"Wiress," Alana whispered as Wiress tucked her into bed. "Thank you. For everything." Wiress smiled and kissed her on the forehead. Taking her hands, Wiress gazed into Alana's eyes.
"Alana, you will do well, and I know you will do your best out there." In return, Alana smiled. Going to the other side of the bed, Wiress tucked Kendall in and made sure Kendall's IV wasn't tangled in her blankets. The nurse had set Kendall up with some medicine that would help control her heart murmur and help her body absorb oxygen.
"Kendall, You're a sweet girl." Wiress said holding Kendall's hands.
"Thank you. So are you." Kendall whispered. "I'll watch over you when I'm gone." Wiress nodded.
"My sister will enjoy being with you in The Force." Wiress whispered through her tears.
"I had fun with you." Alana piped up. "You made training less scary, Wiress." Kendall nodded in agreement.
"I - I'll miss you girls so much." Wiress said, her lip trembling. "You did really well in your interviews, and I'm proud of both of you - no matter what happens." After kissing them one more time, she turned off the light in their room. Beetee closed the door to the boys' room and took Wiress' hand. Tears streamed down both their faces as they left the District Suite with a bag of their notebooks and some clothes. Once inside the elevator, Wiress wrapped her arms around her mentor and sobbed.
"I know." Beetee whispered as his own tears rained down on Wiress' head. They exited the elevator and Wiress sniffled and wiped her eyes on a handkerchief Beetee offered her.
"The mentor room is down here?" Wiress asked looking around the Training Center basement. Beetee nodded.
"Yes." Wiress and Beetee gasped as the elevator opened. "My little darling." A familiar Capitol voice drawled. Wiress's hands grew clammy as she felt her temperature drop. Locking her large eyes on Beetee, his pale worried face was the last thing she saw before her brain plunged itself into oblivion.
"Wiress, Wiress, wake up." Gasping, Wiress sat up finding herself in a dim room. She was laying on something soft. "Wiress, sweetie." Kevius wrapped his arms around her. "We still have a little time together."
An hour later, Kevius carried his small charge to the District Three mentor quarters. Beetee made no attempt to hide his disgust as he took Wiress from the Capitol man. Kicking the door closed with a satisfying slam, Beetee set his small co-inventor on her small cot. "Wiress, sweetie, it's me. Beetee." Wiress sniffled and opened her eyes.
"It hurts, Beetee." Wiress whispered.
"I'm calling the nurse." Beetee muttered.
"Don't leave me!" Wiress whimpered. Beetee pushed a button on the wall to call the on-call nurse.
"I won't, squirt." The door opened and a physician entered the room. She was young appearing as if she just graduated from medical school. She had no alterations and her brown hair was pulled into a bun. Her lab coat read: Training Center Medical Staff: Dr. Helenia Rostone.
"Hey, sweetie. Your fellow mentor said you weren't feeling good."
"She has pain." Wiress nodded and turned her face toward the wall. "She fainted earlier." Beetee explained. "It's her first time mentoring."
"I bet you're really stressed out. Where do you hurt?"
"I - " Wiress began before sobbing and curling into a ball under her blankets. "It hurts - a lot - and - it's never hurt before -"
"Where, honey?" Dr. Rostone asked as a look of concern crossed her forehead. Beetee gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
"He used her." Beetee growled.
"She was with a sponsor?" Dr. Rostone asked calmly keeping her voice even.
"Whatever you people call it." Beetee spat. "Yeah. She was used by her sponsor."
"Kevius - and - Mr - Crane -" Wiress stammered. "He - Sideous said - Seneca would give - money for electrical stuff - if I -" Beetee held Wiress' hands and brushed the tears away from her face as Dr. Rostone pulled back the covers and examined her.
"Have you been feeling sick at all?" Dr. Rostone asked making notes on her tablet computer.
"In the morning, sometimes." Wiress said. "I - as the Reaping got closer." Dr. Rostone nodded. "I - I was nervous."
"Ok." Dr. Rostone said. "Wiress, I'm going to do some blood tests, ok? And I'll give you a shot for pain."
"So that's it." Beetee snapped. "You'll just fix her up like nothing happened?"
"My duty is to keep the mentors and tributes healthy while they are in the Training Center." Dr. Rostone said evenly. However, a flash of sympathy crossed her face. "I understand you are worried about your district partner. I will provide her with the care she needs."
"Go to sleep, Wiress." Beetee said gently after helping Wiress drink some liquid medicine. "So we both can be well rested to help the tributes tomorrow." Sitting by her bed, he stroked her hair and held her hand until she was breathing deeply and evenly. Beetee willed himself to sleep knowing Wiress and their four tributes would need help in the morning.