𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒 ✸ maze runner, thomas.

𝟎𝟒- 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐬

CHAPTER FOUR

When she walks into the Hut, she sees Thomas and Chuck sitting down as Jeff rummages through a cabinet looking for the bandages.

She grabbed them from a random cabinet, she remembered putting them there in the morning when she was organizing the hut.

When Eleanor hands the bandages to Jeff he mouths a 'thank you' and returns back to Thomas.

"We may have to amputate your arm," Clint appeared behind Thomas with a smirk. Thomas looked up, panicked by the idea of having his arm amputated.

"Don't listen to him. don't worry; he always wants to amputate." Jeff reassured, already bandaging Thomas' arm.

Thomas breathed a sigh of relief, realizing it was just a joke. His eyes briefly met Eleanor's before he quickly looked away when he noticed her already looking at him.

"Ok, all done." Jeff told Thomas as he stood up and opened the hut to leave but he bumped into Alby while he was exiting the Hut.

Alby mouthed a sorry as he walked into the hut and took a seat beside Thomas.

He knew Thomas was already going to ask questions about what happened to Ben, anyone would be curious on why someone so nice would turn aggressive in just a day.

Eleanor stayed to the side watching with a small smile as Chuck carved something, not sure what it was, it still didn't have any specific shape.

Chuck likes carving, that's something she learned from the boy. Mikael and Gally were the ones that taught him how to do it and ever since he does it whenever he could.

Just last week he had carved a small star, made it a necklace for Eleanor and told her she could paint the star any color she liked.

"So, what happened to him?" Thomas asked, looking at Alby as he did.

"It's called 'The Changing.' It happens when someone gets stung" Alby explained, he paused for a moment before continuing.

"We haven't been able to get a clear word from Ben ever since it happened. He's not making any sense, and it's only going to get worse. This infection is spreading;  he's dangerous."

Eleanor felt a pang of guilt again, wishing she could help Ben. He didn't deserve to suffer like this–no one did.

She has tried looking for a way to cure that infection, because she knew there was a cure, but it was impossible to make it here in the Glade, the only way t0 get it was if WCKD  sent it and at this time they won't do anything.

She knew WCKD had to be the name of the people that put them here since the initials are in their supplies and her dreams kind of makes it clearer for her.

"What did he say to you?" Alby asked Thomas.

"Uh he said he saw me... and that this is all my fault. How could this be my fault?" his voice was filled with confusion, catching Eleanor's attention somehow and she looked at him for a second.

Could he be...? No way, she thought, shaking off the idea.

Alby dismissed what Thomas said and just told him to rest as he stood up to leave.

"Alby?"  Thomas called out after him  "What's gonna happen to him?" but Alby just left without answering his question.

Chuck stood up, looking at Thomas. "I gotta go, I have to clean the bathrooms, don't wanna slack off–well I do but I can't."

Thomas looked at him with a small smile and ruffled Chuck's hair. "Okay, buddy. I've got to stay here anyways."

Chuck left the Hut, leaving Thomas and Eleanor alone.

"So, what's going to happen to Ben? And please don't ignore my question, everyone keeps leaving my questions unanswered." Thomas said, frustration clear in his voice.

Eleanor hesitates to answer his question but does anyway. "They are going to Banish him."

"Huh? What do you mean Banish him?"

"No, I meant as they will uhm send him to the... Maze."

"What? But Newt told me no one can s-" She quickly interrupted him already knowing what he was going to say.

"That's the point, Thomas." she said quietly.

"And you guys are just going to let that happen?" he scoffed.

"It's not my choice, but he's going to turn more aggressive and it's going to turn out very bad for all of us."

"You're a Med-Jack and you're telling me there's nothing to help him? You guys have been here for years, and instead of doing something, you guys just send them to the Maze?" Thomas' voice was filled with disbelief.

"You try if you think everything is so easy, we have tried a lot of things, you need to understand that. Trust me if there was a way I would've already helped him out." Eleanor replied in a harsher tone, quickly regretting it but it made Thomas stop talking.

She didn't need to add more guilt to what she was already feeling.

"Look, Eleanor, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that stuff. I know it's not your fault."

"Don't worry about it, Thomas. Let's just keep going with what we are supposed to be doing." She said, changing the topic from Ben.

Thomas nodded at her and looked around the Hut. "You know I'm not exactly Med-Jack material?" he chuckled.

"I can see that, no offense. But you kind of have to try for every job here and then you'll get chosen for one."

"Ah, got it. Anyways, what's up with this mess?" he asked, pointing at one of the tables.

"What do you mean mess? I cleaned up the Hut in the morning." She looks in the direction he pointed.

She looked at the table covered in paint bottles, one of them had spilled, leaving a blue mess on the wooden surface.

"Shuck, what a mess." She muttered, quickly closing the paint bottle and attempted to clean the paint off the table.

"You know all you are doing is smudging more paint on the table?" He covers his mouth looking at her.

She stepped back, looking at the now blue table. "Oh," was all she could manage to say.

"What were you even trying to do with all that paint–blue, white, and black?" Thomas asked, genuinely curious.

"I tried mixing paint, but it did not end up the blue shade I wanted and just left the mess there I guess." she admitted, touching her necklace.

"For the necklace?" he pointed at her wooden star necklace, and she nodded.

"What shade of blue were you trying to make?" He asked, curious to see what color she wanted for the star, and perhaps to learn some things about her too.

"Navy blue," he looks at the shade of blue she had done and then at her.

"Next time, try to add a bit of orange. It might work." she nods at his suggestion "Noted."

"Just ignore the mess, let's quit talking and start with the small talk about how to be a Med-Jack."

"You sure you wanna waste your time on that?" he smiled.

"What? Being a Med-Jack is awesome. Clint, Jeff and I are like the coolest people you'll ever get to meet."

"I mean, I want to be a Runner."

"A runner? You're still on with that? I mean no offense, I'm not saying you don't look like you could be a runner cuz you do but-" She got interrupted by the sound of the Maze walls beginning to close.

"Already? Thomas asked as he looked outside the Maze looking at everyone gathered up there.

"I'm just gonna stay here." she told Thomas before he left.

A/N

this turned out to be longer than expected, I was just gonna write a short chapter to update.

Finally, more of Eleanor and Thomas here, I cannot come up with a ship name.