pre-the maze runner
chapter seven

❛❛ i wouldn't mind an amputation, really❜❜

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Poe let out a soft laugh, forcedly, he had an urge where he wanted to let out a peevish groan. Not that Newt was annoying, Poe just knew that the Keeper of Track-hoes doesn't like him, Poe hates how awkward he feels to be in the boy's presence, he imagines that Newt is getting sick of being around him.

Newt looked peevish as he looked at Poe, the boy was pressing a cloth against his palm. His glance turn to Clint, "I don't think stitching is necessary, if you could just give me some gauze, then it'll—"

"Nah man—" Clint shook his head, pat Newt's back to sit down on the bed, "wouldn't want to get that infected, do you?"

"I wouldn't mind an amputation, really" Newt rolled his eyes as he walked by Poe then sat down on the bed.

Jeff chuckled, "Don't be a shuck-head. Besides, this is Greenie's first opportunity to become a Med-jack, isn't it?" Jeff grinned at Poe.

"I don't think I'm good around with blood" Poe shamefully lied.

"Pff!" Jeff scoffed, "Nice try, you spent all morning in the Bloodhouse and Winston told us that you didn't even hesitate to behead a pig"

"Sounds very serial killer of you" Newt commented as he gazed at Poe. He could tell he was being sarcastic.

"Butcher" Poe corrected him, "More of a butchering"

Newt craned his neck as he kept his eyes on Poe. Obviously annoyed. "Alright, Greenie, what do you do?" Jeff asked him.

"Stitching?" Poe guessed.

"You gotta take a look at the wounds before you do anything" Jeff stated, "My fault— I didn't mention that. Go on, take a look" he nodded toward Newt.

It seemed very unnecessary to do so since they already hinted that Newt needs stitches. Poe stood for a moment and showed how very reluctant he was until Newt raised his hand, fisting the cloth against his palm, "Don't be shy" He expressed a halfhearted smile.

Poe let out a deep sigh then approached him. Poe grabbed Newt's hand, his hand relaxed, releasing the grip against the cloth. There was an odd tingle feeling on Poe's skin, he slowly grabbed the cloth, revealing a bloodied gash, he clicked his tongue and said, "It needs stitches"

"No shit" Newt raised his brows, again, there was sarcasm in his tone. He pulled his hand off Poe's hands.

"Okay, Greenie, what next?" Jeff asked.

Poe glanced at him, he shrugged and took a guess, "Get the needle, thread, gauze— etcetera"

Jeff nodded, "Get them ready then"

The Med-jacks just stood and watch Poe. He couldn't believe how his anxiety increased, he wasn't sure why, either that the Med-jacks weren't physically helping him, or it was Newt that Poe was tending. Maybe it was both. He took out a needle, some thread, scissors, gauzes from his med kit and put them on tray. He had the thread into the needle already and got the needle sterilized.

Poe set the tray on the bed beside Newt, then grabbed a high chair and placed it near the bed. Poe washed his hands first before he went to sit down. He exhaled sharply, relaxed himself from trembling, stretched his hands and fingers before he began.

He poured some sterilized water onto Newt's bloodied palm. Poe didn't need to ask him if he was ready and just went with it. He didn't it slowly and carefully. Surprisingly, Newt didn't even complain or never said anything. The boy flinched and winced couple times. Only Clint and Jeff spoke as they watched him, complimenting on how he does, and giving him encouraging words. It was almost difficult as what Jeff told him earlier, when Poe pressed the needle into the skin, the tiny silver object kept slipping through his two sweaty fingers and bit his bottom lip in struggle but somehow he managed.

When he was done stitching, he cleaned off the blood off Newt's hand again before putting bandages on it and wrapped the gauze around his hand then he was done. Poe smiled in the end, feeling proud of himself.

"Good job, Greenie" the Keeper of Med-jacks complimented. "I mean, really great job. I think you had done a lot better than most of the Gladers, that includes Newt"

Newt scoffed, "As I recall, I believe it's the same thing you told me"

"I was trying to be nice" Jeff pat Newt's shoulder, "Anyway, you can come back in few days for new dressing"

"Thanks" Newt grumbled then left the room. Poe wasn't sure if he was thanking him or Jeff. He doubted he was thanking him. It's no surprise, nor disappointing that Newt didn't even saying thanks to Poe.

