How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Seventy

- What could she know? -

"Inside the med-hut, the air feels heavy with tension. Newt, Minho, Thomas, and I approach the bed where the girl lies unconscious. "Jeff, what's going on?" Newt asks, his voice edged with frustration as he steps closer. "What's the matter with her? Why won't she wake up?"

Jeff, busy sorting supplies, glances over briefly. "Hey, man, I got my job the same way you did," he replies, clearly not having the answers Newt is looking for. My eyes linger on the girl, her face pale and unmoving.

"Well, do you recognize her?" Newt presses, turning his head toward Thomas. His arms are crossed, and his eyes are sharp, studying Thomas carefully.

"No," Thomas says, his tone flat, as though he's working hard to convince himself of the truth.

"Really? Because she seemed to recognize you," Newt points out, and I catch his glance before looking back at the girl. Something doesn't sit right about this whole situation.

"What about the note?" Thomas asks suddenly, trying to divert the conversation.

"Yeah, we'll worry about the note later," Newt replies, keeping his focus on the girl.

"I think you should worry about it now," Thomas counters, his voice steady but insistent. The shift in tone makes us all turn to him.

"Yeah, I'm kinda with Thomas on that one," I chime in, glancing up at Newt.

"We've got enough to deal with at the moment," Newt says, brushing off the concern. His gaze shifts briefly to Alby, tied down on another bed.

Jeff, standing nearby, steps in. "He's right, Newt. If the Box isn't coming back up, how long do you think we can last?" His voice is low, filled with worry.

"No one said that," Newt replies firmly, looking at Jeff. "Let's not jump to any conclusions. We'll just..." He trails off for a moment, then straightens. "We'll just wait until she wakes up and see what she knows. Somebody's gotta have some answers around here."

Thomas exhales sharply and suddenly turns to leave the hut.

"And where are you going?" Newt calls after him, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"Back into the Maze," Thomas replies without looking back, his determination palpable.

Newt exchanges a glance with Minho, who sighs and runs after Thomas without another word.

"I have to check up on the animals, see how Tyrell is doing with them," I tell Newt softly. "I'll see you later?" I offer him a small smile, but his face is marked with worry as he nods.

---

At the animal pen, Tyrell sits on a haystack with a bag of fruit beside him, casually watching the animals roam.

"Hey, how are the animals doing?" I ask as I approach, sitting down beside him.

"Good. They're all fine," Tyrell replies, looking over at me. "How's the girl?"

"Still not awake," I say with a sigh, gazing out at the animals. "Newt thinks she might know something about the note, about being 'the last one ever,' and all that."

"Sounds like a mess," Tyrell remarks, then stretches. "Well, let's get back to work."

I hop down from the haystack. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to be out here longer than necessary," I say, grabbing a broom to clean the pen.

"Are you sure we can't just take the rest of the day off?" Tyrell asks, getting up lazily.

"And who's going to look after the animals if we do that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as I glance at him.

"I don't know, maybe Theo and the other brick-nicks?" Tyrell offers, picking up a rake and starting to clean half-heartedly.

"You really trust them with the animals?" I reply, giving him a skeptical look. "One second with the animals, and they'll be running loose in the Maze."

Tyrell bursts out laughing. "Oh, come on. They can't be that bad."

"Theo poured half a bucket of water on me yesterday because he got bored while helping me refill the water troughs," I retort, shooting him a glare as I walk to the bucket for the chickens.

Tyrell grins sheepishly. "You have to admit, though, that was pretty funny—"

"Don't even," I cut him off with a pointed look, and he wisely returns to his work in silence.

Once we finish cleaning, I send Tyrell off to help wherever else he's needed. As he leaves, I head over to the gardens, ready to lend a hand there, my mind still swirling with everything that's happening.