Before Thomas {A Maze Runner Fanfiction}

S1-Ep4: Food Poisoning

The week passed fairly quickly. The Builders, with help from Gally, made good progress on the shower stalls. Working took his mind off the problem of their imprisonment, but in all truth he didn't seem as bothered by the prospect as some of the others. The Greenie seemed adept in the area and despite an unruly temper, had good leadership skills. He and Doug got along particularly well and the two of them often began side conversations about ideas for future projects and plans for updating the Homestead huts.

After minor deliberation, Elizabeth joined the Track-hoes. She just walked up to Zart and started working alongside him one afternoon. She already had gloves on and was carrying a hoe and one of the few watering cans when she got down and dug up the rest of the hole he'd been working on.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zart asked, raising and eyebrow. He watched as she finished with the hole and stood up to look him in the eye. She raised an eyebrow back at him and smiled.

"Getting my hands dirty," she said.

And that was that. Elizabeth was a Track-hoe.

The boys were all unused to the female presence in the Glade, and though it was awkward at first, most of them were able to carry on as usual, and saw no point in treating her any differently than Gally, the other Greenbean. However some, such as Ric, started watching their manners and appearances around the girl. Elizabeth seemed to get along with everybody, and liked to strike up conversations between herself and the others. She pretended not to notice when things got uncomfortable, and was good at laughing through it, which gave the boys a friendly impression of her. She and Gally were taught the ways of the Maze and the inner-workings of those that had lived there longer than they had.

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During dinner one night, Dalton and P.F. were telling a story of their encounter with a Griever that day.

"It had to be the biggest Griever we've ever had to deal with!" Dalton said, spreading his arms wide in an attempt to provide visuals. Minho rolled his eyes towards Elizabeth, who was carrying a plate of food. She sat between him and Newt.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"They're elaborating everything as usual," he answered under his breath. Elizabeth shrugged and stabbed some food with her fork.

"It's a good thing I was there when the thing came up behind Alby," P.F. said. Alby threw a piece of his dinner at him.

"Shut up, that's jacked!" he half-shouted, half-growled.

Elizabeth put the food in her mouth and all at once her nose wrinkled and she made a gagging sound in her throat.

"What's with that face?" Ben, who was sitting across the table from her, asked.

She dropped the fork and brought a hand up to her mouth, coughing with closed lips. Without thinking, Newt smacked his hand across her back.

"GHRLCK," said Elizabeth.

"Man, that's messed up! You could kill her doing that!" said Zart.

Elizabeth continued making gagging noises as she forced herself to swallow the contents. Newt thwacked her on the back again, much to the others' distress, and Elizabeth began coughing violently. A ruckus started at the table.

"DO NOT THROW UP ON ME!" Minho cried, pushing his chair back into Hank and abruptly standing up.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Nick shouted from his place at the head of the table. Several of the boys, including Alby and Will, stood up from their chairs and ran over to where the commotion was taking place.