Just Smile (TMR Fanfic Minho x Reader x Newt)

Chapter 17

*Normal POV*

"You've gotta be kidding me," I heard Alby groan. I looked up from the Slicer who had a nasty cut on his palm. It would need stitches.

"Hold on one second, mkay?" I patted the close to tears boy on his shoulder as he nodded, and headed out of the room. Stealthily, I treaded lightly on the steps and peered around the door to see Minho, Newt, and Alby talking.

"I'm not joking, Alby," Minho sternly spoke. He was very very serious.

"She seems to be settling down now and you want to shake that up again?" Alby pointed out.

I held my breath, realizing that they were talking about me.

"Are you crazy? Have you gone mad?" Newt spat at Minho, frowning.

Minho merely responded with a shrug.

"She wanted it and I have a spot available. You-" he pointed at Alby, "were the one who kept bugging me to let her try at least."

I gasped, realizing what they were talking about. Minho had finally given in! I might have the chance to be a runner! I wouldn't have to wait around idly for my current only friend, Robert, to come back on the days he ran. He was a runner who'd take days off sometimes and help out the track-hoes.

A sudden patter of footsteps reminded me of my current eavesdropping situation. I turned around quickly and quietly, running back up the stairs and out of sight as the door opened from Alby's room. Newt stepped out, frowning as he looked around. His head turned towards me and I quickly crawled back to the slicer I'd been treating.

"What's wrong?" the slicer asked at the sight of me panting and excited. I caught my face in the mirror behind him, realizing that my eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"Nothing. I'm going to have to stitch the cut together. It'll hurt," I diverted his attention from me to his injury.

After another hour or two of treating more of the Gladers, I sat on a bed, exhausted from standing and sewing injuries shut. I absently fanned myself with my hand, thinking of the hut that was nearly finished. I'd be sleeping in my own room, in my own place, near the deadheads since I loved it there. The quiet and dense woods were perfect for hiding and thinking whenever I got overwhelmed. I fiddled with the strange looking necklace hanging from my neck. It held two things, one of them being a ring with a small moon shape on the center of the bold metal. The other was a strange locket-like device. I knew I could store a piece of paper in it, and I still couldn't figure out how to take out whatever was in it.

A sharp knock on the doorframe jolted me out of my thoughts and I subconsciously hid the necklace under my shirt. Minho was standing there, a scraped and shallow gash on his knee and a bloody elbow along with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. Come sit over here, I'll take a look at it," I stood up from the bed.

He slowly lumbered over and sat on the bed with a plop. I moved around to find the disinfectant that I always kept by. I crouched down so I could observe his knee and see how deep the gash was. It was shallow, and looked like he'd gone off and tripped. Seeing a small rock embedded in his elbow, I sighed and stood up, grabbing pincers and a rubber glove I'd requested for from the Creators. I didn't want to infect the injuries that the Gladers had by probing around with my bare hands.

"This is going to hurt," I warned Minho after taking my position.

He merely nodded and watched me clean the blood away from his knee and elbow. He hissed in pain as I poured the disinfectant onto his knee. I quickly blew at the gash, trying to lessen the pain caused by the medicine's stinging.

We stayed in silence, other than the few times he hissed in pain. I stepped away, pleased by the bandage securely on the wound. I moved on to his elbow.

"I'm going to have to dig out a rock in your elbow," I alerted him.

"Good that," he pursed his lips, and kept quiet again, watching me.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to strike a conversation with him. It helped to converse with the patients and distract them from their pain.

"Not much. I just tripped," he shrugged, forgetting his elbow injury.

"Yeah, I could tell that much," I rolled my eyes, laying a firm and gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to keep him still.

I felt him tense up again, causing me to lightly smack him on the shoulder.

"Keep still and relax, I'm trying to get the rock out," I frowned slightly, focusing on the stubborn rock.

"It hurts," Minho slightly whined when I narrowly missed it. Why was it deeply embedded?

"That should teach you to pay attention to the road," I snorted.

After several more minutes of struggling, whining, and complaining, I held up the rock in victory.

"Finally!" I breathed out, earning a slight chuckle from Minho.

"Zia?"

"Yes, Minho?" I finished up wrapping a bandage around his elbow.

"Do you still want to be a runner?" Minho asked. I stopped what I was doing for a moment and looked at him. He looked timid and cautious, something I never saw from him when he was with the others.

"Of course," I uttered at last.

"Why?"

I frowned slightly at his question. I felt conflicted, knowing that I shouldn't tell him about my flashback from the Griever window, but wanting to so badly. I had to figure out that mystery on my own.

"Because... it's suffocating in here," I managed at last. "Because I feel useless, knowing that I can be out there and helping you guys with the maze. Because I feel restless, feeling like I'd go mad if I stayed in here any longer."

He quietly sat there and nodded his head slowly. Then he smiled, startling me.

"I guess you're a runner then," he smirked.

"Wait, you're actually letting me? Like seriously?" I gawked at him in fake wonder. I already knew because of what I'd heard. Sure, Newt was arguing against it, but I'd known that he'd eventually give in to Minho.

"Mhm. And you're starting tomorrow. I already talked with Clint, and he said that you can be a runner and take one or two days off and be Medjack," he continued, obviously pleased by my reaction.

Actually hearing the conclusion from Minho made me even more excited. I could feel my heart hammering as I felt a burst of adrenaline and endorphin, causing me to squeal a little and giving me the urge to squeeze something. Before I knew it, I tackled Minho, hugging him really hard. I could feel him tense up and heard him laugh as he hugged me firmly in return.

"Thank you, Minho. I mean it," I murmured, muffled by his shirt.

I let go of him and slipped away when I heard Fry call out: "DINNER!"

I skipped away, laughing out of giddiness and joy. Minho followed, heading to the food after me. I winced inwardly when I saw his completely relaxed and happy expression. If only he knew what I was planning on doing. If only he knew what Teresa had said to me a week ago when the plate cracked. I looked towards the closed doors, hearing the sections move. Robert had told me about the maze, making me promise not to explore. I think he wanted to try scaring me from entering the maze, but it only made me more curious. To think that I'd be a runner now!

"Someone looks happy," Robbie looked amused.

"Why shouldn't I? After all, I finally got what I deserve," I retorted.

"What you deserved?" Robbie asked, confused.

"Say hello to the newest runner in the Glade," I bragged.

"No way! They eventually gave in?"

I nodded, amused by his jaw that was wide open. I shut it for him, snickering, as Alby passed me, merely nodding with approval in my direction. Newt, however, wasn't happy, and his moodiness radiated off of him. It was no match to my excitement though, and finally, after a long time of sitting separately, Minho, Newt, Robbie, Chuck, me, Clint, and Jeff sat at the table together.