The Glade

Greenie Day Part Two

The Greenie is tall.

He doesn't show any signs of being runner material, he just looks pale with fear, and lets Alby lead him from place to place. Poor greenie, everyone remembers their first day in the glade. Alby was the only other one here when I came up, that was nearly all there was. As the gladers begin to dissipate from the box, I jump inside ready to help unload all the crates, boxes, and cages. I smile seeing each item and mentally tick off my checklist, cooks, slicers, sloppers, entire glade, I name who the supplies will go to one by one.

When each crate is finally out of the box I feel sweat sliding down the back of my neck. "Brianna!" I hear Clint call my name as he jogs over "Hey, Clint what's up?" he nods towards the crates "You got anything that'll help me set a broken leg?" he asks, and I shrug "I don't know, I mean we can pull apart the wood, and use gauze to secure it around the leg," I suggest and Clint nods. "You think the builders will mind if we borrow some tools to do it?" 

I smirk, "What they don't know won't hurt 'em," I tell Clint as I wave Clint over to help me carry a crate to the homestead. It's quick work once we're in the homestead, we take hammers and pry the wood apart, leaving us with odd lengths of wood. "I don't envy whoever broke their leg. I don't think this splints going to work very well," I tell Clint and he seems sobered by my words "It's Newt," he tells me and I look at him in shock.

"Minho brought him to me early this morning, some kind of accident," he tries to explain, but there is no explaining the tragedy which is losing the keeper of the runners. Newt is probably one of the most respected among us. He was the first to volunteer to be a runner, he was the first to push for favoring finding a way out over maintaining glade life. Now he'd pass the torch to either Minho or Ben, I don't bet not even on Gally in the fighting circle, but if I did I'd bet on Minho.

"You need any help?" I ask "Yeah, but well set it when you come by with supplies. He's sleeping right now, and it seems wrong to wake him," Clint explains I nod and hand over the wood "I guess I'll head over right before the bonfire?" I suggest "Sounds good, thanks Brianna," Clint replies and I smile as I return to bringing each box, and crate to the homestead. I then enlist the help of slicers Winston and Tim to transport the new livestock, another sheep, and a pig. 

I made a checklist for each job in the glade, what supplies had come up, and what needed to be given out. I could hear the maze doors beginning to close, so I went ahead and grabbed the medjacks supplies. The hut has a warm glow with the sunset and candles lit inside, "Clint, hey, I brought the supplies," I call as my eyes scan for the medjack. 

Clint comes out of one of the two rooms in the hut "Thanks, just set it aside for now. Newt's awake, I think it's best if we go ahead and set the leg," Clint explains and I nod, I set the supplies aside and enter the room where Newt lays on a bench his head propped on some makeshift pillows. His eyes are bloodshot and pained, but no evidence of tears left behind. If there had been any they'd been long wiped away.

"Hey, Newt," I say as we come closer, he barely lifts his hand in a wave. I watch as Clint cuts away the bandages currently holding Newt's leg together. I fight the urge to react as I see his poorly cleaned leg revealed to me. The bone must have been protruding, because now jagged stitches are dotting his leg. I clench my teeth, "Just hold the wood as I wrap the bandage around his leg. Newt try to hold still, okay?" Clint orders, and I move into place. 

Newt doesn't move, doesn't even look, he just stares at the ceiling as we work. He stirs as Clint picks up his leg, I try to only focus on his leg and not the change in facial features as we set his leg. By the time we're done, there's a light sheen of sweat over Newt's face. "Newt, will you be okay if I head to the bonfire?" Clint asks and Newt nods "I'll stay with him," I say quickly "I was planning on skipping the bonfire anyway," I tell Clint who nods before waving to the two of us.

I begin unpacking the new supplies and trying to fill the growing awkward silence. "You know if you're in pain I can give you some of the new meds. I won't tell anyone, I'll strike it from the records and everything," I tell Newt as I grab some new pain meds. "No," Newt says his voice broken, "Hey Newt, I know we don't know each other very well, but it's okay to take something for the pain," I tell him.

When I look at him his jaw is clenched and I can tell every breath is hurting him. Now that I look at him I can see scrapes and bruises across his skin, and I fight the urge to ask what happened. "I should have died," he says and I rush to his side "Don't say that, the glade has a hard enough time. We can't be losing our bravest glader," I tell him and he finally looks at me with sad brown eyes as if my words both hurt and surprised him. 

"We need you, Newt," I tell him and I take a pain pill and hold it out to him. "So rest up," I add he sighs and plucks the pill out of my hand before tossing it in his mouth. Once he swallows his head falls against the makeshift pillow, eyes slamming closed.