Abused ≫ Newt [2]

Chapter 15.

Emily's face was buried in the medicine cabinet, in search of the container that held the pain killers. Behind her, Chuck sat on the single bed in the room, holding his head, complaining of a "massive headache". Thomas was doing who know's what, but she knew that it definitely had nothing to do with being a Med-Jack.
The Greenie was training with the Med-Jacks today and, so far, he did not seem to like it one bit. Clint and Jeff left them alone after a few, claiming that they had to go keep an eye on the girl in the coma. But Emily knew they secretly just wanted to get away from Thomas's complaints. She did not blame them, however. If she had the choice to, she would leave Thomas alone, as well.
But she was smarted than that. She knew that if she left Thomas, it would end up being a disaster. The kid meant well, but he wasn't the most graceful person she had ever met. But, then again, neither was she.
With a sigh of relief, she turned back around to face Chuck, the pill bottle in her hand. They were starting to run low on supplies, and she began to feel a bit panicked. The note that the girl held in her hand told them that she was "the last one ever". What if that meant they were no longer sending supplies, as well?
The supply box was due to arrive in two days, so she guessed they would have to wait until then to see if their suspicions were correct.
Emily poured two small red pills into the palm of her hand, closing the bottle up once more before handing the pills to Chuck.
"Here ya go, buddy," she said with a small smile.
"Thanks, Emily." Chuck said, taking the pills from her hand whilst standing up. He waved a quick good bye to her before heading out the door. Emily smiled as she stared after him. Despite all the shit they were currently in, the young boy still managed to have a smile on his face. And it was not a fake smile, either.
No.
It was a real smile. One that brought warmth to Emily, as if she were finding out the world was okay again. Whenever she saw that smile, she felt hope. She felt that there was actually a way out of the Glade, out of the Maze. She loved Chuck. She loved the boy as if he were her little brother.
She drew her gaze away from the empty doorway, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. She had to focus on the real task: to train Thomas. She rolled her eyes as she stared at the Greenie.
Thomas stood by the window, looking out through the bars with narrowed eyes. She walked up behind him, carefully, making sure not to make the floor creak underneath her feet. Who says they couldn't have a little fun whilst training?
When she was close enough, she grabbed him by the shoulders forcefully, shaking him back and forth several times while screaming at the top of her lungs.
"WHAT'RE YOU DOING?"
Thomas seemed to jump several feet in the air. He turned to look at her, his hand placed over his head, his eyes wide.
"Why-?" he shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask..."
Emily laughed, patting him on the shoulder, "Sorry, Tommy."
Thomas didn't answer. He turned back towards the window, staring out of it like he was moments ago. Emily looked over his shoulder, attempting to see what he was looking at. She narrowed her eyes as she spotted three figures standing by the East Door. She immediately recognized them as Alby, Minho and Newt.
They seemed to be exchanging a few words- Minho shifting impatiently on his feet. Emily watched as Alby patted Newt on the back once before turning to Minho, nodding once to the Runner. Almost as if the nod was a signal, Minho immediately took off running, disappearing into the Maze. Alby was hard on his heels, leaving Newt standing alone, leaning his weight on to his good leg.
Emily looked over at Thomas, and couldn't help the amused snicker that fell from her lips at the Greenie's confused expression. She totally forgot to tell him about the dead Griever Minho found the day before; she nearly forgot herself, honestly.
"Minho found a dead Griever in the Maze yesterday," she explained to him. "Him and Alby are going to check it out."
For a moment, she coud've sworn she saw a flash of panic in Thomas's eyes. Fear, even. "Is he sure it's dead?"
"It was laying on the ground, unmoving. Unless Grievers know how to play dead, then yes, it really is dead." Emily patted him on the back. "Now, come on. Let's get back to work."

