She pushed the door opened, looking around the Med Jack Hut. She was obviously early, no one was there yet. Man these boys seriously need constant reminders to clean up after themselves. She huffed and got to work, the boys were late today, they told her to be there first thing after breakfast, she was hoping to be cleared today. She was tired of being bored. She had finished tidying up, looked around and sat on the bed waiting. It was quiet in the room. It was bright and sunny outside, promising to be a hot one. She got up to open the curtain to let in the sunshine. She had just touched the fabric when she felt a tickle in the back of her mind. Alex froze. It was the same feeling when she heard Newt's young voice on her first day and during her nightmare when she heard her sister's voice. This time, though, it was more intense. The tickle turned into a sharp sting, and then her head was buzzing, like a vibrating phone.
What the shuck is happening?
Then through the buzzing she heard a fuzzy voice, like a radio that was out of tune.
"...Alex..."
Alex jumped back and yelped. She wiped around, making sure there wasn't anyone behind her trying to prank her. The fuzzy voice came again, a little clearer, she concentrated on hearing the voice in her head.
"Alex..Alex? Can you hear me?"
Alex was now frozen in place, she shut her eyes tight and tilted her head sideways and the voice came through clearer than ever, but still sounding like it was an old out of tune radio
"ALEX!"
The voice yelled loudly in her head. The voice was loud and hurt her ears and head, she could feel a thumping headache forming, Alex focused all her energy on forming the words mentally and threw them back at the garbled voice
"Stop bloody yelling in my head."
"You CAN hear me!"
"Yes..? Wait... I know your voice. I've heard your voice before. SONYA?!"
"YES! Alex! It's me!"
The MedJack room banged open, the buzzing instantly stopped and the fuzzy radio noise was cut off, leaving her head throbbing with an empty feeling. Jeff and Clint had walked in chatting loudly but they stopped when they saw Alex holding her head and tilting it side to side and muttering to herself.
"Uhh Alex..? Clint asked a little nervously. "You ok..?"
Alex dropped her hands, and looked at the boys, a look of confusion and joy mixed on her face. "I'm good, I'm good. Just a uuuhh...a headache. Sorry. I'm ok." She gave the boys a reassuring smile.
No way I'm telling them about a voice in my head.
They looked a little skeptical, but shrugged. "All right Shanket, let's check that concussion and everything else."
Alex sat on the bed while Jeff did a few tests with a little flashlight. Asked her a bunch of questions. He checked her stitches, which were all good to come out. It was an unpleasant experience, but Alex clamping her jaw shut, and didn't make a sound.
"Ok, Alex, I'm sorry, but I need to check those scratches down your chest and torso. I know you're also a Med Jack..and can assess yourself, but as the Keeper, I gotta do my job, I'm sorry. Alby'll throw me off the cliff if I don't." Jeff rubbed the back of his neck, a blush rising on his face. He was stuttering "So, uh, you... you're going to have to umm take your shirt off..."
"Jeff." Alex said matter of fact, "It's a medical examination. Relax you Shank, and do your bloody job."
Jeff relaxed and put on a professional manner after that. There was only one that needed to be recleaned and wrapped, it was the bite mark on her shoulder. She had ripped the scab off when she was learning to shoot yesterday, she didn't even notice.
"Well, I declare you good to go. You will probably have headaches that come and go, if it gets bad enough, go lay down and take some pain meds. Good that?" Alex stood up, slipped her shirt back on with a smile, "Good That! Good timing, because I can see Gally out the window, and he's headed this way and he's looking a little bloody!"
Gally came barging through the door, holding his one hand in the other, there was blood oozing between his fingers and down his arm, dripping onto the floor. "Gally, the shuck did you do man?" Clint asked, Alex had already brought the medical supplies over to the bed, Clint had sat him down.
"One of the dumb shanks thought my hand was a piece of wood and tried to cut it in two!" he growled through the pain.
"All right, try not to move, I know this is going to sting, but you're big and tough. I gotta clean it and most likely stitch it." Gally just nodded, a little pale. Alex took his hand in her lap and got to work, she didn't look up from her work, asking Clint to pass her things when needed. For being Mr Tough Guy he was a big baby when it came to the needle and stitches. Gally kept flinching and pulling away, she couldn't even start stitching.
