In which the conditions change

AN: Plot is soldiering ahead!

Guest replies at the end, with notes!

By the next morning, Alby's gone quite deathly still, but his breathing has evened out and it could be my imagination, but it looks like the veins are less angry than they were last night.

Teresa hasn't really left the Medi Tent. She seems more at ease, and I put that down to the stories of better times – as good as they can get, anyway – that Jeff and Clint were telling her when Newt and I returned with supper the night before.

Clint's catching up on sleep while Jeff stacks rolled up bandages on one of the workbenches. It's strangely quiet, given the flurry of activity the Infirmary has been in the past few days.

We all try to get back to work as normal.

With Teresa helping out a bit in the Medi Tent, I spend much of the day in the very welcome fresh air of the animal pens at the Bloodhouse.

It's easy to see everyone's worried, but Lee and Frankie do their best to keep upbeat anyway.

Thomas and Minho left at first light. I haven't seen either of them today.

Hours pass as the sun arcs over the Glade.

We hear the distant sound of walls in the Maze moving all through the afternoon.

I drop off the usual milk and eggs with Frypan in the Kitchen and stick around a bit to help them line up more jars of Gally's brew – far away from the fire this time; we line them out the back of the Kitchen.

Fry's reasoning is that with all the craziness, everyone's likely to want to get a little bit sloshed on the stuff later.

I can't deny that he has a point.

…

With the chores at the Bloodhouse finished, I leave the Kitchen and head for the Medi Tent again to see how Teresa and Alby are both getting on.

"Clint's picking berries," Teresa tells me when I duck around the doorway. She's using a pestle and mortar to grind up some strange concoction as she sits on a stool near Alby's pallet.

He still hasn't moved.

The pulsing veins have receded to half the size, though they can still be seen, mapping his dark skin.

I choose to believe the changes are good ones.

"How is he?" I ask anyway, despite knowing there's probably not much Teresa can say.

Her eyes slide to him; they're bright blue even in the shadow of the hut. Her expression is reserved, calculating, almost.

"The same," she says after a moment. Her hands grind the pestle as she talks. "The Jeff kid said he thinks there's some good signs, but he doesn't know enough to tell."

"And you?" I feel compelled to ask.

Though the truly guarded look has left her eyes, she doesn't look entirely comfortable in herself, sitting here. I don't think it's the stool.

She glances at me; shrugs. "Okay."

And it feels like a fragment of truth.

I'm not sure what to say to her. I get the feeling that she almost doesn't want to talk, to be around anyone, and at the same time, that she needs the opposite. But who am I to decide for her?

So I nod, deciding to leave her be. "Okay, then," I say quietly. Its sounds better in my mind than anything else I could say.

But she calls me back before I leave the doorway.

"Eva, right?" she asks, like she already knows it's true.

I nod, turning back to her.

She is silent a moment, but not hesitant. "Jeff said you'd been here months."

"I have."

"The only one? Only girl, I mean?"

I nod again.

"And you know why they sent you?"

Her questions are frank; she doesn't dance around them. But this one I'm not sure how to answer.

I don't know; not really. Talking to Newt after Justin gave us both theories, but nothing we can prove while we're stuck here, and nothing we wanted to tell the others in case it started more questions or a panic.

"Not really," I say, aware I've hesitated and she might take that as some kind of omission. "I mean, I can try to guess, and we've always got theories, but without really asking someone…"

Thankfully, Teresa just nods, her expression softening a little.

"Yeah," she says, quietly. Her voice is far more delicate when she isn't questioning me. "I get the feeling I'm only ever going to have questions."

"It gets easier," I reply, though I'm not sure she wanted one. "Well, feeling trapped and feeling this blank space where your last life used to be never really goes away; its always there, but it gets easier to live with. And the guys help; everyone's been there."

"They say that I said Thomas' name – before I even really woke up," Teresa says. It comes out like a confession; something she feels vulnerable in admitting. "But I don't remember. I don't even know him; not really. His name is this…this echo, in my mind, but it doesn't have a real voice, or a face or a memory or anything."