+

Emily took a seat next to Newt, slamming her tray of food down on the table. Thomas and Chuck sat in their usual spots across from them. Chuck was already digging into his sandwich, looking as if he had not eaten in days.
Emily could not help but laugh at this, "Hungry chuck?"
Chuck nodded eagerly, "Oh yeah, I am. Starving." he said through a mouthful of food. Emily cringed, though she laughed anyway.
Beside her, Newt was silent. He sat with his back towards the table, his food untouched on his tray. His eyes were wide, staring out across the Glade as if searching for something. His forehead was creased, beads of sweat dappling it. He chewed on his fingernails nervously, something Emily had not seen him do before.
Something was obviously bothering him.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly. It wasn't that she didn't want Thomas or Chuck to overhear, it was just that she did not want them to join the conversation. The two boys had the tendancy to say the wrong thing, whether they meant to or not. Thankfully, however, they were deeply engaged in their own conversation. Saying something about the goats on the farm. Thomas made a noise that Emily guessed was meant to impersonate a goat. She laughed at his terrible, failed attempt.
She focused back on Newt as he spoke.
"Nothing," he said softly, not looking at her. "I'm fine."
She narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he was lying. Not only was it obvious, but his voice also cracked at the end. Emily learned from experience that, when Newt was lying, his voice would raised pitch and tended to crack a lot. Something was wrong.
"Hey, Newt?" Chuck spoke from across from them. Emily turned to look at him, as did Newt, his eyebrows raised. "What is wrong with you, man? If you do not mind me asking. No offense or anything, but you look like you bathed in a pile of klunk."
"Every buggin' thing in the shuck universe is wrong," Newt said, his voice full of defeat.
Emily glanced at him, only to feel her chest tighten. The look he had on his face broke her heart. It was the look of despair. Of panic. Of fear. She had never seen such a look on his face, except for the night she was Banished.
She leaned closer to him, "What do you mean?"
Newt looked at her, "The girl from the Box, Em. She's mumblin' a bunch of weird klunk. Can't understand a bloody word she's saying, but it still creeps me out. Somethin' is obviously wrong with her."
Unable to find any words, Emily only nodded once. She visited the girl a few times, but only to feed her or stuff like that. Nothing interesting ever happened. She only lay there, still, lifeless. As if she were dead. Emily began to think that, maybe, she really was dead. But, apparently, she was not.
She snapped back into reality as she felt Newt's hand grab hers. He entwined their fingers, and began running his thumb over her hand.
"Shuck it," he murmured, shaking his head violently. "That's not really what is buggin' me."
"Then what is?" Chuck asked. Beside him, Thomas leaned forward, as if he were curious as of what he had to say.
"Alby and Minho, Chuck," Newt said darkly. "They should've come back hours ago."
Emily's gaze immediately snapped towards the East Wall. Of course that was what was bothering him. She didn't understand how she had not put two and two together. The Glade seemed quiet, gloomy, even. She should have noticed Alby and Minho were missing. She felt a rush of panic. What if something happened to them?
Silence hung over them after that, only to be broken by Thomas moments later.
"Maybe they got lost or something?"
Newt's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with anger. Emily was taken aback a bit at first, but then he shook his head, and his eyes cleared.
"Bloody hell, Tommy." Newt said. "Minho's the best bloody Runner we've got. He knows the Maze like the back of his hand. He wouldn't get lost, he's too smart for it."
"People make mistakes," Thomas shrugged.
Newt scratched his head, murmuring something under his breath. Emily squeezed his hand gently. He glanced at her briefly, before looking back at Thomas.
"The Runners are the best of the best, Greenie. They have to be. Everything- and everyone- depend on them." he said. "They can't get lost, not when everyone's chances of escaping this place rest in the palm of their hands. It just can't happen. They wouldn't let it happen. Especially Minho."
"If they're the best of the best," Thomas said slowly. "Then why are you not one?"
Newt's gaze snapped to Emily, his eyes wide with panic. She rubbed her thumb across the soft skin of his hand, flashing him a comforting smile. He returned the smile, though barely visible over the look of panic scetched on to his perfect face, before he turned his gaze sharply to Thomas.
"Was till I hurt my leg a few months back. Has not been the bloody same since."
"How'd you do it?" Thomas asked, and Emily felt Newt flinch. She mentally slapped Thomas across the face for asking such a stupid question. Newt was sensitive to the topic, and she didn't want him talking about it. She knew it made him uncomfortable. Though Newt answered anyway, though his words surprised her.
"Running from a buggin' Griever, what else? Almost got me," he said quickly. His voice shook, his eyes seemed to be glued to their entwined hands. He seemed on edge, almost as if he were scared that Thomas and Chuck would figure out he was lying. "Still gives me the chills thinkin' about how I might have gone through the Changing."
Thomas stayed silent, his brown eyes staring off into the distance as if he were in deep thought. Chuck was busy eating his second sandwich- which happened to be Thomas's. Too busy to be engaged in the conversation.
Emily leaned towards Newt and kissed his cheek softly, "You don't need to think about that anymore, alright? It's over now. There's no need to dwell on the past."
Newt nodded and kissed her forehead, lingering there for a few moments before pulling away. He brought his hand up to his eye and rubbed, almost as if he were wiping a tear. Emily brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it several times, which caused Newt to smile. The smile sent a wave of warmth through her, despite the horrible situation they were in. She loved seeing him smile.
"We shouldn't worry about Alby and Minho," she raised her voice slightly. "Like Newt said, Minho is the best Runner we've got. He's too smart to get lost, he wouldn't allow himself to. They probably decided to check out another section, that's all. They'll return soon."
Thomas and Chuck nodded, and Newt mumbled a quiet, "Good that." Emily hoped that she had reassured them, even if it was just a little bit. Though, she had a hard time convincing herself, as well.