Alex looked up amused, "Jee Gal, You don't flinch when your hand was stabbed, but when a tiny little needle gets close to you your turn into a big cry baby." Gally glared at her and growled from the back of his throat.
"I don't like needles."
Alex looked at him for a moment, remembering that he was stung, and that this fear probably sprung from that experience. She stopped teasing, and smiled a sympathetic smile, "I'm sorry Gally! It's ok Gal, we are all afraid of something, If we aint scared, we aint human."
"Isn't that Alby's line?" he grunted, not looking at her. Focusing on the floor instead.
"Yup, I picked it up. It makes sense to me, I like it. Reminds me it's ok to not be ok." she replied happily.
Gally just grunted again. He was looking at her, confused. She was right, but no way was he ever going to admit that. He took all feelings and shoved them down deep and then shoved them even further, ignoring them. But here was this tiny little thing, with green and yellow bruising on her face, and human bite marks on her body and she was smiling at him trying to make him feel better. He wasn't exactly kind to her in the last month, but she had earned a small amount of his respect. He had never seen her cry, scared sure, tears forming, ya. But she never let them fall, at least not in front of anyone. So he thought. She was tough, he liked that. She might just be a Warrior Princess and the warm sunshine the Glade needed. He had noticed there were more smiles from the Gladers, even if he never smiled. She was the sun that made everything grow around her. But if he ever said that out loud he would punch you so hard you would forget.
"Hey Gal?" the girl asked quietly, breaking his thoughts off.
"What?" he snapped.
"Will you teach me to wrestle?"
"What, archery isn't good enough for you?" he scoffed.
"Ha ha. The first night when you made me fight you"-
-"I did not MAKE you fight, you chose to!" He said his temper was rising.
"Fine. When you bullied me into fighting, so you could try and humiliate me in front of the Gladers, or possibly head slam my name out of me. Better?" she sassed raising an eyebrow at him, accompanied with a checky grin.
Gally rolled his eyes, exasperated with her.
Alex continued, "That night, it felt like I had done it before, like I have had training. I don't remember it" she added hurriedly because she could sense he was going to ask, "but my muscles seem to. Will you teach me?"
"Why" he asked, no one ever asked to spend extra time with him. He could see her visibly shrink.
"Because..." She said quietly, looking away for a moment, "I don't ever want to be in a situation where I am being taken advantage of. It was humiliating and terrifying."
She looked back up at him, a fire in her eyes, the same fire she had the day they fought in the sand pit. She wasn't going to go down without a fight.
"Teach me to wrestle, Gally." He thought for a moment, she had determination in her. He respected that.
"Fine," he said stubbornly. "BUT. Only if and when I say, as a Keeper, I take that job seriously, that comes first."
Alex nodded, with a smile. "Also, Gal."
He was losing his patience now, and snapped "What now?!"
"You're all finished. I stitched you up while we were talking and you didn't notice."
She was smirking at him, Jeff and Clint were laughing in the back of the room. She was good. The look of surprise on his face made her laugh.
"Talking is a good distraction. Now, keep it clean and dry. Jeff will give you some pain meds and come back tomorrow for a fresh bandage." Gally just nodded, surprised she could district him like that. Gally left and Alex cleaned up her work area.
"Man Shanket, you're going to put us two out of business!" Alex just laughed at the boys.
Her day was full. She was kept so busy she had missed lunch! Now that the boys knew she was back in the Med Hut, they seemed to find any and all ways to hurt themselves. There was a constant stream of boys, some Gladers were just coming to escort their friends. Jeff and Clint were annoyed, but Alex was quite amused.
"You know guys, you don't have to hurt yourselves to come say hi. I'm not going to bite. You can talk to me anytime, right? I'm a regular ol' Glader! Now stop hurting yourselves, I'm running out of band aids!" She told a huge group of builders who all seemed to get splinters all at once and needed a MedJack.
After that the stream of boys tapered off, still a builder and a slicer or two. It was right before supper, when there was a knock on the Med Jack door.
Jeff and Clint had gone down for supper early, promising to bring Alex a plate. She opened the door, she was shocked to see 2 runners standing in the doorway. Minho had a smirk on his face but he was being supported by a very annoyed looking Ben.
