Maze Runner Trilogy

Newt's Broken Leg

"Where's Newt?" Someone asked in the morning.
"He's not helping to build the tower?"
"No, I haven't seen him at all today."
"Neither have I."
"His bed was empty when I got up."
"Where's he gone?"
"I'll go and find him," Minho said before he went and looked round the glade.

"Any sign of Newt?" Alby asked Minho half an hour later when they met up.
"No. I'm going to look for him in the maze."
"Why would he have gone in there?"
"I don't know, but he's not in the glade."
"Alright. If you find him in there, tell him that I want to have a word with him."
"I will," Minho said, and he ran into the maze.

~

Minho searched but found nothing. He was about to give up when he rounded a corner and saw something tangled up in the ivy.
"Newt?" Minho asked as he thought that he saw a tuft of blonde hair sticking out from the ivy. "Newt?" He asked again as he got closer, "Newt!" Minho called as he saw that his fellow glader was in a bad way.

Newt's eyes were closed, his head was bleeding, and his left leg was tangled up in the ivy above the rest of his body.
"Newt? Newt, can you hear me?" Minho asked as he knelt beside him and shook him.
"Hmn..."
"Newt?"
"Arh..." Newt gasped.
"It's Minho. I'm going to get you out of here," Minho said before he turned his attention to Newt's leg. Reaching up, he started to untangle it.
"Argh! Argh!" Newt cried out and Minho stopped.
"Sorry Newt. I'm sorry."
"Argh..."
"Ok. I'm sorry about this," Minho said, and he got Newt's leg out quickly.
"Argh! ArghARGH! Arh," Newt gasped as he passed out and Minho supported his leg as he lowered onto the ground. Carefully, he picked Newt up and carried him out of the maze.

~

"Minho. What happened?" Alby asked as Minho carried the hurt and unconscious Newt out of the maze, and all the gladers ran to him.
"I found him like this, he was tangled up in the ivy. I think his leg is broken."
"Take him to the med-jacks," Alby said and all the gladers followed Minho as he walked with the Newt to the med-jacks. "Has he woken up at all?"
"He woke up a little when I found him, but he quickly fell unconscious due to pain."
"Did he say anything?"
"No, it was mostly groans of pain."
"Ok. What do you think happened?"
"Griever attack most likely. But I don't know why they left him alive."

"His pulse is good," Jeff said as he assessed Newt. "But his body is bruised and I need to bandage his head. He's taken a heavy blow to it."
"What about his leg? It looks broken."
"There are breaks in three places. I will have to brace it, but I don't know how well it is going to heal."
"Anything else?"
"Those are his main injuries. His chest is badly bruised, so he might have some broken ribs. Otherwise, I have no way to tell when he's going to wake up."
"Ok. I want someone with him around the clock. Fetch me the moment that he wakes up."
"Ok."
"Minho, did you see any grievers as you explored the maze?"
"No. It's quiet, as normal."
"Ok. Send out the other runners, we need to know if we're in danger," Alby said before he left the tent and the others followed him.

~

Three days passed and Newt didn't wake up. Everyone was worried and they each spent time at his bedside. Now, Alby was with Newt.
"His head's healing, and so is his body," Jeff told him.
"So why isn't he waking up?"
"I don't know."
"How's his leg?"
"It's hard to say. It's splintered, but we'll only know in time if the bones heal."
"Ok. Oh, we need him to wake up. I need him to wake up."
"I know Alby."
"He was attacked in the maze, and I don't even know why he went in there."
"When he wakes up Alby, we'll find out what happened."
"Yeah. I'll stay with him for a while, get some rest Jeff."
"Thanks," Jeff said, and he left Alby to it.

