Sonny and the Baggers filed in, they helped transport Nick to room one, where Gally went through the changing. They slouched out of the room taking the board with Steve on it and left the MedHut. With the help of Clint, Jeff cleaned the blood soaked bed and put new sheets on it.
Newt took the cloth from the bowl and gently whipped the sweat and blood from her face. She started to shiver, but she kept sweating.
"Jeff! Something else is wrong!" Newt called. Jeff came flying over, placing a hand on her forehead, he frowned.
"She's running a fever. Shuck this kid can't catch a break." He straightened up and frowned looking around.
"Did she do this before?" Newt asked, his voice was thick with worry.
"No... Okay, normally I'd just strip the shank, to bring the fever down but can't do that."
"No." Newt said flatly.
"Ummm...I'll put her in the back room. We gotta get those blood soaked clothes off anyways, we can keep the door closed or whatever."
"Good that."
Jeff slid his hands under Evelyn and picked her up. Her head flopped lamly and her arm hung down weird. Clint helped Newt over to the other room.
"Where'd those crutches go?" He muttered to herself.
Newt sat down on the side of the bed and helped Jeff remove her shoes. Jeff didn't bat an eye when he went to remove her blood soaked and ripped pants. Newt cringed and ground his teeth, he knew Jeff was a MedJack, and bodies didn't bother him but it still irritated Newt that another guy would see her.
"Relax man. She's not my type." Jeff muttered, glancing out the door where Clint was busy cleaning up the table covered in Nick's blood.
Newt's tense shoulders relaxed. His face turning bright red. He didn't exactly imagine the first time he removed his girlfriends pants would be while she's unconscious and covered in blood.
He quickly pulled an extra sheet over her. He had to use scissors to cut the shirt away, it was glued to her from drying blood and sweat; leaving her in a sports bra and underwear.
"Blood shucken hell!" Newt gasp as he gently pulled the last piece of shirt away.
"What's up?" Jeff asked, coming back with a bowl of warm water. Newt just pointed.
All along her side was a huge bruise forming. It was red and swollen, black and purple and blue.
"The kid did kick her, when they were fighting for the knife."
"The actual hell?"
Clint came to the door and saw the bruising, and winced. He nodded, and explained her scream, tackling the kid as he tried to stab Nick, throwing herself in-between Nick and the Steve, and then her wild fight to save them both.
Newt stared at the girl on the bed wide eyed and mouth hanging open. How could this tiny little thing, be so...strong and capable? She continued to amaze him, and all the wild crazy and amazing things she did, a lot of the Gladers here own her their lives. Him included. He sat at her side feeling very inadequate.
He slowly, like in a dream, picked up the cloth from the bowl and started to gently clean the blood sweat and grime away. Jeff patted Newt's back, and left. Newt propped his aching leg up onto the chair and continued to clean her up. Jeff had to change the water a few times for him. It looked like she had jumped in puddles of blood. He did one limb at a time. Her skin was feverish and hot to the touch, but she shivered and broke out in goosebumps. He tried very hard to not look too long at her body. But she was just so perfect. Her skin was pale and flawless, full of muscle but curves in the right places.
"Maybe Jeff should be doin' this." He muttered under his breath, as his face flushed in another deep blush. Then he shook his head. "No. Pull it together, she needs ya, stop gawkin' at her beautiful body! Stop bein' a buggen' slint head."
He finished cleaning her as best he could, he pulled the dirty sheet off and tossed it on the floor and pulled up the thick blanket, making sure she was covered. She groaned and shifted, and let out a whimper.
Newt held her hand tight in his. He scootched closer and laid a hand gently on her cheek, brushing his thumb over her cheek bone. He felt like crying. He wanted her to wake up, to be okay. An overwhelming sense of protectiveness and a feeling of uselessness pressed on him. There was nothing more for him to do, and he hated it. He sat feeling broken, watching the girl who stole his heart struggle. Her chest rose and fell in short shallow raged breaths, sweat beaded her forehead. Shame washed over him. He finally realized this was how she must've felt when he was unconscious; except she had used everything to save him and still managed to pull herself over and take care of him. He hung his head, trying hard to keep the tears trapped behind his eyelashes. He could feel the dark fighting to take over. He held onto her hand even tighter. He leaned over and brushed his lips over her fevered skin.
There was a loud bang and a loud wild voice in the main room. Newt straightened up, and twisted to see the door, tensing. The door to Evelyn's room burst open and Minho came charging inside, still covered in sweat from his run, and breathing hard, fear clear in his eyes.
"What the actual shuck went on today?!" He yelled.
Evelyn whimpered and flinched in her unconscious state. Newt glared at Minho. But he wasn't watching Newt. His dark eyes were glued to Evelyn, his sweaty face lost colour, all the wild fight drained from him and he sunk down by her bed on his knees.