"Hey there Sunshine!" Minho said with amusement.
"What happened?" Alex put a hand on her hip and cocked her head. It wasn't like him to get hurt, he was the least clumsy person here and the best runner!
"Tripped." Minho shrugged.
"...Tripped? You?" She pointed at him "Tripped." She was skeptical. "And then you made Ben drag your blood arse back here?" Alex replied with some cheekiness.
There is definitely more to this story.
"Yes, and I hurt my ankle. Will you please help me?" he pouted.
Alex rolled her eyes and opened the door wider and let them in. Ben dumped him on the bed and yelled over his shoulder on his way back out "He's all your Alex. Sorry! And good luck!"
"Thanx Ben." she huffed back sarcastically. She turned to see Minho lying stretched out on the bed, getting comfortable. "What are you doing? You twisted an ankle, not your neck, sit up you shank!"
"But I'm hurt! You should be nicer to me!" He pouted, crossing his arms.
"You know, lying to your doctor is a serious offense."
Alex grabbed some ice and a tenser wrap and sat down at the edge of the bed. "Alright, you big baby, take off the shoe and sock, let's see the damage." Minho did as she asked. Alex frowned, "Minho! Liar liar, pants on fire, you're fine!"
"I'm not! I really did trip! And it really does hurt!"
"Mmm hmm" she hummed, she took his foot in her lap and started to check closer for any swelling or bruising. There was nothing. Maybe a little sore when she asked him to flex it, but definitely not as bad as he was making it out to be. "Minho." she said while she continued working, wrapping his non-existent injury.
"Ya Sunshine?" He was far too happy.
"Did you know I was SO busy today with SO MANY Gladers, who hurt themselves today that I had to miss lunch?"
His eyes went wide in surprise.
"Yup" she popped the p, "It has made me wonder, why of all the days, there was an increase of boo boos and owies the day I'm back at the Med Hut." She looked at him, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
"I had no knowledge of this! No knowledge that all, that the guys knew it was your first day back and last night they all planned to come see you with an injury of some sort." Minho smirked at her, a twinkle in his coffee coloured eyes. "Well Sunshine, I guess we all just missed you so shucking much. And you're the best MedJack there is."
Alex rolled her eyes but a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"All right you shuck-face, all done, the wrap stays on for the day, ice it again tonight. You should be fine to run again in the morning." She got up and turned around to clean up again.
"Good That. You really are a great MedJack!"
He got up from the bed when Alex turned her back, he walked right up behind her, she could feel his warmth radiation from his body. Her heart speed up, and she turned around to face him. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face, he was looking down into her hazel eyes, with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. He could see each freckle on her face. Her stomach did a major backflip.
Get it together Alex! He's your friend...a very attractive friend, with dreamy eyes, and such kissable lips, and that jaw line...shuck me!...but only a friend! Only a...friend? Do I want more than that? Yes! No...maybe? Stop! But look at his eyelashes though...did he always have that dimple.. Oh my goodness, those lips.. wait...what is he doing?
He had taken a small step forwards. She tried to back up, but pumped into the table. She forgot how to breath! He reached up and slowly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, gently trailing his finger tips down her check and neck. leaving a line of electricity burning her skin. His eyes flicked down to her lips. She couldn't help it, her eyes kept glancing at his lips too. Her cheeks flared up instantly. She tried to look away, anywhere but his eyes, his dreamy coffee brown eyes with long eyelashes, and a sly look he was giving her, He was so close, his eyes and lips were the only thing she could see...or wanted to see.
He knows exactly what he's doing to me! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER ALEX!
She swallowed hard. He put a hand under her chin, slowly and gently raised it so she had to look at him. Their faces were so close, his breath was fanning her face.
How does his breath smell like mint?
He whispered in a voice that made Alex's knees go weak "Thanx Sunshine, I feel better already" Alex tried to say something but her voice was stuck in her throat. He was slowly leaning forward, his eyes glanced at her lips again...she just raised up onto her toes. He was leaning down, ever so slowly. She still forgot how to breath. Their lips were so close. Inches.
"Ahh hem! Hope I aint interrupting nothin', Lil Lady. Though you do look AWFULLY busy." Alex ripped her chin from Minho's hand, his warm lips brushed her cheek, they were standing so close. She looked at the doorway, her face bright red, and she was so flustered, her lungs decided panting was how to breath...