"Hey—" Clint tapped Poe's shoulder, "good job. You've been far the better Greenie at this since a long time"

"I still pinched myself" Poe rubbed his fingers together.

"Yet, did a lot better"

Poe reluctantly nodded and responded, "Thanks"

Jeff clicked his tongue as he sat down on the same bed, "Must be Newt's bad day today, seemed unusually rude earlier"

"Aye" Clint agreed, "but we all have our bad days here"

He hates me, that's why, Poe wanted to say. Poe find it funny how everyone says that Newt is a kind person meanwhile he isn't when he's around Poe. Newt wasn't the only who isn't fond of him.

When Poe stepped outside, there were Builders working outside near the hut where he stood. His eyes caught Nico ahead, holding a hammer in his hand, looking like he was going to use it on Poe, the older boy stared almost sternly at Poe and there was a hint of a smirk as well. Poe could even see Nico's dark bruise around his eye and a small white bandage on his cheek. The way he stood and the way he looked made him look threatening and intimating. Surely he can't use that dangerous weapon on Poe, they're in the Glade, where there are rules, where they are forced to trust each other and work together. Nico can't harm him or kill him. Poe knows that. He also knows that Nico is not that stupid because if he was, he would've approached him and slam the hammer onto Poe's head. Is Nico really that dangerous and terrible?

Poe flashed a smug then waved at him. The dark haired boy responded with a sneer and his head lightly shaking before joining his co-workers. Poe's smug instantly faded then went back inside the hut.

The rest of the morning, Poe treated two more patients, one was a Builder and the other was a Slicer. The Builder was few years younger than Poe, a wood had fell on his head, made him bleed and all Poe did was stop the bleeding with gauzes. Once the bleeding stopped, he put a bandage on it as Jeff told the boy to never take a nap because he thinks it's a bad idea to take a hit on the head while bleeding. A Slicer who was called Bill had a cut on his arm while he was trying to get a cow into the barn and the cow had pushed him off on accident. Bill fell back onto a small and old table, breaking it, and got himself cut on the arm. Poe just cleaned off the blood before putting on bandages.

When the morning was finished and lunch break was announced. Today's lunch were different kind of sandwiches, a pile of grilled cheese, another chicken sandwiches, last pile bacon sandwiches, enough for every Glader to have two. After every Glader got their lunch and went to the picnic area. Poe grabbed a plate, only a dozen of grilled cheese were left and Poe took two of them.

He found Anton sitting the same spot as this morning, alone and almost miserable. Poe wanted to go sit at the picnic area but at the same time, he didn't want to leave the boy alone. "Hey"

"Hey" Anton looked up at him with a weak smile.

Poe let out a sigh, "Wanna come with to the picnic area?" He asked him.

Anton scrunched his nose as he winced, "I don't know man"

"Come on, I'm sure that— slinthead ain't going to bother you again"

"I cannot hope that" Anton murmured.

"If Nico wants to pick on someone today, I'm sure it's not going to be you" Poe assured, "besides, he's more pissed at me and I think he had lost interest in torturing you again. Now, come on"

Poe motioned him to follow, Anton was hesitant before he decided to follow him. When they arrived the area, Poe made sure Anton doesn't get tripped again and didn't let him walk by the Builders table again. He'd grab him on the shoulders, pull him to walk far from the Builders as they approached the Slicers table.

"Never had a chance say good morning, Poe" Teo said immediately when Poe and Anton sat down. "How come you didn't join us during breakfast, you little snob?"

Poe scoffed, ignored his question and began eating his lunch. "Trials good so far, bean?" Winston asked Poe.

"It's only day two" Poe replied, he was thinking how almost awkward and embarrassing trying out Med-jacks was. Jeff and Clint said he did well and better than most of the Greenies did. "I think I made good impression for Med-jacks"

"Do us a favour and pretend that you're doing awful at the rest of the jobs because we really need another Slicer in the Bloodhouse" Winston begged.

