Author's Note: Not much of one this time just thanking Wren and HL98 for their reviews. Oh and I made up the name of the drug, if it sounds familiar its only by coincidence, and this chapter marks that we have 20 chapters left to go! Onward!

Chapter 28

Viper's Fangs

The girl throws up all that's in her stomach and I lay her in a recovery position so she doesn't inhale any residue as I remove the feeding tube from her nose. My eyes had darted away from the snake's very quickly because although he is my objective the girl in bed is my priority right now.

I start an IV on her and fill out the paperwork while Nadine, one of our head nurses takes over at the girl's bedside.

When I look up again an older woman is standing next to Snow. She doesn't look happy.

"See what you are doing Cori? Arora tried to kill herself this time!" she snaps

I go up to them both and the woman reaches to grasp my hand, "how is she?"

"Unconscious for now, she will come to eventually" I say calmly, "Dr. Sparrow"

"Victoria Snow and this is-"

"President Snow" I finish and shake his hand, "I recognize you from the news and public announcements"

He looks at me, "you look familiar have we met?"

"y'know I get that a lot, people say I'm a dead ringer for that girl that died last year or the year before" I shrug, "personally I don't see the semblance but a friend said everyone has a twin out there. What is your relationship to the girl?"

"We're her grandparents, she stays with us during game season while her parents are off in district four sunning it up" Victoria Snow says, "they don't stay in capitol in the summer, so they leave her with us, it's only this year she has started this, but my husband won't acknowledge that its his fault!"

I raise my hands to calm her, "now isn't the time to lay blame, what did she take?"

"Adroxilas" President Snow says, "it's a-"

"Sedative yes I know of it, very powerful one. How did she get that it's only by prescription" I look between them both.

"She found it in my medicine cabinet" Victoria says, "I use it off and on in the winter months. She took almost the whole bottle"

"It's a miracle she is still alive" I mutter looking at my file, "she was brought before this?"

President Snow doesn't answer he just looks thru the window at his granddaughter who is still unconscious.

"I'm not sure" Victoria says, "this is the first time with us" she says I know she is lying because she gives her husband a furtive glance.

"If I could talk to you both privately" I say and lead them to one of our conference rooms. "I have to know what she was brought in for" I look at them after closing the door behind us, "it won't leave this hospital, this room or my lips, its doctor patient privilege"

President Snow doesn't look all that pleased so his wife explains.

"she had a child…still borne…two years ago" Victoria looks to be on the verge of tears so I pass her the box of tissues we have in the room, "after that she became distant, started hanging out with radicals…or at least that's how Cori calls them"

"Vicky!" he spits, "that's none of Dr. Sparrow's concern"

I see…all is not well in the Capitol after all.

"Everyone knows Cori!" she returns just as viciously, "it's just the high society don't want to see or hear it!" she gets up, "I have to call Daria and her husband let them know what happened"

President Snow reaches out to grasp her arm but she pulls away from his grasp, "I'm done with it! This was the last straw!" she storms out and I hear her bark for a telephone.

I sit across from my enemy and despite my burning hatred for the man I see the hurt I had felt when Seneca left. And a tiny part of me that would only be seen thru an electron microscope feels pity for this man. It soon dissipates when he opens his mouth.

"Such a waste of life" he gets up, "my own granddaughter trying to kill herself"

"Sometimes it's a cry for help" I say to him, "had you argued with her recently?"

He nods

"Of what?"

"The games, she was telling me how wrong I was, how it's a waste of life" he tuts, "naivety"

"Sir?"

"It's for the good of the country" he looks at me, "these games keep another rebellion from happening"

I nod, if only he knew. As I head home I have to acknowledge that this was my best performance, and if I have to spend anymore time around them I have to up my game.