The Healer

Chapter 43: Numbness

It was a long night. Alby was withering and screaming beside Evelyn. Ben was screaming from the other room. The girl lay still unconscious in the other room. After waking up again from someone screaming, she slowly and carefully sat up. She was shocked to see someone in the chair beside her bed. Once she managed to sit at the edge of the bed she was still. Having to breathe through the pain.

Holding her bandage side she gently shook the boy's knee. He sat bolt up right, ready to fight, his chest heaving and eyes wide.

"Hey, just breathe. It's just me!"

"What the shuck ya doing?" He yawned.

"Well I can't sleep... between Alby and Ben's screaming..I'm going to my own room. Thought you'd want to go to sleep in your bed, and not a chair."

Minho gave her a skeptical look.

"I'm going to my own bed." She said stubbornly, but then everything left her, "I'll have a better sleep with no one around." She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice.

She saw Minho's eyes ash in anger. He ran a hand through his hair, and frowned at her. She looked terrible.

"I don't know what's going on with him. I'm so sorry Evy. I really am. You don't deserve any of that klunk. I talked to Thomas...when we were on our way back to the Glade..."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"He claims, he had no idea, and wouldn't have done anything had he known about you. He does seem like a decent shank. I mean after I turned tail and ran..he saved Alby and kept you safe. And he knows you don't like him, and he gets it."

Evelyn was quiet, listening.

"I ain't making excuses for him stirring up trouble...but there's somethin' about him..." Minho shrugged, "he questions everything."

"Yeah, I know. Trust me." She sighed.

"But...maybe we need that. Someone who questions things. Get us thinking of different ways of doin' things. I mean...with his help we got a few of those Grievers off the cliff."

Evelyn thought about it. Maybe Minho was right. But her heart and feelings were still hurting it would take a bit more than Minho's words- though she put a lot of weight in his words and his opinions.

"Maybe." Was all she said.

"It's that other shank that's the problem. I don't know what to tell ya, Eve. But...if he doesn't give his head a shake and get it together soon, he's gonna lose you."

She gave him a small sad smile.

"I know your hurtin', I can see it. But if he's gonna act like a slint head, best friend or not I'm going to lay him flat and steal you."

She snorted.

"Hey, I can take that shank!"

"I don't doubt it Min." She smiled and patted his knee. He smirked at her, crossing his arms.

"But seriously, Pixy, you deserve better."

She looked down at her lap and nodded.

"I know Sonny already had some words with him. And Nick. I haven't seen Nick get that angry, sorry we woke you, that was Nick trying to swing at him. Also apparently Chuck also had a few things to say."

She let the corner of her lip twitch, imagine Chuck sticking up for her.

"Come on, Pixy. You need to sleep." He yawned and got stiffly to his feet.

"I'm going to shower first. And then back to sleep."

He held a hand out, and she slowly got to feet. And helped her out the door and towards the showers.