The next a Gathering is called so Minho is gone before I get to talk to him. About halfway through the Gathering Alby starts acting weird, causing the Med-jacks to get all bent out of shape. I walk into the room to see whats going on and find a nightmare. Not a literal one, one of the ones that I have been having, but the Alby looks awful. Sweat is pouring off of him and he is thrashing about, almost as if he were trying to fight off some invisible fiend. The Med-jacks are glancing nervously at each other, unsure of what to do. There are ropes tied around Alby's wrists and ankles so that he can't thrash out at anyone. After a few minutes of staring at him he starts to mumble words. Jeff and Clint move forward and lean in close to hear what he is saying. They give each other confused looks and then turn to me.
"He wants to talk to the Greenie." Jeff says.
"The girl or Thomas?" I ask.
"Thomas." Clint tells me.
I take one last glance at Alby before nodding and walking out. As I do, I run into Chuck.
"Oh.. Sorry Echo." He says with a sad look on his face.
"It's fine kid. Can you go get Thomas for me."
"But Thomas is at the Gathering. I'm not allowed in there during a Gathering."
"Well you can tell them that the Med-jacks sent for him. Alby wants to talk to him."
"Alby's awake!?"
"He's been talking about wanting to talk to Thomas. Now go get him."
"Okay." Chuck says before running off.
I duck back into the room and tell the Med-jacks that Chuck is going to get him. Then I go back to Teresa's room and to watch her while Alby talks to Thomas. A few minutes later I hear shouting coming from Alby's room and I run out into the hall to see Newt slamming the door shut.
"What happened?" I ask him
"Alby shucking kicked me out. He only wanted to talk to Thomas."
"He kicked you out?"
"Yeah."
"No way. He trusts you with everything."
"Well apparently not this."
"Wow. Sorry Newt."
"Yeah." He says. We stand there in silence for a minute or two and them we here Thomas screaming inside the room.
"Alby!" Thomas yells Newt and I both turn towards the room. I reach for the door but Newt stops me.
"Hold on." He says.
"Newt!" Thomas screams. "Newt get in here!" Newt flings the door open and rushes in with me on his heals. Alby is inside with his hands wrapped around his throat. Newt grabs Alby's flashing body by the shoulders and yells for Thomas to grab the legs, but Thomas hesitates. I shove Thomas out of the way and put all my weight on his legs in order to avoid getting kicked in the face, or worse, the boobs.
"Let go!" Newt yells, telling me that he is trying to pry Alby's hands off of his throat. "You're bloody killing yourself!"
After a moment or two of Alby thrashing around he finally goes still and is breathing normally. Cautiously, I let go of his legs and look at Thomas.
"Watch him." I tell Thomas as I leave the room. I walk back to Teresa's room, exhausted. When I get to her bedside I collapse into the chair and lean back in it. Before I know it, I'm asleep.
I don't know how long I am asleep, but I wake up when Clint comes in with Newt and Thomas. They start talking, but I don't add much to the conversation.
"Hey, Clint." Newt says. "She surviving?"
"Yeah. She's doing fine, though she talks in her sleep all the time." Clint tells them. "We think that she'll come out of is soon."
"Have you been writing down every word she says?" Newt asks.
Clint looks at me and I nod to tell him that I have. "Most of it is impossible to understand. But yeah, when we can." Clint says.
"Give me an example." Newt says. Now I add my input since I have spent the most time with her.
"Same thing she said when we pulled her out of the box, about stuff changing. Some stuff about the creators and how 'it all has to end'. And umm..." I pause and look at Thomas, unsure if I should say it in front of him.
"It's okay." Newt tells me. "He can hear whatever I hear."
"Okay. Well... I can't make out every word she says, but... She keeps saying his name over and over." I say pointing at Thomas. Thomas's face pales and I feel bad for saying that in front of him.
"Thanks." Newt says. "Get us a report of all that, okay?"
"Will do." Clint says and leaves the room. Newt moves to take a seat and I get up, knowing that Thomas will also want to sit down.
"Pull up a chair." Newt says to Thomas. I take a seat on the bed next to Teresa.
"Anything ring a bell? Anything at all?" Newt asks Thomas. I suddenly have the urge to tell them what her name is and what I have seen in my dreams about her, but I decide that now is not the time. Thomas is quiet for a long time before finally whispering,
"I do know her." This gets Newt's attention.
"What? Who is she?" Newt asks.
"No idea. But something clicked-I know her from somewhere." Thomas says as he rubs his eyes.
"Well, keep bloody thinking-don't lose it. Concentrate." Newt says eagerly. I am just about to tell him to shut up when Thomas beats me to it.
"I'm trying, so shut up." Thomas closes his eyes and gets a strained look on his face. He leans forward in his chair and breaths in deeply. Newt shakes his head and Thomas looks very frustrated. "I just don't-" He pauses and jumps up out of the chair, knocking it over and then spinning around, looking for something.
"What's wrong?" I ask right as Newt asks,
"Did you remember something?"
Thomas looks at the girl. "I..." He pauses and sits back down. "Did one of you two say something before I stood up?"
"No." Newt and I say at he same time.
"Oh. I just thought i heard something... I don't know. Maybe it was in my head. Did... she say anything?"
"Her?" Newt asks. "No. Why? What did you hear?"
Thomas looked afraid "I... I swear I heard a name. Teresa."
My breath gets caught in my throat. "Teresa?" Newt asks. "No, I didn't hear that. Must've sprung loose from your bloody memory blocks! That's her name, Tommy. Teresa. Has to be."
"Newt." I say.
"What?" He asks.
"Her name is Teresa."
"I know. We just figured that out."
"No, I mean, I've known that that is her name for a few days now."
"What? How?"
"I had a dream."
"Another one?"
"Yes."
"What do you mean a dream?" Thomas asks right before he jumps again and looks freaked out.
"What's bloody wrong with you?" Newt asks him.
"She's... She's freaking talking to me. In my head. She just said my name!"
"What?" Newt and I both ask at the same time."
"I swear! I'm... hearing her voice in my head-or something... it's not really a voice..."
"Tommy, sit your butt down. What are you bloody talking about?" Newt asks.
"Newt, I'm serious. It's... Not really a voice... but it is."
He falls silent again. After a few moments of silence he suddenly stands up and runs off. Newt tries to follow, but he's not quick enough. Thomas is long gone before Newt gets out of his chair. I jump up and look out the window to see Thomas run out into the Maze.
"Shit..." I mumble.
"What is it?" Newt asks.
"He's gone."
"What do you mean 'gone'?"
"He ran into the Maze."
"Shit."
"He'll be fine."
"How do you know."
"If he can make it in the Maze over night, the day will be a breeze for that kid. We'll ask him questions when he gets back."
"Right... Good that."