EMOTIONAL RESIDUE.

05, another girl?

"I got him, I got him, I got him." Frypan and the others said as they helped lay Alby down. Everyone focused on their unannounced leader.

Everyone except one. Thomas.

He had let his gaze wander back to Riley who had grown to look woozy. His brows furrowing together in a worried manner when he noticed.

"Riley needs to get to the Med-Jacks." Thomas quickly pointed out as he watched her clumsily sit down. A quiet groan slipping past her lips. Her eyes shutting for a few seconds as she tried to get her surroundings to stop spinning. The adrenaline long gone from her system now.

"I'm fine." She muttered in protest, not wanting people to worry, but Newt quickly intervened and forced her to go.

Everyone else watching them as they parted from the group, disappearing from their sight and behind some trees and when they were almost fully gone. They all turned to drown Minho and Thomas with questions. Any worry surrounding Riley quickly laid to rest as they all knew she was in safe hands with Newt.

Yet Thomas couldn't help but let his gaze linger after her. However he didn't get to watch her leave for very long as the boys around him practically pleaded for his attention to return to them as they hurled questions at him.

"What happened out there?"

"How did you guys make it out?"

"You saw a Griever?" Chuck spoke up, after finding peace in knowing Riley was safely being transported by Newt.

"Yeah, I saw one." Thomas told the boy with a faint smile.

"He didn't just see it. He killed it." Minho corrected him, everyone growing quiet as their eyes darted towards Thomas. Shock evident on all of their faces as silence washed over them like a thick fog.

✸

When Riley gained consciousness again, Frypan stumbled into her as she was leaving the Med-Jack hut. The boy quick to inform her about the meeting Gally had called. And so with a simple nod she followed the boy to where the meeting was happening.

When the two arrived, the others were already talking. Riley didn't pay much attention to what was said though. She was too focused on Thomas who had been placed in front of everyone.

What was this? Some sort of trial?

"First, Ben gets stung in broad daylight. And then Alby." Gally continued after a moment of silence had occurred, one that was caused by Riley's late appearance.

"And now our Greenie, here, has taken it upon himself to go into the maze. Which is a clear violation of our rules here." Gally continued.

"Yeah... but he saved Alby's life." Frypan pointed out.

"Did he?" Gally questioned before turning to look to the crowd once more.

"For 3 years, we have coexisted with these things. And now, you've killed one of them. Who knows what that could mean for us."

"What do you suggest we do?" Newt asked the boy as he leaned against one of the support beams.

"He has to be punished." Gally shrugged as if it was obvious.

Immediate chattering and protests filled the air while Riley let her gaze flicker back to Thomas, her brows furrowed in a confused and concerned matter. But Thomas didn't seem to notice her looking at him.

"Minho. You were there with him. What do you think?" Gally asked, turning to Minho.

"I think..." He paused as he looked to the boy in question. "in all the time we've been here... no one has ever killed a Griever before. When I turned tail and ran this dumb shank stayed behind to help Alby." He paused as he looked back to Gally and Newt.