WHATEVER IT TAKES • THE MAZE RUNNER

o11 , (stone walls.)

"You gotta leave him!" That wasn't going to happen. Leaving Alby in the maze to fend for himself whilst he was so vulnerable never even came to mind.

He knew he had lost three of his friends but watching as Thomas started up caused Newt to reach out for him, trying to grasp onto the boy. But he slipped just out of reach and into the slim crack that remained of the opening.

"Thomas, no!"

Gally watched with wide eyes. "He has fucking killed himself."

Minho stared at the fallen boy with wide eyes, his hair dishevelled and face filthy. "Good job. You just killed yourself." His voice was heavy as he breathed quickly and deeply.

"What?" Thomas's voice was loud in the silence of the Maze, his voice bouncing off the walls as Minho stumbled towards the wall where he slumped against it in a defeated manner. The stone seemed cool against his skin that had flushed from all of the running as well as carrying the deadweight that was Alby.

"What happened to him?" Minho, who had been watching Thomas move with his eyes sighed, his voice wet and breathless as he responded.

He trained his gaze back toward the floor, unable to look at his friend who was a shell of his former self lying sprawled out on the floor like a ragdoll. "What does it look like? He got stung." Minho never had a problem with saying it as it was but the truth had never been so hard to say. Alby was a constant in his life, along with Newt and Arthur. Watching him attack, scratching and punching was painful in every sense but physically.

"What happened to his head?" Ah. The bloody spot on Alby's temple. A deed that hurt to even think about doing. Luckily there wasn't much thinking involved.

"I did what I had to do." Thomas looked over to Minho, slightly shocked by the revolution but he knew what damage being stung could do having witnessed it only yesterday.

Out of nowhere, A screeching noise filled the halls, drawing them into a foreboding fear just before a loud scraping noise came from in front of Thomas. The noise was similar to the wall's closing but he knew it wasn't. Minho stumbled to a stand as Thomas fumbled over Alby's body.

"Okay. Okay." The boy wasn't sure whether he was talking to himself or Minho as he quietly muttered. "Help me get him up."

"We gotta go. The maze is already changing." He limped forward, his steps staggering as he panted from exhaustion. He never got this tired but it was the end of the line for him. He was trapped in the death trap that caught up gladers that never deserved it.

Thomas however, wasn't having it. "Hey, Minho!" His voice was husky as he stared at the retreating figure of Minho who paused. "We can't just leave him here." His voice wobbled as he gestured down to the injured Alby who Minho knew would slap him silly, for even thinking about giving in.

Slowly turning around, Minho gives in and pulls the unconscious Alby to a standing position before grabbing one leg. "You helping or not?"

"Just sit him down. Sit him down." A clunk came from the distance and the two snapped their necks over towards it. Minho took a deep breath and regained as much composure as he could before speaking again.

Thomas watched as he bounced on the spot. "This isn't  to work." He turned towards Alby again and patted his chest before standing up and walking a small bit away, hoping he could get them out of there, he was unsure whether Alby had time left but Thomas still did.

"We gotta go." He turned away from Thomas. "We gotta go!"

"Wait, what are you talking about? We gotta hide him." Thomas's frantic voice fit perfectly with the anxiety that swarmed the air around them. He was scared.