"What the shuck happened?" His voice wobbled.
Newt explained gloomily about the box, and Billy, and Steve and Nick-
Minho let out a long string of curses and cuss words.
Jeff and Clint showed up at the door. Clint took up the story of Evelyn and the fight. Jeff continued with what took place in the MedHut and the fighting for Nick's life.
"She was amazing." Newt whispered, brushing some hair from her forehead.
"Nick's okay?" Minho asked, looking at the guys.
"Yeah." Jeff nodded, "he lost a lot of blood. So recovery is gonna suck. But she kept him from dying."
"Shuck. This is what happens when I leave!"
Newt rolled his eyes, turning back the girl. She was shivering more then before. Newt's worry increased, causing a frown to form and his eyebrows pulled together, and the heavy darkness pressed down harder. He placed a hand on the side of her face. Jeff and Clint left with a sigh of defeat. Minho stayed on his knees by her bed, watching her shiver and sweat and whimper.
"She saved the shanks life?" Minho asked quietly.
Newt nodded, "it was bloody amazin'! She kept his heart and lungs going, and then seeing her use her full powers... Why'd she pick me, man?"
Minho looked at him with a frown.
"She could have any of the shanks here-"
"And yet she picked you." Minho cut him off.
"Yeah...but why?" He muttered, "I ain't special."
"You shucken are to her!" Minho's voice was harsh. He groaned, rubbing his face. "And that's all that matters. And from what Jeff just shucken said, you were more important beside her than any of the other guys in the Hut."
"Yeah..but-"
"Dude! Quite with the buts and self doubt!" Minho growled. "Know how many shanks wish they had a girl? How many want to be looked at like their whole shucken world is right in front of them? All the guys in this shucken hell and she picked you. YOU, ya British shank!"
Newt just hummed.
"Do ya remember her at the beginning?"
Newt nodded.
"She wouldn't talk, maybe a few words in one sentence. No one could get her to talk, she sat in the corner, at the end of the bench and avoided the fires. But then you started going to her Hut in the afternoons after running and we heard laughter. You made her laugh ya shank!"
"You guys didn' believe me that she talked, an' would shut up." Newt said quietly, a small forming on his face.
"Exactly! She let no one in, she didn't open up for anyone but you! It took her like 6 months to warm up to the rest of us! And we all saw the way she sought you out, and her face lit up when you were around."
"Sounds like ya watched her closely Minho."
He shrugged, "Yeah sure, I had a huge crush on her. For a long time. She was the only girl here, most guys had a shucken crush on 'er at some point. She's so sweet and gentle. But everyone backed off when we all saw you two."
Newt sat still, his head hanging and his shoulders sagged. Minho got up, clapped his shoulder.
"Look man, I didn't tell you that 'cause I'm trying to make you jealous or cause problems or whatever... but 'cause you are the one she picked, and we all know you love her back. Stop second guessing that. And I ain't gonna have another chit chat about this again...'cause its weird."
Alby came by to check on them, he handed Newt the ice. Newt pulled the sheet back to place it and he heard both guys gasp. Minho let out another string of curses.
"Shuck! Teeny tiny Pixy is tougher than all of us! That looks so shucken painful!" Minho winced.
""And she did all that with a broken rib...that's probably why she has a fever." Jeff called from the other room.
"She can't heal herself?" Alby asked with a deep frown.
Newt shook his head sadly, as he wrapped some cloth to help hold the ice in place and pulled the blanket back up.
"No. She used everything she had on Nick and Steve." Newt said sadly.
"I've only been here a month, I saw her use up everything on Newt and then Nick, she didn't really use them in between. Does she usually save it for big things like this?" Jeff asked, coming over so he wouldn't have to yell.
Minho frowned trying to think. Alby rubbed his bald head.
"No, she would use it sometimes on the shanks when they came to talk with her, or when they were having a rough time, this is what Nick said anyways, like gave them a jolt and it helped relax or calm them...I don't know how to describe it. But no...she used it more regularly."
"But in smaller increments. These saving shanks lives takes too much out of her." Minho shrugged.
"Well...ain't nothin' we can do about it now. Glades pretty shook. It'll be a quite evening."
"You in charge until Nick is back?" Newt asked.
Alby nodded and left. Jeff helped wrap the ice around Newt's leg , the ice helped reduce the throbbing, the pain meds from earlier had helped as well. With a sigh Minho got up and went to the showers. Jeff and Clint had finished cleaning up the mess and Jeff checked in Nick and sat with him and Clint said he would bring supper for everyone. Newt was finally alone with Evelyn.
"I'm sorry Love. I wish I could help. Take your pain away..." He whispered, gently running his thumb over her cheek, he kept talking. Maybe she would hear, if not he just needed to talk to her.
