Chapter One-Hundred-and-Eighty-One; Brother
"What?!" Electra exclaimed in utter confusion, as Stephanie remained leaning heavily against the wardrobe door behind her, trying desperately to regulate her breathing. Stephanie looked to be barely fending off fainting from whatever crippling shock she had just received.
"Hey Trindlesworth! You're making no sense!" Electra said, shaking Stephanie slightly. "You need Seneca? What the hell does that mean? You're a grown woman; I would have expected you to have some semblance of control over your hormones by now," Electra teased weakly.
Stephanie practically dragged herself to her feet, throwing Electra a dark look. "That isn't what I damn well meant, Ellen," Stephanie said sternly.
"Look, are you going to faint or what?" Electra asked seriously, hands still outstretched warily, poised to catch Stephanie in case she would drop into a dead faint.
Stephanie swallowed tightly, taking a deep wavering breath. "No," Stephanie answered surely after a moment. "It was just a…a shock," she replied feebly.
Electra frowned. "What the hell was a shock? Do you mind telling me what just happened? It was like you seen a ghost or something."
But Stephanie was already moving, steps not completely steady as she strode across into the bathroom, Electra following her. Stephanie dropped to her knees as soon as she was in the bathroom, hands scrambling over her discarded trousers until she had retrieved the familiar slim phone from her back pocket.
Stephanie stood hurriedly, holding the phone out to Electra impatiently.
"Damn it Ellen, show me how to work this thing so I can call Seneca," Stephanie demanded desperately, voice raw with franticness.
"Stephanie," Electra said sternly, taking the phone from Stephanie's shaking hand. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Stephanie looked up at Electra, paler than Electra had ever seen her.
"I can't believe I was so stupid Ellen. I was so caught up in my own issues, caught up in being so damn selfish that I didn't even think, it didn't even cross my mind. I mean what kind of – what kind of horrible, self-centred person does that make me?! How did it not occur to me the second Seneca – " Stephanie rambled, voice high with panic.
"Stephanie stop! You're not making any sense!" Electra interrupted exasperatedly.
Stephanie looked frankly at Electra.
"Fen, Ellen. Seneca has to save my brother Fen."
Electra blinked. "Okay, you've officially lost it. Your sanity that is."
Stephanie gave a cry of angered impatience. "Ellen, will you damn well help me?!" Stephanie cried.
Electra opened her mouth to speak when Stephanie cut across her, words rushed together in her franticness.
"Ellen, the reason I faint so much is because I fell into a river when I was eight years old. I swallowed a lot of chemical polluted water and it damaged my nervous system, causing my fainting now. My fainting is fatal Ellen. The pills Seneca give me are saving my life and the procedure will cure me. But my brother, Ellen. My brother Fen; he jumped in to save me when I fell in that river back home, swallowing the same water I did. And he was sick afterwards as well. He faints too, not as much but still. He used to get teased mercilessly about it – Ellen, don't you see?!"
Electra's expression smoothed with comprehension. "You think you and Fen have the same condition and that Fen is dying too."
Agonised pain lanced across Stephanie's features as her eyes fast filled with tears. "How am I only thinking of this now, Ellen? What kind of sister – "
Electra shushed her impatiently. "Now is so not the time for the whole emotional crisis act, Stephanie," she said firmly, fingers already flying across the phone screen.
Stephanie sniffed back her tears, running her shaking hands through her hair that fell unchecked about her shoulders. "What are you doing?" Stephanie demanded impatiently, wringing her hands out viciously.
"Seneca only ever calls on a withheld number," Electra replied, "Which makes trying to contact him a tricky business. However I'm going through the call logs because I'm almost sure that the first night Seneca contacted me when I got back to the Capitol he didn't mask his caller ID. The little brat wanted me to know it was him calling that night so I wouldn't just ignore it," Electra muttered absent-mindedly, her eyes trained on the phone in her hand.
Stephanie forced herself to take deep, calming breaths and not to dissolve into hysterical sobs. But Electra could clearly see that Stephanie was barely holding back from the verge of an outright breakdown.