This I don't know how to help with.

It never happened to me. I didn't know anything at all for over a day, and when I did, my name was an imprint in my head; solid and rooted as though it had always been, even when I know it wasn't the day before.

I never had the echo of a name that wasn't mine. If any of the boys have, they've never told me.

"But you trust him anyway?" I ask, uncertain.

Even if she doesn't remember him; she recognises his name, allowed him to approach her, and seemed to gravitate to him afterwards.

Teresa looks like she's unsure how to answer. "Maybe. Yes-" she lets out an aggravated breath, stabbing the pestle in to the mortar with a harsh grating sound. Her eyes drop to it, as though she's just remembered it's there. "I feel like I do."

I can't be sure how to understand this, either, but I nod. "Then go with that. I should give Jeff a hand; are you okay watching Alby?"

Teresa nods, blinking to push away her hassled thoughts. "Fine. I'll shout if there's any change. And hey; would you tell them I'm sorry? For the-" she gestures to her face, and I know instantly that she means the injuries she caused when she woke up.

I nod. "I will," I say. "But they get it. Everyone freaks out a bit when they arrive."

"Did you?" she asks, back to frank questions.

"I nearly impaled him," I say, nodding my head at Alby and carefully leaving out the fact that it was more of a defensive reflex than a deliberate thing.

She smiles; a small one in the corner of her mouth, but I feel like this is enough of a conversation for now.

"Yell if you need something," I call over my shoulder, leaving her with her thoughts.

…

But Jeff has breezed through the daily chores by now. Even though Teresa sticks to Alby's bedside, Jeff tells me, she's not complained once about helping to roll bandages, mix up new pastes or count the supplies.

So when Chuck ducks into the hut, looking mildly guilty, I jump on the small task and steer him to a stool.

"What happened?" I ask lightly.

I can see the graze on his knee when he sits down. It doesn't look bad, thankfully, and it will probably be scabbed over by nightfall, but in the Glade, you don't take chances.

Chuck's cheeks flush.

With everything happening in just the last few days, I haven't even thought about the crush he used to have on me. And yet, this rush of colour to his face feels different; more like shame than bashfulness.

"Chuck?" I press lightly.

"I wasn't concentrating," he mumbles, finally looking up at me. "Just…worrying, about Thomas, and Minho, and I tripped."

I feel the prickle of worry in my chest fade away. There are far worse things he could be ashamed about.

"It's okay," I say. "Tim sent you?"

He nods.

I crouch down and quickly dab at the graze, cleaning the broken skin before deciding it's probably best to just let it air.

"It's very shallow," I tell him. "Don't get it dirty for a little bit, okay?"

He nods again.

"And it's okay to worry about Thomas and Minho," I add, figuring its probably this that Tim sent him for, not medical attention.

Chuck looks up. "It's just…its his first real day, you know? And so much bad stuff has happened – Ben…"

The face flashes through my memory and I feel my heart falter.

Not going there yet.

"Ben wasn't the first," I say, my voice coming out tight. "but Thomas is smart, and he's fast. He knows what he's risking and Minho knows what he's doing."

Chuck lets out a breath.

"I know," he says, after a moment. "He's just one of the only Gladers who really talks to me, you know? Like he's got time to be my friend. I mean, most of you guys are great, but I know everyone's busy."

"Everyone can use a friend here," I tell him. I'm a little sorry for Chuck that the person he seems to like the most is either too brave for his own good or has a death wish, but this is still true.

It makes me worry for something I can't pinpoint, though. I'm not the only one concerned by Chuck's age, and now there's the fact that he's formed some attachment to Thomas. Its harder to tell with the older boy, but I'd still say it's a two way street based on the time Thomas is willing to spend with him.

WCKD does everything for a reason, and I did wonder if Chuck being so young was on purpose, too.

Did they intend for him to attach himself to Thomas?

I'm not ready to deal with that question.

