I wait outside with a wide awake Valley. I rock her while I wait right outside the door. After awhile I hear Thomas yelling.

“Alby!” Thomas yells. “Newt!” he screams “Newt, get in here!”

I fling the door open before he can finish his last sentence.

I run to Thomas and hand him Valley then  grab Alby by the shoulders, pushing with his whole body to pin his convulsing body to the bed. “Grab his legs!”

Thomas gently places Valley on the chair out of the way of the convulsing boy  then runs forward, but Alby’s legs kick and flail out, making it impossible to get any closer. His foot hit Thomas in the jaw.

“Just bloody do it!” I yell panicked.

Thomas steels himself, then jumps on top of Alby’s body, grabbing both legs and pinning them to the bed. He wraps his arms around the boy’s thighs and squeezed while I put a knee on one of Alby’s shoulders, then grabs at Alby’s hands, still clasped around his own neck in a chokehold.

“Let go!” I scream as I tug. “You’re bloody killin’ yourself !”

I continue to pull Albys hands until finally inch by inch, I was able to pry them away. I push them tightly against the struggling boy’s chest. Alby’s whole body jerks a couple of times, his midsection thrusting up and away from the bed. Then, slowly, he calms, and a few seconds later he lay still, his breath evening; his eyes glazed over.

Thomas held firm to Alby’s legs. I wait a full minute before I slowly let go of Alby’s hands. Then another minute before I pull my knee back and stand up. Thomas took that as his cue to do the same.

Alby looks up, eyes droopy, as if he was on the edge of slipping into a deep sleep. “I’m sorry, Newt,” he whispers. “Don’t know what happened. It was like … something was controlling my body. I’m sorry….”

I took a deep breath. “Sorries, nothing. You were trying to bloody kill yourself.”

“Wasn’t me, I swear,” Alby murmurs.

I threw my hands up. “What do you mean it wasn’t you?"

“I don’t know…. It … it wasn’t me.” Alby looks just as confused as I felt.

I grab the blankets that had fallen off the bed in Alby’s struggle and pulled them atop the sick boy. “Get your butt to sleep and we’ll talk about it later.” I patt him on the head, then add, “You’re messed up, shank.”

But Alby was already drifting off, nodding slightly as his eyes closed.

I caught Thomas’s gaze and gesture for the door. Thomas quickly grabs Valley and follows.

"Want her back?" He asks gently rocking Valley.

"Sure." I take Valley back as Thomas  follows me out and into the hall. Then, just as they stepped through the doorway, Alby mumbled something from his bed.

Both boys stopped in their tracks. “What?” I ask turning.

Alby opens his eyes for a brief moment, then repeats what he’d said, a little more loudly. “Be careful with the girl.” Then his eyes slid shut.

I gave Thomas a questioning look, but Thomas could only return it with a shrug.

“Let’s go,” I whisper.

“And Newt?” Alby calls again from the bed, not bothering to open his eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Protect the Maps.” Alby rolls over, his back telling them he’d finally finished speaking.

I didn’t think that sounded very good. Not good at all. We  leave the room and softly closed the door.
Thomas follows me as we hurry down the stairs and out of the Homestead into the bright light of mid afternoon. Neither boy said a word for a while. Things just keep getting worse and worse.

“Hungry, Tommy?” I ask when they were outside.

“Hungry? I feel like puking after what I just saw—no, I’m not hungry.”

I grin. “Well, I am, ya shank. Let’s go look for some leftovers from lunch. We need to talk.”

“Somehow I knew you were going to say something like that.” Thomas grumbles.

They made their way directly to the kitchen they were able to get cheese sandwiches,  raw vegetables and a bottle for Valley.

The boys take their lunches to eat outside, and a few minutes later they find themselves at the west wall, looking out at the many work activities going on throughout the Glade, their backs up against a spot of thick ivy. I feed Valley then myself.

“Ever seen that happen before?” Thomas ask after a minute or so.

I look at him “What Alby just did? No. Never. But then again, no one’s ever tried to tell us what they remembered during the Changing. They always refuse. Alby tried to—must be why he went nuts for a while.”

Thomas pauses in the middle of chewing.

“We have to find Gally,” I say through a bite of carrot, changing the subject. “hes gone off and hid somewhere. Soon as we’re done eating, I need to find him and throw his butt in jail.”

“Serious?” Thomas asks shocked.

“That shank threatened to kill you and we have to make bloody sure it never happens again. That shuck-face is gonna pay a heavy price for acting like that—he’s lucky we don’t Banish him. Remember what I told you about order.”

“Yeah.” Thomas says looking down.

“Here’s how it’ll play out, Tommy,” I say. “You’re with me the rest of today—we need to figure things. Tomorrow, the Slammer. Then you’re Minho’s, and I want you to stay away from the other shanks for a while. Got it?”

Thomas nods eagerly. “Sounds beautiful. So Minho’s going to train me?”

“That’s right—you’re a Runner now. Minho’ll teach ya. The Maze, the Maps, everything. Lots to learn. I expect you to work your butt off.”

We sit  in silence, finishing our lunches, until I finally got to what I really wanted to talk about. Crumpling my trash into a ball, I turn and look straight at Thomas.

“Thomas." I begin “I need you to accept something. We’ve heard it too many times now to deny it, and it’s time to discuss it.”