Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Minho had been in the safe haven for over a year now with his friends. Things were going smoothly and there was a welcoming community that thrived around them. Over the months, Minho had also gotten closer with certain people, one of them being Gally.

They had endured a rough past but with tiring hours of therapy for both their mental and physical injuries, they had become diligent with each others company. This meant that Minho was caught off guard when he noticed the boy acting differently one evening.

“Hey…are you feeling okay?” Minho nudged Gally’s leg as they sat together on the floor, watching the rest of the haven celebrating with a bonfire from the sidelines. Gally nodded but his face was scrunched up in thought.

“Don’t try acting all ‘tough guy’ on me Gal, what’s up?” Minho watched him with an amused expression.

Gally sighed and rubbed a hand over his chest absentmindedly, “Uhm, I’m not too sure to be honest. I think I’m just tired.”

He didn’t look away from the festivities in front of him and a frown remained prominent on his face, causing Minho to not feel satisfied with the answer he had been given.

“Are you sure? Is something on your mind? Do you feel well-“

“Minho.” Gally murmured, his voice low but kind. He finally looked at Minho, his eyes full of exhaustion.

Minho shut his mouth but smiled, “If you say so.”

The boys went back to silence, though Minho wasn’t fully content with Gally’s words. Still, he didn’t want to sound pushy so he kept his concerns to himself. He wasn’t surprised when he felt a weight slump against him a few minutes later, Gally’s head resting on his shoulder.

“Gally?” Minho mumbled. There was no response so he shrugged his shoulder slightly, bobbing Gally’s head up and down, “Are you sleeping?” No response again. Minho sat there for a while longer, not wanting to disturb Gally. If the guy was tired, Minho was going to let him sleep.

The bonfire was eventually extinguished and Minho found himself still sat down in the dark. “Minho.” Thomas approached him from behind, his eyes briefly flicking over Gally with a hint of confusion.

“Need something Thomas?” Minho yawned, squinting up his friend.

Thomas shook his head but a smile quirked at his lips, “I was wondering if you were gonna come to our hut tonight but you seem rather comfortable down there.”

Thomas turned to go and Minho exhaled deeply, “Why’d you have to roommate with me, you’re so nosy.” He said it quietly, but loud enough so Thomas could hear.

Thomas chuckled lightly and spun back to face him, stuffing his hands into his pockets, “It was you who asked to share a cabin with me dumbass. But…are you coming or not?”

“Give me a minute.”
Thomas nodded, walked away and Minho gently shook Gally, “C’mon man, wake up.” He grumbled, feeling rather tired himself.

Gally groaned and his eyes flickered open, “Huh..?” He mumbled sleepily, sitting upright.

Minho took his chance to stretch and jumped up, extending a hand out to Gally, “If you’re so tired then I think it’ll be beneficial for you to sleep in an actual bed.” Minho rolled his eyes as Gally came to his senses.

“Oh…right.” Gally accepted Minho’s hand and shakily got to his feet.

Minho paused, not letting go of him, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re trembling-“

“I’ve already said yes like ten times. I’m fine, Minho.” Gally huffed, blinking lazily. Minho went quiet but kept a firm grip on Gally’s hand.

Without another word, he started pulling the taller boy along, winding down dirt paths and arriving at the recently developed housing area. “I can go from here.” Gally said as he trailed behind Minho.

Minho smiled sheepishly, “Yeah, right..sorry.”

He quickly let go of Gally’s hand and patted him on the shoulder. “Go straight to bed, okay?”

“Yes mum.” Gally snorted sarcastically. Minho gave him a light shove before parting ways and waving goodbye.

***

Gally wasn’t there at breakfast.
Minho groaned internally, had the boy stayed up too late and overslept?

After finishing his food, Minho hunted down Frypan, “Morning Fry, is Gally alright?” He asked casually. Frypan and Gally were roommates, just like how Thomas and Minho were, so he was the first person Minho went to.

Frypan just shrugged, stirring some pasta in a pot, “I woke him up but he said he wanted five more minutes. Has he still not shown up?”

Minho frowned, “I haven’t seen him…I’ll take him up some food.” He picked up a full plate from Frypan’s counter, thanked the chef, then headed to Gally’s hut.

“Gally..” he chirped in a singsong voice as he opened the door.

A raspy “Go away.” was the only sound that followed. Minho laughed to himself and entered the cabin. Straight away, he saw Gally huddled underneath a pile of blankets, which made him slightly uneasy.

“It’s not winter anymore shank, you don’t need that many blankets…Gally..?” Minho frowned as he crept towards the boy, clasping the plate of food he was carrying tightly in his hands. Gally’s face was barely visible, but he looked a lot more pale than the day before and he had large eyebags.

Carefully, Minho placed down the food on Gally’s side table and perched on the edge of his bed, “Uh, are you…are you sick? Do you want me to take you to the med-jack hut?”

“…No.” Gally whined and rolled over, burying himself further in his cocoon of blankets.

Minho chewed on the inside of his cheek, unsure of what to do. “Can you at least eat something? I brought over some food.”

“I’m not hungry. I appreciate it though.” Gally’s voice was hoarse and Minho felt a strong sense of protectiveness wash over him. Why? He wasn’t sure.

“Gal you’re obviously not well, so let me check on you, okay?” Minho softly pulled Gally’s shoulder so he was laying on his back. Gally went to protest but Minho shook his head, “I don’t care what you say, I’m not leaving here until I’m sure you won’t drop dead. Now, sit up for me..”

Minho ignored Gally’s complaints and ushered him to remove the blankets and sit. Gally muttered intelligibly the whole time and Minho had to resist the urge to shout or make a snarky remark. Once Gally was sat up and stabilised, Minho put his hand on the boys forehead, feeling for his temperature. Gally felt a bit too warm and Minho sighed.

“You might have a fever, I need to take you down to the med hut.” Minho rambled as his hand stayed rested on Gally’s forehead.