Of course it's Frypan! The Glade Gossip. Of course he had to walk in. We almost kissed! The entire Glade is gonna to hear about this! And then rumors will start.. more rumors.. Oh Shuck! Shuck my life! BUT HE ALMOST KISSED ME!
Minho just smirked, and hooked his thumbs into the straps of his runner vest, but didn't move away, he was still standing in her personal space. Alex pushed passed him.
"What do you wan Fry" She asked flustered, she couldn't look Frypan in the eye.
"Well, Jeff said you missed lunch and you were busy again over supper. They saw two runners coming up so I brought you some food, I can see now you really have your hands full..."
He wiggled his eyebrows. He made a huge deal of placing a plate of supper on the table and left with a little spring in his step and closed the door. Alex was positive she heard a squeal.
It was now awkward. Alex couldn't look at Minho anymore without her face turning red, or tripping over her words. She turned to the shelves, her back to him and pretended to be busy with something, anything, hoping he would just disappear so she could melt into the floor and squeal or cry or yell or dance...or something. She heard him walk to the door and stop.
"Alex?"
"Hmm?" She didn't trust her voice right now, so she just hummed.
"Thanx, for patching me up, I really feel better already."
"Mm hmm."
"Alex?"
"Yeah?" she squeaked.
"Maybe we could start your runner training this evening. That is.." his voice slipped a little deeper and raspy, making her stomach explode with butterflies and her legs feel like jello
"If you aren't too busy".
Alex spun around, "Are you serious? Really?" Forgetting all the awkwardness just a moment ago, and jumping up and down. Minho chuckled at how excited she got, he loved her childlike enthusiasm.
"Yup" he popped the P. "Finish your shift, eat some supper and meet me in front of the Map room just after the doors close."
Alex was waiting for Minho with Bark beside her. "All right, there Ms. Warrior Princess, your training begins now, and as of now I am your Keeper, you do everything I say, when I say it and how I say it." Minho said strictly.
"Sir yes Sir, Drill Sergeant Minny" Alex saluted him, with a small smirk. Bark gave a happy woof.
"Alex." Minho was dead serious "I'm absolutely serious. The Maze is no joke, one wrong move and you're done, one wrong turn and you're done, if you stop and hesitate because you're too scared or frozen, you are done. Now, I'm going to be tough on you, I know you can handle it...but do you think you can handle it?"
Alex nodded. She knew Minho took his job seriously, but she was surprised at how serious. Now that she thought about it, he probably had the most dangerous, stressful and important job in the whole Glade, including Alby. Everyone was looking to him to get them out. He was the one risking his life every day to get them out, he gave the guys hope, his stubborn determination kept the whole glade going. She really admired how he handled all that pressure. Or maybe she should be worried, he doesn't really show much of anything besides sass and indifference. He was bound to snap at some point.
Minho continued with more of a lighter tone, "Now. I can not afford to live without my hair gel, so no way in shuck am I going to let anything happen to you. Newt wont have any reason to take it. So we will keep you nice and safe."
"That would be a tragedy, wouldn't it? Hair without body and style.." Alex said sarcastically.
"Sure the shuck would, I'm glad you agree." He clapped his hands "Now. To start off, you can not be running in combat boots, and it just so happens the creators sent up another box for you" He handed her a little crate that had some more clothes, hair ties and running shoes, along with a small digital watch and water bottle. She was already wearing leggings, so she sat down and put on the sleek new running shoes, they fit like a glove-
How did the creators know what size my feet are?
When she had her shoes on and hair up into a pony, Minho got to work right away. He made her jog one slow lap around the whole of Glade. It wasn't so bad, she liked running, it made her feel free and alive. Bark was a good running companion, she kept a steady pace beside Alex. Minho pulled out a stop watch and told her to run it again but he was going to time her this time. She took off as fast as her legs would go, pumping her arms and focusing on steading her breathing. When she rounded the last wall corner and saw Minho, watching the watch, she pushed herself just a little more. Bark keeping pace. She made it back to Minho breathing hard, but not fully winded. Minho didn't look up from the stopwatch.
"Min, you broken?" Alex panted.
