Chapter 3
(Gale POV)
"So I guess she's not doing that great?" Katniss comments after the two of us watch Madge dash off.
"I don't know. She let me explain how we became a couple and not a whole lot else. I think it's too overwhelming for her to get too much information in one sitting."
"I could imagine it would be." She agrees. "But what about you? You hanging in there?"
"Trying my hardest." I shrug with a sigh. "It's rough though because she doesn't know me, not now anyway. She just remembers how I was to her before your games. And she won't let me near her without flinching or pulling away."
Katniss nods. "Do you think she'll come around?"
"I don't know Catnip. Sometimes, I feel like she doesn't even like me. How in the hell will she ever be able to love me?"
"Hang in there. This will get better soon, it has too."
"Did you know about any of this? The rescue and escape to 13?" I ask her.
"Not a bit of it. Haymitch said I was too much of a risk. Was afraid I'd be held captive and tortured for information by the Capitol if anything went wrong with the plan. I was just as surprised as you."
"Are you glad?"
"Glad to have not known about it? I guess so considering it worked out for the most part. Glad to be in 13? Well, it's better than being under the watch of the Capitol for sure but I miss the sunshine, the woods, you know?"
"I wish Madge could have known. She wouldn't have been paranoid and tried to run off if she'd have known."
"Gale, you understand why they couldn't tell her anything, right?"
"I guess." I shrug.
"It would have been terrible for her to hold any information whatsoever. They would have done the cruelest things to her, tortured her repeatedly for information if the plan wasn't a success. And the plan was a long shot. We're lucky it worked."
"I just miss her so much. I can't even kiss her." I say, tears brimming up in my eyes. God, I hate crying. I haven't cried this much ever.
"Be patient. I know it's hard." She says as she reaches over and touches my arm gently. We aren't the huggy, touchy type of friends so this is a big thing for her to reach over in effort to comfort me.
I take a deep breath and fight back the tears, wiping them from my eyes. "Come on, let's get to our orientation thing."
We both have something called Task Orientation this morning, as do most of our families and The Krulls and Peeta and the handful of tributes they rescued from the arena. It's something they do with all new people to help them get acclimated to 13 and what their role will be here. My siblings and Prim will all be in school though and therefore not assigned a job. When Katniss and I arrive, everyone is already seated and waiting for us before it can begin.
"Sorry, we got a little lost." Katniss lies apologetically as we slide into empty chairs. The woman at the front of the room nods understandingly and then begins.
"Today I'll be introducing you to 13. Based on your intake results from the Processing Center, you've each been assigned jobs which you will report to daily from here forward."
She goes on to read out our names from a list and tell us what we'll be doing. Mrs. Everdeen will be working in the Medical Center based on her experience as a healer. Katniss will work in the Defense Department because of her knowledge of the Capitol and experience in the Games and as a hunter. Haymitch, Beetee and Johanna Mason will be working there too. Anyone with games experience apparently. I wonder if when Madge gets better if that's where they'll expect her to work too? Peeta and the Krulls are obviously sent to work in the Cafeteria/Kitchen for their baking and cooking experience. My mother is sent to the Laundry Department and it makes me feel bad for her. I hate that even here she'll be forced to work by doing other people's laundry. She doesn't seem to mind though, nodding her head in agreement when her task is read off. I expect they'll put me in construction or something like that since I worked in the mines. That's why I'm so taken aback when I hear that I'll be in the Cafeteria/Kitchen. I guess my very brief experience at the Café is what they decided to go with. That's fine though, it isn't labor intensive so I can do it. Probably would have been more enjoyable to be in Defense with Katniss but I don't know much about the Capitol. I notice that Ballard guy from the arena isn't here. Did they not rescue him? It seems like he was part of the plan so I wonder why they didn't get him too?
When they announce that I'll also be working the in the kitchen, Mrs. Krull turns back in her seat to smile at me. I smile back at her and it hits me that she is a woman I need to have a conversation with. She apparently was in on this plan the whole time and may be able to fill me in on more details of the plan. Yes, I definitely need to speak to her sometime today.
The woman from 13 continues to speak, explaining more about 13 and how everyone here plays a part to keep it going. I still can't believe that all this time 13 was right here, hidden away from all of Panem, growing stronger everyday. I wonder if the Capitol has suspicions of this or if like everyone else, they think 13 was abolished?
We're taken on a tour of 13 after the assignments are doled out. Everything here is underground and I'm amazed at what they've managed to do. The Agriculture Department is most surprising to me. They have figured out how to grow plants and vegetables and fruits using special lighting and heat sources. They even have animals down here. This is where the majority of our food comes from, if not all of it. It's pretty impressive to see all of this. They have a department or section for everything you could possibly think of. Apparently, they began building and preparing long before the rebellion and then when the Capitol took out 13, they retreated here, those of them that survived anyway. After that, they slowly built and grew over the next 75 years. They have spies in the Capitol and in each of the districts. Usually in the form of Peacekeepers. That explains the Peacekeeper who lead us away from the viewing and out of 12.