Gally watched him curiously, studying his face, “Why’re you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Y’know, trying to..help me. That’s not like you.” Gally mumbled.

Minho put on a fake scowl, “Are you saying that I’m an uncaring person usually?”

“Oh shut up. You get what I mean.” Gally wrinkled his nose.

Minho gave him a brief smile before focusing back on his condition. “So, you heard me slinthead, eat something then move your arse.”

Minho went to pull Gally up and he reluctantly complied, but he was even more unbalanced on his feet than the night before. “Shuck,” Minho quickly put an arm around Gally, “try not to fall and take me with you.”

“You’re the one who’s forcing me to move.” Gally snapped back.

Minho ignored Gally and let go of him as he reached for the plate of food. However, Gally stumbled backwards slightly, “I’m not hungry. Please don’t make me eat..”
Minho looked at him, confused, but then saw that the boy’s face had taken on a greenish tinge.

“Okay, okay, let’s get you over to some med..doctors then.” Minho gave Gally a small smile and walked to the door. Gally swallowed, put a hand on his chest, and followed. Minho only then noticed that Gally was in the same clothes as yesterday, “Did you fall asleep without changing?” He asked slowly.

Gally hummed, “Yeah…I kinda passed out before I could get myself ready. I’ll change later though..”
The walk to the medical hut was short but Minho had to walk at a snail’s pace so he could keep in pace with Gally.

When they eventually got there, Minho was surprised to see Vince working alongside the medics this day, and he happily greeted him.

“Hey kid, what can we do for you?” The older man nodded.

Minho jabbed a finger at Gally, “He’s a bit unwell so I dragged him out of bed for a checkup. What’re you doing here?”
Minho saw a range of emotions cross Vince’s face, worry, relief, then pity.

“Alright then, head through there and Harriet will get you sorted. Oh, and I’ve been…talking with other camps like ours, trying to reach out for more medical supplies. You know how it is.”

“Yeah, thanks Vince.” The boys said happily in unison and followed his instructions.

“What was that about?” Gally whispered.

Minho hesitated, “Huh?”

“Vince’s mood changed like five times in three seconds.” 

“Oh… well I think he got scared you had the flare, then remembered you’re immune. And then he felt sorry for you because you look like shit.”

“Wow, thanks.” Gally scoffed.

“Hey guys, need some help?” Harriet smiled at them as they entered a small section of the medical tent.

“Gally’s got a cold or something, is there anything you can give him?”

“Maybe, do you want to sit down?” She gestured to a couple of chairs and the boys obliged.

“Right, I’m gonna listen to your heartbeat, then your breathing, okay?”

“Alright.” Gally mumbled.

Harriet pulled up a stool in front of him, “Could you take off your shirt please? I’ll put my stethoscope on your back, okay?”

“Mhm.” Gally groggily pulled his jumper and top over his head, revealing his body.

Minho’s mouth went dry and he tried not to stare but failed. He told himself he was just looking at the star shaped scar that he had inflicted all those months ago over Gally’s chest, but his eyes involuntarily roamed his friend’s body. Gally met his eyes and raised an eyebrow, causing Minho to quickly look to the floor.

Harriet didn’t see the interaction and only had her eyes on Gally’s back, sliding the bell of the stethoscope against Gally’s skin and listening intently. She chewed her lip, “Heart rate seems to be a bit fast…” she then moved the bell to the centre of his back.

An unreadable expression crossed her and she paused for a minute, “You’re breathing strangely, have you had any past chest trauma?”

Gally chuckled slightly and turned around so Harriet could see the large gash over his torso. “Oh my, what happened?” She looked concerned and immediately seized a clipboard from her desk.

“I got a lung puncture a while back. It healed up but I’m one lung down now.” Gally shrugged as Harriet assessed his injury. Minho felt a guilt like never before in that moment and he stared blankly at his feet in shame.

He was the reason Gally was hurt. He was the reason Gally almost died. He was the reason Gally was ‘breathing strangely’. However…
As Harriet pulled away and made some rushed notes, Gally hesitantly put his hand on Minho’s knee.

It wasn’t much, just a simple gesture, but Minho looked up into Gally’s eyes and felt like he could breathe again. “It wasn’t your fault.” Gally mouthed. Minho gave him a lopsided, thankful smile. He had needed to hear that from Gally himself, not just Frypan and Thomas.

“Okay, I’m going to listen again, hold still.” Harriet went back to checking Gally’s breathing, a little more relaxed. “Hm..you could possibly be suffering from a bad cold at the moment, a light fever too. I think the best thing for it is to rest up for a few days. I’ll ask Vince for antibiotics.”

Gally nodded along, squinting his eyes as he focused on Harriet’s words. Minho let his tense shoulders drop as he soaked in the news, Gally was alright. “I told you it’s nothing.” Gally smirked.

Minho waved him off, “You looked like you were dying, don’t blame me for worrying about you.”

Minho stretched and looked to the side, admiring the room, but he felt Gally’s eyes linger on him for a few moments longer. After Gally put his clothes back on, the boys thanked Harriet and left. As soon as Gally was back on his feet, he seemed to feel ill again but he brushed off Minho’s concerns.

They went back to Gally and Frypan’s cabin and Minho sent Gally back to bed. “Get some sleep and we’ll see how you feel in a few hours.”

“Sure..” Gally slumped down onto his bed, then put a hand on his cheek. “Is it just me or is it boiling in here?” He smiled weakly.

“Just you.” Minho frowned, “Take off a few layers and lie on top of the blankets, that should help a bit. Do you want some water?” Minho leant in the doorway, already feeling himself fretting about Gally once more.

“Minho..” Gally stopped him before he could begin rambling again, “I’ll be okay.” His voice was a lot more soothing and gentle than earlier, giving Minho a spark of hope.

“Okay. I’ll see you later.” Minho nodded and backed out. Gally watched him leave, something close to fondness smoothing over his features.

