Waking up today felt strange. Emma was abnormally exhausted. Given she was always tired, but today felt different. There was a drag in her movements, making everything take longer than it should have. She slowly moved around the Glade, not slacking in her work, never slacking, but moving slower.
Emma couldn't explain her exhaustion. It didn't make much sense. She tried to shake the feeling. It was still early morning, and there was much to be done. The Greenie, Thomas, was trying out different jobs. He spent nearly an hour with the Slicers before it became clear that wasn't a job for him.
Newt went to retrieve him right as Emma began her journey toward the Kitchens, which took her a bit longer than it should have. She was struggling to balance all of the baskets on top of each other but refused Jack's help when he offered it. Emma was always the one carrying the food across the Glade. Typically she went alone. That wasn't going to change because she was tired.
Emma grunted, struggling to set the baskets on the counter. Lifting several baskets full of food and materials on a counter was difficult, especially when exhausted. Feeling a shake in her arms, she kept trying.
Suddenly, the baskets were raised onto the counter with ease. Emma glanced to her left to see Gally, his face flushed from working tirelessly at the Builders station. "Thanks," Emma whispered, wiping her hands on her pants.
Gally nodded, staring at her. He immediately noticed how she kept her eyes off of him. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." She brushed the hair out of her face and tucked the loose strands behind her ears.
The tall man studied her actions. It was clear she wasn't good. "You sure? If it's Jordan, I can-"
"It's not," she cut him off quickly, almost rudely. Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm sorry." She hadn't meant to snap at him. Gally had done nothing wrong besides care about her. She was still slightly bothered that they hadn't talked about their kiss. Gally wasn't acting much differently. If anything, nothing had changed between them other than the abnormal closeness. "I just didn't sleep well last night, and I'm so exhausted." It was stupid, but Emma knew he wouldn't judge her. He never did. She could always be honest with him.
"You're cranky because you didn't get all your beauty sleep?"
Emma gently punched his shoulder. "You're such a Slinthead. Wait until I tell Newt you got jokes."
"You wouldn't dare," he responded.
Emma wiggled her eyebrows in response. "Try me." Gally playfully rolled his eyes. The girl caught sight of Frypan walking toward them, no doubt about to start preparing lunch for the day. "Thanks for your help. I should get back before Zart hunts me down. He hates being left with Greenies."
"Yeah, that new guy's a piece of work," Gally muttered, more to himself.
"You're just mad he knocked you down yesterday."
Galley scoffed, offended by her words. "I let him do that."
Emma laughed, shaking her head. "Sure you did." She patted his chest, letting her hand linger a few moments too long. "I'll see you later, yeah?"
"Yeah," Gally responded softly. "Looking forward to it."
"Okay, weirdo." With that, she dropped her hand and began walking away. She thought she could feel his eyes on her, but she wasn't brave enough to check. Emma hoped he was watching. The idea made her smile.
Walking toward the Gardens, she could see the new Greenie. He wasn't hard to spot, sticking out among the others. He glanced her way but didn't stop to question her existence. It was as if he didn't care, which Emma found herself appreciative of that.
"If you want to be helpful," Newt spoke to Thomas. "Go get us some more fertilizer." He flung a bucket at Thomas, who barely managed to catch it. Zart laughed to himself. Thomas didn't argue with Newt. He simply grumbled under his breath and marched toward the woods.
"That was mean," Emma commented once he was far away. "We have barrels of fertilizer right here."
Newt shrugged, smirking slightly. "Yeah, but he was getting on my nerves. Asking way too many questions and suggesting the stupidest ideas."
"Can you blame him? This is all new." Thomas didn't know what they did. He was still learning.
He huffed, shaking his head. "You always defend the Greenies. You're supposed to be on my side."
"Wasn't aware there were sides," she responded.
"There are, and you're on mine." Emma moved closer, kicking a bucket out of the way. "Where were you anyway? Started to miss you, just a bit."
