Hades was not really in the water. He was laying across a lifejacket laid over the crossboards like a stretcher. He was cold because it was just really cold in the night and sometimes when he shifted he got damp.
Hades Rodriguez- Victor
The air was warm. The air was warm. I felt at the air with one hand, my fingers passing through the void. It was warm. I could feel heat in the air. It blew my mind. I wasn't imagining things. It was possible to not be cold. I was actually cozy and warm in my bed. I didn't see any reason to get up, either.
I actually won. I never thought it was possible. I never dreamed someone like me could actually win. That was the ending to one of Fable's stories, not real life. No one had ever heard of something like this. I still couldn't believe it myself.
Some hours later, the door opened. I expected more doctors like the ones that had been fussing over me throughout the day, but it was Paul.
"How's Panem's youngest Victor?" he asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.
"I feel good," I said. I was still mixed up, and it felt like I should have said something grander. "I don't think I really got hurt."
"Just frozen," Paul said. "You had about the fastest recovery of any Victor. They got your temperature up overnight and you're good to go." He paused. He obviously wanted me to talk about how I felt, but I didn't know how I felt. It was all like a dream come true, and I was afraid if I said anything I'd wake up.
Paul's cargo pants shifted suddenly, catching my eye. Paul laughed as he reached into his pocket.
"Oh, I thought you might want this," he said. He drew Bacchus out of his pocket and laid him on the bed. He burrowed underneath the blankets by my chest.
"It wasn't easy getting them to let me keep him," Paul said as Bacchus tickled my side. "I spent the entire night giving a rat a bath."
"He smells like soap," I giggled. That explained why his fur was so fluffy.
"Good job, kid," Paul said. "I've never seen anything like that. Seven's first Victor in forty years, and he's thirteen."
I smiled, mostly in embarrassment. As soon as I peeked out the door, everyone was going to be looking at me. I'd never had that much attention, and it made me self-conscious.
"Are you ready for this?" Paul asked when we were about to get ready for the crowning.
"Guess I should be ready for anything now," I said.
I got off light when it came to the coronation. The stylists went with the nautical theme from the Arena and dressed me in a captain's uniform, squealing and cooing all the way over how adorable it was. It just felt tight and constricting to me, but it was better than some of the crazy outfits I'd seen.
"Here's the little record-setter!" Caesar proclaimed as I stepped onto the stage. My skin prickled as I slid into my seat, sitting on my hands.
"What a showing! You made history, young man. What's it like being Panem's youngest-ever Victor?" Caesar asked.
"I don't know," I said. "I guess I'm still getting used to it."
"I guess we all are!" Caesar said. "You made it look easy in there. What was the hardest part of the Games?"
"The lifeboat was the hardest. It was really cold in there," I said.
"Are you looking forward to going back to Seven where it's warm?" Caesar asked.
"You bet," I said.
"Let's see a replay," Caesar said. I'd been holed up for almost the entire time, so I'd barely seen anything from the Games. The "replay" was all new to me. The worst part was seeing all the people who didn't have somewhere to hide from the gas. I never wanted to see something like that ever again.
I reflexively jerked when the Anthem started to play. In the Arena, that came before seeing the dead Tributes. Here it meant President Snow, which was maybe worse. He always seemed like a scary old man to be, and it was worse up close. I was glad I was so young. Maybe then he wouldn't think I was dangerous.
My crown was a simple band of red metal with a big diamond star in the middle. Snow laid it on my head, said something vague and congratulatory, and then it was done. All that was left was to go home.
Wow. I really won.
Up next: like two more chapters and then we're done! BTW the crown is the logo of the White Star Line, which made the Titanic.
