I got this idea when I watched 'House' after reading 'The Hunger Games'. I hope it's not too bad. Reviews welcome :)
I own neither 'The Hunger Games' or 'House M.D'. I just delight in playing with the characters.
Out on the fire escape was the only place you could be certain that no one was listening.
They watched a bird land on the metals steps. And they both wished for just a moment that they could grow wings a fly away. All doctors on this day every year had a similar wish. For today was the Reckoning.
On this day many years ago a hospital was destroyed. The hospital had been destroyed because the Capital wanted to prove a point. The hospital stood up to them. They would not be defeated. Oakmoth used to be a vast, thriving country. It had been a happy vibrant place. That was until a group of scientists had developed a medicine that would cure every ailment. But the Capital had refused to make it freely accessible to the hospitals. So there had been an uprising. Doctors took to the streets to protest, they broke into government buildings trying desperately to find the medicine or even the formula. The hospital that had been destroyed had been the biggest of the hospitals. There had been more doctors and they had caused far more damage than anyone other and had come closer to obtaining the medicine than anyone else. So the hospital had been destroyed to show the other hospitals what the Capital would do to them if they continued to disobey them. Oakmoth was split into 12 districts so they would be easier to control, each with a hospital at its centre. The people who ran the Capital were also the people who owned the hospitals. They limited the medical supplies that went to the hospitals. They limited the medicines and were only given to the hospitals when they were deemed as greatly needing them. The Capital rarely deemed it necessary to give out medicines. The Capital was known to be gruesome to anyone who disobeyed them. District 3 had all medicines withdrawn for two weeks because one of the doctors had been caught buying medicine from another hospital.
Thirteen and Cameron sat watching the bird, trying to not to relive the horrors of the past years. A booming voice scared the bird away. "The Reckoning will begin in thirty minutes." They watched the bird fly away, envious of its ability to escape.
"We could run away you know, we'd survive." Thirteen said. She looked at Cameron, who was sat watching the bird as it landed on the window sill of the building opposite.
"We could. But they'd catch us, just like they caught everyone else," Cameron turned to face Thirteen in time to see the glimmer of hope vanish from her eyes. "Come on we should get inside. We both have work to do before the Reckoning." Thirteen reluctantly followed Cameron away from the fresh air into the claustrophobic feeling corridor of the hospital.
"We need to go to the bank tomorrow." Cameron whispered as they walked down the corridor. When they reached the end of the corridor, Cameron gave Thirteen's shoulder a reassuring squeeze then went the other way, back to the ER. Thirteen collected her stack of paperwork then found a quiet corner in an empty conference room.
She was so engrossed in her paperwork that she didn't notice someone walk into the room.
"Hey Remy!" Thirteen jumped, scattering a pile of completed paperwork onto the floor.
"Hi Amy," she sighed. "As you can see I'm quite busy so make it quick."
"But the games start today. You shouldn't be so stressed."
"Tell me, why shouldn't I be stressed? I have all this paperwork," she waved her hand towards the pile of uncompleted paperwork "to complete before the Reckoning and then I get to spend the next however long watching doctors get slaughtered."
When Hospital 13 had been destroyed, the Capital had devised a "game" to take part every year to remind the other doctors what defying the Capital could do. Ever year two doctors, one male and one female, from each hospital are chosen to battle to the death in an artificially created arena. Only one doctor can win. The prize is a six month supply of the elusive 'cure-all' medicine for that doctor's hospital. Hospital 12 had only won once. Remy Hadley had been nicknamed Thirteen because she was the only doctor to escape from Hospital 13. Thirteen and her sister, Amy, had managed to escape to District 12. Thirteen had replaced the female doctor that had died in the first game. Thirteen had instantly taken a dislike to the games and the Capital. Amy, however had been taken in by the Capital's propaganda and genuinely believed the games were for the best. Both Thirteen and Cameron had seen good doctors and good friends die in the games.
"Could all doctors please assemble for the Reckoning."
Thirteen sighed as she piled up her paperwork. She left a hastily scribbled note on the pile saying she'd be back for it.
The Reckoning was the event where the two doctors would be chosen. All doctors were required to line up outside the hospital. Two lines, one of men and one of women.
Cameron took her place in the line next to Thirteen and quickly reached out and squeezed her hand. Thirteen smiled but otherwise should no response to Cameron's reassuring touch. Cameron watched as the Dean of Medicine took to a podium that had been temporarily erected for this occasion. An army of Capital officials had turned up armed with cameras to film the whole event that would later be replayed, along with the Reckoning in other districts. Cameron kept glancing at two large, clear glass jars that were either side of the Dean. One jar contained the names off all the female staff at the hospital, the other males. But not everyone's name was only in there once. There were certain things you could acquire by entering your name into the Reckoning again. Thirteen had her name entered only once more in exchange for an extra hour lunch break, time she had used to finish paperwork. Cameron had put her name in an extra five times. She'd had her name entered twice just to get a week off work after having worked for a month without a day off. She'd had her name entered three times to get moved from clinic duties to the ER. Cameron's odds did not look good.
Quite a large crowd had gathered to see the Reckoning.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen," the Dean of Medicine trilled "And welcome to the Reckoning. I can see a few new faces so well done to those lucky doctors who have graduated this year. For those of you who don't know me, I am Dr Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine here at Hospital 12."
The Dean of Medicine was the only Capital appointed member of staff at the hospitals. Not only was it their duty to keep the hospitals running smoothly, but they had to guide the chosen doctors through all public appearances before and after the games. Cuddy was supposed to be in favour of the games. But cuddy had spent too much time in Hospital 12. Hospital 12 was known as 'the hospital that cares too much'. The doctors always put the well-being of patients before the well-being of themselves. Close to Hospital 12 is an abandoned medical supplies factory. Here doctors from all hospitals would meet and barter for things their hospitals needed. Often medicines that some hospitals had in abundance would be swapped for medicines that were greatly needed. Some desperate doctors have been known to swap personal items for supplies. Thirteen had swapped her mother's wedding ring for anaesthetics. This market place was known as 'The Bank'. Cuddy herself had once taken the risk and gone to The Bank when the Capital refused to provide the hospital with the correct medicine. She'd gone to the Bank to get medicine to prevent a hospital wide outbreak of legionnaire's disease. Cuddy had started doubting the games and the Capital. Cuddy had started caring too much about the patients. Unlike the Dean of Medicine in every other hospital, Cuddy was on first name basis with every doctor in her hospital.
"Ladies first," Cuddy drew a single name from the first jar "Remy Hadley!"
Thirteen's heart sank and she started to doubt her ability to retain her breakfast. She took a shaky step forward, but a hand caught her wrist. She looked round. Cameron stared resolutely forward. Thirteen was sure she was making eye contact with Cuddy. "I volunteer," she shouted. A murmur travelled through the crowd.
"And who might you be?" Cuddy asked. She knew every member of her staff, and Cameron knew it. In fact it had been Cuddy that had fought the Capital to get Cameron to head of ER with three extra entries instead of four. But Cameron knew she was acting for the cameras.
"Doctor Alison Cameron, head of the ER," Cameron tucked her hands into the pockets of her white coat and instantly exuded an air of confidence "And I volunteer to take the place of Doctor Hadley."