For As Long As I Can Remember

Nick Is Gone

Newt sat in silence once Alby had finished his story. He looked at Minho who held his head low and cradled by his hands. Not a single person spoke out loud. Silence echoed through the room. But what was there to say, other than the obvious of course;
"So you think Nick," Newt chose his words as carefully as possible as to not offend, "Caught a disease caused my a griever?"
"The symptoms are the same." Alby was guarded.

"Nick would not have gone into the maze." Minho stood up suddenly, "Especially not overnight."

"It is a possibility."

"Or maybe he's just a violent psycho."

"Minho." Next chided gently.

"No one goes in the maze but Ben and I." Minho told the both of them sternly, "It's my job to make sure the maze doesn't hurt anyone else."
"Your job is to track the maze and map it." He reminded Minho.
"There's more to it then that. I can't have any more people hurt in the maze. Nick did not go in the maze. I didn't let him in the maze."
"What if he snuck in? Without your permission."

Minho shook his head.
"It's alright Minho." Alby reassured him, "It's not your fault."

"There is no way Nick survived the maze. He doesn't know the maze. He wouldn't have made it out. Oscar knew the maze better than any of us. That is why he survived the maze. Nick couldn't have survived a night in the maze. End of story." Minho exited in a huff leaving Newt and Alby alone.

"Sorry about him. He's just-" Newt started to apologize to Alby.

Alby stopped him, "Don't apologize for Minho. He can make his own apologies. He won't but that's also his battle." Alby's serious tone cracked to reveal a slight smile but he quickly covered it, "It's your job to find out what happened to Nick. He's being banished tonight but I still want to know what happened to him."

Newt left Alby with a new sense for Minho's past. Newt realized he'd gone through nothing in comparison to Minho. He needed to see him before Nick's banishment. He was unsure of how exactly Minho would be dealing with his emotions in this situation, but he assumed it wouldn't be well.

Newt found Minho down by the water trough. He was alone. Newt sat down on the dock beside him. Minho carried on carving the end of the stake into a point. The small knife that he used was the one he carried everywhere with him. Newt now knew why. It was Oscar's knife.
"Minho." Newt said cautiously, "How're you feeling."
"I'm obviously not at my best but for your purposes I'm fine." Minho replied through violent slashes to the stake.

"It's sharp enough." Newt rest his hand on Minho's so he'd stop carving. He put the stake down beside him and the knife back in his belt.

"We're losing Nick tonight." He said quietly.

"I know." Newt replied as Minho looked away from him. "It sucks."

"Yeah." Minho scoffed.

A silence stretched out between them until Newt said, "I'm sorry about Oscar and Vinnie."

Minho did not look at him, "Those were dark days."

"And I know you're sad that you lost them and now we're losing Nick as well." Newt tried to reason.

"I'm used to losing people."

Newt let out a sigh full of frustrated patience, "Are you?"

Minho cocked his head to look at Newt, who had an eyebrow raised tentatively.
"I don't care much about Nick." Minho said bluntly, "He was never my friend.