She Was Their Cure (Rewritten) - A Maze Runner Fanfiction

A Fragile Sanctuary

Newt

The day after Aurora arrived, the Glade was still buzzing with unease. None of us could quite figure out why WCKD would send a little girl into the Maze. Aurora was still asleep in one of the huts, her small body curled up under a blanket. Every so often, I'd glance over at her, making sure she was still there, still breathing. It was strange, having someone so small and innocent in this place.

I stood by the door, lost in thought, when Frypan handed me a plate of food. "She didn't eat much last night," I muttered, more to myself. "She's scared, and she's not talking much."

Frypan shrugged, glancing over at the hut where Aurora slept. "Can you blame her? Poor thing doesn't even know what's going on. None of us do, really."

I nodded, feeling the small vial of serum in my pocket. Once a week, we had to inject her with it. If we missed even one dose, the note had warned of "consequences," and I wasn't keen on finding out what that meant.

"You told the others about the serum?" Frypan asked.

"Yeah. Alby's making sure everyone knows. We've got to take it seriously." I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "But she's just a kid, Fry. WCKD's playing some twisted game with us."

Frypan nodded in agreement. "Whatever it is, we've got to protect her."

I glanced over to see Gally walking toward us. He'd been surprisingly quiet ever since we found Aurora, keeping to himself more than usual. He stopped in front of me, his face hard but his eyes softer than I expected.

"How's she doing?" Gally asked, nodding toward the hut.

"Still sleeping," I replied, studying his expression. Gally wasn't usually one to show concern like this.

Gally rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost uncomfortable. "She's just a kid. Fuck, Newt, she shouldn't be here."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at the softness in his voice. Gally was tough, a bit of a brute sometimes, but seeing him show this kind of concern for Aurora was... unexpected.

"She isn't here by choice," I said, watching his reaction.

He sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before speaking again. "Yeah, well, I just—look, if something happens to her, that's on us. All of us."

I nodded slowly. "We won't let anything happen to her, Gally."

He didn't respond, just gave me a brief nod before walking away. It was strange to see Gally like that—almost protective. I didn't know what to make of it, but I wasn't going to complain. If Aurora had Gally looking out for her too, maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

Later that day, we gathered in the center of the Glade. The usual energy was gone, replaced by a heavy tension as Alby held up the vial of serum. Aurora was awake now, sitting beside me with her blanket wrapped tightly around her. She was quiet, her eyes wide as she watched the boys talk about her.

"So, here's what we know," Alby began. "WCKD sent us Aurora, and we've got to give her this serum once a week. If we don't, something bad's going to happen. We don't know what, but we can't afford to find out."

Minho crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked down at Aurora. "Why would they send a little girl? She's what, four years old? What's she got to do with any of this?"

Alby shook his head. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter why she's here. What matters is that she's one of us now, and we've got to keep her safe."

I noticed the way Minho was still watching Aurora, cautious and calculating. He wasn't cold, but there was a clear concern in his eyes, more so than usual. It was like he was trying to figure out how she fit into all of this—and whether protecting her was as straightforward as it seemed.

There were murmurs of agreement from the group, but I could see the unease in their faces. None of us were prepared for this. The Maze was hard enough without the responsibility of protecting a child.

Gally stepped forward, his arms crossed, but his usual harshness was gone. "We'll take care of her," he said quietly, his gaze shifting to Aurora. "She's not just some burden. She's... different. And whatever happens, we've got to make sure she's safe."

I glanced at Gally, surprised by how genuine he sounded. He'd always been a hardliner about everything—tough, sometimes cold. But there was something different in the way he looked at Aurora. He cared about her in a way I hadn't expected.

Minho, however, stayed back, arms still crossed. His brow was furrowed as he spoke up again. "It doesn't sit right with me. WCKD sent her here for a reason, and it's not just to throw us off balance. There's something more to this."

Alby turned to him, his expression hardening slightly. "We don't know their plans, Minho. All we can do is keep her safe and figure it out as we go."

Minho nodded but didn't seem convinced. His eyes flicked to Aurora again, the gears still turning in his head. "I'm not saying we don't protect her. I'm saying we need to keep our guard up. WCKD doesn't make moves like this for nothing."

Later in the day, we gathered in one of the huts to give Aurora her first injection. She sat on a small bench, her little legs swinging nervously. I kneeled in front of her, holding the syringe in one hand, while Gally stood nearby, watching with quiet intensity. Minho was by the door, arms still crossed, his eyes following every movement like he was ready for something unexpected.

"Alright, Aurora. You ready?" I asked softly, holding the needle up where she could see it.

She stared at it, her lip trembling slightly. "Does it have to be every week?" she asked, her voice small and hesitant.

I nodded. "Yeah, but it's to keep you healthy. We'll make sure it's quick."

Aurora bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. "Okay. I'm ready."

I injected the serum quickly, watching as her face tensed for a brief moment before relaxing again. When it was over, she let out a small breath, her body slumping with relief.

"All done," I said, offering her a smile. "You did great."

She opened her eyes, blinking up at me. "It didn't hurt too much."

Gally stepped forward, kneeling beside her and ruffling her hair gently. "See? Told you it wouldn't be so bad. You're tough, kid."

Aurora smiled shyly, glancing between the two of us. "Thanks, Newt. Thanks, Gally."

Gally gave her a small smile—something I wasn't used to seeing on his face. "Anytime."

Minho, who had been watching the entire time, stepped forward slightly, still cautious. "We'll keep her safe, but we need to stay sharp. This might just be the beginning."

That night, we sat by the fire, the air thick with an unspoken tension. Aurora had fallen asleep beside me, curled up with her blanket once again. Gally sat close, keeping an eye on her as if he'd made it his personal mission to protect her. Minho, however, was across from us, his eyes fixed on the flames, still wrestling with his thoughts.

"You're thinking too hard about it, Minho," I said, breaking the silence.

Minho shook his head, not looking away from the fire. "Maybe. But we can't afford to let our guard down, Newt. WCKD never does anything without a reason. Sending her here... it doesn't feel right."

Gally glanced up at him, his voice firm but calm. "She's not just a tool for them, Minho. She's a kid, and we're not going to let them use her like that."

Minho met Gally's gaze, his expression uncertain. "I get that. But we need to be smart about this. If they sent her here for a reason, it means something's coming. And we need to be ready for it."

Gally didn't reply immediately, but after a long pause, he nodded. "Yeah, we'll be ready. But protecting her comes first."

Minho's gaze softened slightly, though the caution in his eyes didn't fully fade. "Alright. We protect her. But we stay alert."

As the fire crackled and the night deepened, I glanced between them—Gally with his fierce protectiveness and Minho with his cautious determination. They both cared about Aurora in their own way, and between the two of them, I felt like we might actually be able to handle whatever WCKD threw our way.

After all, Aurora was one of us now. And no matter what WCKD's plans were, we'd make sure she stayed safe.