Chapter Text
Minho’s heart dropped.
***
Barely a few minutes ago, he had been tightly pressed against a wall in the homestead beside Gally, both of them holding their breath. Listening. Waiting. The low groans of Grievers were getting closer, and closer.
Gally had fallen silent a long time ago, which was unusual for him. Minho was expecting him to at least complain under his breath, curse or order the others about, but he didn’t. Minho glanced at him and was about to whisper a stupid joke to lighten the mood, when a loud crack ricocheted off the walls.
They both flinched back and Minho found himself pressing his shoulder against Gally’s, as if the physical contact would make all his fears disappear. He looked up to Gally’s face and his breathing hitched. Gally looked terrified.
Not with the same agonising drum of fear that was coursing through every Glader’s heart, but pure, unfiltered terror. Minho knew why. Gally had been face to face with Grievers before- for shucks sake, he had been stung.
“How’re you doing?” Minho murmured, nudging Gally with his leg. They never talked like this usually, but there was a high chance death was around the corner so Minho decided to let go of everything he held against the boy for now.
“M’fine.” Gally grit his teeth and shut his eyes, letting out a low hiss. A loud crash spooked them and the homestead shook. A metal appendage flashed through a window and Minho covered his mouth with his hand to silence himself.
To his surprise, he felt a hand grip his wrist tightly. He didn’t move away. Gally was probably going to cut off his circulation at this point, but shuck it. They were scared, they were just kids. A scream pierced the tense air and both boys shot onto their feet.
Minho took a step towards the sound, his protective instincts over his friends kicking in, but Gally tugged him back, “No.” he said sternly, not meeting Minho’s eyes. “Gally-“ but it was no use arguing. Gally let go of Minho, pushed him towards Thomas, who was also on his feet, then went to the doorway.
“Stay quiet.”
A command.
That was the last time Minho saw Gally for an hour. So, when they met eyes again, Minho seized up.
***
A Griever was stood right outside the window, drawing everyone’s attention, when the homestead door suddenly whipped open. Shrieks burst out, they had been expecting an outburst from the window, not the door. Minho stared over, expecting to see Alby or some dumb shank, but his world crumbled.
It was Gally.
His eyes raged with lunacy, his clothes were torn and filthy, he looked nothing like the boy Minho had been talking to earlier. Gally dropped to his knees and stayed there, his chest heaving with deep, sucking breaths. Minho wanted to reach out, help him up, but Newt put a hand on his shoulder. A warning.
Gally looked like a rabid dog searching the room for someone to bite. No one said a word, it was killing Minho. “They’ll kill you!” Gally screamed, catching everyone off guard, “The Grievers will kill you all- every night till it’s over!”
Minho watched, speechless, as Gally staggered to his feet, dragging his right leg forwards with a heavy limp. He had been stung, it was painfully obvious. All sounds around Minho tuned out as chaos erupted in front of him. Gally was arguing with Thomas and Newt, yelling and accusing as if his life depended on it.
All Minho could focus on was Gally’s face. He still looked scared, but it was as if fury had taken control of him. A bitter coldness gripped Minho’s heart, he didn’t know Gally had actually left the homestead. Why? Why had he gone outside? He needed answers, but the state Gally was in…he was talking nonsense.
“Do you have the serum.” Minho took a step back and whispered to Jeff. The younger boy nodded and patted his bag, “But he looks too sick.”
“Bullshit, he was fine an hour ago. I just need to get closer-“ he yelped as he was pushed. Gally had approached him, shoved him, and bolted to the window.
In a flash, he was tearing at the wooden boards by the window like a trapped animal in a cage. Before anyone could react, he had already disassembled a section of the walls. “Gally no!” Thomas shouted. Newt ran up to the mad boy but Gally swung a wooden board.
It connected with Newt’s head with a sickening crunch and sent him sprawling across the bed. Thomas saw red, and Minho had to hold him back for Gally’s sake. Thomas and Gally had another screaming match, but Minho was too tired with fear to silence them.
The shattering of glass awoke him from being spaced out and a nauseating feeling twisted his gut. He scrambled backwards, and watched as Thomas reached out for Newt to shield him from the explosion of sharp crystals.
A Griever groaned loudly and began squeezing itself through the destroyed wall. Minho was ushered out of the room by an influx of panicked boys, but fought against the tide of bodies. Thomas and Newt were still inside. Minho managed to cling onto the doorframe and pushed himself inside.
The Griever reached out for Newt and the world stilled. Thomas was frozen in fear on the floor, but the sight of the metal appendages trying to snatch up Newt’s unconscious body was enough to propel him into motion. Minho breathed in shakily as Thomas threw himself towards Newt, protecting him with his own body.
The Griever retracted it’s arm but Minho’s shallow hope burnt out the second it redirected its path towards Gally. The builder was still screaming over the sound of breaking wood, and he looked straight at Minho, “No one ever understood what I saw, what the Changing did to me-“
Minho felt tears prick in his eyes and forced them away. He himself had called Gally crazy. It was also his fault Gally had been stung. “-Don’t go back to the real world, Thomas! You don’t…want..to remember!” Gally’s gaze flicked to Thomas, and his eyes were empty, haunting.
And then, he dived into the Griever. Minho didn’t know if he screamed or not, but his voice was raw when he reached the wall, his hand outstretched to grab Gally. The Griever immediately latched onto Gally’s arms and legs, making escape impossible, and it backed away with a horrible squelching sound.
It descended to the ground and Minho felt Thomas by his side, both of them standing at the broken wall. The Griever shot across the Glade, followed by all the others, and Gally’s pained screams rung in everyone’s ears. It was truly sickening, and Thomas clutched his stomach.
He turned and staggered away, but heard shouts and spun back. A lone figure was sprinting through the courtyard from the exit Gally had just taken-
Minho?!
***
Every sensual thought had left Minho’s head from the moment he saw Gally appear at the doorway. He had one goal, get Gally back. All his days of endless running had led up to this moment and he didn’t falter for a second.
He was partly aware of his friends calling out for him but he didn’t care. He needed to make things right, he had caused Gally so much pain..how had he lived with himself all this time? Taking a deep breath, he disappeared into the maze.