"I knew you liked me." He glared at her, which only made her laugh. She enjoyed their early morning banter. "I was running errands for Zart, ran into Gally, and had a short chat." She wasn't gone very long.
"Gally, huh? How's that going?"
The heat instantly rose to her cheek. Her eyes flickered around the area, hoping nobody had heard Newt. "Stop it."
"I'm just curious," he responded. "Dumped a lot of information on me the other day and never bothered to elaborate."
"Well, a lot has been going on. I've had a lot on my mind." The last few days had been nothing short of chaotic. With Jordan, Gally kissing her, and the new Greenie showing up and being a handful, Emma hadn't had much time to update Newt on everything.
Newt's expression faltered for a moment as he was reminded of who was locked in the Pit not too far away from them currently. With the new Greenie and the previous night's bonfire, it had slipped his mind. Emma was still dealing with and healing from what happened.
"I'm sorry. You're right." Once they dealt with Jordan, there would be time to talk. "Have you given it any thought?" Newt wanted to know if Emma had come to a decision.
Before she could say anything, there was screaming. "Hey!" Emma instantly froze at the sound of someone shouting. "Hey! Help!" By now, everyone had heard the desperate cries for help. "Help! Help!" The Greenie darted out of the trees with someone chasing him. "Help!"
Everyone moved at once, running to help Thomas. Emma found herself rushing toward them as well. The person after Thomas tackles him to the ground. They struggle for a few seconds before the person gets on top of the Greenie. "I'll kill you," they scream at him.
Newt was the first to arrive at the scene. "Hey!" The person on Thomas glanced up just in time for Newt to slam a rake against their head. The impact forces them off of Thomas.
Newt, Zart, and Gally pin him against the ground. Emma comes to a stop beside Chuck, eyes wide as she realizes the attacker is Ben, the Runner, who should still be in the Maze, considering it's still early. Emma momentarily thought of Minho, his typical running partner, and fears for him. Where was he right now? Was he alone in the Maze? Why was Ben attacking Thomas? Did he hurt Minho as well?
"Calm down."
"What the hell are you doing?" Newt didn't understand why Ben would attack the Greenie. He was an easy-going, nice guy. Never caused problems. It wasn't like him to attack someone.
Ben struggled against them, but too many kept him pinned down. "Ben," Gally barked. "Calm down."
"What happened?" The question was directed at Thomas. He was the only other person who could say what had happened.
"He just attacked me." It was a simple response. By now, the entire Glade was surrounding Ben.
There was blood dripping from a wound on Ben's head. His eyes are bloodshot, and he looks paler than normal. Alby pushed through the crowd. Ben was terrified at the sight of him. "No. No!"
"Lift his shirt."
"No," Ben cried. "I didn't mean it. Please!"
"Lift his shirt!" Gally tugged at the shirt. Lifting it, he reveals an injury. It's a wound caused by a Griever. There are bulging blue veins on his stomach that travel up his chest. If Emma had to guess, she would say the injury happened a while ago.
"No!"
"He's been stung," Gally almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. "In the middle of the day?" Griever's never roamed the Maze during the day. From what Emma knew, nobody had ever been attacked during the day. It made her, once again, think about Minho and the other Runners.
"Help me," Ben wailed. "Please, help me." Tears streamed down his cheeks. Emma clenched her fists, tearing her eyes away from the boy. She noticed Chuck beside her, whose cheeks were void of their typical flush. Gently, she placed a comforting hand on his back and began rubbing soothing circles to calm him down. He leaned into her touch but couldn't meet her gaze. He couldn't look away from the scene.
Alby was trying to figure out what to do. They had never been in this type of situation before, and he wasn't prepared for it. "Put him in the Pit."
"Get off of me!"
"Calm down," Gally shouted back at him.
"Med-Jack!" Jeff was quick to move forward.