"No shucking way! No shucking way you beat me!" He said more to himself than to her.
He looked up and yelled over his shoulder "ALBY COME HERE, I THINK THIS STOPWATCH IS BROKEN!" Alby and Newt came jogging over. Minho showed them the stopwatch, both leaders' eyes went wide and looked from the watch to Alex to Minho. Both Glade Leaders started to laugh.
"Anyone care to tell me what's so funny?" Alex asked her hands on her hips, she stuck a hip out. Newt let out a loud laugh, a deep rumble from his chest, he hadn't laughed like that in a long time. He managed to get out, "You dethroned the king!"
"I'm sorry, I did what now?" Alex asked, confused, looking between Alby's proud dad face, Mama Newt's amused one and Minho's shocked and slightly appalled face. Alby crossed his arms, a proud smile on his face, "You, Shanket, have dethroned the Keeper of the Runners, as the fastest person in the Glade. The only one who ever came close was Newt. According to this stopwatch, you're a full 10 seconds faster than him! Congratulations!"
Alex's face broke into a huge smile, then she started to laugh. She was surprising herself more and more. Archery, wrestling, running, emergency medical training...what did she do before this?
"Well, I do look better in a crown then Min...so, ya." She sassed.
Minho huffed and folded his arms. "I don't believe it, I want a redo."
"Fine. Challenge accepted. But." She said as she straightened up and looked him in the eye. "We race. You and me. In front of the whole Glade, so everyone can see me beat your shuck butt."
"Done." They shook hands.
"Alby, call the Gladers, I have a shuck face to beat." Alex stated.
Ten minutes later, The Gladers were all crowded together, on both sides of the line that ran down the side of the wall. Alex and Minho (and Bark, who didn't want to be left out of a run) were lined up at one end. It was a straight 200 meter sprint. Newt, Gally, Matt and Ben at the other end to see who would win, Alby would send them off.
"ALEX! MINHO! TAKE YOUR MARKERS. ON GO. ONE. TWO. THREE. GO!" Alby hollered for everyone to hear.
Alex took off, her eyes never straying from the finish line. Her fiery golden pony streaming out behind her, she could feel her heart thumping against her ribs, breathing in and out evenly, She could feel Minho beside her. There was no way was she going to let him win! No way! She put her head down and pushed her body harder, faster...
Faster, come on.
She was speeding past Matt and Newt at the finish line.
She didn't stop though, she kept running. Running made her feel free, and feeling free made her feel safe. And safe is something she never truly felt again after Chris's attack. Sure she had moments she felt secure, but never safe. He haunted her in her dreams, she could hear him in her head, sometimes she thought she saw him in the shadows after sunset. If she ran fast enough, she could out run her fears. Right? She ran even harder, beside the stone wall that kept her prisoner. She ran. She could feel the angry hopeless tears falling, and her face heating up, her lungs and legs were burning. She came to one of the corners of the wall and turned, continuing to run. She didn't even slow down when she turned directions. She was gasping for air now, she had pushed herself harder, she wasn't sure if the burning in her lungs was from the tears or the running, probably both. She let out a loud angry broken scream, deep from within and dropped to her knees, panting and crying big angry tears. Bark trotted up beside her, and nudged her face. Alex wrapped her arms around the dog, and buried her face into her neck.
"I'm sorry Bark, I'm sorry!"
She heard footsteps and branches snapping. She stood up and wiped around, ready to fight. She knew Chris was going to come back for her, she always knew. She grabbed a rock from the ground. When he rounded the corner she threw it at his head and ran forward and tackled him to the ground, her fist closed and raised up and she brought it down but he grabbed it, stopping her fist from making contact. She screamed, frustrated, and angry and scared. She tried again, but he wouldn't let go of her wrists. He was bigger and stronger. He wrapped his arm around her back, holding onto her hip and pulled rolling them. He was now on top of her, still holding her wrists tight so she couldn't try and punch him again. His face was only inches from her.
Minho's POV:
He rounded the corner, he had stopped at the finish line a few seconds after Alex had crossed it.
Ya, she was faster.