"Hey, you said your brother doesn't faint as much as you do. So doesn't that mean his condition isn't as bad as yours?" Electra tried to reassure Stephanie. Because the worst thing to happen would be for Stephanie to subsequently faint at that moment.
"Yea, you're right. You're right – Fen definitely doesn't faint as much as me," Stephanie reassured herself and Electra with false confidence before she bit her lip fiercely. "But Fen always hides it from us how much he faints because he always feels so humiliated. Maybe his condition is as bad but he didn't want anyone to know…" Stephanie trailed off, biting back sobs as her breathing accelerated again.
Electra cursed under her breath, fingers flying faster over the screen of the phone. "Got the little brat!" Electra cried triumphantly before shoving the phone into Stephanie's hand. Electra then proceeded to give Stephanie the speediest lesson ever on how to use what was now in all effect, Stephanie's phone.
"Stephanie, you need to calm down before you call Seneca," Electra advised sagely, dragging Stephanie out of the bathroom to sit on her bed.
Stephanie tried desperately to slow her racing heart rate and overworking lungs. She couldn't help her brother if she was going to damn well faint herself!
"Ellen, I – I…" Stephanie trailed off, utterly lost. "I don't even know what I mean to say to Seneca. I can't just ring him and tell him he needs to save Fen. But Seneca was the first person I thought of when I realised…I mean he helped me and he got me the pills and I don't…"
Stephanie trailed off, pushing back the building sobs that threatened to claim her voice again.
Stephanie balled her hands up into angry fists, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. "Damn it Ellen. Fen is my brother, my big brother who has always been there for me. It's my fault he has the bloody condition – he jumped in to save me! And it didn't even occur to me; his loving, loyal sister until – "
"Stephanie this isn't helping you calm down," Electra said sternly, "You need – "
Electra's words were cut off as demanding ringing tore through the air.
Electra cursed heatedly under her breath as she fished one of her new cell phones out from her pocket, raising it immediately to her ear.
"What?" Electra barked tersely.
Electra listened for a few tense moments in silence while Stephanie tried to calm herself down enough to actually formulate words to say to Seneca.
"Are you damn well serious"? Electra sniped sarcastically to the person on the other side of the phone. Sniffing pitifully Stephanie looked up at Electra worriedly.
Electra scoffed bitterly. "Yea, yea I heard you," Electra drawled sarcastically before swiftly hanging up the phone and shoving it irritably in her back pocket.
"What is it?" Stephanie mumbled.
Electra released a measured breath, frowning before she answered.
"The damn event organisers. Rather than let the tributes waste a day lounging about in our luxurious penthouses an event has been scheduled, sort of," Electra informed her sardonically.
Stephanie groaned miserably. "I can't Ellen. I really, really – " Stephanie began to protest weakly.
"Listen to me!" Electra barked impatiently over Stephanie's words. "The event isn't what you're thinking. You remember what they pulled out quickly the day Seneca postponed the training without warning and no event had been scheduled?"
Stephanie shook her head irritably. "I can't think at all Ellen!" she replied shrilly, raising a hand emphatically to her head as if to tear her own hair out.
Electra sighed sharply. "Individual sponsor dates. No cameras. It's up to the mentors to arrange it with the sponsors for their tributes."
Dawning realisation fell over Stephanie as she wiped away her fallen tears viciously. "I could meet with Seneca. I need to meet with him Ellen. I can't do this or ask him something like this over a damn phone!" Stephanie's voice was still high with franticness, her face was still deathly pale. She was still verging on the edge of collapse or absolute meltdown.
But Electra was already shaking her head firmly. "Damn it Stephanie – are you listening to a word you are saying?! It was you that said you had to avoid Seneca at all costs and with recent events Stephanie I've never agreed more. Ringing him is one thing but arranging a meeting Stephanie! It's too risky – "
"Ellen, this is my damn brother we're talking about! I don't care how risky it is!"
