CHAPTER 16

                                    

                                          
   Oh shuck was I tired. 
                          
Me and Minho had stayed by the cliff in the night, so our backs were protected- and if any grievers came we could attempt the dive-roll trick to get rid of them. Occasionally I felt my eyes drooping and my head falling onto my shoulder but I'd have to shake myself awake. My leg wasn't helping either. The blood had soaked through the gauze, staining the bandage with red patches. I didn't know much about first aid- Clint and Jeff were the pros- but it can't be healthy to lose this much blood. 
                          
"Hanging in there?" Minho asked. I cleared my throat quietly.
                          
"Just about. How are you holding up?" 
                          
"Just tired, I guess. We have about an hour 'til the doors open, so maybe we can survive after all." I looked up, finding the first evidence of sunlight on a morning, the sky a pale grey colour instead of black. We both had a  growing spark of hope that we'd make it back to the glade, but getting our hopes up wasn't something we needed right now.  Please, I thought, please let us live.
                          
***
                          
He'd been expecting them to be there. Sure, he'd definitely gotten his hopes up, but it didn't seem right for them to be gone- they shouldn't be able to die. Yet as the doors had opened no one had been waiting on the other side. Newt walked away slowly, his head hung low, processing the events from last night and now this morning. His best friend, gone. The girl he cared so much for, gone. 
                          
His eyes were burning painfully. No, he couldn't cry here, not infront of them. He was second in command, he was meant to be a role model. What was he meant to do now, that they were gone? 
                          
***
                          
Fortunately the hour passed without interference from a griever, and when the doors were open, it was time to go. Minho helped me up, and we began the long journey back to the glade, me heavily limping still with his support. I was a little worried about the fact I couldn't even feel my leg anymore, but hey, its better than the pain. When we made it to the inner sections, I let out a quiet laugh. Minho turned to me, amused. "What is it?" 
                          
"No one has ever survived a night in here, and here we are about to just walk out. It feels ridiculous, in a way," I explained. "So kinda funny." 
                          
"Yeah, it kinda is," he agreed. "I've never met anyone as brave as you in here, you know. You're tougher than you look, she-bean."
                          
"Thanks for helping with my leg, by the way. You could've just left me but you didn't, and I don't know how I'll ever repay that debt." 
                          
"Don't get all emotional on me," he teased. "And you don't need to repay me. We're gladers, we look out for each other, aight?" I nodded, returning the bright smile he gave me as we rounded a corner that revealed the glade to us. 
                          
I felt the smile drop from my lips when I saw no one waiting for us. Sure, it was a little selfish to expect that, but surely they'd be curious at least. But then I realised- of course, they've lost everyone who was ever stuck out here, what was the point in giving themselves false hope by waiting for us? Minho helped me down the last stone corridor, and we made it past the vast, now-open doors. Everyone was either milling around, or eating breakfast, not having our arrival. 
                          
Minho turned to me, and we grinned at each other, knowing the great surprise we were about to hit give everyone. "Medjacks!" Minho yelled, his voice travelling across the whole glade. Everyone slowly looked in our direction, staring at us in disbelief. "We need the medjacks!" he shouted, even louder. This time everyone reacted straight away, running straight in our direction. Minho still had his arm around me, helping me hobble towards the crowd running towards us. Clint and Jeff I spotted running at the front, but my eyes were searching for someone else. 
                          
It wasn't until I saw the patch of blonde hair that I knew who I'd been looking for. Newt sprinted towards us, at the head of the pack of boys, reaching us first. He immediately pulled us both into a hug, wrapping his arms around us both tightly. Some of the other boys took Minho away from us to greet him, but Newt stayed by me. I could feel something wet dripping onto my neck all of a sudden, and then I realised- Newt was crying. "Hey, it's okay," I said gently, his cries turning into sobs. "I'm here now."
                          
He pulled away, keeping his hands on my shoulders. "I've missed you so much, Em," he admitted, his accent thicker from crying. They were tears of happiness, at least.
                          
"I've missed you too," I told him, hugging him again before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened when I did so, me only smiling cheekily back at him. That's when the exhaustion got to me, and his happiness faded into concern as I went to sit on the floor. 
                          
"Medjacks!" he called. Jeff was next to me the next second. 
                          
"What's going on?" he questioned.
                          
"My leg..." I said quietly. He furrowed his brow, gently peeling up my trouser leg to reveal the blood-soaked bandage. 
                          
"Oh shuck-" he quickly said. "We need to get her to the hut right now."
                          
I was vaguely aware of them attempting to get me to stand up, but my body was refusing to cooperate. I could feel myself slowly losing consciousness, and I ended up snuggling up into Newt for support as my eye lids grew heavy.
                          
"She's gonna blackout." Was that Clint? Then suddenly everything went black and silent.