"I can't believe Newt would try to kill himself." Nick hadn't been able to lay down. He paced the small room, walking in small circles.
I sighed as he made his fifteenth round in the past minute. "We should have seen it. He was so distant."
"And that's what makes me feel worse." He stopped and looked at me. "We were so caught up in ourselves, we didn't even notice one of our friends suffering." He continued pacing.
"You don't have to remind me." I groaned. "Come lay down. You're starting to irritate me." He didn't stop so I pulled him to the bed. "There's nothing we can do now to prevent it. It's already happened. We just have to keep a lookout."
"Yeah." He picked at his cuticles. Something he has picked up since I became a Runner. Guess it moved on to his other stresses.
I pulled his hand into mine. "Stop that. You'll have no skin if you keep at it."
He held my cheek with the same hand I held, caressing it. "You're the only thing keeping me sane."
"Can't have an insane leader, now can we?"
He pouted. "Is that all you see me as?"
I shrugged. "Kind of."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Get out of my bed." He pushed me off and I landed on the floor on my butt.
I stared at him in surprise. "Hey."
"You'll do as your leader says."
"I was joking." I stood up.
"I didn't say get up."
"When have I ever listened?"
He pulled me by the waist, standing me between his legs. "You're so stubborn."
"I thought that's what you like about me?"
"Amongst other things." His eyes raked down my body, his hands going under my shirt. I stopped him immediately, getting the same chilled feeling I got every time he tried to go further. "I'm sorry."
I shook my head. "It's okay. It's just..."
"You don't have to explain, I understand. Let's go to bed, yeah. You're running tomorrow right?" I nodded, pulling my shorts down and climbing into bed with him. I had moved into Nick's room almost as soon as we made it official. He didn't want to risk anything. But I didn't mind. It was better to sleep next to someone. Even though he was a loud snorer. And his comfort kept my nightmares away.
It took Newt a couple days to get the strength to get up and I had the pleasure of my days off to help him walk again. Gally had his builders make him crutches after I let him know that Newt was too heavy for me to support alone. In no time he was walking by himself, albeit with the help of the crutches. Any one around made sure that when he went up and down the stairs we were there.
"I'm not a bloody baby." He complained. "I don't need supervision to walk down the stairs." We still followed behind him, but a couple steps behind.
It took him the whole month to be able to walk without the crutches. Something we celebrated with a whole bonfire. Newt said we were being dramatic but he still had fun anyway.
I had a cup of Gally's drink and was already drunk. I wondered what it was made of, and then immediately tossed out the thought. It would be better if I didn't know. I was dancing by the fire, along with a few other drunk Gladers and felt warm arms wrap around me. I was turned around so fast I got whiplash. I didn't have to look up to know who it was. I already knew from his smell. "Hey Nicky."
"My sweet Jane." I looked up at him through my eyelashes. He smiled. "Enjoying ourselves, are we?"
I nodded. "You wanna join me?"