Electra growled low, scrubbing a hand exasperatedly over her face. "What makes you even think Seneca will help your brother?! I mean sure he helped you – he loves you. But your brother – "
Stephanie's face paled even further if it were possible, as those violent trembles seized her body from before. Electra cursed under her breath, immediately realising she had said the wrong thing in her own mounting panic at the worsening situation.
"Oh no Ellen, he has to – he-he just has to. Fen's my brother…" Stephanie stumbled over her words, horror choking her throat as she shook her head, unable to even begin to comprehend how she could possibly cope if Seneca refused. The thought was just too unthinkable for her to even imagine. She wouldn't be able to survive. Knowing her brother Fen back home in District 3 was possibly dying every day.
"Okay, okay, okay!" Electra said hurriedly, before Stephanie could possibly just simply – break. Electra collapsed down on the bed beside Stephanie, pressing her fingers to her temples in a futile attempt to ward off a burgeoning headache. The storm outside was getting worse and Electra gritted her teeth in annoyance.
"Well, you need to think of something a bit more substantial than simply calling Seneca up and arranging to meet up with him…" Electra trailed off at her own words, groaning. "Damn it Stephanie – this is so bad. I should even be letting you think of doing this – it's far too risky, especially now!"
"Ellen please," Stephanie begged. "He's my brother. I have to help him. I'll do anything to help him."
Electra stood abruptly, stalking to and fro in Stephanie's room at a frantic pace. "Alright give me a moment, I need to think…"
Stephanie sat as patiently as she could, one hand still clutching her phone, the other gripping the material of her blue dress desperately.
The blue-haired woman halted suddenly and Stephanie looked up at her with wildly hopeful eyes, immediately alert.
Electra grimaced. "Right. I will have to take Frenkin on his sponsor date with Mrs Ara. You will have to call Dan Flickerman first to arrange a sponsor date for yourself. Then call Seneca and let him know. You will have to do some serious hoping that the times match and Seneca can get away discreetly enough to get to your sponsor date with Dan Flickerman." Electra paused, fixing Stephanie with a grave look. "Stephanie there is no way I can stress to you enough how risky this is," the blue-haired woman enforced seriously.
But Stephanie was already standing. "I don't care. I'll do it," she said resolutely. "Give me Dan Flickerman's number," Stephanie held out her phone to Electra expectantly.
Electra hesitated for a moment.
"Please, Ellen," Stephanie reiterated, her entire expression so anguished that Electra took the phone from Stephanie just so she wouldn't have to look at that tortured expression anymore.
Using her own phone for reference, Electra keyed Dan Flickerman's phone number into Stephanie's phone before handing it back to her.
Stephanie gave her a tremulous, grateful smile. "Should I even ask why you have Dan Flickerman's number for?" Stephanie joked feebly.
Electra smirked weakly. "I have everybody's number that is worth having," she replied.
A small figure suddenly appeared at the doorway to Stephanie's room. Both women looked around as Frenkin looked cautiously between them, his blue eyes wide and confused behind his glasses.
Stephanie couldn't manage to begin to even try and cover the outright, frantic despair etched into her features.
Frenkin came timidly into the room, pushing his oversized glasses up on his freckled nose. "Lunch is ready," Frenkin announced timorously into the fragile quiet.
Stephanie held her arms wide wordlessly, and Frenkin allowed her to pull him into a crushing hug while Electra sighed tiredly.
Stephanie pressed a firm kiss to Frenkin's honey hair, trying to memorise every single, little thing about him. The way he always smelled faintly of sugar, the dusting of freckles across his button nose like sprinkled cinnamon, how blue his eyes were, how his glasses were too big meaning he always had to keep pushing them up, how he somehow managed to remain sweet and endearing and selfless in a place like the Capitol.
And despite how weak and vulnerable he looked, Stephanie thought Frenkin was incredibly strong. He had held it together far more than her and had always been her silent supporting aide when she needed him.