"You have no idea what you mean ta me. I thought I liked ya before...I can't imagine ever leavin' you now. Thank you for never givin' up on me. I don' deserve your love...When I first woke up, I had no idea where the shuck I was, my head was poundin' vision was fuzzy and then you stood in the window, in tha' little white dress your hair down in a beam of moon light...shuck you were an angel...I thought I saw an before too, golden hair bright beautiful eyes...glowing in light...I guess that was you too."
He sat beside her and ate supper. Sonny came by checking on Nick and Evelyn, his dark eyes softened.
"She'll be okay." He stated with a nod and left.
Jeff was going to crash on the bed, Nick hadn't woken up either, so he was going to stay close. Newt refused to move, though he switched to the chair and leaned his head back against the wall. It was a long night, not because the chair was hard and uncomfortable, and it hurt his back, but because it seemed her fever got worse. Her breathing was ragged and shallow, her whimpers were worse and her skin felt like she was burning from the inside. Newt switched the cool damp cloth constantly.
The day was the same; constant worry, changing the cloth on her forehead and at the back of her neck. When no one was around, Newt pulled the blanket away from her burning body, trying to bring the fever down. Jeff finally caved and used an injection full of pain meds, they didn't have a lot left. They would have to send a note down the box for some more.
That morning the Glade had woke up to the Box alarm going off, everyone went running. Just to rub salt in the wound, somehow The Creators got ahold of Billy's body. Which was creepy enough, but the box contained a coffin, but the lid was made of clear glass. There was a note attached:
You were warned there would be consequences
It sent a shiver through the entire Glade. Everyone knew the only way out was through the maze now. They had tried it all at this point. The moral was low. Nick was out of commission, their Healer had given everything and was fighting for her life, they had lost another two boys. Alby gave up trying to get Greenie to try the other jobs, just sending him to Jeff.
"Congrats Greenie, You're an official MedJack."
The day dragged on. Sonny and Frypan showed up with food for the guys.
"Eat supper. You need to take care of yourself. I'll sight with her, go have a shower." Sonny's deep voice growled around the room.
"I'll help ya over." Clint volunteered, "I found your crutches, they were left by the Box yesterday."
The guys didn't give him much of a choice, so he hobbled over to the showers. He didn't want to admit it, but eating and a long hot shower clean clothes, he felt better. He appreciated everyone who looked out for him. He would have to repay the kindness shown to him, pay it forward. He didn't remember where the saying was from who where he heard it, but 'it takes a village' kept popping up in his mind. Cleaned and changed he slowly made his way cross the glade, everyone was just kind of sitting around, the days work was over, so there wasn't a lot to keep them busy now, so the tense atmosphere hung heavy in the air.
Back in the med hut he settled down on the bed beside Evelyn again. The medicine Jeff gave her earlier seemed to have helped lower the fever, she didn't feel like she was on fire. Newt brushed some sweaty hair off her forehead, she whimpered. Minho, Alby, Sonny, Fry, Jeff and Clint crowded into the room again, all just looking lost and forlorn at Evelyn.
"You should try kissing her awake!" Minho finally said, a slight twinkle in his eye.
"Why the bloody hell would that work?" Newt frowned.
"Works in the fairy tails." He shrugged.
"She is a princess." Sonny added with a nod. "I agree with Minho."
"Thanks man!" Minho smirked at him.
He rolled his eyes. "You shanks are bloody ridiculous." But he looked back at her. His heart fluttered, even though she was sweaty and disheveled, tangled hair with blood still in it from Nick and Steve.
"Come on! You know you want to!" Minho teased.
"Besides the buggen' point."
"What's the worst that could happen?" Jeff Frypan shrugged.
"Come on man! Try the Princess kiss!" Minho insisted.
"Except its backwards. It's usually the princess that kisses the prince awake." Clint pointed out.
"Slim it you shanks!" Minho yelled, "He's gonna do it!" He whispered.
Newt had rolled his eyes, but had placed a hand on her cheek, his eyes taking in every detail of her face. He closed his eyes and sighed, "As if I'm doing this for you bloody shanks!" He grumbled.
"Just do it!" Minho encouraged.
Newt leaned over and softly brushed his lips against her burning ones.
"Kiss her like you mean it man!" Minho called.
Newt didn't need encouragement, as soon as he felt her lips on his he wanted more. He pressed a little more firmly. His hand cupped her jaw. He pulled away, his heart beating fast, he placed his forehead on hers for a second. Wishing there wasn't a room full of guys watching, and pleading silently for her to wake up. He slowly sat up, keeping his eyes downcast from the guys behind him.
"Shucks. Didn't work." Minho grumbled.
"I told ya, ya shank!" Newt snapped, looking over and glaring.
There was a small gasp behind him. He twisted back around, his heart had jumped. Their Glade Princess's bright green eyes were fluttering open.