I wake up blinded by the light. It feels like my eyeballs are being torn out of their sockets. I immediately cover my eyes but two hands put them at my side. Those two hands belong to Finnick! My mood shifts as I am all happy now to know that I am not in a strange place and that I'm okay.
"Well you seem a little startled" he questioned.
"Yeah, I did, I still don't know really where I am" I reply.
"You are in the hospital unit, where they take the victor after the games to perform any kind of medical procedure they might require, or to simply heal scars and get them back to how they were before the games. Your lucky since you sustained very minor injuries and didn't break anything. The doctors would probably let you go back to the living quarters right now if we ask" Finnick said.
"Well let's go then" I exclaim.
With the doctor's ok, we made our way out of the hospital unit up to floor 4 where I am greeted by a welcome committee (aka Tabitha and my prep team).
"Oh my gosh, there she is our victor" Tabitha squealed with her thick capitol accent that I forgot about.
Silver, Platinum, and Gold (the shiny threesome) came running towards me like a dog thinking I have a treat in my hand and engulfed me into a huge group hug. More like a bone crushing hug, since they made contact with me as their life depended on it, literally. Flame, on the other hand comes and hugs me softly, and whispers "I am glad to see you again" rather calmly unlike the others. I go to greet Mags who is curled up on the couch reading a book, who simply just smiles to see my face.
"Oh dear, you are still in your hospital gown and you look like a mess! You have your interview tonight, and we are going to have to make you presentable" Tabitha chimed in.
"Well that's my job" Flame said right on cue.
"You don't understand! Carla here hasn't slept in weeks, and doesn't know ANYTHING about being a victor. It isn't just about being presentable appearance, it's about having a presentable attitude. Tomorrow morning is the coronation ceremony where she will be right in front of the President!" pleads Tabitha.
"Tabitha, relax, she'll be fine. Let us worry about that. Maybe you should go have a drink" Finnick reassures.
"Hey Car, Mags and I would like to talk to you privately for a minute. Do you mind coming to the roof area now" says Finnick.
Finnick, Mags, and I sat down and I looked down on the busy Capitol city. When Finnick said the word "private" I hope that doesn't mean I'm in trouble or anything. I felt more at ease when he spoke.
"So, Mags and I just wanted to let you know immediately that what you did in the games was your experience. Was what you needed to survive. It is not your fault that you were thrown into this "death game" and you are always going to hear mixed reviews from others about what they saw on the big screen. What people see on screen isn't exactly what you experience. So, for the interview tonight and for these upcoming appearances, I want you to speak from your heart, but within boundaries".
"What boundaries" I question.
"Well, nothing that would make the Capitol look bad, or simply no acts of treason" Mags blurted out.
"I know you are saying that none of this is my fault, but I should at least own up to some of it. Like how I killed Katniss and Peeta, and how with most kills I had a smile on my face" I retaliate.
"Your a victor now, I know all of this is overwhelming, but trust me you need to relax, you have only been present outside the arena for not even a day. Just trust us, you will be okay. I have been doing this for longer than any other victor, and you my friend are doing pretty well so far" Mags explains as Finnick nods his head approvingly.
"I'm sorry kid, we have been chatting with you with more than just a minute. Now that I check, it has been about an hour and a half. Your prep team is going to kill me. I bet they wish they started on you a half hour ago" mentions Finnick.
"No that's okay, I needed that talk. I really needed people to reassure me and point me in the right direction. Plus, I would rather have more time to talk like this then constantly be all dolled up by my prep team constantly" I reply.
The shiny threesome is back at it, with scrubbing every inch of my body. This time though they don't have to wax anything though, so it took a lot quicker and was very painless, which is always a plus. For once I hear the threesome directly talk to me about something else besides capitol trends.
"We were so worried about you dear when Clove had you pinned to the ground" Silver told me.
"Clove was a brutal girl who seemed like the person who likes to give others a very slow and painful death" Gold said with fear.
"The taunting really gives a show though, but nobody has right to taunt OUR tribute. Plus, your the one hear and she isn't, you brought even more pride to your district." Silver spoke.
I appreciate Silver not wanting others to kill me, but the "good show" part of it though really ruined it for me. The typical Capitol perspective. Thinking that killing others is entertaining and that it is all out of pride. Not going to lie though, I didn't mind showing Katniss and Peeta up for there tacky act and Peeta's betrayal. I wonder what Flame would say if he was in this conversation. With that thought, he comes right in with a very natural looking pink dress that has a little poof in it but isn't too over the top. He does my makeup very naturally, and clips my hair up. To go with that, he paired the dress with pretty silver pumps.