The following day, the doctors had to run more tests. They said it was because we were 'lacking nutrients' but some of the things they did to us were absurd. They took me away from the boys again, this time Teresa wasn't with me. None of us had seen her since we arrived.
At about lunchtime, the doctors took a break, leaving me alone in the room with a lunch tray. On it, was a sandwich, mashed potatoes, and a water bottle. I picked at my food. Why didn't they let me at least stay by my friends? I wasn't used to being alone. It made me feel, well.. lonely.
The doctor had only left about 5 minutes ago, when there was a knock.
"Come in," I call. Great. Not even one peaceful meal.
I assumed the doctor that I usually had was coming to check on me, but instead Quintin had come in. I stood up.
He gave me a small smile. "Hi."
"What are you doing here?" I asked. Just because he said he knew me before the maze doesn't mean I trust him completely. He could be lying, knowing that I don't remember and trying to convince me into believing something that's not true.
" I came to see you," he softly said. He seemed kind, innocent as if he truly just wanted to talk. "I wanted to show you something. It's something that could help you remember."
I stayed silent. What could he possibly have that could help me. WICKED was the one who took everything from me. They had my memories and anything I could've had before the maze. I was curious as to what Quintin was talking about so I followed him to another room.
"I'm not supposed to talk to the subj- er I mean you guys, but I know you. I have to." Quintin took me to what looked like a storage area. My eyes scanned the place. Lockers covered the walls. All of them having small print engraved into them. Quintin went to a desk and started ruffling through a beat up box. I took it as a chance to investigate the room. I got closer and read one of the lockers.
Subject A-19
Y/N
My eyes went wide. Why was my name on there?
"Look," Quintins voice startled me and I quickly looked away from the locker.
He came close to me, holding onto what looked like pictures. He handed them to me. The first one showed... me? I looked about 15 or so. I was holding onto a younger version of Quintin. I studied the picture noticing how close we were.
"That was about 2 years ago." Quintin pointed out. "When we first started dating."
I knit my eyebrows. I couldn't believe it. He wasn't lying. I went onto the second picture. There we were sitting on a desk. My head resting on his shoulder.
"I remember that day. It was your 16th birthday." I look up at Quintin. "More than a year ago."
"Which means I must be about 17 huh?" I ask. He nods.
I flip to the final photograph. In it, Quintin is carrying me on his back. Both of us showing bright grins.
"That was the last time I saw you," Quintin takes the picture back. "They told me you ran away. But you didn't. They took you. You're here now!" I don't reply. Quintin gets closer to me. I meet his brown eyes. He pushes inwards like he was about to kiss me, but I back away. "What's wrong?" He asks.
"Quintin," I respond, "I don't even know who you are. I don't know who I was."
"You're YN." He pleads, "you were my girlfriend."
"I might've been. I'm not anymore." I say. Quintin gives me a pleading look. "There's someone else." I confess.
"I thought..." his voice trails off. Tears fill his eyes. I feel bad. It's not my fault though. I can't remember. I don't even know if I want to remember.
"Quintin the person I was before the maze doesn't exist." I quote Newt. "I'm sorry."
There's a moment of silence.
Finally I decide to ask about the lockers. "Why's my name on this," I point.
Quintin looks at it and sighs. "It's yours. Open it."
Curiosity gets the best of me and I quickly open the locker. Inside it has one thing, a black bracelet.
"You'd never take that off." Quintin adds. "You said it was your charm of hope."
My eyes look at the other locker and notice that above mine is one labeled.
Subject A-5
Newt
Without permission I open it. Inside, I find a guitar pick. No way. Newt played guitar. He was a musician. Minho was right! Under it is a note. It reads:
Sonya is my sister. I'll try my best to find this paper after they wipe my memory to remember her.
This was incredible! It was so clever of my boyfriend to write something like this. Why couldn't I have done that?
Quintin is still staring at the ground so I shove the belongings into my pocket. At last, realization fills me.
"Quintin why do you guys have this?"
"Hm?" He looks up, meeting my eyes.
"Wasn't WICKED the ones who put us in the maze?" I put one and one together.
"Yeah," he answers.
"So then why do you have these things we left before the maze?"
Quintins eyes go wide, realizing he gave themselves away. He looks down at his watch avoiding my glance. "Would you look at the time we better get you back for testing." He carefully shoves me out of the room.
"Wait why aren't you answering me?" I ask, terrified now of what could happen to us, noting that we're in the arms of the enemies.
"You shouldn't worry about this." He pushes me into the room I was in earlier, locking the door behind me.
Somethings not right.
******
I tried not to give any hint of suspicion to anyone because who knows what they would do to us. The more people know, the more danger we're in.
At dinner time, the guards escorted me to the cafeteria.
I found Newt and my friends right away. "Newt!" I sat next to him, putting my tray down and embraced the blond boy.
"YN you're back!" He pulled away to peck my cheek softly.
"Not while we eat guys," I could recognize that voice anywhere.
"Hi Minho," i grin. "Hi boys," I wave at my fellow gladers. They all say hey back. Everyone looked fine and happy except for Thomas. "Thomas what's wrong?" I ask.
"I think there's something going on here," he replies, just as Janson reads the daily list of lucky winners.
"You don't know that, Tommy," Newt tells his friends, "let's just not draw any attention to ourselves."
"Good idea," i hook my arm around Newts. He gives me a thankful grin.
At that moment, Thomas stands and begins to follow the kids who were called through the guarded door.
"What's he doing?" Minho asks.
"Drawing attention to himself," Frypan sighs. I hold in a giggle.
At this point Thomas is trying to get past the armed guards which is getting him nowhere, obviously. The entire cafeteria is staring once Minho, Newt, Fry, Winston, and I go help our friend.
"Calm down!" We hold Thomas back.
"Thomas," Janson approaches us. "I thought we could trust one another." Thomas glares at ratman. "Take them to their room." With that, the guards push us back into our room.
"What the bloody hell Tommy?!" Newt scolds him for not listening. "I told you to lay low. You're gonna get us in trouble."
"Somethings off about this place." Thomas shoots back.
"All they've done is help us. They've given us a proper bed, clothes, food, shelter. Some of us haven't had that in a long time," Newt tells Thomas.
"Yeah bu-"
"Some of us a lot longer than others." Newt adds. I take in a deep breath.
All of a sudden, Janson comes in. "I need the girl."
"What? No you're not taking her." Newt argues.
"I wasn't asking," Ratman spits. A guard walks into our room and yanks me by the arm.
"Ow!" I yell as he roughly grabs me. "I can walk just fine by myself!"
"Let her go!" Newt shouts.
"She'll be back soon," Ratman shoves me out the door and away from my friends.
He takes me to a lab, the doctor quickly shoves a needle into my arm as I try and fight back.
Everything goes black.
Newt's POV:
"Nice going Tommy they took YN!" I yell at my friend.
"I'm sorry okay!" Thomas tries to explain. "I had to get through."
"You really thought they were gonna let you?" Minho scoffs.
"Nope," Thomas pulls out one of the key cards.
A vent shoots out from under the beds, startling us.
"Did you get it?" The stranger asks.
"Tommy what's going on?" I ask, he ignores me.
"Who is this kid?" Minho questions.
"This is Aris. Guys cover for me. I need to do something. It could prove my conclusions about this place." Thomas slides under the bed behind Aris leaving the rest of us confused.
****