***

Minho worked most days alongside Gally with the builders. There was always something to do, whether that meant a new building or a lose pipe in the shower block. With Gally bedridden for the meantime, Minho found himself worrying about the boy.

Why did he care so much? Sure, him and Gally were friends, but Thomas had suffered an annoying cough a few months back and he hadn’t panicked this much. Did he not like Thomas as much as Gally anymore? No, that wasn’t it…

Minho put his thoughts aside for now. He couldn’t get distracted, he was supposed to be putting together some plant beds today, which meant working with hammers and nails. “You seem quite air headed today.” Vince commented as he handed out water and refreshments to the builders.

“Hm.” Minho grunted.

Vince’s light demeanour then shifted slightly and he cleared his throat, “Minho can I..talk to you?”

“Uhm..okay.” 
Vince strolled off and Minho scrambled to catch up with him, “What do you need?”

“How’s Gally doing?” He started off simple.

Minho felt uneasy but answered anyways, “He’s okay, Harriet said he’s just got a cold, no biggie.” 

“Right..” Vince stroked his chin, “we have a slight problem.”

“..Like what?”

Vince sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I talked to Harriet and we’ve almost completely run out of basic medicine. There’s no paracetamol, no antibiotics, just an assortment of pain medication. But it’s not useful for illnesses.”

Minho swallowed thickly, “So…?”

“So, you’ve got to fucking pray that Gally doesn’t get any worse or he’s screwed.”

“Oh.”

That was all Minho could get out, but his head started reeling. He couldn’t think that- Gally was fine. It was just a cold. Minho still wanted to pray though, to whatever gods he could think of, if Gally got worse…

For shucks sake, Gally was already having trouble breathing because of Minho. If he got hurt further then Minho wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.
“Snap out of it-“
Minho shook his head and stared at Vince who was shaking his shoulders.

“Thought I’d lost you for a minute. Sorry if I scared you kid.” Vince exhaled and stepped back, running a hand through his hair.

Minho concealed his shaking fists by putting them in his pockets, “I’m gonna go and check on him.”

“..Alright. Sorry again, I’m just really stressed.”

The two men stood awkwardly facing each other before Minho nodded, turned and rushed away. They seriously had nothing? No medicine? A dark sensation consumed him, his gut was telling him to hurry. Minho jogged through the haven before coming to a halt outside Gally’s hut.

Catching his breath, he slowly cracked the door open. He had seen Gally only a few hours ago, and yet the boy seemed sickly again. He was sprawled out on top of his bed, only in a pair of shorts. “Gally..” Minho murmured as he shut the door behind him.

Minho stumbled over to the bed and crouched down, “Gally?” He whispered next to the boys ear. The sleeping boy scrunched his face up and grumbled. Minho calmed himself and looked at Gally’s bare chest. Rising, falling. It was going to be okay.

Minho wiped Gally’s newly grown out hair out of his face delicately. The blonde’s eyes opened slightly and he watched Minho silently. “…Hey.” Minho moved his hand to Gally’s shoulder, now unsure of what to do. “How are you feeling?”

Gally shut his eyes again and gave Minho’s wrist a weak squeeze, “Worse.” He whispered. That was the answer Minho had been dreading.

Minho sucked in a breath and tried to conceal his worries, “Okay…well it always has to get worse to get better eh?”

Gally sniffled, “I guess.” Minho slowly pulled away and sat on the floor beside the bed, leaning his back against Gally’s side table. “Don’t you have work to do?” Gally mumbled.

Minho huffed with amusement, “Maybe.”

“Pfft, using me as an excuse to slack off huh?”

Minho smiled to himself, Gally was still acting normal.

“I might..” Gally went to sit up but gripped his head and groaned.

“Hey, hey,” Minho quickly sprung up and put a hand on the boys chest, pushing Gally back down, “easy there.”

“..I might go take a shower. That might make me feel better.” Gally said quietly. Minho kept his hand on Gally’s chest for a while longer as their eyes locked. He could feel his friends heart hammering underneath his palm, it was comforting.

“Minho?” Gally whispered shallowly.

Minho moved away and looked down at Gally, “Yeah. You go do that.” He stood to the side as Gally hauled himself out of bed, taking brief pauses so he didn’t fall over. “Will you be okay?” Minho gathered some clean clothes and a towel for Gally as the boy held onto the wall for support.

“Mhm.” Gally blinked a few times and grabbed a random shirt to throw on.

Minho smiled sadly and handed Gally his stuff. “Okay. Be careful.”

“Yeah, yeah, I will.” Gally hummed and walked to the door. Minho watched him go and felt slightly better than before.

Gally was fine. He just had to keep telling himself that.

***

Minho paced back and forth as Thomas stared at him, “You’ve got to calm down.” He frowned.

Minho ignored him and pushed his hair out of his eyes, “Gally went out over an hour ago and I don’t wanna seem like a creep but I’m worried.”

“He won’t think you’re creepy. Just go look for him or something.” Thomas shrugged.

Minho glanced at him, “You sure?”

“Yeah.”
Minho stood still for a moment before listening to Thomas and rushing to look for Gally.

He rechecked his cabin on the way before heading to the shower block. Every step felt like wading through water and his nerves were frazzled. What Vince had told him had put him on edge and now just the thought of Gally not being well made him anxious.

He got to the shower block and entered, checking to see if anyone was around. “Gally?” He called. There was no response. “..Gally?” He said again and walked down a small corridor. A row of shower cubicles were lined up and Minho saw the end was was locked.

“Hey, Gal- are you in there?” Minho nervously approached the door. There was a quiet drum of water echoing around and Minho listened intently for any sound of life. A rustle confirmed his thoughts and the stall door unlocked with a loud click.

Minho nudged the door open slightly and froze when he saw Gally lean against the wall and sink to the ground. He had wrapped the towel around his waist but his clothes were sprawled over the floor and soaked with water. Gally hissed and clutched his head, causing Minho to snap out of his daze.

“Fuck, Gally- what happened?” Minho dropped down and wiped Gally’s wet hair out of his face.

