Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, two of the best books I've ever read, are owned by Suzanne Collins and I don't have any rights to them except the right to read them and love them. This is a companion fic to Firestarter. Essentially, it is the same story told from two very different points of view.
Chapter Four
"I knew you worked fast, Deke, but this is…" Plutarch's voice trails off in surprise. I look over at Katniss and I can see her look of hope. It's like she's already calculating the time it will take to get back there.
"We figured that once you got here, saw the force that we have, and get healed up, you would want to head back out. After all, we have to save the lovebirds," the mayor says. I look up sharply at his words. Gee, thanks for reminding me, I think. But I look over at Katniss again and I see that she is not as moved by his words as one might think. They stare at one another for a moment.
As they have their moment, whatever it is, I think. I want to go. There's no way I'm going to let her face this alone no matter how hurt and angry I may be. "If she goes, I go," I announce almost before the thought is finished in my mind. I step up closer to Katniss and I can see her shaking her head at me. On this I'm resolute so I just ignore her.
"You're injured," she says. "You can't go." I just smirk. That was such an obvious cheap shot.
Mayor Snow just laughs. "Injured doesn't mean much here, Ms. Everdeen. We'll just throw him in the healing tank for a couple of hours and he'll come out good as new. It's faster and a bit better than the type of healing they do on you after the Games." One side of my mouth moves up in a smirk and I can see she is fuming about this. I don't know if it is because she doesn't want me with her or if she doesn't want to wait, but either way, she's stuck with me now.
"I'll go too, then," says another voice. I'm so completely shocked at this that I'm amazed my eyes haven't jumped out of my head. I look down as Madge Undersee stands next to me. What does a… a… I don't even know what to call her! She's not hunter like Katniss and me. She doesn't have any experience. How do I know she won't scream and run at the first chance?
At first, I don't know what to say. The mayor has some soldiers come into the room to escort us to our "healing." Once we're out in the hall, I think of what to say. Unfortunately, it comes out in a shout. "Go back where it's safe, Madge. We don't need you."
Her eyes look hurt but determined as she looks back up at me. "Tough. Gale, I'm going."
I stop in the hallway, as do the soldiers as I look at her incredulously. "And what will you do? Scream? Flap your hands helplessly? You can't really expect to be of any help, do you?" For some reason, I don't want her to go. Just the thought of a gun in her hands does something funny to my stomach. It isn't right to think of her like that. She should be in her pretty white dress with lots of flowers and away from all of this.
But then she surprises me. She steps up to me where the toes of her shoes are touching the toes of my boots. She pokes me in the chest with her finger and her eyes are like blue steel. "Listen to me, Gale Hawthorne. I may not be a hunter like you and Katniss, and I'm sure as hell not someone who has survived the Games. But I've survived more than you can possibly know and I can endure more than you think. I'm smart, I'm quick, and I'm better at some things than you can possibly imagine. I'm going to the Capitol to save Peeta because Katniss and Peeta are my friends. I'm going to the Capitol to give them a taste of what they gave us. And I'm going to the Capitol because I'm damn well old enough to make my own decisions. You're not my father or my husband and therefore can't tell me what I will or won't do. So why don't you just shut up about me and mind your own business?"
I have never heard her talk so much in my life. I suddenly realize that she has backed me up against the wall and her finger is still pointing into my chest. Currently, that finger is digging into a burn but I don't tell her that. I'm just shocked. Who would have thought that she had so much spunk and fire? I hear a discreet chuckle and suddenly I'm mortified to know that the soldiers have heard it all. Madge turns as gracefully as she can on her heal and they lead us away. However, I'm walking more slowly as I try to think of everything she just said.
What does she mean that she's survived more than I could possibly know? Ok, so no one's life is perfect but what has she really suffered? I watch her hair bounce with her limp as we continue down the hallway. I want to say that she is some spoiled little rich girl but I know deep down that it isn't true. She's never acted that way. She's not even like most of the girls that were in school. She's always been calm and collected. Well, until I manage to set her off, that is. Madge has always been able to get my back up. Even more so than Katniss. I shrug off that thought as we walk into a large room.
