𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃 ➤ Maze Runner AU

𝟢𝟨𝟦，𝐚𝐢𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲

Hm.

I don't think I've ever felt worse than right now.

Everything aches. Even my eyes hurt when I open them. I try to breathe as I always do, but even that feels kind of painful, especially when my stomach rises.

"Hey, Lynn." I try moving my fingers to check if this is even real and find out one of my hands is being held. "Welcome back."

I groan as I turn my head to Newt. He doesn't look like he slept much. His hair is messier than usually, bags below his eyes visible, and lips chapped. "Hi," I greet.

Dinner. Meeting parents. Following the guy. The alley. The stone. Running back. Lying in Newt's arms. Then... nothing.

"How're you feeling?" He tightens his grip on my hand.

"Pretty bad," yet I manage a smile. "It's good to see you, though."

He smiles back. "It's good to see you in a better state, too."

"How long have I been here?" My eyes search around the room. White walls, but it doesn't discomfort me. The lights are dim and there's little plants spread around the place. Big windows, but it seems to be dark outside.

"You woke up yesterday after they did surgery on you and—"

"Surgery?!"

"Yeah. They sedated you. The slices on your stomach aren't too deep, but they were dirty as hell. Did you see the knife?"

"It was a stone."

"Oh, stone, then. It was dirty and they had to get all the little things out of the wounds before they could stitch them up," Newt explains.

"And I woke up yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"I don't remember a single thing." I lift the hand that Newt isn't holding so I can lie it on top of ours, but I'm distracted by the thing on my finger. "Is that one of those monitors?"

"No. It's breaking your blood flow and will lead to your death."

I nearly jerk up, then hiss in pain. "It's what?" 

"Your words, not mine." Laughing, he holds up his hands.

"I don't... what?" I stammer, trying to gather my most recent memories, but they stay at the dinner.

"You were under anesthesia and woke up still half effected by it."

Oh. My. God. Please no— he's joking.

"...what did I say?" I peep scarily.

"You were mostly acting funny towards me. Taking that thing off and all. Forgetting things," he summarizes. "Then you kind of told your dad we kissed and that you're gay."

My heart sinks. From all things I could've said, for real? "Oh."

"He didn't mind." Newt smiles softly again. "He accepts it. I know for sure."

"Yeah?"

He gives a big nod. "Yes."

"Okay." I let go of a relieved breath. I hope Dad doesn't want to talk about it even more, but knowing him, he does. "What else did I say?"

"I don't know. Minho and Thomas took advantage of you and asked questions. I wasn't there so I don't know what they asked and what you replied."

I want to bury my head in my hands to hide the redness in my face, but it hurts too much to do that. "Ah, man."

"What? You've got things to hide?" He teases, laughing.

"No, not really." If only I knew exactly what I said, then maybe I'd be able to laugh with him. "But not everyone has to know everything about me." And I can be pretty ashamed of my own feelings, but I keep that to myself.

"I'm sure it's fine. You can trust Minho and Thomas. If it's very private, they'll keep their mouths shut," Newt assures. His smile gets replaced with a more serious look than I've seen him wear in days. "No one but you and that guy know what exactly happened," he starts. "The police is going to investigate and they'll interview you. Do you remember everything already?"

"Yes."

"Can you already tell me about it?"

"Oh, sure," I speak slowly. "Uhm. Well, I looked through the window of Minho's house to see if Daphne had finished the phone call and would go back inside, when I saw a man in the reflection of the flaws. He was staring at Lelia. My mind sprung back to the pictures that were spread of her and the guy Thomas saw in the woods two times. I ran after him.

"He ran into an alley, I followed. I grabbed him by his collar and asked who the hell he was and what he was doing— he punched me. Felt like my nose broke at that time." I reach out to it, tenderly touching my nose. It does hurt a little bit.

Then I continue, "I punched back. It went fast, but I'm pretty sure he kicked me there twice. I was half on the ground when I saw the stone. I thought that if I could hurt his leg, I would be able to run away. So as I got up, I slid it past his bottom leg. Then I went for the run, as planned. Unfortunately, he grabbed my foot or leg or whatever. My face smacked against the concrete. Then he twisted me around. Ripped my shirt open as started cutting. I was tossing around so much that I was eventually able to run away. The adrenaline rush was there, but once I lay in your arms, I started feeling it."

"And then you dropped unconscious," he finishes.

"Yes. Then I dropped unconscious," I sigh out.

"Well, you're very brave for going after him, no matter what the outcome is."

A muttered 'thank you' leaves my mouth while I look down at my hands— no, that's my stomach. One of my hands is being held by Newt and the other one is lying beside me. I don't want to ruin the peace of him holding me, so the only other way I can find to calm myself down is biting my cheek.

"You're going to be okay," Newt says. "Yes?"

I nod. "How's Lelia?"

"Alright. She visited yesterday. It was her who brought you the album, perfume, and flowers. She left the hospital this morning."

"Oh." I swallow. "Why?"

"I don't know. She didn't really seem... herself."

"She hasn't been herself in the past year, and especially not the past week," I correct. "And I keep trying to figure out what's going on, but she won't let see through her, nor does she want to tell me... I don't know, Newt. I think that man might be connected to it. Why would someone randomly give her a phone to film her as well? She must've made enemies somehow."

"To be honest, I really have no idea," Newt also sighs. "But yesterday, as you were blabbering to us... you said there was a man. You said he was watching from the doorframe. When I turned around, he was gone."

That thought gives me shivers from head to toes.

"So maybe it does connect," he states. "Maybe Jennifer knows more, but she was working. Did you know she's a nurse?"

"Yes. You and Lelia and Jennifer all told me she studied psychology but then went for the medical world," I say.

"Yeah. She got calls and had to help. It got busy. We saw her for one second yesterday. She was huffing and puffing about... about..." Newt's eyes wide so fast that I think they're going to pop out, and he jumps up.

"What?"

"About a guy who had a slice in his bottom leg."