Title: The Angel of District 12
Summary: Posy Hawthorne's life is on the line and Madge Undersee knows exactly what to do about it. GalexMadge. Oneshot. Set in District 12
Rating: K (mentions rape, but that's it)
She could tell by the way he dragged his feet through the dirt streets of town. His shoulders- usually pin-straight and tall as can be- sagged. His head hung towards his chest and his fingers were clenched into tight fists. Word on the street was that little Posy Hawthorne could be gone any day now, what with the flu and empty stomachs that seem to be taking Seam lives rapidly. Her dad says it is one of the worst viruses District 12 has ever seen and can wipe out families if not treated immediately. Posy was too late. That's what everyone was saying, right?
Madge knew that she had to do something.
She slid off the forest-green cushion of the window seat and took one more glance at Gale Hawthorne's retreating figure. She ran as fast as her short legs could down the mahogany staircase and across the cream carpet of her parlor, swinging the front door wide open. She caught up to him just as he was crossing into the Seam.
"Gale," she said, regaining her breath,
"What do you want, Undersee?" She noticed how hollow his faced looked. He wouldn't meet her eyes as they talked.
"You tell Posy to keep fighting, okay? Tell her not to give up."
Gale snorted at her and finally looked at her with sad eyes while saying," She doesn't have any fight left in her. Why don't you run back to your daddy and away from the scary Seam. Wouldn't want the precious princess of 12 to catch a little flu, now would we?"
"Oh cut it out, Gale. Just stop with the Seam/Town thing for once in your life. I am going to do something about her. Mark my words, Gale Hawthorne!" Madge glared at him right in the eyes and turned around, strutting back to the square with her head held high.
Just wait and see, Hawthorne, she thought to herself. She was going to find a way to save her.
"Now Mama, you have got to listen to me. I have a favor to ask and I need you to get Daddy to agree, okay? You need to tell him that I need to get the shot from the Capitol for that illness that everyone's got. Tell him I need it now and that I will do his laundry for the rest of my life to pay him back if I have to. I'll do anything, Mama! I need that shot... real bad, okay?"
Madge was relentless. She begged for her mother, Maybelle, to get the medicine from her father. It was the only thing that could save the poor girl's life. After an hour of compromising, Madge rose from the side of her mother's bed and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving the bedroom.
"Madge, this better be one special boy if I'm going to do this," her mother in a serious tone.
She turned around and looked towards her mother," Oh Mama, he's one of a kind. I plan on marrying that boy, I just have to get him to talk to me first," she replied. Her mother chuckled at her.
"I don't doubt it, honey," she winked.
Madge closed the door and went back into her bedroom. She laid down on her bed and waited.
It was two days since her father agreed to call the Capitol hospital and buy the medicine. It turns out that she would need to do her both of her parent's laundry for as long as they lived (and that would only pay for a fourth of the cost). That night at sunset, she waited at the train station for the new deliveries. Two young men unloaded the single train car's supplies. One of the boys handed her a small white box with a red cross on it. On the underside, there was a message written in black, messy ink. Give shot in right arm, below the shoulder. Works faster with food in the system. Madge's lips turned upwards in a smile some would say was brighter than the sun itself.
She ran the whole way home and weaved between men and women occupying the Town on a busy Saturday evening. Once she reached her house, she got a large straw basket and filled it with tea, frozen meat, fruit, greens, and as many cookies she could find. She wrapped the basket in a small blanket, wary of the men she would pass that could possibly steal. Once she had the medicine and basket, she ran across the border between bright white houses and dusty gray shacks until she found the lone house on the corner, closest to the woods. It had a broken tire swing hanging from a browning tree in the front lawn accompanied by more dirt than grass. She opened the rusted gate and knocked on the door.
Hazelle Hawthorne opened the door slowly. She had a crease between her brow and the friendly woman's bright eyes looked lifeless.
"Madge, what brings you here?"
"I have something for Posy. I got some medicine for her and I brought along some food. Enough for everyone." Hazelle eyed the blanket and Madge took it off of the handle. The older woman's eyebrows shot up at all the items she had. That would be enough to feed the family for a month! Maybe even more if Gale could catch some squirrel in his snares.
"I can't accept this, dear-" Hazelle tried to say but Madge cut her off.
"I'm not giving you charity. I don't care if you don't want it. You need it. Posy needs this more than anything and I want to give it to her. I don't pity you or anyone in the Seam, but please take this. I want to give it to her. She deserves it."
Madge looked across the room and saw Posy laying on a worn couch. Her face was as white as a ghost with a hint of green and her arms looked like skin and bone. Madge looked towards Ms. Hawthorne then opened the white box. She knew how to inject needles considering her mother needed morphling so often. She sat next to Posy and smiled at the little girl.
"Hi Posy. This is going to help you, okay? It's going to hurt, but you can hold my hand and squeeze as hard as you need to." She cooed.
Posy nodded with lifeless eyes. Madge used the cotton ball to wipe the child's upper arm and inserted the needle, pressing on the end. Posy squeezed and Madge took the needle out. She threw it away and put a pink band-aid on the injection site.
"Mama, am I going to live?" she croaked.
Hazelle replied, tears running down her cheeks," Yes baby."
"Thanks Madge. You really are an angel." Posy looked at the older girl in awe. Her skin glowed and her golden waves tumbled down her back. Posy didn't know that angels could look as beautiful as she did.
Madge smiled and picked some of the dried beef from her basket. She fed it to Posy along with some tea that Hazelle put on the kettle.
"Hazelle, you cannot tell Gale about this. Please. Just say it was anonymous or the apothecary's work. I really have to go," Madge walked towards the door. Hazelle grabbed her arm and pulled her into a long hug.
"My son better realize what he's missing out on," she whispered, barely loud enough for Madge to hear. She kissed the top of Madge's blonde head and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Madge smiled and slipped into the darkness of the Seam, making her journey back home.
She would have made it, but just as she approached the lights of the square, her arm was pulled from behind. She tried to scream. It was probably one of those dirty men that used young girls for their bodies that the town kids talked about. They would take you behind a building or in an alley and rape you, then leave you there. She was about to rear her leg back when she heard his voice. The voice that she wanted to hear everyday for the rest of her life said," Thank you," so quietly, she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination. Blue eyes locked onto gray as she spun around. Gale Hawthorne was inches away from her when he planted a kiss on her lips. He could even taste the strawberries from them. Gale, having experienced many kisses at the slag heap, had never felt this way while kissing someone. And why, why, why, did it have to be the princess of District 12?
She finally eased into his body when he started walking backwards, back towards the Seam and his younger sister.
The last words he said left his mouth," I don't know how I could ever repay you."
What he didn't know was that he had already made it up to her as soon as his lips touched hers. Right then, she knew she was a goner.
What she didn't know was that he felt the same way.