"No," Ben screamed and struggled. "No! No! Get off of me!" Emma stepped back as Gally and Brandon yanked Ben onto his feet. He didn't try to hold himself up, going limp almost instantly. "No! Get off of me! Get off me!" More Gladers came to their aid to help drag him to the Pit. Jeff trailed behind them. He would have to help once they got Ben settled in the Pit.
"Don't do this!" Ben fought against them. "Don't, please!" They kept carrying him away. Ben continued to scream and fight, but it was useless. "You don't understand! Please! Stop! Gally! Brandon! Stop, please. Stop." There was a group surrounding Ben as they carried him toward the Pit. "You don't understand! He did this!"
Emma watched them, hand placed against Chuck's back. "What happens now?" He whispered to her.
Ben had attacked Thomas. There was no question about that. Half the Glade had witnessed it. Emma knew the Runner would likely face Banishment. "The Keepers will have a Gathering. We'll know more after." Chuck nodded but wasn't comforted by her words. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
"Come on, Greenie," Jack said. "Let's get you to the Med-Jack hut."
The Greenie waved his hand. "I'm fine."
"Not up for debate. Let's go." Deciding that arguing was pointless, Thomas let Jack lead him toward the Med-Jack hut. Emma ushered Chuck toward the Homestead, wanting to sit down and take a moment to breathe. She wasn't sure what would happen, but she knew it wouldn't be good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Gathering that afternoon was short. Minho and the other Runners were fine. Emma was thankful for that. The Keepers decided that since Ben broke a rule, he would be Banished.
Emma had never seen a Banishing and wasn't looking forward to it. She wasn't very close with Ben, but they had spoken multiple times. He was a friend and knowing he would be sent to die made her nauseous.
There was a group in front of the doors. Most of the Keepers were holding sticks. Emma stood off to the side with Chuck, not having a place in the group to help. She felt like that was Gally's doing and couldn't be more thankful for that. This was not an event she wanted to partake in.
To the right, Minho guided Ben toward the group. Ben's hands were tied behind his head. He looked worse than before. The Griever sting was taking over his body. Ben seemed to be pleading with Minho, but Emma couldn't hear. He pushed the former Runner into the center and onto his knees. Reaching into his pack, he pulls out a knife. He cut the ropes, causing Ben to fall onto his hands.
Behind her, footsteps can be heard. Emma glanced over her shoulder to see Thomas. It was only his second day in the Glade, and already he was witnessing a Banishing.
Minho walked in front of Ben. He glances at Alby, who nods at him. A sign to continue as planned. The doors rumble as they prepare to close for the night. Minho tosses a water bottle inside the Maze.
There's a gust of wind as the doors shift—the Keeper of the Runners slips between the pole holders and out of danger. "Poles!" It's Alby who makes the final call. All the Keepers push their poles forward. Ben scrambles to his feet, desperate to get away. "Move in." They begin moving closer, forcing him toward the Maze entrance.
Chuck has to turn away, unable to watch. "Emma-"
"Yeah, okay." She's quick to understand. "Come on." Guiding the young boy away from the horrific scene, Emma feels slightly grateful not to be watching anymore.
"No! No!" She can still hear him begging to live. "Please, don't!" Swallowing the lump in her throat, she walked away faster. Knowing what awaited Ben made her sick. It also made her think of Jordan. How could she sentence someone to die like that?
The doors close as they reach the Homestead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's tense that evening. Nobody knows how to feel. Newt had been missing since the Banishment. So had Alby. Emma had no doubt they were together discussing what had happened.
This was not the Glade's first Banishment, but it was still hard. None of them were handling it well. There was an eerie silence that had settled over the Glade. Emma found herself feeling anxious. Whatever worries she had this morning seemed insignificant now. Ben was gone. He had been stung in the middle of the day. What did that mean for them? She didn't understand. It felt like something was changing. What if more Griever attacks happened to the Runners in the Maze? Emma couldn't stomach losing anyone else.
She tried not to think about Jordan either. Seeing how Banishment affected the Gladers, Emma knew in her heart she couldn't Banish Jordan. It wouldn't be fair. She would have to learn to live with him in the Glade. It wouldn't be easy, but it was a small price to pay to ease her friends of any more guilt. They didn't deserve that.
