Edge of Insanity

Chapter Fourteen

By the time Minho finally returned from the Maze that evening and came into the infirmary I had devised a way to stop the horrendous itching on my leg.  So consequently Minho walked in with a plate of food just as I had a long, thin piece of metal wire shoved through the bandages around my leg and was tenderly poking at the healing flesh. 

He paused in the doorway and cocked his head to the side.  "I know we've seen each other do some pretty odd things but I really think that this is the weirdest yet."

I scowled.  "It itches really badly!"

"Okay..."  He set the plate of food down next to me and I pulled out the wire laying it next to me.

"Better?" he asked.

"No not really.  They take the bandages off tomorrow to check on it."

"Well that's good.  You know the itching means its healing."

"Easy for you to say," I reached for the apple on the plate but it was too far out of reach and I winced as my ribs gave a protest of pain. 

"Whoa, whoa, here-"  Minho handed me the apple, concern flashing across his face.

I rolled my eyes at him and took a bite of the apple.  Then I remembered Newt's visit this afternoon.  "Have you seen Newt at all since you came back?"

"No," Minho sliced his potato in half.  "Why?"

"He knows."

"Knows what?"

"About you and me.  About us."

Minho froze with the potato halfway to his mouth.  "How?"

"He added up the pieces with a lucky guess.  And he knows you leave almost every night and come back before dawn."

Minho swore.  "That smart son of a bitch.  Has he told anyone else?"

"No. I don't think so.  He was pretty upset when he figured it out, which I understand.  He is our friend, Minho, and we lied to him for two years."

Minho set down his plate of food and rubbed his eyes.  "We've lied to everyone for two years."

"I just hope he doesn't tell Alby of all people."

"Yeah that's all we need, especially right now."

"What do you mean right now?  Did you find something in the Maze?"

Minho nodded.  "It's been a day and a half since you came out.  That first day when we went back in, we couldn't find the section you described.  We did find the remains of the two Grievers you killed, which was pretty impressive."

I shuddered at the memory and remembered how everyone had told me that night that I was the first Glader to ever kill a Griever.

"But today," Minho continued, "In section three there was a wall missing- just like you'd said."

"Any Grievers?" 

"None."  Minho shook his head.  "So Thomas and I went down the passage.  There was that black hole at the very end.  We ran all the way to it and on the wall next to it there was this keypad of sorts.  Thomas started messing with it and it turned on and started asking for a series of words.  There was also some kind of key hole in the panel and Thomas thought maybe it had something to do with the tube we found."  He shrugged.  " We had no idea what it was.  So we just stayed as long as we could and then came back."

"Holy shit," I leaned back.  "Did you tell Alby?"

"Yeah, as soon as we came out of the Maze.  He said to keep it quiet for now as usual."

"Do you think it could be the way out?"  I asked carefully.

Minho sighed, looking more tired than usual.  "At this point I really don't know.  It could be anything.  For all we know, it could be a Griever's nest."  He started cutting his potato again. 

I finished the apple and then groaned as my leg started itching again.  I grabbed the stupid wire again and stabbed it into my cast. 

Minho shoved a piece of food in his mouth.  "It's kind of sexy seeing you all frustrated like that."

"Well I'm glad to know that my leg feeling like there are a million ants crawling all over it turns you on, Minho."

"Hey- I'm just saying.  My girlfriend almost got murdered by giant mechanical spiders so I've gotta make the best of the situation." 

"You're insufferable, you know that?"

Minho grinned cheekily.  "You know you like it."

I started retort back but the door to the infirmary swung open with a loud clang. Newt stood in the doorway.  "Don't worry, it's just me."  He deadpanned, closing the door behind him.

Minho stiffened and I shifted in my bed, unsure of how this was going to play out.  Newt grabbed the nearest chair and dragged it across the floor, settling on the opposite side of me and across from Minho.  "So is this what you guys do?  Talk and stare into each other's eyes and shit?"

"We were talking about the Maze-" Minho started.

"Oh, cut the crap, Minho.  I know about you two and what you do."

"What we do?"  Minho's signature smirk found its way to his face.  "Really-"  I chucked my apple core at him with surprising force and it hit him on the face before he could say anything else.

"Ow!  What the hell, Ari?" 

"That was to keep you from saying anything else derogatory and stupid." 

Newt was still watching the two of us, unamused.  I turned to him.  "Newt, I'm sorry that we lied to you."

Minho rubbed his cheek.  "Yeah it's just that we felt like we didn't really have a choice."

"Didn't have a choice?"  Newt demanded  "You could've just told us all this in the first place!"

"Yeah, well then we'd have not just you but the entire Glade angry at us."  Minho retorted.  "Ari, my face really hurts from where you hit me-"

"Minho, I'm sitting here with 3 broken ribs, a shattered hand and a leg that feels like its on fire.  I swear on the shucking Maze if you complain about your face hurting I will break your nose."  I glared at him.

"I'm only this angry because I just found out my two best friends having been secretly dating each other and lying to me for two years about it!"  Newt threw his hands in the air.

"Aww, we're your best friends?"  Minho placed his hands over his heart.  "I'm really touched, Newt."

Newt was reaching the end of his patience, I could see it practically fraying away.  I held up my hand to silence Minho- who for once in his life actually listened.  "Newt, like I said before we did what we thought was the best for everyone else in the Glade.  I understand we hurt you and we're both sorry for that."

Newt let out a heavy sigh.  "I just don't understand why you felt like you needed to keep it a secret?"

"Because of everything it would cause.  Nobody would consider Minho's votes in a Gathering.  Anybody could claim that we were always partial to each other."

"Yeah and we don't need rifts like that between people especially right now.  There has to be order or everything will go to hell."  Minho took another bite of food.

Newt ground his jaw.  "Fine.  I can see that aspect of it.  But I want you to tell Alby.  Now.  And if you don't then I will."