“I..I thought that I’d feel better after a shower..but, shuck..” he grumbled shakily, “I think I’m gonna pass out.” 

“No, no stay with me, okay?”

Minho took Gally’s hand in his own and spoke to him calmly, trying to keep him awake, “Did you fall?” 

“No…I just couldn’t breathe and..and I panicked.” He nodded towards the clothes on the floor and Minho’s heart started to race.

“I’m going to go get help okay?”

Minho went to get up but heard Gally groan in protest, “Don’t leave..” he lifted his head and stared sadly at Minho. Minho swallowed, torn. Slowly, he went back over to Gally and sat beside him.

Another pang of guilt hit Minho. He recalled when they left Gally to die as they escaped the maze. Gally had never brought it up or talked about it, but Minho could see the pain behind his eyes whenever the maze was mentioned- and that same pain was clouding Gally’s thoughts in this very moment.

Gally started seeing black dots cloud his vision and his eyes began to close. “Gally? Gal- you’ve gotta stay awake,” Minho rubbed his arms as he spoke, trying to tether the boy away from sleep.

“I’m trying here.” Gally huffed. Minho knelt down facing him and anxiously glanced to the clothes on the floor.

“Could you, uhm, get some pants on under that towel?” Minho mumbled. Gally whispered some profanities but pulled his boxers towards him with his foot. Minho turned away, facing the cubicle door.

He heard a lazy chortle behind him, “You don’t have to do that y’know.” Gally murmured.

Minho tensed, “Do what..?”

“Turn away, I don’t mind.” Gally smirked.

Minho swallowed and kept his eyes trained ahead of him, “Sure.” His heart was hammering in his chest for some reason but he knew that Gally was only messing with him.

“ ‘M done.” Gally mumbled after a few moments.

Minho turned back and crouched, putting Gally’s arm over his shoulders, “Okay, I’m gonna pull you up, alright?”

“Huh..” Gally’s head lolled as Minho pulled him to his feet. Minho grunted, Gally was resting all of his weight on him.

“C’mon, I need you to use your legs.” Minho leant against the wall as he adjusted his hold on Gally. Then, Gally whimpered and his body went slack. Minho staggered to the side and held Gally up, “Gally? Gally wake up!” Panic set in and Minho held Gally up by his arms.

“Minho?” A voice echoed down the hall, accompanied by hurried footsteps. Thomas. “Shit, what happened?” Thomas grabbed Gally’s shoulder to steady him and stared at the blonde boy, who had become pale and was wheezing.

“He just passed out!” Minho groaned.

***

And so the boys found themselves in Gally and Frypan’s hut, everyone gathered around as some doctors studied Gally’s condition. “What’s wrong with him?” Frypan frowned as he watched his roommate sprawled out on his bed in a cold sweat.

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait until the doctors tell us what’s up.” Brenda sighed and took his hand to comfort him.

“How are you feeling, Min?” Thomas said quietly and sat beside him on Frypan’s bed. Minho stared at Gally and didn’t respond.

“Leave him hermano.” Jorge muttered and put a hand on Thomas’s shoulder, guiding him away from Minho.

“I’m worried about them.” Thomas whispered once they were out of earshot.

Jorge nodded sadly, “I know, I’m anxious too. Just don’t fret, it’ll be okay.”

“But you can’t promise that.” Minho hissed. Thomas and Jorge flinched and saw the boy glaring at them. “Minho..”

“We’ve already lost Newt!” Minho cut Thomas off, “I can’t lose Gally now, I won’t, but don’t be all high and mighty and tell us that he’s gonna be fine-“

“Minho!” Brenda shouted, “Shut it!” She flicked her gaze between the boys with a scowl, “Everyone is scared now, so don’t be dicks about it. Hey, Vince?” She then called over the older man, “How’s Gally doing?”

Vince wrung his hands, “I’m gonna be honest with you all, not good.”

“Is there something we can do? Any medicine?” Frypan blurted out.

Minho stood and clenched his fists, “No. There’s no shucking medicine left.”

“What?” Jorge and Brenda said in a confused unison.

“He’s right.” Vince grumbled, “We’ve got to go out and find more, Gally’s not the only vulnerable one to common illnesses here.”

“Go out?” Minho questioned.

“Go out. Explore. Find places that could have medicines left behind.”

“Vince, that means facing the flare again. That’s not safe.” Jorge spoke up.

Vince shifted his weight from foot to foot, “I know. But, it’s a risk I’m willing to take. If we go, sure there’s a chance someone gets hurt, but we have Thomas now. And if he don’t do anything? Gally could die.”

“I’m not a lab rat.” Thomas suddenly slammed his foot down, making everyone jump. He had been silent since Minho brought up Newt and he now had red, puffy eyes. In one motion, he scanned everyone’s faces and turned away, “I’ll pack my stuff. We’re gonna go get some shuck medicine.”

An awkward quiet settled over the group, Thomas rarely expressed anger. Minho knew it was his fault but he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to go and apologise, “Roger that.” He grit his teeth and slowly filed out after Thomas.

“If they’re going, then I am.” Brenda folded her arms.

Jorge nodded at her, “I’ll give the Berg a checkup and get sorted then.” 

“I’ll go-“ Frypan added but Vince shook his head.

“We need you here. Not only as our main chef, but with both me and Jorge gone- it means we need an authority figure here.”

Frypan shut his mouth and frowned. He wanted to help Gally, they had been close since the Glade, but he knew Vince was right. “Okay.” He said quietly.

The next day, Minho woke up hours before dawn. He had barely slept a wink, with nightmares smothering and paralysing him with fear. Groggily, he peeled himself out of bed and washed his face before getting dressed.

Thomas woke up a few minutes later and started getting himself ready too. The boys didn’t share a word, still feeling tense about what had happened yesterday. Once they were packed and prepared, they left their hut.

Thomas headed straight to the beach where boats were stationed awaiting them, but Minho took a detour. Quietly, so he didn’t wake Frypan, Minho crept into Gally’s hut and crouched down beside his bed. “Morning Gally.” He whispered.