But she kept running, pushing herself faster than he ever saw her run. Bark was right beside him, looking at him expectantly, she woofed at him and took off after Alex. He hesitated for a moment and then took off after the dog, Newt yelling at him. Minho ran between the wall and Deadhead trees following the sound of Bark and...crying? He was getting closer when he heard a scream. It was so broken, his veins flooded with fear and pushed himself harder. His heart beating faster from exertion and fer. He rounded the corner and saw her. Alex turn around, her hair flying, screaming. She was breathing hard, she had picked up a good sized rock and threw it. Her aim was perfect, but he was fast enough to duck. But he didn't expect her to tackle him. He landed on his back with a small grunt, she was on top of him, in any other circumstance he would have made a sassy remark about it, but he knew something was seriously wrong (not like the rock thrown at his head was normal for her..)when her small fist came up trying to punch him, he caught it, he held onto her wrist as she screamed again.
"Alex?" Minho questioned.
Her eyes were glazed over and distant- unfocused, she wasn't seeing him or hearing him. Panic washed over him, he wrapped his arm around her and flipped her onto her back, pinning her to the ground so she wouldn't hurt herself.
"SUNSHINE! STOP! IT'S ME!" his voice broke at the end.
He risked looking away from Alex quickly "Bark, get Newt. Get Newt!"
The dog took off. He turned back to the girl underneath him, she was still fighting, and screaming. He started talking to her quietly, ignoring the screaming, he was holding her gently but firmly.
"Sunshine, it's me. Stop fighting, you're going to hurt yourself. I don't know what you're seeing, but it's not real. Whatever it is, it's not real. It's me, it's Minho. It's not real. Your safe, your safe.."
His voice cracked again, his eyes felt wet.
"Please, Sunshine. Stop fighting. It's not real."
Her screaming turned into sobbing, she slowly lost the tension in her limbs, going limp. Minho let go of her wrists, and slowly got off of her, scared she would try something again. When she didn't fight back he picked her up and held her close, trying to protect her from whatever she was seeing.
Newt, Frypan, and Alby came crashing through the trees in time to see Alex stop fighting and start sobbing and Newt dropped down beside Minho and Alex. The other two hung back, unsure of what to do, she was fine at the start of the race, no one knew why she didn't stop. Minho looked at Newt, not really caring that he could see the worry, fear and how shaken he was.
"She tried to throw a rock at my face and then tackled me. But it was like she was seeing something else entirely. I don't know man, something was..is wrong. She couldn't hear me or see me! And then all the fight just left her and started crying!"
Newt nodded, rubbing his thumb over his bottom lip, thinking.
"Newt, I think Chris's attack did more psychological damage than we thought! I think, she thought I was Chris... She was trying to fight him, not me."
Newt nodded, that made sense. Alby, and Frypan stepped over and crouched down beside Newt and Minho and the girl, she didn't respond to anything that was going on. Her eyes still glassy and distant.
"Ok, just give her some time, right now. Jeff said he cleared her medically, there is no more physical damage, but I don't shuckin' blame her for losing it. What that slint head did to her was...was..I got no words. He jacked her up. Minho, she didn't actually hurt you?"
Minho shook his head, still too shaken up to make a sarcastic remark about how awesome he is and that one one could ever hurt him.
"No, I'm fine. I was more worried she would hurt herself." He was stroking her hair, and gently rubbing her back.
"Good. Cuz I really didn't want her in the slammer for breaking 'harming another Glader'. Fry, Newt...you guys good with that? No one needs to know she lost it and tried to take out Minho?" The boys nodded.
"Good. Now, she doesn't go anywhere alone. She trusts you guys the most. If you notice anything like that again you find another of us and we will do our best to help her through whatever trauma she's reliving. I'll have to tell Jeff and Clint too."
He got up and walked away to find the MedJacks. Fry got up and with a look of worry still on their faces slowly walked after Alby. Newt and Minho stayed with Alex.
It took some time, but Alex slowly came back to them. Minho didn't want to admit how scared he was, watching her try to fight him because her mind told her he was a threat...that left another crack in his walled up heart. Hearing her broken screams just about shattered it entirely. He wished he could take her pain and hurt onto himself. He would do anything for her. She was broken. But...so was he. And in those broken places that's when the sun can shine through. Lighting up the dark places. He tightened his hold on her, he silently vowed to never leave her. Even if she didn't reciprocate what he felt, he would still do anything to keep her safe.