The day after Rose died Miriam did nothing. It was shocking. She'd never seen anyone die so violently. She hadn't seen many people die period. One minute they were laughing, joking. The next Rose was gone.
0o0o
We moved camp. Miriam walked along silently and heard Uhura whisper to Spock about her but he convinced Uhura to give Miriam space. She didn't care.
0o0o
They sent Miriam to fish with Aidan. They had stayed by the river but moved away from Rose's grave. Uhura, Aidan, Miriam, and Spock had buried what was left of Rosemary in a small hole. Spock hadn't wanted to spend too long; he thought that the screaming would attract the Careers. The Vulcan was right, of course.
"Hey, Miriam, I know some people who've died so I kind of know what you're dealing with. So if you ever want to talk..." Aidan trailed off.
A moment passed before Miriam replied, "Thanks. But no thanks. I'm fine."
"Right."
"Hey," she said defensively, " Leave me alone. I just saw my friend die." Aidan looked at Miriam with his ashy eyes.
"I did too. Don't forget we all did." With those simple words, Aidan cast a net of guilt over her. It was true; she'd been only thinking of myself. Miriam's cheeks burned when she thought back on how she'd been acting. Aidan caught on to how bad he'd made her feel.
"Hey, now. Don't feel horrible. We all get it. Besides, I fainted and Uhura threw up. You actually did something," he said. Miriam shot a look at him.
"Are you feeling... responsible?" she asked. Aidan shrugged.
"A little. I mean, none of us even tried to help her, except you. Do you think it would have helped? You know, if we'd attacked them?" he questioned.
"No," Miriam said firmly, "The only thing that would have happened differently was that they would have killed more of us. There was nothing we could have done." Saying that made her feel better. There really was nothing she, or anyone else, could do now. It was the Hunger Games and only one was going to make it out. The victor was probably going to be Spock or Uhura anyways.
A tug on Miriam's makeshift fishing pole caught her attention. She yanked it but the line wouldn't come out of the water. Miriam had never fished before.
"Aidan, help!" she said, struggling.
"Um. Well, I think that- Oh dear." Miriam started to tip in the river but Aidan grabbed her waist and kept her ashore. She fell back against him and they tumbled off the rocks.
"Everything okay over there?" Uhura had come to see if Miriam and Aidan were alright.
"Yup! We're all good! Just some, ah, fishing problems," Miriam called, brushing myself off. Our only fishing pole was floating down the river though and neither Aidan nor Miriam were District Four tributes.
"I suppose neither of you can swim," Spock had appeared from nowhere, startling the two teens. Aidan mutely nodded. Spock dove into the water with fluid grace. Aidan and Miriam watched him, astonished, as he cut through the water effortlessly.
"Yeah, you think you get him figured out and then... he does something like that," Uhura said, shaking her head and smiling.
"I didn't know you could swim," the woman said. Spock shook his head, spraying her with water.
"Despite the lack of water on Vulcan, it seemed a necessary skill. Therefore, I learned to swim," replied Spock. The two adults walked away together, leaving the two teens.
"Do you see what I see?" Aidan whispered. Miriam giggled.
"Can crewmembers get married?" she asked. Aidan gave an exaggerated shrug and the two began laughing.
"At the end of the Games, I think we'll see," Aidan said. They immediately stopped laughing. It was entirely possible that neither of them would see the end of the Games.
0o0o
"Spock?" Spock looked up, distracted from his thoughts. He had overheard Aidan and Miriam talking about his relationship with Uhura. Apparently no one had told them that Vulcans have better hearing than humans. Spock had been trying to see if his actions with Lieutenant Uhura could be interpreted as more than friendly. He supposed it was possible.
"Aidan says he saw someone down by the river." It was Miriam. Uhura looked up from fashioning another hook out of a bone from a fish she had caught earlier and the party went in search.
0o0o
A tall girl with dark blond hair was wading in the river, grabbing at the little flashes of fish that flitted by. She held one up in triumph and put it in a roughly-made, woven basket. That's when Miriam ducked out from behind the rock.
"Miriam!" Aidan whisper-called. She just waved and jogged out to the river. The newcomer started to run.
"Wait! Athena!" The girl stopped when she realized Miriam wasn't giving chase. Her eyes were darting nervously around her, expecting an ambush.
"Would you like to join us?" offered Miriam.
"I don't need you or anyone," replied Athena.
"Maybe we need you," suggested Miriam.
"I can fight. My mom taught me," Athena looked at the surroundings, "Who are you allied with?" Miriam motioned for Aidan, Uhura, and Spock to come out. Athena's eyes widened and Spock could tell she was reconsidering. Her answer was obvious.
"I think you will need me. It doesn't look like there's a fighter among you," Athena said haughtily. Spock smirked inside. She had no idea who she was dealing with. Uhura could kick some serious butt when she wanted to. Fortunately, Uhura was the type to let the dig slide.
0o0o
Athena turned out to be a great addition. Not only was she a good fighter, but she was strong and could catch fish very well. The only problem was that she kept pressing the idea that their group should do a preemptive strike against the Careers.
"If we want to make it out, we have to show the Careers that they shouldn't mess with us. We have a group big enough to take them. The only times people from other districts win is when the tributes from One, Two, and Four are taken out!" Athena argued.
"We understand your point, Athena, and you have reminded us over and over that the only way to win the Games is through fighting but no one in this group wants to fight, except you. It would be illogical to fight the Careers when we are so ill prepared. We have few weapons and no way to treat the wounded," Spock replied calmly.
"Do you think anyone wounded is going to make it out alive? We kill the wounded. That way they won't suffer when other tributes find them!" said Athena passionately. Uhura, Miriam, and Aidan sat, watching the debate. They had all given their opinions before, even Aidan, but the only one Athena listened to was Spock.
"We will not fight unless we have to. That is our final decision." Spock looked at the others for affirmation. Uhura nodded. The group was making the right choice. Kill the wounded, Uhura thought, Athena is as ruthless as Spock would be without the rest of us. Despite his peaceful philosophy, Uhura was sure that the first officer would be as cold as necessary to get back to the Enterprise. Speaking of which, only one of them could.
"Fine," Athena snapped and walked off in some direction.
Aidan spoke softly, "Perhaps it would have better if you had never invited her."
"Me? Don't blame me," Miriam said angrily.
Uhura broke up the fight before it started, "There is no use in fighting. What's done is done." There had been more tension between the members since Athena had come. She was a fighter with no use for peace.
"District Thirteen, when it rebelled, was a militaristic district. They have not changed much," commented Spock.
Soon came time to sleep. Athena had been strangely quiet, eating dinner without a single word. When Spock had asked her how she was feeling, she had replied curtly.
"Fine, just fine," she said.
It was Aidan's turn for the sleeping bag. Uhura curled up on the cold ground. They had moved camp once more and they were nearing the winter section of the arena. Athena lay beside Uhura, staring up at the sky. Uhura opened her mouth to say something but then rolled over. There would be time enough in the morning.
0o0o
"Miss Uhura! Miss Uhura, Athena's missing." Aidan's anxious eyes peered into Uhura's sleepy brown ones.
"What? Aidan, what are you talking about?" she questioned. Miriam's face slid into view.
"It's true," Miriams said, pale-faced, "Athena's gone."