Murder In The Maze (Maze Runner Fanfiction)

Chapter 17: Why?

     A million questions run rampant in my mind, bustling through my brain.  I grit my teeth together, forcing myself to focus.  An emptiness settles in my stomach.  A piece of me wants to stay with Newt, but there is nothing to do there.  I trudge towards the Homestead, forcing a stern expression on my face.

     Nick leans against one of the walls, staring into the distance.  Dried sweat stains the back of his shirt, dirt coating the rest of it.  His dark hair ends above his shoulders.  A grim expression lies over his pale face.

     "Hey, you!"  I shout over to him, jogging to the Homestead, "What did you do to him?"

     "Look, lady, I don't know what you're talking about."  He remarks, shrugging his shoulders.

     I scoff, pulling up beside him, "Don't play dumb with me.  What were you doing in the Deadheads?"

     "The same thing as everyone else, why don't you go and bother them?"  He says sarcastically.

     "I know you were in the Deadheads before that,"  I state, my eyes glued to his face, searching for a reaction.

     He ruffles his brow, "Wait, you don't think that I tried to kill him, right?"  

     "Did you?"  I ask.

     "No!"  Nick says while shaking his head, "Why don't you stop wasting my time?"  He snaps, flailing his arms into the air.

     "Then, what were you doing?"  I say with an annoyed tone.

     Nick thrusts himself off the wall, peering over me.  I hold my gaze, not daring to waver.  He clenches his jaw, tensing his neck muscles, "Stay out of it."

     Nick breaks his stare, pushing past me.  I curl my hands into fists, resisting the urge to go after him.  He is not going to say anything more, not yet anyway.  

     Alby stumbles out of the med bay, insight from where I am standing.  He rubs his head, letting out a loud sigh.  Minho and Gally are still waiting outside.  I start to walk over while getting within earshot.

     "Any news?" Minho asks, his eyes darting from side to side.  His usually calm demeanour evaporates.

     Alby shakes his head, his face void of emotion, "Nothing yet."

     Minho slams his fist into the med-bay wall, sharply exhaling.  "I'm going to kill whoever did this!"   A stray tear runs down his face before quickly being wiped away.

     "Get in line," I mutter, sitting down on the ground.   An intense silence falls over everyone.  Minho slumps down to the ground, burying his face inside his arm.  Gally ambles away, while Alby stares at the ground, as if in his own world.      

     "He'll be fine," I chant to myself, engraining the words into my brain.  Stares from people across the Glade bore into us, each one is as curious as to the next.  

     A loud slam captures my attention.  The med-bay door swings open with Jeff rubbing his hands together as he walks out.

     I push myself off the ground. Minho darts up, eagerly anticipating Jeff's words.  

     "He's gonna pull through," he says, wiping his forehead with a towel, "He's awake, but uh, I wouldn't advise seeing him yet, he's still quite weak."

     A flood of relief washes over me.   I release a shuddering sigh, steadying my legs as I stand.  

     Jeff comes closer to me, "I could use your help tidying up in there if that's okay?"  

     "Anything, "  I blurt out.  

     Minho runs his hand through his hair, propping himself against a wall. Jeff strides to the med bay while I follow behind. The floor creaks with each step as we enter the room.  

     A broken oil lamp lies smashed on the ground beside a fallen table. The shattered glass crackles beneath my boots, oil sticking to the sole.  Clutter covers the floor around a bed nearest the door.   Fading sunlight creeps in through the window, hovering over Newt.

     I bit down on my lip, a chill running down my spine.  A ragged blanket rests over him, partly falling off the bed.  High-pitched wheezing bounces off the walls.  A circle of blood seeps into the pillow, trickling down from his ear.  He stares at the wall, his eyes glistening from the dim light.

     Jeff's hand lands on my shoulder, pulling me from my daze.

     "C'mon," he whispers while moving towards the wreckage on the floor.  I peel my eyes away, leaning down to the ground.  My hands fumble around the broken lamp as I place it on a nearby table.  Jeff starts picking up bandages and gauze pads and throwing them on the table.   I kneel down against Newt's bed, reaching out for a vial of ointment.

"Why?"

     Barely audible, a raspy voice emerges from Newt.  Jeff places a bucket beside the bed, leaving the room.

     "Are you okay?"  I ask, sitting at the edge of his bed.  He struggles to take in a large breath, tilting his head to me.  Red streaks shoot across his eyes, tears brimming in them.  Pity swells inside me, a sadness wrenching my gut.

     Gulping down a dry cough, Newt continues, "Jeff said you found me, got help--" Immediately, he turns, retching into the bucket beneath. He spits, wiping his mouth before continuing, "--how did you find me?"

     "I don't know, I just saw you," I answer, somewhat baffled, "Do you know what happened?"

     He momentarily shuts his eyes. Newt shifts his gaze away, nodding his head.  

     "Did Nick do this to you?" I inquire, "I know this is hard, but if you remember anything, even a small detail, it could really help find whoever did this. Maybe--"

"I did it,"

     Newt snaps, the words slowly sinking in. "What?" I stutter.

     He lets out a shaky breath, cocking his head back to me, "There was no-one else, Tanya, because I did it, alone."

     His words echo through my mind, like an ache in my brain. I open my mouth, but no words come out.

     "Why?" I croak, a hard lump rising in my throat.

     He looks around the room, continuing, "I couldn't do it anymore, every day just being another reminder that we're trapped here," He pauses, hesitating, "with no way out."

     "You can't give up, Newt. You're what keeps everyone together." I say.

     Newt sniffs, smearing his hands over his face, "You should've just let me die."