stop.


"Newt!" I yell, and he stands up, turning and stretching.


"(Y/N)?"


"Newt, I love you too!" I run forwards, slowly because I'm still sore from being squished by a Griever, and he meets me half way, picking me up and kissing me then putting me down again and wrapping his arms around me. I hold him tight, my face pressed into his warm chest. Then, for some reason, I start crying.


Newt strokes my hair, kissing the top of my head and swaying slightly.


"It's ok," he whispers, "you're ok."


"I'm sorry," I choke between sobs, "I thought it was dead."


"Hey, it's not your fault, Minho told me what happened."


"I still don't even really know what happened." I laugh tearfully, "How did we survive the maze?"


"Thomas tied you up on the wall with vines and tricked five Grievers into running off the Cliff."


I look at him incredulously, sniffling.


"What?" He nods, and I laugh, shaking my head in wonder. How?


I rest my head back on his chest, just as a fresh wave of tears hits me. That's the lovely thing about Newt, he doesn't judge.


It takes a few minutes, but I stop crying.


"Ok," I pull back, "I'm ok." I glance at the large wet spot on Newt's shirt, but he just waves a hand at me.


"It's fine, it'll dry."


"Right, I need to talk to the Greenie. Coming?"


"What? Yeah." He limps after me, swinging his shovel over his shoulder.


We're walking into the Deadheads when a scream rips through the cool, green air.


"What was that?" I stand stock still, and Newt tightens his grip on his shovel, holding in a defensive position.


"Help!" the person yells, the sound of snapping twigs and branches telling us they're getting closer. "Somebody help me!"


"(Y/N)..." Newt takes a step forwards, then Thomas bursts through the undergrowth, followed rapidly by a blurred figure who leaps on top of him, tackling him to the ground.


"Ben!" Newt yells and the boy turns, fear and lunacy dancing over his face. "Ben get off the Greenie!"


"He's bad, he's bad, he's bad, he's bad..." Ben chants, looking between us and Thomas on the ground.


"What-?" Thomas asks but I raise a finger to my lips and he falls silent.


"He's bad, bad bad bad bad bad bad bad!" Ben says, hysterical.


"Ben what do you mean? You're not right in the head, come back to the med-jacks." Newt says, taking another step forward.


"He'll want to take us out of the Maze!" Ben howls, "Better we died, better we tore each other's guts out!"


"Ben get off the Greenie." I say firmly, and Ben's haunted gaze turns to me. Then he bites Tomas's shoulder.


"Right," Newt mutters and lunges forward across the clearing, bringing his shovel across and straight into the ide of Ben's head. The other boy goes limp and Thomas squirms from under him, taking Newt's proffered hand and pulling himself to his feet.


I just stand there, my hands over my mouth in shock as Newt hefts his shovel and looks sadly at Ben's motionless body, a think trickle of blood seeping onto the forest floor.


"Baggers'll get him later. Now," he says, turning to Thomas, "want to tell us what that was about?"


Thomas shakes his head.


"I have no idea, he just came out of nowhere and started attacking me."


"I know." I whisper, and they turn to me. "I saw you in the Changing."


"The Changing?" Thomas asks.


"yeah, it's what happens when you get stung, slinthead." Newt answers.


"Gally said that too, he said he knows what I did, said he's seen me." I step towards him.


"Greenie," I look him dead in the eyes, "if you remember anything, you need to tell me now."


"I don't remember anything! I'm just like the rest of you!" he protests, and I snort.


"yeah, right. First you show up, then we find a dead Griever which wasn't actually dead, and now Ben. I'll believe you're normal when Grievers fly over those walls."


"(Y/N)," Newt says, taking my arm, "slim it. he's only new." I take a step back, frowning.


"Any news on the girl?" Thomas asks Newt and I swear I almost give myself whiplash turning to look at him.


"Girl?" I ask and Newt nods, rubbing a hand over his face.


"Yeah, day after this shank shows up the box came up again, with a girl Greenie. She's passed out with the med-jacks at the moment."


"Bloody hell." I groan, and look at Thomas. "Something's up with you, Greenie." 

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