I frantically search through the pockets of the Mockingjay suit until I find the small, now crumpled card from Dr. Aurelius. The front has his name and title, Chief Medical Officer to the President, but nothing else. I turn it over and on the back, scrawled in barely legible script is "See me before it's too late. Sub-basement of the President's Mansion, room 0212. "
It's well past midnight, and I know he's probably not there, but since I'm positive I won't be falling back asleep, I hold out hope and make the short trek to the mansion. I'm met at the front door by an armed guard, no doubt wondering what the Mockinjay could possibly need at this time of night.
"What can I do for you, Miss Everdeen?" he asks formally.
"I need to see Dr. Aurelius. It's an emergency."
Fear creeps into his eyes. "Are you alright?"
I ignore his question. "It's very important. He's expecting me," I lie.
He nods and opens the door, allowing me to enter the marble foyer. "Wait here while I give the doctor a call."
Great. In all likelihood, my lie will be exposed and the guards will be instructed to keep a close eye on me from now on, either due to worry that I'm mentally unstable or concern that I'm a risk to national security. He picks up the phone and dials a number from memory. I can hear the ringing from the handset held loosely against his ear. One, two, three… I have just about given up hope when a deep, slurred voice registers from the other end. "Yes."
"Dr. Aurelius. The Mockingjay is here. She says you're expecting her."
The guard pulls the handset closer so I can't hear the doctor's response, but after just a brief pause the guard answers, "Very well," and hangs up.
"I'll take you to his office," he says to me. We wait in uncomfortable silence for the elevator. Every few seconds, I catch him glancing at me from the corner of his eye. I'm sure the curiosity is killing him. When the elevator finally arrives, he holds the door and motions for me to enter first.
Once inside, he clears his throat and says, "I hope it's nothing too serious. I heard about Peeta the other day. It's such a shame."
Such a shame? Like Peeta's some derelict teenager who never lived up to his potential. I want to scream that it's his government, the people he's protecting who have sentenced Peeta to a life of violence and subsequent self resentment, but I bite my tongue and keep my face impassive. Taking my anger out on this guard will accomplish nothing, other than make me their next topic of gossip.
After a few more minutes of even more uncomfortable silence, the elevator doors open and he says, "Go left, it's the last door on the right."
I walk tentatively down the short, dark hallway. Only the nighttime security lights are on, casting an eerie red glow on the polished marble floor and walls. I use the time to collect my thoughts. The doctor seems to be close to Coin so I need to be careful what I say. But, I also need to find out how he stopped Peeta's attack. I'm not leaving until he tells me that. I finally have a glimpse of how I can make everything right and I'm not about to lose sight of that.
I stop at an engraved stone placard that reads, "Dr. Montgomery Aurelius," and lightly knock on the door.
It opens immediately, and a very haggard Dr. Aurelius peers out at me. His white coat hangs limply on his frame that seems to have grown even more fragile over the past 12 hours. His eyes are rimmed in red and the dark bags underneath them have expanded.
"Katniss. I'm glad you came, so I can assess the damage to your arm."
I open my mouth in protest, but he raises his hand to stop me. "Let's start with an x-ray. Follow me."
He walks across the hall, unlocks the door, and motions for me to enter. I do as he wishes, but say, "I just want to ask you a few questions."
"Yes, yes… I know. Will your arm heal normally? Will you ever be able to shoot your bow again? We'll get to all of your questions in just a moment," he says with a stern look. He's cautioning me not to say too much.
I patiently sit through the multiple x-rays he takes and wait while he fiddles with the portable computer in the dim light cast by all the equipment. Finally, he seems pleased with the images and addresses me again. "Let's review these in another room. I've been meaning to sterilize some equipment and I'd like to get that started."
I follow him to yet another room. This one is small and even darker than the previous one since it only has one piece of equipment emanating light.
He opens the portable computer and uses the light from the display to find two chairs. He shoves one in my direction takes the other for himself.
"Please have a seat," he says while pushing buttons on the massive, rectangular machine on the counter. I'm shocked by the loud swishing sounds that escape from it once he pulls a large lever on the side.
He rolls his chair closer to me so that we are side-by-side, our arms touching. I try to move away, but he grabs my wrist.
"Now that we have the autoclave going, let's take a look at your images" he says loudly into my ear. With all the noise from the machine, I can barely hear him even though he's so close. Which means that Coin won't be able to hear our conversation at all.
"Let me just adjust the contrast a bit so you can see this better," he says, decreasing the amount of light radiating from his computer. We're in practical darkness now, which means Coin won't be able to see us, either. So, he's just as worried about the governmental eavesdropping and spying as we've been.
"That's better huh?" he says and looks at me for the first time since we've entered this room.
"What answers do you have?" I ask, getting to the heart of the matter.
He sighs. "First, you have a hairline fracture of your radius, which I need to cast for you tonight."
"You know that's not why I'm here."
He removes his glasses and rubs his eyes. "I know. But I'm not sure where I should begin."
"What did you whisper in his ear in the studio?"
