Different (The Maze Runner)

Chapter 15

My eyes slowly open, and my entire body is aching with pain. I see Newt and Alby are standing across the room, quietly talking.

Newt says "there needs to be something else we can do."

Alby shakes his head. "She's been asleep for six days, Newt. We already gave her the Grief Serum, that's pretty much all we can do."

"Please Alby there has to be something."

Alby shakes his head. "At this point it's either she wakes up or she doesn't. She gets one more day, if she's out cold for a week we leave her outside the Doors for the Grievers to take."

"No! You can't do that! She'll wake up she just needs more time!"

"We don't have time to spare, Newt! Go back to the shucking Gardens, we'll talk about this later!"

Newt walks over to me and his eyes widen. "You're awake!"

I slowly nod, even though it hurts.

"Thank god, I was so worried about you."

"I... could... tell..."

"Alright, don't talk. Just rest. It'll hurt for a while."

I sigh but nod. Everything hurts, my entire body is aching with soreness.

Alby says "why don't you go get her some food? She's been asleep for six days, she's probably starving."

Newt nods and runs out of the room.

Alby grabs a chair and sits right next to my head. "Most people usually remember some things after getting stung, I need to know what you remembered."

"Nothing, really. Just me and my little brother. Who, by the way, is the greenie."

He nods and says "I need you to describe it to me."

"It's nothing important to anyone. Just some scenes of me with friends." Not technically a lie.

He sighs and says "okay."

I close my eyes and say "can he stay? Newt?"

"He's got a job to do. Speaking of jobs, we need to get you a new one."

My eyes fly open and I shoot up, which causes me excruciating pain. "A new job?!"

He nods. "After people gets stung we don't let them back into the Maze. We've gotta find another job for you."

I shake my head. "I'll be fine, let me run."

"No. You're not allowed to."

"I will leave this god damn Glade. I'll walk out those doors and no one will ever see me again."

"Please don't." Newt walks back into the room, puts down a plate of food on a small table next to me, and turns to me. "Please don't do that. Please, you can't leave."

I sigh and say "can you please tell Alby that I can handle running?"

He ignores the request. "I got you some lunch." He points to the plate and says "Frypan gave you double servings, since you're probably starving."

"Oh my god, you don't think I can run."

He sighs and says "you just woke up from being passed out for six days. You're very sick. You're not doing anything for at least a few days."

"A few days?!"

He nods. "It's a safety precaution."

"Not happening. I'm not sitting here alone, bored out of my mind for a few days."

Alby says "Newt can stay with you. But you can't do anything until we say so."

Newt says "we're just looking out for you."

I look at his face for the first time since I woke up, and all I can see is that memory. I brought him to that room. That elevator. The Box. My eyes widen, and I throw my hand over my mouth to keep from gasping too loud.

"Love? You okay?"

I slowly remove my hand and say "Alby, can you give us a minute?"

Alby nods and walks out of the room.

Newt sits next to me and says "what's wrong?"

"Why did you try to kill yourself?"

His eyes widen a little and he sighs. "How do you know about that?"

"That's not an answer."

He looks down at the ground and says "I-I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to have to deal with any of it. Things were looking hopeless, like we'd have no way out. I remember I told you I used to be a Runner, well I climbed halfway up one of the walls, and I jumped off."

"You hated this place that much?"

He nods "I still do. But after I was found and brought back here I started feeling better."

"And when was this?"

"Um, about a year and a half ago."

I nod. "And when did you start feeling that way again."

"How do you know all of this?"

I shake my head. "That isn't an answer, Newt."

He sighs and says "right before you were sent up. But then you came, and you made me want to stick around. You gave me something to stay for."

I put my head in my hands. I put him in that Box. I basically sent him up here. I did this to him.

I'm a Creator.

5903|����iF