THE HEARTS » TMR [1]

12. The Grievers

Margaret's day had been mostly spent caring for Alby, watching him sleep and breathe normally. His veins were no longer visible on his body, and he was no longer grotesque-looking. Thomas and Minho went inside the Maze to look for clues that could help the Gladers find a way out of the Glade, bringing with them the metal tube they'd taken from a dead Griever. Newt and Chuck had visited the Homestead at times, either to check on Alby or to bring Teresa and Margaret food to satisfy their hunger.

     "Thanks, Chuck," Margaret said, giving him with a small smile.

     Chuck nodded and walked back outside to continue his duties as Keeper of the Sloppers in the Glade. Margaret wanted to continue their conversation and ask how he was doing, but they both had jobs to do.

     "Do you think we should untie these straps?" Teresa asked Newt, who was anxiously staring at Alby while biting his thumbnail. 

     "No," he said, "not yet."

     Then, after a long period of silence between all three of them, an alarm rang throughout the Glade. Margaret and Teresa exchanged terrified and panicked glances before meeting Newt's gaze. 

     "What's going on?" Teresa asked, her voice tinged with worry. 

     "It couldn't be the Box," Margaret said, her gaze fixed on Newt, "could it?"

     Looking out the wooden door, Newt sighed. "Alright, both of you stay here and look after him. I'm gonna go see what it is. Med-Jacks! Follow me!" Clint and Jeff emerged from the other room and quickly followed Newt out the door, leaving Teresa and Margaret with panicked expressions on their faces.

     "Maybe it's not that bad," Margaret reassured Teresa. "It could be another arrival in the Glade."

     Teresa gave Margaret an absurd look. "That's impossible. I am the 'last one ever'. Something else is happening. And I'm pretty sure it's not happening inside the Glade." 

     "It's happening outside of it," Margaret concluded. "It's the Maze. Minho and Thomas probably figured it out."

     Just as Margaret said that, they both heard a deep groan escape Alby's lips. He began to move his body, slightly wiggling it around, but not as roughly as before. Margaret noticed his eyes shifting from left to right behind his eyelids.

     "Is he alright?" Teresa asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

     Margaret was about to respond to Teresa's question when Alby's eyes opened, revealing tears. His eyes were neither bloodshot nor filled with rage. They were filled with pure sadness and sorrow.

     "He's awake," Margaret said, taking a few steps back. Alby rose slowly, wiping away his tears.   

     "I'll go tell the others," Teresa said to Margaret before sprinting away.

     Margaret didn't need to know what was wrong with Alby. She already knew he'd gone through the Changing, where he'd ended up in a state of insanity after being stung by a Griever.

     "Alby? Are you okay?" Margaret said as she took a step forward. 

     In response, he whimpered, his lips quivering in distress.

     "It's alright, Alby," Margaret reassured. "I'm not going to hurt you. M-My name is—"

     "Margaret, I know," Alby said. 

     "Right, because you were the one who found me in the Deadheads," Margaret concluded. "Are you okay?"

     He shook his head. "What are you doing here, Margaret?"