One is the loneliest number - Minho TMR

CHAPTER ONE

Brie held her clipboard tightly, knowing her hands would shake furiously if she didn't. It had been a few hours since she had last seen Teresa, and now Teresa's memories had apparently been restored. The only reason Brie hadn't visited her yet was the mountain of work she had to do.

Brie wouldn't say she was one of Janson's favorite employees, especially after all the things she had tried, but he sure did give her a lot of work. She was sort of his assistant, but also handled medical tasks. Tonight, she had to do one of her least favorite things. Nibbling nervously on her lip, she held her key card against the scanner. The doors opened, granting her access.

Her brown heeled boots clicked against the cold floor. She avoided making eye contact with all the bodies that hung there, one by one. Taking out her pencil, she swiftly wrote down the numbers of the new arrivals. There were about eight, dangling side by side as the cables on their heads slowly drained them of life. Suddenly, she halted in her steps. Black hair, pretty face—this girl was Rachel, Aris's best friend. She looked pale, one of the side effects of the draining. Her hair was a little greasy, and Brie could tell she was in pain.

A sigh escaped her lips before she moved on. She wasn't sure if they would ever revive Aris's memories, but she secretly hoped they wouldn't. She wanted to spare him from the misery. He had only been here a few days, and he was already suspicious of W.C.K.D. Typical Aris. They weren't the best of friends; Brie would say they were more like acquaintances. That didn't mean she didn't miss him. He had been in Maze B for a long time. God, he must miss his best friend.

Quickly finishing the task, Brie exited the room, sighing as she greeted the long hallway. She could never quite pinpoint what made her so uneasy in that room. Maybe it was all the bodies and the accompanying guilt. Maybe it was the stark white walls, their smell, or something else she couldn't identify. Suddenly, a noise sounded from above her.

Her head snapped upwards, eyes locking onto the vents. She could see the faint outline of Thomas's figure. Brie decided not to act on it. Maybe he could escape, get out of here, and take his friends with him. Maybe she should help. She sent him a small, encouraging smile, hoping he would see it. Shaking her head furiously, she looked down again. She quickly marked off her previous task and saw that she didn't have any others left. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she made her way to the medical section. Maybe she could have a little chat with Teresa.

No matter how guilty she felt about it, she never made it to her sister. The moment she saw her bedroom chamber, she slipped inside and didn't emerge until five hours later. Her sleep was short, plagued by nightmares. Her worries about Thomas weighed heavily on her mind; if he got caught, she dreaded to think what Janson would do to him.

The jarring sound of guards banging on her door woke her, just like every morning. It was early—around 5 a.m., her usual waking hour. She groaned, rolling her eyes, and closed them again, drifting back to sleep—a rarity for her. Normally, she'd lie there with her eyes closed but awake, feeling groggy and hungry, but now she didn't even realize she had fallen back to sleep. These past few days felt like a lifetime, and the truth was she had pulled a few all-nighters.

An hour later, when she typically began her day, a knock sounded again. She knew who it would be. Janson. Her mind took a few seconds before she realized her own thoughts. Her eyes shot open as she panicked. She pushed the hair behind her ears and stood up, ignoring the pounding headache. She swung the door open, eyes still full of sleep and still standing in her pajamas.

"Good morning, Miss Agnes. Everything alright? We noticed you weren't up," Janson spoke. His tone sounded gentle and kind, but she knew this was only because of the cameras hanging in the hallway. The moment they would be alone together, she would hear about it.

"I am so sorry, Janson. I must have dozed off, but I promise it won't happen again. I'll get dressed right away and then I'll start working. Do you want me to do anything specific?" Brie asked, hoping she didn't sound too nervous. She wasn't really sure where to look. A little bit of eye contact, but not too much. Where should she look then?

Janson looked at her with a suspicious glare for whatever reasons he had. He tried to look into her chamber. Maybe he thought she was with someone. Brie blushed slightly at that thought.

"I just want you to talk with that Aris kid or whatever his name is, and see if he knows something about us. If he does, report straight back to me. We'll revise his memories then. Also, go talk to Thomas's group. See if they're content. Thank you, Miss Agnes." As soon as he finished his sentence, he turned around and walked away. He seemed to be in a hurry. The guards that stood behind him followed directly after him.

Brie made a mental checklist in her brain and started getting dressed, pulling on dark blue flared jeans and a cute shirt with a bow before putting on her lab coat, which kind of ruined the whole outfit. She had a busy day ahead of her.

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This is kind of a boring chapter, but in the next one we'll meet Minho! Don't forget to vote and comment on your favorite moments.