Her mind went to Gally. He hadn't been seen since the Banishment. She looked for him but couldn't find him. For a while, she waited for him on the tree hut, but he never showed up. Deciding that waiting around wouldn't do her any good, Emma went searching for him.
Surprisingly, it didn't take her long this time. He was sitting at a picnic table hunched over, head in his hands. "Hey," she called out, wanting to give him a heads-up to her arrival. "Been looking all over for you."
"Been here," he grunted in response.
"I see that." Emma stuck her hands in her back pockets. "You doing okay?"
"Clearly."
Emma bit her lip, debating her next words carefully. Gally still wasn't looking at her. "You can talk to me, Gally. That's what we do, right? Talk to each other. I want to help-"
"Well, you can't. You didn't have to Banish someone today, did you?" Gally snarled at her. He didn't yell, but she still winced at the unexpected anger directed at her. Gally sighed right after, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Shuck. I'm sorry, Em. I didn't-"
"It's okay," she promised, nudging his thigh with her knee. "It's fine. I knew better than to ask." It was clear Gally wasn't handling the guilt well. He helped Banish Ben. It couldn't have been easy. Emma couldn't even stay and watch.
"You should get some rest," he said. "It's been a long day. I know you're still exhausted."
Emma smiled faintly. Even after the horrible day, Gally was still prioritizing her. Newt would never believe her if she told him how kind and caring Gally actually was when away from everyone else. When it was just the two of them, he was an entirely different person. Emma wished everyone could see that side of him.
"You first."
He sighed. Finally, Gally stood up. Emma had to look up at him now, no longer having the height advantage she did when he sat down. "You never make things easy, do you?"
"No, but you wouldn't like me if I did." He smiled faintly. There didn't seem to be anything else the man wanted to say. It had been a long day. The sooner it was over, the better. "Hey," Emma grabbed his hand as he tried to walk away from her. Gally kept his eyes forward, unable to meet her gaze. "I'm here if you need, okay?"
"Yeah, okay." Dropping her hand, Gally took that as his sign to leave. Emma didn't watch him. Instead, her eyes closed, and her head fell forward.
However, she didn't hear any footsteps. Glancing to her right, she noticed Gally standing two feet away. "Gally, you all right? Why are you just standing there?"
The Keeper turned back to look at her, a complicated expression on his face. "My mind hasn't changed," he began. "About Jordan." He still wanted to Banish him.
Emma pursed her lips, not having expected that. "Gally-"
"You're a good person," he kept going. "Better than me, but please, just think about it."
"I don't think I can-"
Gally took a single step toward her. Emma stopped talking immediately, watching as he cupped her cheek. His thumb stroked her skin gently. "I don't want to lose you."
The sincerity in his words shocked Emma more than anything. Gally was genuinely fearful of losing her. For some reason, that never occurred to her. "You won't." Emma wanted to promise him that but couldn't. She couldn't make such heavy promises. "But I'll try." She would try and think about it.
Her response wasn't the answer Gally was looking for. "Okay." He stayed still for a moment longer, eyes studying every inch of her face like he was memorizing the details for the last time. Emma stared up at him with wide eyes. The darkness made them look black, but Gally had spent enough time staring at them to know they were a beautiful brown color, warm and soft and comforting in a way they shouldn't be.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Her words confused him. "What are you sorry for?"
"Ben," Emma explained. "I'm sorry you had to help Banish a friend." She didn't want to make him do that ever again.
"He broke a rule," was his monotone response.
"Still, you knew him."
Gally nodded, dropping his hand. Almost instantly, Emma misses the warmth he provided. "It's late. We should get back."
His response doesn't bother her much. Gally was never one to expand on his emotions. "You're right," she agrees. "Let's go." As they walk toward the Homestead, Emma finds herself hoping that tomorrow is a better day.