His words felt heavy and he took Gally’s frail hand in his own. “I’m gonna be out on a trip for a while, so hold on. You better not die on me shank- or I’ll kill you.” He managed a weak smile and leant down, planting a soft kiss of Gally’s forehead.

“Bye mate.” Minho sighed sadly, let go of Gally’s hand, and left the hut.

“There you are!” Brenda grinned when she saw Minho approaching.

Minho rolled his eyes at her, “You seem eager to go on this trip.”

She shrugged, “Well, it’s just like the old times eh? A bit of adventure and fun.” 

But it wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t like the old times. Because Newt was with them back then. Minho kept his thoughts to himself and glanced over at Thomas.

He really needed to apologise.

***

Chapter Text

They were all loaded onto two separate rowboats. Minho, Jorge and Brenda on one, Vince and Thomas on the other. The plan was to sail out to Vince’s ship where Jorge’s berg was parked, then fly out to the outskirts of society.

Minho clutched his backpack to his chest as the cold, early morning wind whipped at his face. Frozen sea foam sprayed his back and he slowed his breathing as best he could. Jorge was steering with some oars and Brenda worked the boat’s small engine.

Once they made it to the ship, Vince hooked their boats up for safety and they all scrambled onboard. Jorge was pleased to be back on his craft and sighed contentedly as he sat in his pilot’s chair. Minho saw Thomas sat on the floor in the corner and quietly slumped down next to him.

They kept silent as the engines started and the berg rose into the sky, but Minho tried to grasp the correct words to say. “I’m…I’m sorry.” He mumbled.

Thomas didn’t look at him, “Hm?” 

“Y’know, about what I said. Newt, I just…miss him.” Minho hugged his knees.

Thomas paused but stretched out and offered a smile to Minho, “Same. Sorry for shouting though. I hadn’t thought of him for a while until that, so I felt a bit lost.”
Minho smiled back at Thomas and the conversation was left at that.

They were both still grieving their friend, and Minho knew that it was likely going to stay like that for a while, but no matter what- they had each other.

The ride on the berg took a couple of hours, and Minho felt numb the entire time. His mind kept twisting itself back to Gally, no matter what he tried to think about. Now they were off the island, how was he to know if Gally got even worse? If Gally woke up? If Gally…

No, he wasn’t going to think about that. “We’re all set guys, leave your bags behind and take weapons. We don’t know what’s out there.” Vince announced, strolling into the hanger where Thomas, Minho and Brenda were sat.

They all obliged, standing up and holding guns they had picked up tightly. Worry now filled Minho’s head again, he had no clue what they were about to face. His body seized up as the berg door opened, but he saw Gally in his minds eye and that was enough to get himself moving.

The stark contrast between the gloomy inside of the berg and the bright sky outside made Minho briefly think of the Scorch, had Jorge taken them back there? After his eyes adjusted, he concluded that wasn’t the case.

They had arrived in what could’ve once been a grand city. Minho peered around, a sense of awe came to him. “One mile south east.” Jorge came out of the berg last, holding some kind of pocket-size electrical device.

He took the lead, Vince matching his stride, and Minho followed after them. An eerie silence descended over them as they walked, their footsteps the only sound for miles. Vince spoke first, “We’re going to an abandoned hospital, so there’s a good chance we’ll run into some cranks.”

Minho blood ran cold just thinking about seeing a crank. A horrible image of Newt flickered to life in his mind and he glanced at Thomas. His friend had a stone cold expression, which only made the situation more chilling. They walked for half an hour, stopping every now and again to scout around for danger.

“Couldn’t we of parked the berg closer?” Thomas grumbled eventually.

Jorge shook his head, “If there’s cranks here, we need stealth on our side.” 

“And a quick getaway.” Brenda muttered.

A smile quirked at Minho’s lips, Jorge was now glaring at Brenda exasperatedly, his eyes saying “Please not now.”

“That building.” Vince suddenly stopped and pointed to a tall, ashy grey building.

“Looks charming.” Minho crossed his arms and studied the hospital. It had been vandalised, with words like ‘Killers’ and ‘Save us!’ plastered over the once white walls.

“Better get going then.” Thomas marched ahead. Vince and Jorge shared a nervous look, then followed.

“Well don’t just stand there, we need to save your boyfriend.” Brenda grinned and elbowed Minho.

“Okay I’m coming…wait,” Minho stumbled after Brenda as she jogged away, “he’s not my boyfriend!”

“Door’s stuck.” Thomas grumbled as he tried the handle.

Brenda scoffed at him, “Dude, there’s literally a hole in the wall there.” She shook her head, concealing a laugh, and slipped into the crevice. Thomas turned red and muttered something about “not seeing it” before following.

Once everyone was inside, Jorge pulled out a torch and shone it around cautiously. Vince pulled him over to a sign, “It says there’s medicine stored on floor three.” He then spun around to the others, “Where are the stairs?”

***

“Someone sedate me please.” Minho groaned as they walked up the almost endless staircase.

Thomas swatted him, “You were a runner for three years- yet can’t go up some stairs?”

“Shut it Thomas,” Minho shoved him and looked around, “Finally, the door.”

He reached for it but hesitated. “Did anyone else hear that?” He whispered.

Vince frowned, “Hear what?”

“Never mind.” Minho bit his lip and swung the door open. Dark corridors spewed out in front of them. Automatically, everyone turned to Vince for directions.

“This way.” He sighed and took the lead, brandishing a pistol tightly in his hands. As they strolled through the creepy building, Minho stared around curiously. He could see some murals that had stared peeling off the walls and trash, plants and dirt all littered the floor. Minho crouched down, picking up an old teddy bear off the floor.

“Minho..” Thomas smiled sadly at him. Minho nodded and waited for Thomas to turn back around. He then slipped the bear into the small satchel he had. Up ahead, Vince found the room they were looking for and surveyed it with Jorge.

