4 CHAPTER UPDATE! - 2ND

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Fifty; Cure, Partly

Wirin's eyes widened in sheer panic as he lunged forth to scrabble at Seneca's sleeve and Seneca rounded sharply, preparing to deal Wirin another resounding blow to the head.

"Seneca wait – there's a cure!" Wirin managed to force out through the blood clogging its way up his throat from the blow Seneca had dealt him moments before.

Wirin groaned in pain, finally releasing his frantic grip on Seneca, as the blue-eyed Gamemaker had frozen like a statue at the latest bombshell.

"What?" Seneca's voice was like a whiplash, his eyes like sparks of electricity.

"There's a cure – partly," Wirin repeated more slowly.

Wirin gave a muffled grunt of pain as Seneca kicked him sharply in the ribs before the Gamemaker bent swiftly. Seneca grasped a handful of Wirin's hair and yanked his face upwards to meet his blazing eyes.

"Wirin if you ever think of withholding information like that again on me, it will be you who has the limited life span. Now – what do you mean by a cure - partly?"

Wirin grimaced as he tasted the metallic of his own blood burn a path up his throat and ruminate on the back of his tongue.

"Pills Seneca – there are pills she needs to take that will help to save her life. They will reverse the damage the past ten years of fainting has done, but in the meantime…she can never faint –"

"What? – Is she supposed to fend off fainting for the rest of her life? What kind of medic did you employ?" Seneca spat contemptuously.

Wirin swallowed nervously as he struggled to a sitting position, but he didn't try to stand. Not when Seneca was still looking so utterly murderous, desperation clear in his piercing blue eyes.

"He wasn't a renowned medic I grant you," Wirin admitted sheepishly, cringing down low.

Seneca scoffed contemptuously, standing swiftly and leaving Wirin snivelling on the floor.

"Your help is about as useful as Ficen's was when she launched that idiotic plan of hers," Seneca spat. "You decide to have Stephanie's scan results examined and who is the first person you think to bring them to? – The most incompetent medic in the Capitol!"

"I was worried about discretion," Wirin mumbled meekly.

"You should have been more concerned about accuracy," Seneca replied icily and Wirin dropped his gaze to the ground. But Seneca was barely paying attention to Wirin as relief…dizzying, sweet, sheer relief crashed over him in almost crippling waves.

Seneca had only ever lost one person he loved deeply his entire life. The grief of Lark's death; so bitter and unexpected had torn through Seneca, leaving only empty devastation in its wake.

The thought that he would endure that black grief again…that Stephanie would be torn from him…Seneca inhaled a steadying breath. He didn't want Wirin to see the utter relief on his face.

There was a cure!

But first! – Stephanie couldn't faint again or in the immediate next while at least, until Seneca had brought the results to a proper medic. The urgency of having Stephanie's results properly examined was greater than ever now. Seneca couldn't care less what cautions Wirin tried to spring on him this time about discretion – Wirin had thwarted his own rules by going to a medic. And Seneca resolved that if he wanted to ensure something was done correctly, he had to do it himself. Besides, Seneca knew the perfect medic to look at Stephanie's results.

After Seneca had decided a course of action new-found will flooded his limbs. Believing he had lost Stephanie irretrievably, to the mention of a cure within minutes had had a rather powerful, revitalising effect. His previous weariness had dropped from his shoulders utterly forgotten.

He would be late to the party. And distractedly the first thought that came to Seneca was how he wouldn't be able to see Stephanie's initial reaction to The Water Gardens venue he had selected.

Seneca fished his phone from his pocket.

He as much needed to hear Stephanie's voice himself to convince him she was still alive, as to warn her not to faint for anything tonight!

"Get up," Seneca spat scathingly over his shoulder at Wirin even as he raised the phone to his ear.

Wirin, too terrified to disobey, struggled slowly to his feet, whimpering at the pain that flared with every movement.

"Why didn't you just bring the results to Vash in the first place? He's the most competent medic in Panem. And besides…discretion obviously would have been guaranteed considering the circumstances," Seneca muttered irritably, frowning as his call rang automatically off to voicemail.

Seneca scowled, but wasted no time in retrying as Wirin glanced up at him, gingerly prodding his swollen and evidently broken nose.