Stephanie memorised everything about her adoptive brother. She wished fervently now, that she had of paused for a few moments when Eldi had called her over eagerly to see the trick the kid with the oversized glasses was showing with a pebble back home in District 3. But Stephanie had always been too busy, running late for the factory, completing errands for her mother or doing chores. She had never had the time to spare a few moments to meet Frenkin Handalriss before he had been reaped. And as Stephanie felt her heart fracture, she considered that maybe it was a blessing in disguise that she hadn't. She already loved Frenkin so much and she hadn't known him until they had both become tributes.
But Fen was her real brother. Her big brother that she had grown up with for eighteen years. She knew everything about him. And the thought that she could possibly be losing him was impossible to put into words. It was tearing her apart from the inside out, shredding her to pieces with raw panic. If she knew a way to do it, Stephanie would send her own pills Seneca had given her home to her brother.
Fen was her lovable big brother that had stepped up to be the man of the family when their father had lost his arm. He was the over protective brother that drove Weisna crazy with his antics. He made Stephanie laugh every day. He had even managed to coax a watery chuckle from her as he had said goodbye in the town hall after she had been reaped. Fen was her brother that had stolen a pendant for Weisna's first Reaping alone just so their sister would smile. He had endured fifty lash whips for it, and still he didn't regret it. He was her brother that even though he couldn't swim, had jumped into the river to save her without a second thought when Stephanie had fallen in. Even for the weeks after she had fallen in the river and had been seriously ill, Stephanie had never been afraid because Fen had always been there with her. They battled together and got better. They helped each other fend off fainting and Fen threatened to beat up anyone who made fun of his green-haired little sister.
Stephanie would have given up a thousand, unique, hand-tailored blue dresses just for the chance to hear her brother's ridiculous laugh once more, to see his warm hazel eyes lighted up with curiosity as he picked apart some invention or other in the factory, to race along beside him and feel his hand inevitably reach out to tug the back of her shirt because she was always faster than him.
"Come on Tiny Tim, you have a sponsor date soon that you need to get ready for still," Electra's words dragged Stephanie from the recesses of memories. Stephanie reluctantly released her crushing grip on Frenkin. She smiled down into his serious little face, creased with concern.
"I'll be okay. Everything's going to be fine, you'll see," Stephanie murmured unconvincingly. She remembered Fen saying the same thing to her countless times before whenever he was comforting her, and it had never failed to make her feel better no matter how dire the circumstances.
Electra gave Frenkin a prompting nudge. The smaller boy looked up at Stephanie and then he stretched up bravely to brush a chaste kiss across Stephanie's flushed cheek. Stephanie nodded in thanks, too choked up to speak and knowing that no words could ever express the gratitude she felt for Frenkin in those moments.
As Frenkin slipped quietly from her arms and then her bedroom, Stephanie released a shuddering breath, before turning to Electra.
"You know what you have to do?" Electra said quietly, gravely.
Stephanie nodded.
"I have to make arrangements for Frenkin's sponsor date and go with him. I'll probably arrange something with Crick – District 5 mentor; a sort of double sponsor date for Frenkin and Ava. Snag a few more of the infamous Mrs Ara's wealthy old friends," Electra joked weakly. Stephanie smirked fleetingly.
"Prall will most likely want a double sponsor date alongside me and Astara possibly, with the Landas then," Stephanie mused worriedly.
Electra sighed. "It's a likely possibility. I'll fob him off. Tell him you're having a date with your Capitol lover Dan Flickerman. That should satisfy him. Can you arrange things yourself while I take care of Frenkin?" Electra asked seriously.
Stephanie nodded resolutely. "This is for Fen. I can do anything."
Electra smirked wryly. "I wish you had that attitude all the time."
Stephanie almost returned it. "So do I."
Sorry – I really didn't honestly mean to leave with that cliffie for so long…but life is just an unpredictable thing I'm afraid.
Thanks to Silver Fletcher for the review; Haha, sorry and I'm glad you like the dress :D
Thanks to girlworthfightingfor for the review; No worries, I was late with updating as well. She's not quite dying…not this time anyway :P