+

Emily approached the West Wall, where Newt stood alone. The blonde boy was pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair several times a minute. His brown eyes were glued to the Door, wide and full of false hope. He stopped pacing as Emily approached him, stopped to stand by her.
"Where are they?" he asked helplessly.
Emily was lost for words, unable to comfort him. Instead, she only wrapped his arms around his torso, burying her head into his side. Newt wrapped his arm lazilly around her waist, pressing his lips to her forehead for a mere second.
"Thank you, Emily," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Thomas and Chuck stood behind them. Keeping their distance, but close enough so that they could watch for any signs of their friends. Thomas broke the uneasy silence that hung over them by speaking.
"Why don't we just send out a search party for them?"
By this time, most of the Gladers had already crowded around the West Door, watching the opening in the wall anxiously. It was Gally who answered his question.
"It is against the rules. Either they make it make or they don't."
Newt turned to look at Thomas, his voice was surprisingly calm, despite how much he was shaking in Emily's arms, "We can't risk loosing anyone else." He said quietly. He turned his gaze back on to the Door. He brought his bottom lip in between his teeth, his eyebrows furrowed. "The Doors will be closing any momeny now."
Almost as if on cue, a large gust of wind came from within the Maze, followed by the grinding sound of the gears turning. The Doors were beginning to close. Emily felt a rush of panic, and felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. It was too late...
"Oh, no," Chuck spoke her exact thoughts out loud. She turned to look at the boy. He lips were pulled into a frown, his eyes shining with fresh tears. Any hope- any hope that she felt that they would make it back had disappeared. If Chuck didn't believe it anymore, then it was useless...
The ear-splitting screech of stone against stone filled Emily's ears as the Doors began to close at an agonizingly fast pace.
But then a flicker of movement caught her eye. Coming from deep within the Maze, she spotted two figures limping their way towards them.
Thomas pointed towards the figures, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the Doors, "There!"
It was Alby and Minho. Emily felt a rush of hope surge through her, as if she were being ressurected from the dead. She screamed for them, a smile on her face. But then her hope drained out once more.
The Doors were already half way closed, and they were still a good twenty meters from the opening.
They were not going to make it.
All around her, boys yelled. Begging for them to hurry up, encouraging them on. But it seemed as if Minho was carrying Alby's weight, along with his own. Something had happened to the leader, and there was no way they were going to make it at that pace.
There were only five feet left in the opening. Four...
Time seemed to stand still. Emily no longer heard the screams of the Gladers around her. She only focused on Minho, who had slumped to the floor in defeat. Minho, and the opening in the wall.
She moved. Forward. She felt her foot hit the stone flooring of the Maze, only to be yanked back into the Glade. She turned around to see Newt holding the collar of her shirt, his eyes wide with terror.
"What the bloody hell?" She barely heard him over the madness, and he didn't seem to dwell on her for long. He pushed her behind him, before screaming out. "Don't do it, Tommy! Don't you bloody do it!"
Emily looked out from behind him, the feeling of fear overlapping the anger she felt towards Newt at the moment. She saw Thomas squeeze through the tiny opening, disappearing into the Maze just as the Doors closed. They closed with a deafening thud that made Emily's ears ring. Her head spun, her vision blurry, as she stared at the spot where Thomas disappeared into moments before.