"He'll be back," I continue, pushing my thoughts aside. "Just try to focus a little, okay?"

Chuck nods, though his expression is still preoccupied; one I'm learning to recognise on more than a few faces. It's probably even an expression I wear myself. "Yeah," he agrees vaguely.

He hops from the stool, bends forward to inspect his grazed knee and then scurries back up the hut. "Thanks, Eva."

He's gone before I can reply.

…

By the time the light is slowly starting to wane, a crowd of us have gathered around the Doors. Work has basically packed up for the day, as everyone's wondering the same thing.

The noises, far off into the Maze haven't let up all afternoon. Not until five minutes ago.

Good or bad?

But the Doors haven't even started to close – the gust of wind that announces it has yet to come – when Minho and Thomas run into view at the end of the tunnel.

"What the hell's going on out there?" Newt asks as they race up to him.

Murmurs and questions start firing immediately as the group swarms around the two of them, making brisk steps towards Homestead.

"What the hell've you done now, Thomas?" Gally asks, looking more exasperated than truly angry today.

"We've found something. A new passage – we think it could be a way out," Thomas reports. He, Minho and newt walk side by side at the front of the group.

"Really?" Newt asks. There's something like hope in his voice, though he holds it in check.

"It's true," Minho says. "We opened a door to something I've never seen before."

This sounds like big news. But then there's the bombshell.

"We think it must be where the Grievers go during the day."

Oh.

Great.

"Wait, wow, wow, wow-" Chuck interrupts, running up behind them. "You're saying you found the Griever's home?...And you want us to go in?"

"Their way in could be our way out, Chuck," Thomas replies.

And yeah, he has a point.

But…really not loving the idea of it.

My attention gets diverted briefly – Teresa's scanning the field from over by Homestead and when her eyes settle on the group, she starts to jog over.

"Yeah - or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side," Gally says, and his voice cuts through the group. My attention gets dragged away from what might have happened with Alby. "The truth is Thomas doesn't know what he's done – as usual!"

Well…that seems a bit strong, but then again, this is Gally.

But that seems to be just enough for Thomas. He finally blows a fuse and wheels on the Keeper of the Builders. Everyone stops with him – Minho looks ready to back up his new friend and Newt looks a little tired of all the animosity. Still, he ends up planted behind Thomas and he's too smart for that to have been an accident.

They're just getting into it when Teresa catches up.

It takes her a second to break through the argument – she's not comfortable enough yet to outright yell at everyone.

"It's Alby," she says. And that has everyone forgetting the fight in an instant. Thomas and Gally's raised voices die away. "He's awake."

Awake.

Awake doesn't mean sane. But it's also not dead.

So…Good, right?

Newt's eyes jump towards the Medi Tent and he shares a quick look with both Thomas and Minho before they're hurrying off. Gally, Frypan, Clint and Jeff all run after them. Teresa throws me a fleeting look, a single nod, and follows.

"He'll probably need food," Stan says, to my left. "I'll grab some ration packs."

And I'm reminded again that all these boys look up to Alby. They're all scared. They all want him to pull through. I catch up to him – my own fears can wait for the moment.

"I'll help," I say.

And it's worth it when Stan gives me a brave smile.

The sky's growing darker, bringing the night in, as we make it back to the Kitchen together. Some of the Cooks are still there, pulling a steaming pan of vegetable broth from a grill over the fire.

"Where's Fry?" Alex asks, pausing his knife in the middle of cutting up a duck. "Hey, Eva."

Stan gestures behind us. "Alby's awake."

All the boys stop and look around, waiting for the update.

"Fry's gone over to see him with Newt and Gally," Stan continues. "Don't know what the verdict is yet but at least its looking better than it was yesterday. I was going to take some ration packs to him."

"Take a few," Scott calls out.

Stan makes his way to one of the boxes on the far side of the hut. As he leans down to pick up a few of the sealed packs, Zart ducks into the doorway.

"Guys…you should see this. Something's not right."

