Stardust - Thomas - Maze Runner

Chapter 24 - Worth

Thomas was stressing. After what Selena had told him, he had started to grow a little paranoid. Now, every noise seemed like a threat, everyone seemed to be watching him closely, the air around him suddenly felt heavier and the tension was on an all-time high. And, of course, all of his friends had noticed it as well.

"Are you sure you're okay, man?" Frypan had asked for what had seemed like the thousandth time that afternoon.

"Yeah, just a little on edge." Thomas nodded at his friends and, really, it wasn't a lie. Not the whole truth, sure, but not a lie either. "I just... I guess I'm just nervous about us leaving tonight."

Frypan seemed to have accepted that answer, doing his best to reassure Thomas that, once they were out of this place and into the city as they had planned, they'd come up with something to get Minho out of WCKD.

"Maybe we won't even have to talk to Teresa at all." Frypan had said at some point, clearly trying to make his friend feel a little better.

Thomas only nodded at his words, though, the sound of Teresa's name not even bothering him much as if usually would have. Not when, at the moment, all he could actually worry about was Selena and what was going on with her after she had been taken to talk to Lawrence earlier that day. And, apparently, Thomas had been correct in assuming Selena would be far from safe talking to Lawrence because, not only an hour after she had been led away from her office, Selena was rushing back to him, her eyes wide and chest heaving as she tried not to look like she was running while still walking faster than she normally would.

Thomas was quick to notice her state and, getting up from his place where he had been helping his friends gather their stuff to leave down the tunnels and into the city later that night, the boy marched up Selena as well, meeting her halfway and ready to help her in any way she needed him to.

"We need to leave." She whispered, almost desperately, her voice low so no one but Thomas himself would be able to hear her. "Now."

"What?" Thomas frowned, almost surprised at her request. "Now?"

Leaving? Now? What about her most recent discovery? If they left now, there would be no way for her to test her theory about Thomas' blood. And, sure, maybe Thomas didn't know Selena all that well, but if there was one thing he did know was that she was a scientist at heart and leaving the one place she had every tool she would possibly need to, maybe, figure out the cure to the disease dessolating their world was not something she'd ever want to do. Not under normal circumstances at least.

"Yes, Thomas." Selena nodded, already pushing Thomas back toward their group while still trying to keep her expression bland so no one would suspect anything. "Now."

"But... What about your... Stuff?" He asked, as Selena shook her head.

"No time." She said. "Let's just go."

And, even though Thomas wanted to argue, he decided against it. After all, one look at Selena's eyes told him everything he needed to know. She was scared, almost claustrophobic over being in that place and, if she was willing to leave behind everything she had in her lab, Thomas knew whatever had happened with Lawrence could not be good. So, turning back to his group of friends, Thomas instantly reached for Selena's hand and interlocked their fingers together once he realized how cold her skin felt against his - yet another sign that she felt absolutely terrified.

"Let's go." Thomas told his friends, causing everyone to turn to him with a frown of confusion. "Pick up the stuff you already packed and let's go."

They all exchanged a quick look among themselves. That wasn't the plan. The plan was to leave in a few hours, after the sun had set so they would be able to move more freely around the city once they climbed out of the tunnels, but even they could see how pale Selena was looking and, if the way she was clutching to Thomas was any indication, they knew it was better to listen to him than to ask any questions.