Edge of Insanity

Chapter Eleven

Minho didn't sleep at all the night.  How could he knowing Alex was stranded in the Maze overnight?

He paced the length of his room for hours before he couldn't take it anymore and headed out into the Glade for fresh air. The night seemed to last for an eternity. The minutes slowly stretched into hours as Minho stared at the Maze from the Glade.

"I've never seen you this worked up before," Newt said coming to stand beside him.  A glance at his best friend revealed the blonde boy hadn't slept either. 

"We've never had two Runners trapped in the Maze overnight before." The cool night air brushed against Minho's face.

Newt didn't answer as the two stood side by side, waiting for at last that hint of dawn to approach. When the black faded to grey and the grey faded to the pale blue of the morning, Minho returned to his room. He grabbed his already packed bag and knife. He pulled on his trainers and jogged across the Glade to stand in front of the Doors. "Run in pairs of two, understand? We fan out and search all the sections. If anyone finds anything give the signal and wait until I get there to do anything else."

The Runners nodded and then the Doors began to open.

"Hold on, Ari" Minho murmured. "I'm coming for you." And they plunged into the Maze.

~~~

I heard the rumbling as dawn broke and the Doors finally opened.

Just a little longer now

I pushed a few more feet before collapsing to the ground. My body shook as I felt fresh blood ooze from the wound on my leg. I coughed and more blood spilled from my mouth. My whole body felt like it was on fire.  Tears slid down my face again, a reaction to the pain.  I wasn't sure how much further I could keep going.  I just had to get back to the Glade, just had to make it back to Minho and Newt and Thomas and Chuck.  I held onto the thoughts of them as I pushed myself up on my arms. 

A figure blurred in the distance, drawing closer. They were yelling something but I couldn't hear. The burning sensation was too much. The person stopped in front of me, kneeling on the ground.

Thomas.

His face was out of focus as he turned, yelling something over and over again. Then he was looking at me again. Talking to me. Saying something but I couldn't understand. My eyes slipped shut and the world was black again.

~~~

"Here! Here! I found her!"

Minho sprinted towards the sound of Thomas's voice.

She's alive. She has to be. He thought, pushing his legs to go faster.

"Here!"

He wheeled around a corner and found Thomas kneeling on the ground next to Alex. She was laying on her stomach, torso bare except for her sports bra. Strips of cloth were bound around her left calf and stained with blood. There was blood on her face and in her hair, it covered her clothes.

"Does she have a pulse?" Minho demanded dropping to his knees beside Thomas.

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, but barely. We have to get her back to the Glade now."

"Go get the others," Minho ordered. "We'll have to carry her."

Thomas sprinted off as Minho pressed his hand to his mouth. Dense bruised were already begging to form on her side and he cast a glance at her shattered hand. "Ari... I'm so sorry." He whispered. "You're gonna make it through this, I promise. I'm not going to leave your side-" His voice broke off as the rest of the Runners came to join him.

Together, as gently as possible, they lifted her battered body and carried her back out into the Glade. Kyle ran ahead to tell the others and get Clint and Winston as fast as possible. Blood dripped from the wound on her leg and splattered onto the ground as they moved.

As they neared the Doors, Kyle came sprinting back. "Clint and Winston are ready and waiting. Just take her right to the infirmary," he said panting.

They crossed the threshold and entered the Glade.  Newt and Alby were there, pushing back the cluster of Gladers that had gathered.

"Put her right on that bed," Clint instructed as soon as they came through the doors of the infirmary. "Gently, gently- that's it."

Winston took one look at Alex and his face paled. "Shucking hell. We gotta get those bandages off her leg." He passed Clint a pair of surgical scissors.

"Out- everyone out! I can't do this with all you hovering." Clint made a shooing noise with his hands.

"We can't just leave her," Thomas started to protest but Clint glared at him. "Yes you can. Do you want me to save her life or not?  Get out."

Wordlessly, Minho brushed past the others and stepped back into the Glade. Chuck was there, eyes searching Minho. "Is she gonna be okay?" Minho ignored the kid starting through the tall grasses. Behind him he heard Thomas say, "Yeah she's alive."

"Is she gonna make it?" Chuck asked.

Thomas paused. "I don't know, kid. I don't know."

Minho broke into a jog, trying to drown out his thoughts as well as everyone else's words. Seeing her like that- shattered. Broken.

He ran completely to the opposite end of the Glade, slamming both fists into the wall in a torrent of emotions. He dropped to his knees, hands still braced on the wall. His knuckles were bleeding but he didn't care.

Minho made a promise then, a promise to whoever had put them is this hell hole. He made a promise that when they found a way out he was going to make them pay for every single horrific thing they'd been forced to live through.

He'd make them suffer just like they had and he wouldn't regret one second of it.