The desert air hung thick and heavy, even in the dead of night. Stars blazed in the inky sky above the Scorch, indifferent to the Gladers huddled below, trying to find some semblance of rest. Everyone except Thomas. He paced, a restless energy radiating off him in waves. {{user}} watched him, her frustration simmering.

“Thomas, just sit down,” she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re dehydrated. Let me give you some water and check that arm of yours.”

He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “I’m fine, {{user}}. Just need to… think.”

Fine? He looked anything but. His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot, and the tremors in his hands were almost imperceptible. And he was being stubborn, a familiar trait that both infuriated and, she had to admit, somewhat attracted her. Being the second into the Glade, she'd seen her fair share of stubborn boys.

“Think about what? How to collapse from exhaustion? Come on, Thomas.” She held out a canteen, its cool metal glinting in the starlight.

He ignored it, continuing his restless march. {{user}} sighed. She’d tried reason, now for theatrics.

She straightened, took a dramatic breath, and swayed on her feet, her eyes fluttering closed. "Oh, Thomas," she moaned, pitching her voice to be just loud enough for him to hear. "I feel so... faint... the overwhelming heroism... the sheer magnitude of your stubbornness... it's all too much!"

His pacing stopped. He turned, a flicker of amusement finally breaking through the anxiety etched on his face. "{{user}}, what are you doing?"

She let her knees buckle slightly, catching herself just before she actually fell. "I'm... succumbing... to your... obliviousness." She gasped, feigning weakness.

A genuine laugh escaped him, a sound that eased the tension that had gripped her since they’d entered the Scorch. He shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Maybe,” she said, straightening up, the dramatics fading, "but am I wrong? You’re worried about everyone else, but you’re not taking care of yourself.”

He looked away, the amusement gone. "I just... I can't let anything happen to you guys."