"Nightlock."
I shake my head slightly in disbelief—nightlock has become the symbol of our lives. "Will he respond to that no matter who says it?"
"Yes. It's the safe word. We established it to stop him in the event he tried to hurt anyone during one of his treatments."
I cringe at the word 'treatments'. Torture is more like it. Torture aimed at ruining both of us for the rest of our lives. I'm surprised Snow would even allow a safe word—that's just a weakness, a chink in the armor that could compromise his plan of absolutely destroying us.
"Do you know what sets off his attacks?" I ask.
"During his treatments, he responded most strongly to a flashing light, which is what we saw during the photo shoot. He was also programmed to react to key words, but he never took to those as well."
That explains why he reacted during the thunderstorm—the flash of lightening must have pushed him over the edge. Something about all this doesn't seem right, though.
"How do you know about his treatments? That was Snow. You were in District 13 at the time."
The doctor's eyes become even darker. "I'm not exactly what I seem, Katniss. My life has been built on lies and deceit."
"You were helping Snow?" I ask in shock.
He nods slowly.
"Did Coin know? Does she know?"
"No. Anyone who knew was killed during the rebellion."
"How could you do that to us? And then pretend you were trying to help us in 13!" My voice is rising.
"Why does anyone do these kinds of things? Promises of money, power. I am not proud of what I've done. You two didn't deserve any of it. That's why I'm trying to make things right now."
My anger with this man is reaching epic proportions. I can feel the fury leaking out of my pores. "Make things right?! By exposing him to graphic and demented holograms every night? By shocking him with an electric current in the studio until he's just a mumbling shell of himself?!"
He places his hand on my arm, but I furiously shake it off.
"I'm sorry. I… I didn't know the holograms were still active. The batteries in the transducers should have died by now. We were planning on them lasting six months and they were placed when Peeta was transferred to 13. They were just a security measure. In case the rebels won, Snow wanted to make sure the two of you were never happy. He hated you. But you know that."
"So Coin is completely innocent?"
"No," he says with a guttural laugh. "She's far from innocent. In fact, I think she's much more dangerous than Snow ever was. But with regard to the holograms, yes. She doesn't know about them."
"So even after all that with Snow, you were still willing to torment us under Coin's directives?" I ask contemptuously.
He runs his fingers through his thinning hair. "I didn't feel like I had a choice. She threatened me. Like she did you. That's how she functions. That's how she gets her way. She's manipulative—you know that." He sighs again and puts his glasses back on.
So my assumption that she had blackmailed everyone involved in the promotion of the 76th Hunger Games seems to be correct.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"I can't live with the guilt, the shame, any longer. I see how my actions are ruining your lives."
I have a hard time believing he's now developed some sense of moral fortitude. I'm guessing it's because there are no longer promises of money and power, but rather threats of death. Maybe he's realized that his life is turning into something very similar to ours—fear dictating every action that he takes.
"Coin is dangerous, Katniss. I think your role in our country's future has only just begun. You need to be strong. And I know you need Peeta by your side for that. The two of you will save this country," he says with a renewed sense of urgency.
His words take me by surprise. "No," I say forcefully. "I'm done after this promotion. She's agreed to leave me alone once I finish this. Peeta and I will go back to District 12 and try to heal from all of this. From what you've done to us," I say with disdain.
"There are many lives at stake. Many more than in the revolution. We're talking millions. I know you'll do the right thing when the time comes. You, unlike me, have a solid foundation built on honesty and strong ethics, always allowing compassion to direct your actions."
I dismiss his words with a roll of my eyes. "How do you know her plan?"
He laughs. "I don't know her master plan. I'm filled in on the areas where she needs me. Developing strategies for brainwashing or physically or mentally torturing war prisoners..."
I stare at him, my eyes wide.
"Yes Katniss. That is our future with Coin."
I become quiet and let him cast my arm while I try to comprehend everything he's told me. The good points are I can stop Peeta's attacks and the holograms won't last forever. We don't have to be afraid anymore. I smile as that realization sinks in. Unfortunately, the bad points are Coin is as dangerous as I suspected and she's developing a plan that puts the lives of millions at risk. Suddenly, my earlier conversation with Gale seems to have greater implications than I thought.
"Okay, you're all set," Dr. Aurelius says, interrupting my reflection. "Leave this on for four weeks. After that, all you do is turn this fastener here," he says pointing to a lever at the top. "The cast will open slightly and you'll be able to slide your arm out."
"Sure," I say, not really listening to him.
He continues. "I truly am sorry for all the damage I've caused. I don't expect your forgiveness, but please don't allow what's happened prevent you from doing what's right in the future. Your most important role is yet to come."
And with that, he ushers me out of the room. I can't help but feel like it's a final farewell of sorts.
A/N: I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm leaving for a two-week vacation tomorrow. I wasn't planning on writing while I'm gone, but if enough people show interest (via reviews, favorites, or follows), I could protentially be persuaded to post a chapter or two while I'm away. If not, I'll be active again starting 8/20. As always, thanks for reading my story!