They approach the registration desk. As Gale looks around, he notices that Madge Undersee is in front of him. He blinks in surprise. He hadn't expected her to make it out of 12. His mother had forced him to search for her once the bombings started, and when he couldn't find her, he'd assumed she was one of the many trapped under ashes and debris. She definitely looks as though she'd been trapped. Her once-gleaming golden locks are tangled and brown with dirt. She is barefoot and her clothes are all torn, but she squares her shoulders determinedly. As he steps closer to her, he can hear what the district 13 official tells her.
"Ma'am, those who are unmarried or adolescents must live in the dormitories. No exceptions."
Gale almost feels sorry for the mayor's daughter. During the trip to 13, he has heard of the overcrowded dormitories, which have attracted rats and spiders and worse. She's likely never experienced something like this. He is briefly ashamed when he thinks that the mayor's daughter deserves to know what kind of life the rest of 12 had to live.
Before he knows what's happening, his mother has stepped into the fray. "Actually, this woman is a part of our family," Hazelle says. "She and my son Gale were married just prior to the bombing of District 12. Unfortunately, the paperwork couldn't be processed in time. Would you be able to make an exception in this case?" Gale glares at his mother. Who does she think she is, gambling his life like this over someone who is basically a stranger? He glances over at Madge and catches a glimpse of confusion cross her face before a smiling mask drops over it.
"Well, ma'am, there is no precedent for this."
The official scrambles nervously through his papers.
"Well, as long as a wedding ceremony with appropriate documentation occurs here in district 13, there should be no problem, right? Until then, would my daughter-in-law be able to stay with my son?" Hazelle replies.
"Oh yes. That would be acceptable." The official sighs in relief. "But your son would not be able to live with you and your other children, of course."
"Of course," Hazelle smiles courteously.
Gale glares daggers at the back of his mother's head. As Madge turns to face him, his mother elbows him hard.
"Ahh!" he yells, partly from pain. "Yes, darling, I'm so glad it's worked out." He sees his mother's danger face and kisses Madge briefly on the cheek. Madge, ever a politician's daughter, plays her part perfectly, giggling and looking at him dreamily. It makes him want to vomit.