The Girl

Chapter Three

  I wake up to someone placing a cold rag on my head. I open my eyes.

"Morning," I see Newts smiling face over me as he lays the cold towel on my head.

"What are you doing?" I ask, sitting up.

"Trying to help you get better," He says. I smile at him and take the rag off my head.

"Your gesture is very much appreciated, but I'm already feeling much better. I think I'm ready to try out all those jobs you were telling me about," I smirk.

He smiles at me. "Well, you're in luck. Your training begins today."

"First off, you'll be working with Frypan in the kitchen," Alby tells me as he brings me to the place where the gladers eat.

"Lovely," I reply. The morning of being a chef worked out great, actually. The gladers loved my food and I only broke two plates. In fact, I seemed to be pretty good at most of the jobs they gave me. And they enjoyed the fact that I sang as I worked.

"You know, you've got a great voice," Newt says to me as we work with the builders.

"Thank you. One of the only things I can remember aside from my name is singing with someone. My aunt, or my mom, or maybe sister? I'm not sure, but I can remember some of the songs we'd sing." I reminisce in the only memory I'd been left with.

"None of us have heard that kind of music in a long time," Newt tells me.

"What do you mean 'that kind' of music?" I question, bringing over a pile of wood to some of the builders. He grins at me.

"You'll see. Tonight. Alright, off to the last training. The medjacks. Enjoy yourself," Newt tells me as he leads me to the tent I had spent the last two and a half days in.

I was surprisingly good at being a medjack. In just the two hours that I'd been there, I'd messed with creating a medicine to heal wounds more quickly, I'd fixed a faulty practice, and I created a splint for a Glader's broken leg.

"Wow Gree- I mean Beth, you're great at this. Much better than the rest of us," Clint, the head medjack complimented me.

"Thanks. I don't know whether to be flattered or frightened, but I'll go with flattered," I laugh.

"I'm serious. You've got medical skills, and your voice soothes well, you'll be great with Gladers going through the changing," He tells me.

"The what?" I ask.

"You'll learn about it soon enough. Now come on, we've got a bonfire to go to."