Lumen Hal (D3M/Murderer)

I knew it was over when Lexi wrapped her legs around me. She knew it was over when I stabbed her. I could see it in her eyes, that look of death I had become accustomed to. It haunted all three people I killed. I knew it, though I hadn't seen the eyes of the first. I knew it because that look haunted mine, and I wasn't physically dead yet. Mentally exhausted and spiritually dead, yes, but I still had a lot of life to live before I was going to be allowed to die for real.

"Wow, you couldn't even kill a kid? You failed right now. You really are better off dead. You could kill me but not her?" Voices haunted my while I laid on the ground, unable to break the grip of Lexi's thighs. She was holding on tight even as the life drained out of her, even as the President approached me while her ally screamed. I was hardly focusing on the pressure on my neck; the voices were too loud. My mistakes plagued me, reminding me again and again that I had murdered two people and killed two more to numb my conscience. No amount of murder had worked, but I was going to be put out of my misery.

"You're so worthless. No wonder Ginger's gonna kill you." I couldn't reply to that voice, but I knew what I would have said. Do you think I didn't know? Do you think I wouldn't know she was going to kill me? The voices that had been destroying me had won long ago. I didn't have it in me to kill myself, but I had it in me to kill people who were going to die anyways. I had it in me to kill two birds with one stone, attempting to silence the voices and knowing that I would die whether or not I was successful. Murderers didn't live in Panem. Even ones that technically didn't exist.

"You're the killer?" I heard from above me, and it took me a second to process who it was. The voice was broken and sad, not taunting like the others. I slowly realized that that was because it was coming from Ginger, not a ghost. It was coming from an old friend, someone who had deserved better. She didn't deserve the betrayal I gave her. She only got it because I was selfish and insane. And because I deserve the death you're about to give me.

"Draco, put him in handcuffs. I'll escort him to my room and decide on the proper sentence for him," Ginger's voice came again. I was amazed that I wasn't immediately sentenced to death. I was disappointed as well. Death was the only silence. Death would have fulfilled my wildest dreams. But I was put into Ginger's private suite and left sitting in front of Ginger, overwhelmed by the hurt I knew I had caused her.

Vispasian Ginger (President)

When I heard the scream, I knew immediately what had happened. So the killer was in this room, was the first thought to cross my mind, followed by I can't believe I willingly trapped everyone in this room with a killer. I hadn't known, but it was still hard not to blame myself for what I had done. Someone had been hurt because I had trapped everyone in a room with a group of suspects, hoping there would be a hint dropped as to who it was. I wasn't expecting an attack, but with the amount of screaming I heard, I knew it was one.

I followed the noise to Yvette, the lovely child who had made me tea. She was screaming and crying over her fallen ally, Lexi, who was holding Lumen in a headlock. I was too stunned to speak at first, emotions immediately crushing me. Lumen? Lumen was the killer? I let him live. I trusted him. He was alone in a room with me. He helped me so much. That was impossible. There was no way he could have done anything.

"You're the killer?" I finally choked out, hurt by how shaky my voice was. I couldn't keep my cool. Not when my second closest friend was killing again, even after I had spared him his last mistakes. I could feel tears welling in my eyes, but I knew there was no stopping them. All I could do was minimize them, which I did by refusing to blink, even while Lumen looked up at me with the guiltiest eyes I had ever seen. He looked like he had given up on life, like he knew everything was over. He looked sorry for what he had done.

"Draco, put him in handcuffs. I'll escort him to my room and decide on the proper sentence for him," I said next, holding my voice steady. He came with me while I brought Lumen to me suite, making sure I was totally safe. The murderer had to be attended to before the tribute; even the Capitol couldn't save someone who had been living with a stab wound to the throat for as long as I could tell Lexi had.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Lumen kept saying to himself, snapping at no one and nothing. "I'm sorry. Won't kill. Screw it. I give up. Are you gonna kill me?"

He's insane, I thought, realizing Lumen was still talking to the air. I watched him moving, noticing how he waved his arms and made facing at something that just wasn't there. He's finally lost it. "Lumen," I said, gathering myself while I spoke, "I don't want to kill you. You've been amazing, and exceptions can be made for people who are insane. I'm going to have to punish you somehow, though, aren't I? I could just Avox you. I think that'll be best. You'll need severe therapy before you can be an Avox. It'll be more trouble than an Avox is worth. But no more than a human is."

I stood up before Lumen had time to respond, seeing something flash in his eyes. I couldn't tell what the emotion was, but it didn't seem to be the excitement I had been expected at not being killed by a President with a very real reason to end your life. I didn't focus on that, though. I focused on Draco's welcoming arms while I cried into the shoulder of the man who was one of the now three people I could trust.

Yvette Ishi (12) D7F

I don't know how to treat a stab wound to the throat. I don't know how to treat this. I cannot fix this. My parents had never made me handle the really hard medical problems at home. They let me do the ones a little bit outside my comfort zone, practically allowing me to level up as I went. I was on stabs in non-vital places and basic poison control. I wasn't on fatal wounds yet. You are never going to be on fatal wounds now, are you?

The only thing I could do for sure was scream. I wasn't particularly terrified. I knew Lexi had the threat down, and I figured she could keep him down. She was strong. Strong enough to save you. She was smart. Smart enough to know he was a threat when you didn't. She could protect me for as long as I needed, but I was going to make it shorter. Someone would notice the little kid screaming pretty quickly, especially when she started crying. Two allies in a row.

I didn't know what to do. There was nothing to do. I watched as Ginger escorted the murderer away, leaving Lexi crying on the ground, gasping for air. I watched as Draco left with Ginger, Cordelia and Marjoram close behind. I collapsed onto the ground beside my ally, my only friend in the Games, and held her hand. She was scared. That much I could tell, even though she didn't say anything. She was crying now that her opponent was gone, and there was nothing I could do to help.

That's not right. I couldn't save Lexi, but I knew how to minimize suffering. I held her hand tightly, rubbing the flesh and trying to stop my tears from flowing. Keep a straight face. Patients don't like to see professionals freak out. Make physical contact. Studies have shown that more physical contact elsewhere can minimize the actual pain felt from the wound. Talk quietly and calmly to the patient. They need to think they're okay.

"This is all right, Lexi. You're so awesome! I never would have been able to take down that guy. He was so tough!" Pretend you're not crying, even though you are. Keep your voice steady. "Man, I can't wait for the Games to begin. What sort of sponsors will we get?" Keep the subjects light and happy. Distract if you can't save. "You're such a good friend. I'm lucky to have met you."

Pretend you don't see the patient crying. Pretend she isn't as sad to lose you as you are to lose her. Pretend your heart isn't breaking in two as a friend of yours dies while you know you can't save her. I did my best to pretend and remain professional. Would my parents have been proud, or would they have been horrified I could so easily shut down my emotions? I didn't know. I only knew that I could barely see Lexi's final smile through the tears rolling down my face, onto the body of my friend.

I unkilled Lexi for a second for the #DramaticScene, since she didn't *have* to be dead to be assumed dead (everyone knew she wasn't going to live through being stabbed in the throat).

Notes: Lumen's and Ginger's POVs start at about the same time. Lumen's totally insane but hey, maybe he'll get better.

Also, I'm not trying to give Yvette so much tragedy/screentime. It just happened that Raven was a subplot character and Lexi happened to make a good ally, so she just got screwed.