"What's up?" Stan asks. He stuffs a couple of the ration packs in his pockets as he turns.

"Does it seem dark to you?"

I frown, trying to focus my eyes on what of the sky I can see through the walls. Everything's dim, though the sky isn't truly dark yet. "Sort of."

"The Maze doesn't think so," Zart says.

What?

I feel my eyes widen. Alex drops the knife. We all hurry up to Zart and he swivels around, leading us back outside.

Far across the open field, the Doors stand open.

INFO

1. So this is the 'proper' meeting between Eva and Teresa. Its their first chance to talk to each other alone. And Teresa I always interpreted to be more guarded and cautious with herself than Thomas by a long shot. I kind of got the impression (remembering I hadn't read any of the books at all when I wrote this) that she had some willingness to believe Thomas because she knew his name, and she wanted to know why, but the rest of the boys she wasn't too interested in getting to know. So even if Eva is another girl, I still felt like she'd be wary of her. Their conversation, like Eva's one with Thomas, doesn't really come from a place of friendship; its more that Teresa is trying to scout out her surroundings and the other players, and Eva's seen similar in Thomas, so she just provides the answers without being too bothered. She's aware that Teresa probably doesn't want a friend just yet.

2. The scene between Eva and Chuck is another belatedly added one. Again, I wanted to touch very lightly on Chuck's relationship with Thomas, as there hasn't been too much on that and their dynamic is important for quite a few reasons. Chuck is worried (rightfully so) not just because the job is risky, but because he'll lose a friend; probably his closest one at this stage. And I do feel that Chuck being so young, and therefore more likely to seek a familial connection was a deliberate move on WCKD's part.

3. I always loved some of the expressions you get in that scene where Thomas and Gally round on each other. They tell you a bit, I think.

4. I'm really excited for the next chapter. I had such fun writing it, morbid as that is... And with that...we're almost at the turning point of the story. Hang in there!

No teaser again - don't want to spoil anything more :)

Also - Random - Anyone seen The Internship? Recently watched it and debating a fanfic. Its a bundle of laughs with so much fanfic potential XD

Guest Replies

Guest: Thank you! I'm really glad you're enjoying it! Teresa throwing rocks cracked me up when I first saw the film, but even aside from that, it tells you a lot about who she is, just in the way she is introduced, so I felt it needed to stay the same for her, as well as for some comic relief. And its amazing to hear that you like the depth to the characters. Exploring characterisation and individual development was a huge part of this, so I'm really thrilled you like it on those merits!

Athio: Thank you again! Great to hear you're still enjoying it all. Eva and Teresa's interaction last chapter was fairly brief, yes, but it was less about them and more about the situation. Sometimes characters get to talk with focus on them, and sometimes when they talk, the focus is on plot. This chapter expands more on their dynamic as people, I think. And yes; more of the trio, because it is important, even if its the wrong story to really focus on that.

Honestly, I still haven't read the MR book, so my knowledge of book-Thomas is very limited while I know his movie incarnation much better (and of course I'm familiar with my own interpretation of that version). So I couldn't weigh in too much on the book version, but it would be great to hear all your thoughts on their similarities and differences! Alternate interpretations can be fascinating (I've recently watched The Internship, and discovered this about one of the characters in that).

And I'm glad that moment that Eva puts together this fragment on the Grievers hits you. There's still a lot of things they don't know (coming soon) but they're in a very blind situation where no one's ever seen or heard one of them before until five boys brought back this thing, that's clearly man-made. So for us, its no big deal, but for them - its just an ugly confirmation that someone is doing this on purpose. Glad that really came across and its great that you're enjoying how everything weaves together!

As for the e-mail and why I'm replying here - e-mails don't show up in ff . net. It automatically erases the addresses or URL links and so on. If you can, just drop another review and put your e-mail in with spaces between words or brackets around dots. Also put 'at' instead of the 'a' symbol, and that should let it get through :) I'm more than happy to talk more in depth over that link with you.