“Aha.” Vince beamed, relieved, as he found a stash of different antibiotics. Jorge flew to his side and together, they filled up two sacks with different medicines.

Thomas and Brenda stood outside the door and were having a hushed conversation when Brenda straightened up and glanced around, “Did you hear that?”

Thomas tilted his head to the side, “No..?”

“I’m probably just tired then..”

She smiled awkwardly but Thomas didn’t look convinced, “But, Minho said the same thing…what are you hearing?”

“It’s nothing-“

“Damn it, what is that sound?” Thomas suddenly whipped around and flicked his eyes around their surroundings.

Minho heard the sound again, a high pitched whistle followed by a few clicks. It was closer now and Minho shuffled over to Thomas and Brenda, “Cranks.” He mumbled. Thomas took a step back and pushed Brenda into the room Jorge and Vince where in.

“Guys!” She hissed, “We can hear cranks.”

The two older men immediately stopped what they were doing and listened intently, “Shit..closer than I thought.” Vince chewed the inside of his cheek, “Well we’ve got enough stuff to hopefully last another couple years. We can just come back here in the future, I don’t want to come face to face with a crank just yet.”

He gestured to Jorge and they left the room, going back down the corridor towards the stairs. Thomas, Minho and Brenda trailed nervously after them, each of them holding onto their weapons tightly. However, when Vince got back to the stairwell door, he froze. “It’s locked. Did..did any of you lock this?”

Everyone stared at each other, “No.”

“Someone’s been here, Jorge hold the bags.” Vince shoved the bags of medicine into Jorge’s arms and yanked his knife out of his belt. As he stared picking the lock, more whistles echoed around them. Closer. Louder. Minho and Thomas subconsciously took a stance in front of everyone else.

“Done-“ Vince huffed but he was cut off.

A slimy, scratchy voice sounded from down the hall, “Noses?”

“Who’s there?” Thomas wielded his gun and pointed ahead.

Minho swallowed and stood beside Thomas, “It’s definitely a Crank.”

“I know that, I just can’t see it.” Thomas clicked his tongue.

“Get in here.” Thomas and Minho were yanked backwards into the stairwell by Brenda and the door slammed in front of them. Vince relocked it the best he could but as he stepped away, a face slammed itself against a panel of glass on the door.

Everyone yelped and shifted away, watching the door with scared expressions.

A crank smiled at them with a wicked glint in its eyes. “Noses.” It mouthed.

Minho grabbed Thomas and Brenda’s arms, “We’re leaving, let’s go.” He dragged them forwards for a few moments until they found their feet. Vince and Jorge took up the rear and they all kept close together, moving as one.

The stairs seemed to go on for longer despite the fact they were now going down and Minho felt restless. “We still need to search the ground floor.” Vince stopped them once they eventually left the stairs.

“What? Why- it’s dangerous here.” Thomas fidgeted with his gun anxiously.

“There’s bandages, fresh clothes and other stuff down the hall.” Vince nodded at them to follow him and he set off into the darkness, Jorge’s flashlight dancing over the walls. Grudgingly, Minho obliged. No one dared to talk any more than they needed to. Seeing the crank upstairs had really dampened the morale.

Vince took turn after turn, as if he knew the place like the back of his hand, then hesitated by a door, “This is new.” He said quietly. Thomas looked at Minho quizzically, and Minho just shrugged. Entering a room, everyone stood huddled near each other for protection.

“Here.” Vince ducked down and started pulling things out of drawers, “Storage room. Though I don’t know why there’s a door on it-“

“Have you been here before?” Brenda said cautiously.

Vince sighed, “I used to work here, before the solar flares- I was a doctor. Cool eh?” He grinned but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Vince and Jorge were filling another bag with supplies when a low moan came from the corner of the room. They instantly flew backwards and Jorge pointed the light in that direction. To everyone’s horror, a mutilated looking Crank was curled up in the corner.

“The door, is b’cause me…locked away..poor me.” It sung to itself quietly. Thomas raised his gun, ready to fire if something happened. Everyone held their breath as the undead being slowly pulled it’s face out of its hands and looked at them.

A few events flew by in a blurry motion. The crank stared directly at Thomas and Minho saw his friend break inside- the crank was a boy with short, blonde hair. He looked so much like Newt it hurt, but Minho knew it wasn’t him.

Thomas faltered, almost dropping his gun, and the crank pounced at him with a wild yawp. Minho acted before he could think, shooting it three times. Every bullet ricocheted through its skull with a sickening crunch. For a few minutes, everyone stood in a deep silence.

Thomas held on to his gun tightly and Minho could see his shoulders shaking in the dark. The Crank slumped to the floor, dead. Vince cleared his throat and went back to filing through cabinets as if nothing had happened. Brenda nudged Minho and whispered to him, “Take Thomas outside.”

***

A cold breeze wafted over the boys as they sat outside the hospital. Thomas wouldn’t say a word, despite Minho’s many attempts at cheering him up. Desolate buildings stood around them and Minho stared at the sky with a sigh. He just wanted to see Gally.

“Get moving guys.” A voice called to them. Minho found himself relax when he saw Brenda, Vince and Jorge approaching. Minho and Thomas were handed large bags to carry and everyone walked back to the berg. Being midday now, the sun began to beat harder down on them.

Minho panted with every step, it was like the Scorch all over again. Brenda muttered different curses on one side of him and Thomas stared ahead blankly on the other. Vince and Jorge chatted away ahead casually and were calm until Minho shrieked slightly. A figure loomed a few hundred yards ahead and he was the first to see it.

“What?” Jorge turned to him. Minho could only point. When Vince saw the figure, he raised his gun and continued walked forwards. The figure was another crank, and it stood in the centre of the road they were trekking down, staring mindlessly at the sky.

“Just walk past it.” Vince bared his teeth and kept his eyes trained on the zombie. Strangely, as everyone shuffled past it, the crank didn’t move. It was as if they were completely invisible. “Odd.” Vince scratched his head and began walking behind everyone.

