Everywhere, Everything ◆ Thomas ◆ TMR

015 - Doctors Orders

Her entire body vibrated with the deep grumble of the maze doors. Her neck ached as she moaned tiredly, shifting against the rough stone wall. She'd refused to move from the entrance when the three Gladers had gotten stuck in the maze, and though Newt had given up, saying they were gone and that there was nothing they could do about it, she'd stubbornly stayed and ended up falling asleep.

Sometime during the night, someone must have taken pity on her, she thought, as she wrapped the blanket that she hadn't fallen sleep with around herself tighter. Chuck was right next to her, his own blanket pooling sadly in his lap. His head rested against her shoulder, and she shook him awake.

Chuck groaned in confusion, rubbing his eyes. He'd barely come to himself when he suddenly shot up and got to his feet. His face fell when he looked into the maze and realized there wasn't three boys waiting on the other side.

Ari bit her nail, ignoring the sharp pain as blood bubbled to the surface from the rough treatment. The emptiness of the path in front of her echoed all the way in her heart, like a piece of her had been ripped out. The crowd gathering set something alight inside her, and a part of her wanted to reach into every single body around her and carve out a piece of their hearts too.

Newt came up next to her. As much as he tried to seem like he'd already accepted their fate, there had been just a small glimpse of hope inside his eyes. It snuffed out quicker than a candleflame in a storm.

She faltered, the breath being knocked out of her like she'd fallen from a height and landed straight on her back. It was really over, wasn't it? They were really gone.

She almost followed Newt as he made to walk away again.

"Oh, my god," Chuck mumbled quietly next to them. Then he whooped and jumped on the spot, throwing a fist in the air with a celebratory shout.

Ari's head snapped up, her heart racing quicker than it ever had, as if she'd been the one in the maze for an entire night. A few meters away, looking tired and worn and limping a path to the Glade, was Minho and Thomas.

Her feet moved quicker than her brain, and the next thing she knew, she crashed into Thomas with a relieved sob. She didn't know why she cared that much, but she did. She really did.

The boy made a startled sound and stumbled back, his arms taking a few seconds too long to reciprocate the hug. She only stayed just long enough to reassure herself he was okay, and then she moved onto the next, throwing herself at Minho who seemed even more surprised at the warm welcome.

He groaned in pain. "Nice to see you too she-bean, but you're squeezin' me a bit tight there."

She released him immediately, holding his shoulder's gently as she studied him. "Sorry! I'm sorry," she apologized hastily. "Are you guys okay? Stupid question – Are you hurt anywhere? Well, you have scratches on your face, but is anything broken, bitten off? Were you stung? What-"

"What the hell happened," Newt's angry voice cut through her rambles as he limped up to them, determination in his every step, his eyebrows rivaling Gally's in their fury. "How in the bloody-"

Now Thomas was the one to interrupt, raising a palm up to stop him. Newt's eyebrows flew up in a second, and Ari had to do a double take and force herself not to smile. "We'll tell you later," he said, his tone final. "We have to save Alby."

"Alby?" Ari straightened in alarm.

"What do you mean?" Newt asked, perking up as well. "He's alive?"

"Just come here," Thomas said, nodding his head down the hall for the two of them to follow as he leaped to the right with hurried steps. He leaned slightly back, his eyes squinting against the rising light from the sun as he looked up, up, up.