Defender - The Maze Runner (Book 1)

Chapter 30: Guilty Feelings

Ben fell onto his face, crying and writhing in pain. Minho and Alex panting, gasping for air, also crumpled to the ground. When Ben let out another scream of pain Alex crawled over to him, flipped him over and pulled up his shirt, there in the center of his back, was a very small hole. Around the puncture was red and raw, and slowly spreading out from that were his veins, but they were black. Alex rolled him back onto his back. She looked up desperately.

"Jeff! Clint! Grief Serum! Now!" Alex demanded.

Someone went running. She felt someone drop down beside her, when she glanced at them she recognized the biy. Matt had a panicked look on his face. It had drained of colour and he sat with eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream. Alex didn't really know what to do to help him or Ben. She just placed Ben's head in her lap and tried to talk to him, stroking his hair out of his face. He was still twisting and screaming in pain. Someone had come beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Alex, your bleeding come on, you need to go to the MedHut!"

She ripped her arm away, "No. I'm fine."

"Come on Sunshine, you need the MedJacks too!" Minho's voice was exhausted and strained.

"I said I'm fine Minho. Leave it." She snapped back, she flinched when Ben screamed again.

A few minutes later Jeff came back with a syringe in his hands. She grabbed it, ripped off the sterile packaging and stabbed it into the squishy part of his arm. He instantly stopped screaming and his breathing slowly settled.

"We gotta get him to the MudHut." Alex said. Jeff, Gally, Alby and Newt picked him up and carried him off. Matt was right behind them. Alex was dead on her feet, but got up and followed at a jog. The guys laid Ben on one of the beds. Clint grabbed some rope and tied his arms down to the bed so he wouldn't hurt anyone. Matt sat huddled in the chair beside the bed, his eyes still wide and scared.

"There isn't much we can do now but wait for him to go through the changing." Jeff said with a nod. Gally sighed, glaring at Alex. He spun on his heel and left, slamming the door. Alby and Newt nodded at Jeff then rounded on Alex and Minho.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Newt yelled at Minho, anger and fear in his eyes.

Minho sighed in frustration, pointing a menacing finger back at Newt, "Listen shuck face, it's not like we asked it to chase us!" He threw his hands around exasperated while he explained. "We weren't playing a shuckin fun game of tag! Alex heard it before Ben and I. We had to run through section 8 to get back! So lay off!"

Newt took a breath and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Alby patted Newt on the shoulder, he looked at the 2 runners standing before him.

"Look we ain't mad...just..worried is all." He rubbed his bald head, "Alex, you're always finding danger or trouble."

Alex growled from the back of her throat in annoyance as she crossed her arms, sticking a hip out. "You said 'Danger and Trouble always finds ME' wrong."

Minho snorted," Ha. 'ain't that the truth."

Alex glared at him, if looks could kill, he would drop dead. She turned back to Alby. Trying to control her frustration.

"Alby, it's like he said. We were on our way back, and would have made it in plenty of time, but I could hear a griever blocking the path. We had to go around to the next section, and another door, but there was another one, seemed to be waiting for us. We had to fight past it and run for our lives Now if you don't mind, I'm exhausted, hungry and need a shower." She spun on her heel and stormed towards the door.

"Alex, your arm is bleeding, you need to stay and get that checked!" Newt called.

"I said I'm fine, Newt." She snapped and slammed the door on her way out.