They made it back to the berg by two o’clock and Vince organised the medicines whilst everyone sat around, hiding from the afternoon sun. “I brought lunches.” Jorge grinned and held up a few paper bags. Minho and Thomas’s eyes lit up and they smiled as the food was handed out.

“Frypan’s curtesy.” Jorge bowed his head and opened his own bag of food. Minho savoured every bite of his chicken sandwich, it tasted like home. Thomas seemed a little less on edge than earlier which was also good.

Once everyone had calmed from the adrenaline rushes they’d received earlier, Jorge began to drive the berg. Minho sat anxiously and stared out of a small window. It had only been a day, but he was worried sick about Gally. Would he be okay?

Well they had an abundance of medicine now, so Gally would get treated when they got back. Minho calmed his nerves and allowed himself to close his eyes, he needed some rest after the long day he had endured.

“Shit.” Jorge broke the quiet peace that had filled the berg.

Everyone had gathered in the cockpit and Thomas shifted, “What’s wrong?”

“Storm.” Jorge grit his teeth, “It’s not safe for us to fly back to the island in this weather, we’ll have to park up somewhere and wait for the weather to clear up.”

Minho got to his senses as he slowly woke up. He hadn’t noticed the berg swaying slightly and his heart dropped. Not only was he going to have to wait even longer to see Gally, but thunder had started rumbling outside. Still, no one protested as Jorge lowered the berg to the ground. They all needed some sleep.

After an hour or two sitting curled up on the floor, Minho stood and stretched. Everyone else had already fallen asleep so he took a seat in the copilot chair and looked out the window blankly. Dark clouds had fogged up the sky and heavy rain beat down on every inch of ground Minho could see.

A tremor ran down his spine when he heard another low growl of thunder. This time, it was accompanied by a crash and a blinding flash of light. Minho gripped his collar as phantom pains consumed him. He pictured the Scorch and how he had been caught in that solar storm-

Everything went cold and Minho’s hearing left him. Black dots clouded his vision and he almost forgot how to breathe but he sensed someone in front of him, “..inho? Minho..” Thomas was holding his forearms and staring at him worriedly. Minho quickly inhaled deeply and wiped away tears he didn’t remember shedding.

“It’s okay, it’s okay..” Thomas mumbled and glanced around.

His eyes fell onto Jorge who got to his feet and stumbled over, “What’s up kid?”

“Nothing.” Minho spluttered and stuffed his shaking hands into his pockets.

Jorge looked out the window and Minho saw his eyes widen. “No- no damn it, Vince?” He dropped down and shook Vince awake.

Vince groaned, “Fuck, what?”

“There’s lightning.”

Minho had never seen Vince move so quickly.

The man gathered a few of their belongings and began ushering everyone out of the berg. “Huh?” Brenda yawned as she was hauled to her feet by Jorge.

“Solar storm. Bergs can attract lightning.” Jorge muttered. Minho seized up and his knees failed him.

Thomas managed to catch him before he hit the ground and he frantically called for someone to help. Minho could really remember what happened after, but he could recall getting carried off of the berg and being sheltered underneath Thomas’s coat once outside.

Minho sat up slowly, blinking rapidly. A soft light lit up the world around him and he felt a head on his arm. Daytime. How long had he slept for? Minho went to get up but saw Thomas sleeping on his elbow and paused. “Morning sleepyhead.” Brenda smiled at him.

“Uh, morning? What happened?” Minho laid back down, staring at the blue sky overhead.

Brenda sighed and flicked a rock across the ground. “There was a storm and you totally freaked out. We got you off the berg but not even a minute later, it got bit by lightning. It’s lucky we’re all still here.”

Brenda said the words so casually that Minho second guessed what he was hearing, but when he saw Vince and Jorge cursing and fixing up things on the berg, he held back a sob. Partly from fear about what had happened, paddy from relief that no one had been hurt.

Then a crushing feeling overwhelmed. “We need to hurry.” Minho bolted upright, shaking Thomas awake.

“Hu-Minho what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Thomas put a hand on Minho’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

“Gally..” Minho choked, “We’re gonna have to wait longer to see him- what if he gets..worse.”

Sleep and nerves came down upon Minho and he desperately fought back a whimper of despair. Brenda put a hand on his knee, tethering him back to the real world, “He’ll be okay. I mean, c’mon- Gally’s one of the toughest guys I know. If someone’s not going down without a fight, it’s him.”

“But-“

“He’s still gonna be there when we get back, Minho.” Thomas said gently.

Minho reluctantly nodded and drew his knees up to his chest tightly. “What time is it?” He whispered.

Thomas checked his watch and smiled sheepishly, “Uhm..five.”

“…In the afternoon?”

Thomas wrung his hands, “Yeah.”

“Oh god..it’s been almost two days away now- and have Vince and Jorge been working all day? Do we have any food-“ Minho found himself panicking but a wave of calmness washed over him.

He saw Gally in front of him, “Minho..” he laughed and shook his head.

Minho rubbed his eyes and Gally vanished, replaced by Thomas and Brenda looking over him nervously. “Finally!” As if on cue, Jorge whooped and called over to everyone, “I reset the last plug, we should be good to go now! C’mon- we’ve got a friend to save.

Minho didn’t have to be asked twice. He launched himself on to the berg, followed swiftly by Thomas and Brenda, and they all occupied themselves by windows. Home, they were going home.

***

Minho stared at the dark blue waters below as they crossed the ocean. Thomas and Brenda had taken up playing a word game with Vince to pass the time, but Minho wasn’t interested. Despite the fact they were so close to home now, he was worried about Gally.

Was Gally okay? He had no clue. He didn’t even know if he was still breathing-
No, he couldn’t think like that. Gally was going to be okay, he had to be. “The ship is in sight hermanos.” Vince shouted from the cockpit. Minho got up instantly and dragged himself to the cockpit.

