Chapter Five

When we get Haymitch into the tub, I turn back to Katniss. It wouldn't be right for her to see him indecent, since she's a lady. "It's okay," I say to her. "I'll take it from here."

She looks a little apprehensive, but still grateful when I turn back to Haymitch. I was just taking his shirt off, having to peel the slick material off of his wet body, when she replied. "All right. I can send in one of the Capitol people to help you."

I feel a slight pang of anger when she suggested that one of them can help me. The Capitol people anger me in the first place, but having to hear one of them complain about Haymitch would just be far too much for me to handle on top of our disoriented mentor. "No. I don't want them." Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her nod once before leaving me alone with him.

Haymitch starts mumbling under his voice as I get the rest off the rest of his clothes, tossing them into the corner, creating a wet pile there. I wasn't really paying attention to him until I realized he was talking about the Games. Getting to water. Avoiding the Cornicopia. Staying just far enough away from the Careers that the Gamemakers won't try to force us together. And avoid making alliances.

As I washed the puke from his body and hair, he kept mumbling little bits of information. Some was about the Games, others were about the interviews, training, and just random things that didn't really make sense. Most of the training and Games stuff was fairly obvious, but some of it would probably come in handy.

He was becoming more incoherent when I finally got him out of the tub and dressed. I tucked him into bed and he was out like a light before I could even get one of the Capitol workers to come get his messy clothes. I didn't really know what to do with them, and I supposed their help was needed just this one time. An Avox retrieved them just as I was leaving the room, but I was careful to make sure he didn't wake Haymitch.

When I make my way back to my bedroom, I don't see Katniss, but Effie tells me she's already gone to bed. It's a pity, since I would have liked to talk with her. Shrugging it off, I go to take my own shower, and what I discover surprises me. Not only does the train still have hot water after Haymitch just had a shower, my shower can be changed to smell like a particular scent with just a push of a button!

I tested a couple of ones before settling on a calming chamomile and rose scent. The water came out a slightly pink color, but that didn't really bother me considering it felt more than amazing against my skin. I never knew just taking a shower could feel good. Then again, if you wanted to bathe in District Twelve, you had to boil the water and do it in a large metal tub. This was like... rain, but warmer and a fair amount heavier. I start to wonder if Katniss had showered yet, and think about waking her. But, then I figure that she probably wouldn't enjoy being woken up if she had just gotten to sleep.

When I finish showering, I pull on a pair of black pajamas that are made of a light, smooth material. I assume it was silk or something similar since they looked slightly glossy. I'd ask Effie in the morning, if I remembered.

I laid down on the overly luxurious bed and wondered why the Capitol even cared enough to let us use nice things like this. They just wanted to put on a good show of twenty-three children from the districts being murdered brutally on screen. They wanted a nice performance out of us, but that wasn't something they had to spoil us to get. No matter what we wanted, they would be getting their show. It was the Gamemaker's jobs to make sure that plan went without interruption.

I rolled onto my side, pulling the blankets over my so they'd cocoon me in. Sighing, I shove my face into the plush pillow beneath my head. As Effie would say, we have a big big day tomorrow. And I really wish I could just melt away for that day, since it would probably be the day of the big parade and the first time I'm put in the hands of psychotic person with a pair of scissors who was prepared to make me either look extremely sexy or extremely stupid.

I never thought I would fall asleep, but I did all too soon. Before I knew it, it was morning again and the light was peeking in from between the curtains over my rather large window. If I thought it would do any good, I'd try to jump out of it. But, at speeds of two hundred miles per hour, I'd end up as dead as I would be in the Games. If I went on to the Games, at least I would still be there to help Katniss stay safe and win. The window wouldn't help me accomplish that in any way, shape, or form.

So, I ended up pulling myself out of bed and going into the bathroom. I looked in the bright, shiny mirror that had probably never seen a bit of coal dust in it's whole existence. The person it showed had my face, and my key features, but I had never looked this clean or healthy. I looked like I finally had a proper shower and proper meal, as out escort would probably say. And she was right, that was exactly how I looked. Not that it mattered... they were probably spoiling us so that we would look prettier and healthier for their televising of the games.

I jump when I hear a little fist pounding on my door, followed by Effie's all to perky Capitol accent. "Up, up, up! It's going to be a big, big, big day!" I wondered if the Capitol citizens repeated words multiple times just to be annoying, but then I remember they probably aren't smart enough to realize what they do annoys the rest of us. They're also too self absorbed to even care.

I pull on a clean pair of clothes, which turns out to be a pair of gray dress pants and a deep purple dress shirt. I wondered if the Capitol people saw this as every day attire, since I only wore things even close to this on special occasions such as holidays or the reapings. Anyone who saw me dressing like this back at Twelve would have gotten me stared at and probably put into a mental institution. You know, if my family could afford the pricy institutions that the Captiol ran. I figured they probably wouldn't have been able to even if I was mad as a hatter. Which, I'm not, no matter what anyone else says. I'm just as normal as they are.