Wirin frowned lightly. "My uncle Vash and I don't get along. Besides he would have thought that it was me involved with that dist – Miss Trindlesworth, refused to do it, and then call me an idiot," Wirin muttered bitterly.

Seneca almost smirked, conceding Wirin's point. "You could have told Vash it was for me and then he would have done it immediately," Seneca murmured smugly and Wirin's expression darkened.

"Damn it," Seneca cursed heatedly under his breath suddenly, as he tried Stephanie's phone – or rather the phone he had forced Electra to give to her – again! Why the hell wasn't she picking up?! Following what had just happened Seneca was in an even less patient mood than usual.

"Yes well Uncle Vash did always prefer you," Wirin grumbled sourly as he waited in painful silence.

Seneca scoffed in Wirin's direction, "that's because Lark took me to see Vash more often than he took you," Seneca snapped distractedly.

"Precisely," Wirin seethed through gritted teeth in agreement.

But Seneca barely noticed as he continued to listen tensely for Stephanie to pick up. He didn't care if she snapped at him – when did she not? – but she needed to know pronto about the seriousness of her condition! – Before she could do something potentially damn fatal!

Seneca felt his nerve endings fray as he began to pace, raking an agitated hand through his ebony hair. He would bloody kill her himself - figuratively, if he found out she had refused to answer his calls out of damn stubbornness on account of their last phone-call! This was a damn necessary conversation!

Seneca tried twice more to reach Stephanie but each time the phone would ring off; the tone sounding mockingly cruel in his ears.

Seneca cursed loudly, barely resisting flinging the phone against the nearest wall to smash it.

"She's at the party Seneca, I doubt she could answer the phone," Wirin mumbled, using his sleeve to messily mop up the blood spouting from his nose and lip.

Seneca clenched his fists at his side tightly before he whirled on Wirin.

"I'm taking the results to Vash to get some proper medical sense," Seneca snapped. "I trust you can take care of whatever substandard medic you employed and ensure his silence?" Seneca sneered, not really expecting an answer.

Wirin gritted his teeth, biting back the whimper of pain. How disgustingly familiar this whole scene was in principle…Wirin's medic was substandard…Wirin wasn't good enough. Not good enough to go to his uncle. But then his Uncle Vash, like his father had always preferred the blue-eyed, infallible Seneca. Logically Wirin knew it was because when he was younger he barely saw his uncle twice a month, whereas Lark, his father, was forever taking Seneca to meet Vash. But the only thought that was hissing through Wirin's mind was a bitterly familiar one…not good enough, never good enough for his uncle or his father.

"Stay here," Seneca ordered then, "inform the necessary people I will be late to the event."

Wirin nodded, evidently displeased with how things had turned out but unwilling to refuse Seneca anything he may ask.

Seneca made for the door then resolutely, pausing to call over his shoulder at the last moment.

"And get in damn contact with Electra Hocol." Seneca barked. "Warn her that Stephanie can't be allowed to faint for any reason at this party!"

…

"I don't believe it," Stephanie murmured to herself as she stepped into the building and the latest venue for the Capitol party event.

Stephanie's expression slowly morphed into one of surprise as her steps slowed and her gaze drifted above and around her.

Even Frenkin who was clutching her hand gasped in surprise as he glanced about the place.

The room was huge and circular, the ceiling incredibly high and everything was made of white marble that seemed to sparkle; the floor, the ceiling, the walls.

But that wasn't the most impressive part; not by far.

There were…waterfalls – inside!

"What is this place?" Stephanie asked in awe.

Haymitch smirked fondly at her wonder-struck expression, "The Water Gardens I think," he replied.

Appropriate Stephanie thought absently as she took in the plummeting drops of water around her.

The crevice between the ceiling and the walls spouted sparkling falls of water that plunged into a marble moat that encircled the room. There were even exquisite sculptures of all sorts of sea creatures dotted about the place and seemingly natural ivy crept across the domed ceiling in intricate designs that belied their natural appearance.

Behind the cascades of falling water there evidently ran a walkway of some sort, as Stephanie saw the moving watery outlines of figures beyond it.