“You feeling better today?” Jorge said when he noticed Minho’s presence.

“Something like that.” Minho mumbled and slumped into the chair beside Jorge. He could see Vince’s ship in the horizon, it was a welcoming sight. In no time at all, they were descending on to it and grabbing everything they had scavenged.

Vince set up the row boats and helped everyone down before jumping on. This time, everyone was crammed on to one boat and they pulled along the other, which was filled with their new supplies. Minho could see the shoreline and almost cried for joy. He was so close to Gally now.

Vince and Jorge took it in turns to row the boat, inching towards the beach. Minho was the first one off the boat when they got close enough to the island. He leapt off, water splashing over his trousers, and began dragging the boat forwards. “Minho! Give Gally three pills from one of the orange bottles!” Vince shouted to him.

Minho’s runner instincts kicked in and he rummaged through the supply bags. Once he found an orange bottle, he ran. He ran, and ran, and ran. He didn’t stop to say hello to Sonya, he didn’t spare a glance at Aris, he kept running.

He was vaguely aware of Thomas and Brenda on his heels and they only encouraged him to go faster. Left, right, right again- Gally burst into Gally’s hut, scaring the shit out Frypan. Minho searched the room with his eyes- Gally wasn’t there. Before he could ask, Frypan read his mind.

“They took him to the med hut!”

Minho bolted towards the medical building, nausea building up inside of him. Frypan had joined their run and was explaining to Brenda what had happened just out of Minho’s earshot. Once he got to the med hut, he ducked and weaved past people. “Harriet?” He yelled.

The girl jumped up, “Minho? Have you got any medicine with you-“

She was cut off as Minho chucked a bottle at her, “Vince said three pills!”
Harriet ran to Gally’s room and Minho followed hot on her heels. When he got inside, the sight broke his heart.

Gally was laid out on a cot under thick blankets, he was barely breathing. His skin had changed to an unhealthy shade of white and a wet rag was plastered over his forehead. Harriet was fast, Minho barely saw her administer the medicine. But he saw Gally swallow and groan slightly.

“Shuck..” Minho breathed shakily, adrenaline slipping away from him. His legs now in pain, he stumbled to Gally’s beside and dropped to his knees next to the boy. Gally had slipped back into a pained sleep and Harriet backed away, scribbling down some things on a clipboard.

That evening, Vince got all the new supplies organised with Thomas and Brenda’s help, whilst Minho knelt unmoving beside Gally. Minho folded his arms on the mattress and rested his head on them. He was close enough to hear Gally breathe, and he could occasionally feel the brush of air against his hair as Gally exhaled.

Slowly, Minho put his hand on Gally’s wrist. A shallow pulse rattled under the skin, but it was still their.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Minho sighed to himself as a stray tear streaked down his face. He had been so frightened that he would come back to see Gally dead.

Rustling broke Minho out of a fragile sleep. “Hm?” A small grunt. Minho’s head shot up an he locked eyes with Gally. The blonde boy was watching him with a faint smile, “Minho..?”

“Gally.” Minho choked out a half laugh, half sob, and yanked Gally into a hug.

“Woah-“ Gally chuckled, “You’re gonna kill me.”

“I hate you.” Minho sniffled and squeezed Gally tighter.

Gally patted his back with a weak hand and Minho quickly pulled away, “Sorry- I..did I hurt you?”

Concern smothered the joy Minho was feeling and he held Gally at an arms length. “Nope.” Gally hummed and rubbed his head, “I feel like shit.”

“Not surprised. You look like shit.”

“You said that the other day, invent some new insults asshole.” Gally smirked.

Minho gasped, “I went through hell, and you have the audacity to call me an asshole?” 

“Huh?” Gally frowned with confusion.

“Oh..” Minho had forgotten Gally had no idea what had happened.

“What happened?” Gally said quietly. Minho rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Me and a couple others left the island to go get medicine.” 

“What?” Gally sat up and Minho quickly hushed him.

“Calm it, you’re not well.” Minho pushed Gally down gently.  

Gally grabbed his arm, “What do you mean- you left the island? Did you see cranks? That was a stupid idea.” Gally scowled.

Minho sat on the edge of the bed, “Well we got enough medicine for a couple years so I think it was worthwhile.” He shrugged.

Gally relaxed into the mattress, “I guess.” The boys went quiet and Minho fidgeted with his sleeve. He had no idea what to talk about now, and Gally needed rest. “Minho.” A small voice came from beside him.

Minho looked down at Gally, “Mhm?”

“You look tired.” Gally huffed. He didn’t use the words as an insult, he seemed to be genuinely worried about Minho. Before Minho could say he was fine, Gally shuffled over on the bed, “Lay down for a bit, it’ll do you some good.”

Minho must’ve gawked like an idiot because Gally laughed softly, “I don’t bite y’know.” 

“Shut up.” Minho grumbled, but he didn’t shy away. With a yawn, he laid down next to Gally and turned on to his side. As his eyes shut, he felt the duvet get pulled over him.

***

Minho stretched his arms and squinted his eyes. He was briefly perplexed- where was he? But a collection of memories flooded into his mind and he smiled happily. Then, he realised there were a pair of arms around him. “Gally?” Minho murmured, half asleep.

Gally didn’t stir and Minho felt his heart skip a beat. Gally was…spooning him. Strangely, he didn’t mind it. Making the most of the early morning, Minho melted into the touch and went back to sleep.

When he woke up next, Gally had moved slightly. His arms, which were around Minho’s chest earlier had shifted down to his waist. Minho could feel Gally’s breaths tickling his neck and he twisted his head slightly to see the boy. “Morning.” Gally smiled lazily.

Minho’s lips quirked into a grin, “Didn’t know you were a cuddler.”

“I’m full of surprises.” Gally shrugged, not taking his eyes off of Minho’s. Minho turned to face him and they laid in silence for a while, just looking at each other. “Tell me..” Gally hummed, moving some of Minho’s hair out of his face, “what kind of adventure did you go on then?”