"You and Jeff are going to have a brawl over the Greenbean in the next Gathering" Anton chuckled.

"Hey, he still has lots to do in the next few days" Teo reminded.

When no one spoke for a moment as the Slicers, Poe and Anton were eating until Winston spoke, "I don't think Gally is looking forward into meeting you, Greenie" he was eyeing between Poe's and Anton's shoulders.

Poe shifted his head and gazed back. Glanced toward the Builders table and found Gally, Nico and two other Builders looking at him. "Well—" Poe turned his gaze back to the front, "I did punched his friend so..." he shrugged.

The Slicers and Anton sniggered.

Before Nick announced lunch break was over, he approached Poe first and told him to go to the kitchens where he'll try out for Cooks. Poe was only glad he was trying for Cooks because Anton works there.

While the Gladers were scattering around the picnic area and leaving the area. He was following Anton to the kitchens until he got shoved him, felt a foot against his ankle and fell front.

"Watch it, shank" there was snigger above and saw Nico walking by him. Smirking down at him. There was Newt walking behind Nico, merely glanced down at Poe, eyes furrowed, he said nothing and kept walking.

Poe shook his head, rolled his eyes and got up quickly before Anton noticed him but figured what just happened, "You alright?"

"Yeah, that was nothing" Poe scoffed.

"You're a tough egg, that's for sure" Anton said, "I don't think they'll able to crack you"

Poe gave him a weird look before letting out a soft chuckle. They continued to the kitchens.

Cooking supper would be too soon if they started. So Frypan had Anton and Poe to peel the potatoes while he went to collect the plates from the picnic area and help the Sloppers to wash them.

"You don't like this place much, do you?" Poe asked Anton.

The boy kept slicing off potatoes' skin with a knife. "I don't think anyone likes this place much" the young boy replied. "You spent the entire month within the Glade, this small place without any answers and without memories. You spent the entire month out here doing the same thing over and over every day, and it gets tiring. Imagine that for the next three years"

The routines are the same everyday for the last three years, Poe wondered about Nick, about Alby, about Newt, about Minho, those first batch that arrived from the start. All of their days repeated for the last three years. Poe can imagine how truly tiring that can be, sick and maybe driving them nuts. Yet they show nothing, they show no tiredness or any signs of them being crazy.

"So you don't like this place" Poe guessed.

Anton didn't answer, but Poe thinks he knows the answer. Sooner or later, Poe will get tired as well. Maybe it's the jobs that kept them all sane, all the council and everything in the Glade.

"I don't think anyone likes this place much" Anton answered.

Poe had an odd feeling, like he knows something, more like he believed something. Perhaps maybe because it was the dream he had last night. About a mysterious man's voice telling that how he won't be in the Maze for long. Still find it odd how vivid the dream was.

"I don't think we'll be out here forever" Poe said, after slicing every peel on a potato. "It can't be"

"What makes you say that?" Anton looked at him.

Poe looked ahead, arms rested on his knees, he shrugged then said, "I don't know. Maybe sooner or later, something will happen. Maybe our questions will be answered soon"

"I wouldn't keep my hopes up if I were you" Anton implied and continued slicing off the peels.

Poe stared disappointedly at the boy, "You've only been here for a month and you're telling me you've already given up hoping?"

"It's just—" Anton stopped peeling, "Nick and the rest of the original Gladers have been out here for three years and nothing had happened. No changes. What makes you believe that something will happen sooner or later? Or we'll get out of here one day? Shuck, man, we might be staying out here for another three years and we'll probably all kill each other before we could"

Still, Poe was thinking about that dream. Why was he clinging onto that dream? Like it was the reason why he believed that things will change soon? What if he dreams the same thing again? Would that mean it's a memory? He can't talk about that now, he only dreamed it once, maybe if he dreams the similar thing again, maybe he'll believe they're truly memories then he'll tell Anton about them.

"I just do, man" Poe murmured, "I just do"

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