~

"Hmn..." Newt groaned as he started to wake up.
"Newt?" Minho asked as he was sitting beside him. "It's Minho, you're safe."
"Minho..."
"Are you in pain?"
"A little."
"Ok, hold on," Minho said and he gave Newt some painkillers.
"Thanks. That's better."
"Newt. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"I... I don't know," Newt said and Minho paused for a moment.
"Alby thinks that you were attacked by a griever. It broke your leg and you hit your head as it pushed you into the ivy, causing you to get tangled up."
"You don't believe that?" Newt whispered.
"No. Newt, I don't. I think that you fell," Minho said and a moment of silence passed between them before Newt started to cry. "Did you mean to fall?" He asked him quietly.
"Yes," Newt replied.
"Ok. Newt, I won't ask why, but we're all here together. Alby, Gally, myself, everyone. You scared us to death when I brought you out of the maze."
"You... brought me back?"
"I did. You've been unconscious for 3 days and everyone's been worried. We've been counting the hours waiting for you to wake up."
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright Newt," Minho said as Newt started to cry, and he gently wiped some of his tears away. "You survived. You may not have wanted to, but if I had not found you, a griever would have done. Everyone deserves a second chance, and we don't want anyone to be killed. Let us help you Newt, we're family," Minho said and Newt nodded before he took Minho's hand.
"I'm sorry. Please don't tell anyone."
"I won't. I will tell them that it was a griever attack."
"I promise. I promise never to do anything like this again. I'm sorry Minho."
"That's all I need to hear," Minho said and he kissed Newt's forehead. "This will stay between us."
"Thank you."
"I'm going to get the others ok?"
"Ok," Newt said and Minho left him. Newt took some deep breaths and told himself: it was a griever attack, it was a griever attack. It was a griever attack.

In the moments that he waited for his family, Newt realised that his life wasn't empty, he had the other gladers. All of them were in the same situation and Minho was right, they didn't want to lose anyone.

~

"Alby," Minho said as he came into the meeting house. "Newt's awake," He told them and everyone rushed to the medical hut.
"Newt."
"Alby," Newt said as Alby came in and he came to his side.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling ok."
"What happened out there?" Alby asked as he sat on the bed.
"I only remember pieces," Newt said before he looked at Minho. Minho nodded and Newt looked back at Alby. "It was a griever. I didn't get a good look at it, but it attacked me. It almost tore me apart, it got my leg and..." Newt said before he looked down and touched his leg. "I was in and out of darkness. My head stung and I heard it... I heard it around me..." Newt said before he started to cry.
"Alright Newt. Thank you," Alby said before he touched Newt's face. "It's ok. You're safe now. We're going to look after you."
"Alby I..." Newt gasped as he cried.
"Alright, give us some space," Alby said and slowly the gladers left.
"Newt," Gally said and both Newt and Alby looked at him. "Can you breathe ok? Your chest is badly bruised."
"Yeah. Yeah I can..."
"Good," Gally said, and he also left them.
"Newt. Why did you go into the maze?" Alby asked him.
"I was curious."
"Ok."
"Did you go in just after dawn?"
"I did. Yeah..."
"Ok. There were no grievers in the maze when Minho found you. It must have been one that was leaving. I'm not angry at you Newt. The state you're in now... I should have protected you better," Alby said after a pause.
"It was my... my fault Alby."
"We look after each other. Someone should have stopped you. Minho usually goes out at dawn so..."
"Minho found me," Newt said and Alby looked at him. "He saved my life."
"I hate losing people Newt. We're family, brought together for a reason that I have yet to understand. We have each other, and that is more valuable than anything we can find or make. We're all in this together, and we look after each other."
"We're brothers."
"We're all small Newt, within this maze. We're just small and fragile. You more than most," Alby said and Newt noticed that tears were forming in his eyes. "I um... We're going to make sure that you get better."
"I will. Alby, you won't lose me. I promise."
"You better," Alby said and Newt smiled.
"I'm tired. Will you stay with me?"
"Of course."
"Thank you," Newt said and Alby gripped his hand as Newt started to fall asleep. He felt the emptiness within him start to get a little smaller. He had a family, people who cared about him and people that he could care for.

It didn't matter who he had been, or what had happened prior to the maze. What mattered was where Newt was now, the family that he had gained and he needed to put himself back together for them.

~

A few days passed and Newt was allowed out of bed. He was dizzy and couldn't walk far, even with a crutch, but everyone was looking out for him and supporting him.

Minho and Newt became very close, and little by little the hole inside of Newt started to close. Once his leg had healed as much as it could, Newt was left with a limp.

He became better, stronger, and he loved everyone around him. His limp reminded him that even though his past life was gone, what he had gained was better than anything.