I was beginning to gain strength. Standing made me dizzy at first. Two and a half weeks after the Games ended, I felt my bare feet on the cold tiles. Beetee stood a yard away from me. I held onto the bar installed along the side of the wall. The light glinted at it and I stared at it before looking up into his face. "You can do this, Wiress." I nodded and took a step. Step, reposition hand, look at Beetee. Step. Repeat. I grabbed onto Beetee's shoulders as he wrapped his arms around me. "That's it." He said. "That's my girl." He said smiling. "I'm still giving you a lift to the living room." He helped me sit in a wheelchair before wheeling me out into the hallway. I was used to the noises by now, but I was starting to feel tired. We went into the living room where my stylist waited by a large green chair with an ottoman. I stared at the patterns the woven texture of the fabric made. "Wiress - we're going to get you into your dress now."
"For -" I began. The change of scenery was making me forget why we were there.
"For your interview. Ceasar is joining us by phone." Beetee explained. The stylist helped me out of my hospital gown and into a simple light blue dress. Together, she and Beetee helped me sit in the large chair. Beetee helped me settle my feet on the ottoman and then sat on a low stool next to my chair. He took his hand in mine and I smiled.
"Thank - you - for helping." I whispered. The stylist brought a small black platform attached to a cord over to the chair and set it on one of the arm-rests. I knew what it was: it was a two-way microphone. I smiled at Beetee.
"I believe you helped -" I looked at the microphone again watching the light reflect off of it, and I heard the faint hum of static.
"I helped design it, yes." Beetee said. We smiled at each other. "It's nice to know an engineer's work is appreciated."
"Greetings, Wiress!" Ceasar's voice called cheerfully.
"Hi." I said.
"I heard you needed a bit more time to rest up, but I'm glad you agreed to do the interview in the comfort of your training quarters. I nodded. Beetee squeezed my hand reassuringly. "So, tell me, Wiress, what was it like when you first woke and realized you were the victor?"
"I - It was - the light was very bright when I woke." I admitted. "It - It was confusing at first. Beetee - helped me -" I paused.
"I helped her make sense of her surroundings." Beetee put in.
"Well, hats off to Beetee for being an excellent mentor!" I smiled. I could hear the crowd in the background. "Now, Wiress - many people thought the odds were - shall I say - not in your favor. What turned it around for you?" I looked at Beetee confused. I was still trying to get used the new room, and I wasn't used to talking for this long.
"I - guess - Beetee told me - to use my mind." I paused. "I used what I learned in - engineering school."
"Very well. Why the sad face?" Ceasar asked. I looked up shocked. That's when I realized one of the many cameras in the room must be sending a feed to the audience wherever Ceasar was.
"Terrance - my -" My voice caught in my throat.
"Her district partner." Beetee finished. "He was intelligent much like Wiress. They were allies for a good part of the Games."
"I'm sure you want to do something to honor your district partner's memory, yes?" I nodded.
"Something in the - computer factory." I said. "Terrance - worked there. He - He enjoyed it." My head was beginning to hurt. Tears came to my eyes again. Beetee reached up and wiped them away with his fingers.
"We're almost done." Ceasar said. "Do you have any aspirations as a newly crowned victor?"
"Get my engineering license - I guess - just - go home - make life - better - somehow." I heard applause come from the other end of the microphone before the stylist shut it off.
"They're going to do a recap of the Games." Beetee explained. "We're going to greet Ceasar in person and then go home ok?"
"Home -" I said between my tears. Beetee gave me yet another hug. He gave me earplugs to wear and then settled me into my wheelchair. We made our way to the auditorium where Ceasar normally interviews the victors live.
"Here we go, up to Ceasar's palace." Beetee joked. I gave him a small smile.
"Beetee - I want to walk -" I paused as the cylinder took us up to the stage.
"I'll be next to you." Beetee said. He put an arm around my waist to support me, and I held onto his other hand. I nearly froze as the multicolored crowd assaulted my vision all at once. Many people were taking pictures, the flashes flickering across the crowd like mini lightning bolts. Beetee began walking slowly. I regained my bearings and focused on Ceaser getting closer and closer to me. Step, look at Ceaser - step repeat. Ceaser smiled and shook my hand. We stopped for a moment before continuing our walk across the stage.
Beetee scooped me up in his arms once we were backstage. I fumbled with the ear plugs. Even though the noise from the room was deafening, I could feel myself blacking out. "Home." I whispered.
I opened my eyes and found myself in bed. Not my hospital bed, but a bed on a train. Beetee looked sound asleep even though he also looked rather cramped in the chair next to my bed. I closed my eyes and focused on the regular thuds of the metal wheels and cogs. "Wiress?" Beetee asked gently shaking me awake. "We're home, honey." I smelled the soot coming from the factories. Beetee picked me up again and the doors of our car were opened. I stiffened at the noise of the crowd, but I could pick out the dark blue sweaters of my class from the Engineering academy. Someone was making their way through the crowd with a bouquet of bright yellow, purple, and red flowers.
"Grandma!" I gasped. My grandma smiled and pressed the flowers into my hands.
"Oh - Wiress - my grandbaby-" Grandma wrapped me in a hug. "Beetee - thank you - thank you - she's home -" I reached out and held her hand. She led us through the crowd. We got in a car and the driver took us to Victor's Village. "Wiress - honey, Beetee says we can stay at his house until you get better. He has your room all set up. One of your teachers came and got all your books. You'll love the bookshelves in there. You can do your work there until you're strong enough to go to classes, ok?" I nodded. Grandma held my hands and tears ran down her face. "You're home - thank God, you're home - You just worry about getting better now, dear."
I woke up from my nap and stared at the area uncomprehendingly. I was in a hospital bed, but there were floor to ceiling bookshelves along the wall across from the foot of my bed. A window was to my right, and I watched the breeze blow a dark curtain back and forth. I looked to my left at a desk - my old desk. I stared at the wood grain patterns and then looked around the room again. "Wiress?" I jumped and looked around at the person standing in the doorway. "I have your dinner." Beetee said. He placed a tray on my bedside table and helped me sit up. "Your grandmother cooked it." he said smiling. I took a bite of soup and smiled.
"It's good - to be home." I said slowly. My hand found Beetee's and we smiled at each other. I had to fight to keep my eyes open through the meal. I dozed to Beetee's footsteps leaving the room, the empty dishes clattering on the dinner tray. Grateful tears came to my eyes. Beetee helped me come home.
