She pushed the door of theMed Jack Hut open. 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 okay." 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 MedJack..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 had put on a professional manner after that. He kicked Clint out, and made him stand infront of the door making sure no one came barging in when Alex had no shirt on. And she was thankful for their extra care. She slid her shirt off, and Jeff unwound all the bandages.. 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. Alex stood up, slipped her shirt back on with a smile

"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?"

"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!"

Jeff opened the door, allowing CLint and Gally inside the MedHut. Gally was 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 at him amused, "Jee Gal, you don't flinch when your hand was stabbed, but when a tiny little needle gets close to you you 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! 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 cheeky 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 the two out of business!" Clint chuckled. 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 scolded 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. When 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! She glanced at Ben, an eyebrow raised. He shrugged and rolled his eyes.

"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, still laying flat on the bed.

"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, I'm pretty sure every single boy had come through here, even the sloppers, all claiming they 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 at 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. "I guess we all just missed you so shucking much Sunshine. 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, and walked up behind her. She could feel his warmth radiating from his body. Her heart sped up. 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. She could see every single dark eyelash, and light brown fleck in his dark brown eyes. 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 jawline...shuck me!...but only a friend! Only a...friend? Do I want more than that? Yes! No...maybe?  Absa-shucken-lutly I want more! 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 breathe! He reached up and slowly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, gently trailing his fingertips down her cheek 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, excruciatingly 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 "Thanks Sunshine, I feel better already" Alex tried to say something but her voice was stuck in her throat. Her eyes were frozen on his, she was mesmerized. 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 breathe. Their lips were so close. She could feel the warmth of his lips on hers.

"Ahh hem! Hope I ain't 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 breathe...

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 rumours will start.. more rumours.. Oh Shuck! Shuck my life! BUT HE ALMOST KISSED ME! Don't squeal. Hold it together! 

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 past 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. Alex 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 felt 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."

********************************************

Shuck it Frypan! They were so close...