There are several people in white lab coats situated around the room. One woman sees us and directs us to two chambers. They are huge metal chambers with a window on each door. "Hello, my name is Dr. Franklin. These are our healing chambers. Luckily, we have two open right now. The rest are being used for other survivors from District Twelve." I wonder who is in those other pods. "Now you will just need to disrobe and then put these masks over your noses," the doctor tells us as she hands us each a mask.
She pulls a curtain around each pod to give us privacy. I start to get undressed uncomfortably. The burns and the pain in my arm make the going very slow. A nurse comes around to help me out of my clothes and I hear her gasp as she sees my back. Then I hear another gasp. I can barely see Madge's outline from around the curtain but I do see her face and neck as I look over my shoulder. Luckily, my pants are still on but her eyes are holding my gaze and I don't even think my pants for a moment. Her eyes take in my back and I can read the emotions in her eyes. First, there was pity, and oh how I hate pity. But that is quickly washed away with anger. And I think it is her anger that causes her tears. I can't believe this girl is crying for me. She looks up to see me staring and one would think that she would blush. But instead, our eyes just lock on one another. I suddenly realize that there is a connection between us. I don't know how one came to be, or when, but I recognize it. Her blond head disappears and the connection is broken. I'm suddenly left feeling bare.
Goose bumps ride over my skin as the nurse helps me finish. She hands me the mask and I awkwardly slide it over my face and then she helps me into the chamber. I stand inside the chamber and they shut the door. It closes with a metal click and I'm suddenly very glad that I'm not claustrophobic. At least it isn't dark. The chamber tilts back and as it does I feel a warm liquid substance start to fill the chamber. When the chamber is completely back to where I'm lying down, I realize that my head is supported by a soft pillow of sorts. The liquid completely covers everything from my neck down and I sigh as it touches the burns. It's as if the liquid is drawing out the heat and the pain. I think to myself that this is the most relaxed I've felt in ages.
About an hour and a half later, the liquid starts to drain and I realize that I fell asleep. I blink sleepily as the chamber starts to tilt back to a standing position. By the time the door opens, all the liquid is gone and I'm completely awake and alert. The nurse hands me a robe and I realize that I don't have any pain whatsoever in my arms and shoulders. I shrug it on and walk from behind the curtained area. I see Madge standing and waiting for me and I'm relieved to see the mark on her face is gone. Her hair is still up but there are strands that have curled with moisture. They lead us to separate showers that are on opposite sides of the same room and show us where clothes have been laid out for us. They are the same black material of the clothes that I saw most of the soldiers wearing. Then they leave. There is a partition between the showering areas so at least Madge's modesty would be in tact. I smirk at this as I walk into a shower and leave my robe on an outside hook. There are some buttons so I start hitting them at random. Suddenly, cold water is shooting out of the shower head and I darkly mutter an oath. I hear Madge's laughter from across the room. "Need any help?" I hear her call out.
"I don't know what all the damn buttons are for," I call out crossly as I try to remember what buttons I pushed.
"Get out of the shower and put your robe on. I'll figure it out," she says and I'm surprised to find that her voice is right outside the shower.
I pull open the door and I see her standing there with her eyes closed. I grab the robe and wrap it around me. "Done," I tell her while trying valiantly not to let my teeth chatter.
She opens her eyes and I see they are full of laughter. She smirks at me as she deftly hits a few buttons and we see steam rising from the shower. "The soap is on the right," she tells me and she walks away.
I roll my eyes as I quickly shuck off the robe and jump back in. The hot water feels so great against my cold skin. I can't quite suppress my groan and I hear Madge's laugh echo across the room. After I'm done with the shower, I quickly get dressed. I wait for Madge outside of the shower area and she doesn't make me wait long. Her hair is pulled back into a pony tail and she looks quite comfortable in the soldier get up. We walk outside the room and we see her father, the Mayor of District 12, waiting for us.
She gives her father a hug and they murmur to one another for a moment and I look away. There is so much sadness in Mayor Undersee's eyes. I realize, once again, that there is another thing Madge and I have in common: we've both lost a parent. Soon, a soldier comes to lead us away. We go back through some doors and into a large room. There are prep teams talking with one another and we're lead to some chairs in front of a platform. We sit down and wait.
I see Katniss walk in and looking angry, followed by the others. I raise an eyebrow at Haymitch but he just shakes his head. I wonder just what it was that I missed.