There was also a great fountain in the middle of the room. The bottom of it seemed to be made of gold so that the very water looked like liquid sunshine.

"Ugh! I hate this place," Lashes muttered by Stephanie's side as she gazed distastefully at one of the plummeting waterfalls, "the mist always clogs up my eyelashes!"

Stephanie smirked slightly as she reached out her hand tentatively, feeling the cool misty spray ghost across her skin from the nearby falling waters. A childish giggle bubbled to Stephanie's lips then as she looked up again.

"I wish they hadn't of changed the venue last minute, then I wouldn't have worn this cashmere dress! You all know how cashmere looks when it is wet!" Bright exclaimed emphatically while her fellow stylists nodded gravely in sympathetic understanding.

"I know. I prefer El's Club as well. I wonder why they changed it?" Silver mused, as he eyed his clipped nails.

Stephanie didn't care why they had changed the venue at all. She was just glad that they did. She had no clue what 'El's Club' may have been like, but an innate part of her knew she wouldn't have liked it.

Stephanie laughed aloud and she finally caught Haymitch looking at her, his brow arched questioningly as to why she was currently standing stock still staring about her with a dopey grin stretching across her face.

"Stephanie?"

"I – I never thought I would say this about anything in this Capitol, but…this really is beautiful in a weird way?" Stephanie said giddily, as she shrugged sheepishly.

Haymitch didn't smile at her words though, just watched Stephanie twist around trying to take it all in.

"Uhuh, well we can do the grand tour later," Electra's business-like toned voice sounded clearly as she gathered them around her.

As soon as she approached, Electra immediately had a drink pressed into Stephanie's hand.

Stephanie frowned at the undoubtedly alcoholic beverage before she smirked slightly as she saw that Electra had in fact commandeered a whole tray from one of the waiters.

"And one for you," Electra said in a sing-song voice each time as she passed the drinks out. Haymitch got two, Isa, Bright and Lashes all had one forced on them for not moving away quickly enough. Stephanie had shot Electra a withering look as she made to pass Frenkin one. Electra caught her look and relented, rolling her eyes and readying to retort with her favourite infuriating reply of, "This is the Hunger Games…"

However, seeing Stephanie's less than impressed look Electra relented. "Alright Mother Bear," Electra mumbled, knocking back Frenkin's drink instead, "calm down or I'll attach a leash to that collar," she smirked and Stephanie rolled her eyes slightly.

Stephanie chewed on her inner cheek worriedly as she allowed her gaze to drift about the room. She could spot glimpses of other tributes arriving; the Careers were already mingling with the crowd effortlessly; always ahead of everyone else.

The place was already crowded with rich Capitolites, and more were filing in through the open doors. Stephanie couldn't imagine approaching any of the pampered doll-like creatures that trouped past her on her own to ask for sponsorship. The very thought made her feel a little queasy in fact, but it was nothing in comparison to the tight knot of nerves that would suddenly tighten in her abdomen as she considered the Gamemaker interview she had yet to face.

Of the three check-listed agenda items Electra had rhymed of to her; sponsors – alliance – Gamemaker – Stephanie considered the sponsors might actually be the least daunting.

Of the sponsors she was asking for money; something Capitolites seemed eager to toss away most times. Of her alliance she was asking for their utter trust that they wouldn't stab each other in the back the moment they got the chance. And as for the Gamemaker…Seneca Crane …Stephanie didn't want to consider what she could possibly be asking him.

As before however, Electra noticing Stephanie slipping off into a brooding daze sidled up to the slightly taller girl.

"You take the idiots, leave the psychos to me," Electra muttered into Stephanie's ear as she clinked her glass with Stephanie's still full one in an encouraging gesture.

Stephanie refocused her attention and smirked grimly. "I almost feel sorry for the psychos," she muttered. Electra gave a bark of laughter before with a quick mock salute she polished off her second glass of alcohol within minutes of arriving at the party.

Stephanie had resolved not to indulge in any alcohol at the party; her previous experiences mixing the two had not ended well.

However at the sudden excited outburst from a nearby huddle of Capitol women, Stephanie found herself seriously reconsidering the drink in her hands as her stomach flipped nervously.

"The Gamemakers are here!"