The maze runner and I

Things start to go wrong

I walked through the glade, carrying the empty bucket as I went to collect water from the stream. I walked through the trees, sighing in bliss as despite being trapped here, I could still smell the scent of fresh air and the outdoors. I sighed in bliss again as I approached the stream and dipped my hand in the water, relishing the feeling of the clear liquid running through my fingertips. I dipped the bucket in, water flowing into the wooden box before I stood up. I looked across the stream and my eyes widened slightly as Ben stood there. He didn't look well, though. His eyes were dark and had dark bags under them, and black liquid was oozing from his mouth.

"You okay, Ben?" I gulped. He panted heavily, scowling at me as he clenched his hands into fists.

"Ben, go to the medical shack, you don't look well." I spoke, trying to keep my voice from shaking as I slowly took a step back. Suddenly, Ben screamed and ran through the stream, towards me. My eyes widened as I dropped the bucket and started to run. I could hear Ben screaming behind me, making me run faster. I looked behind me as I ran and gulped as he was still on my tail.

"Ben, stop!" I yelled, making him scream again. I forced my legs to move more as I looked around desperately for someone else, anyone else. I screamed as suddenly Ben tackled me to the ground and pinned me down.

"Ben! Get the fuck off of me! Ben!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. He growled at me, the black liquid still oozing from his lips as he started to lean closer to me. I placed my hands against his chest, pushing as hard as I could and keeping him away from me.

"Ben! It's me! Stop! Please!" I screamed.

"I'm not stopping until you're dead." He spat, leaning closer again.

"Woah, woah!" Suddenly, Ben was pulled off of me by Newt and Winston, who restrained him as Thomas pulled me up.

"Y/N, look at me, I need you to listen, did he bite you or scratch you, or anything like that?" he asked, looking desperately into my eyes as he gripped my upper arms.

"I-I don't know, he just came at me-."

"Think, Y/N, think, did he ever bite you, did he even scratch you at all, you need to tell me." He nodded. I gulped and shook my head.

"No. No, he didn't scratch or bite me." I reassured. Thomas breathed a sigh of relief and nodded before hugging me tightly. I returned it, immediately being calmed down by the sound of his gentle heartbeat.

"Guys, this isn't good." I pulled away from Thomas and looked at Minho.

"Hold him down." Minho mumbled. Newt nodded as him and Winston forced Ben to his knees, making him snarl. Minho took his arm and forced it out before pulling his sleeve up. My eyes widened as a griever sting was spreading up his arm.

"Shit." Newt spoke.

"That's not good, how was he stung in here?" Thomas scoffed.

"What the fuck is happening?" Thomas looked up and I gulped as Gally and Teresa stormed towards us.

"Ben has been stung." Thomas admitted. Gally's eyes widened.

"Who found him?" he questioned.

"I did." I nodded. He looked at me.

"Of course you fucking did." He mumbled. My eyes widened.

"Excuse me?" I scoffed.

"I hardly think that it's a coincidence that he's like this and you just so happened to be the one who found him." Gally spat.

"Now hold on one second-."

"Fuck you, Gally, he just tried to kill me." I snapped, taking a step forward.

"Don't, he's not worth it." Thomas spoke, gently placing his hands on my arms and standing between Gally and I.

"The fuck you just say, greenie?" Gally scoffed. Thomas looked at him.

"You starting with me now? That's fine, but don't accuse Y/N of having anything to do with this, Ben nearly just killed her." Thomas snapped.

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing." Teresa smiled innocently.

"Fuck you too." I spat.

"Guys, that's enough, if we stand any chance at all of saving Ben, we need to get him to the medical shack." Minho spoke. Thomas nodded.

"Good call. Minho and Newt, get him there, Winston and Frypan, search the glade and make sure that the griever that somehow got in and stung Ben is either gone or dead." He ordered.

"Since when do you give the orders around here?" Gally spat.

"Since you started accusing people of poisoning each other." Thomas snapped back. Gally clenched his jaw, making Thomas do the same before Gally gave in and walked away. Thomas sighed and turned back to me.

"I'm so sorry about all of that." He mumbled.

"It's okay. But you believe me, don't you?" I asked. He looked at me.

"Y/N, of course I do. We all know what the mark on his arm was. That was a sting, that can only be caused by a griever. Everyone knows that it wasn't you." He reassured.

"Gally and Teresa don't." I mumbled. He sighed.

"Gally is a stickler for the rules and Teresa doesn't..." he stopped. My eyebrows furrowed.

"Doesn't what, Thomas?" I asked. He gulped and wet his lips with his tongue.

"She doesn't like the fact that we're close." He admitted, shrugging. My eyes widened.

"Does...does she think that there's something between us?" I gulped. He looked at me.

"I...I don't know, even if she does, it doesn't matter because I'll protect you, no matter what." He reassured, gently placing his hands on my upper arms. I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Thomas." I replied.

"Meeting in the centre shack, twenty minutes." Minho spoke before following Newt and Winston, who were dragging Ben along. Thomas looked at me.

"I've got to go, I want a shower before the meeting. I'll see you there?" he asked.

"Course you will." I nodded. He returned it before turning to leave but stopping.

"By the way, for what it's worth, I'm so glad he didn't bite you or anything. I can't bear the thought of losing you." He admitted, looking into my eyes. I gave him a small smile and nodded, trying to hide the butterflies that were growing in my stomach.

"Thanks." I nodded. He gave me a small smile before walking off.

Thomas's P.O.V

Thomas sighed as he walked into the shower shack, pulling off his top as he walked. He walked into one of the wooden cubicles and took off the rest of his clothes before pulling down on the lever that tipped the bucket above him and made water start to trickle onto him. He sighed and looked down, one hand against the wall of the cubicle. What was happening to the glade? First, Y/N had been sent in with an unknown key, which must have been two months ago by now, and the box hadn't come back up yet. Then, of course, Ben had just been stung within the glade. Something was going on. Thomas sighed again and hammered his fist against the wooden planks of the wall as he couldn't figure out what the problem was. He had to figure it out. The lives of everyone that he loved depended on it.