After the lengthy tour, we're to have lunch and then report to our assigned areas where we'll meet our supervisors and they'll instruct us from there. As we head to the cafeteria, I try to get near the Krulls so I can maybe talk to Mrs. Krull but it's no good. The hallways are too narrow and there are too many of us moving through them. Someone does catch me though.
"Hey, you the husband?" I hear from behind me as a hand whacks the back of my arm.
I stop walking and turn to see Johanna Mason. "Yeah." I answer, not really sure what she wants.
"Just wanted to say I was sorry. For the memory thing, you know?" She quickly says.
She's apologizing to me? It isn't her fault. She didn't do it on purpose. In fact, I should actually be thanking her. If not for her, Madge wouldn't even be alive right now. It's only now that this occurs to me. "Uh, no apology necessary. Medic says she should get over it. Actually, I probably owe you a thank you. For making sure you got her out of there."
She just shrugs as if it was nothing and then walks passed me, continuing on towards the cafeteria as if those are the only words we needed to speak to each other and our business is now finished. In a way, I kind of admire that about her. Kind of like she only interacts when necessary, not creating opportunities for anyone to get any closer to her than necessary. Probably keeps her life a lot simpler that way.
I continue on towards the cafeteria and find the room already quite full. I go through the line, scanning the room with my eyes for Madge. I don't know how long she's supposed to be at the Medical Center because I didn't read her itinerary all the way through. For all I know, they may be feeding her over there. And they must be because I fail to spot her amongst the rows of tables and crowds of people. She isn't here. My heart drops a little at the realization.
I grab my tray and then search for a seat. I see the Krulls but they're all together and I sort of want to talk to Mrs. Krull alone so I don't sit with them. I end up joining Katniss and Peeta.
"Hi." Katniss says, seeming slightly startled as I sit down with them. I notice Peeta's eyes are a little red. I must have interrupted something between the two of them. But I've already sat down so it may be awkward if I get up and leave.
"Hey. You guys seen Madge?" I ask.
"No. She must still be in the Medical Center." Katniss tells me giving me a look that says I need to get lost so they can continue their conversation in private.
"Think I'll go see if I can find her. See ya around." I say as I get up from my chair. I leave my food tray behind but grab the apple from it as I go.
I decide I don't feel much like having lunch with everyone right now anyway. I head down to my unit, apple in hand and once there, plop face down on the bed. I'm so exhausted from having not slept the night before that instantly, I fall asleep.
(Madge POV)
After they've poked and examined me fully in the Medical Center and given me my first memory assignment, I'm instructed to head to the cafeteria for lunch. After lunch, I'm supposed to rest and then work on my assignment. The assignment is written on paper, folded up in an envelope and I haven't looked at it yet. I have no desire to go to the cafeteria after how awkward breakfast was this morning and honestly, my head hurts a little from having to answer questions for the medics all morning as they established what Dr. Castillion called my baseline. Basically, they were documenting my starting point just in case my memory comes back in bits and pieces instead one full rush of information. So, headache pounding, I head to the unit I share with Gale, deciding I'll skip lunch today.
I open the door using the keypad. The woman working the desk at the medical center wrote it down and gave it to me as I was leaving. It was kind of her to make sure I had it because I hadn't thought to ask Gale for it and he hadn't thought to give it to me. She had to call and get the code from the housing department but I appreciated her doing so since my only other option was to go get the code from Gale.
Very much to my surprise, as soon as the unit door opens, I see Gale is already here himself. Fast asleep, face down on the bed, a lone apple beside him. Softly snoring. A pang of guilt hits me as I realize he must not have slept much last night on the floor. I close the door behind me and slip off my shoes, not wanting to wake him with my footsteps across the floor. On the nightstand, I see my pills and I take one of the blue ones, like last night and go into the bathroom for a glass of water. After I swallow the pill, I decide a nap may be what I need too. I don't want to lie on the bed with him so I reach over him and grab a pillow.
I lay down on the floor between the bed and the wall and place the pillow under my head. It only takes about 10 seconds before the chilly floor starts to make my hipbones hurt. I roll over, trying to get comfortable to no avail. I sit up, sighing to myself. This is not helping my headache. I look back at the bed, Gale still sound asleep. He's laying in the middle of it so even if I wanted to, I couldn't lay down with him without having to curl up next to him. What am I going to do?
In the bathroom, I look for towels that I could lay down to pad the floor but there aren't any. Apparently the laundry has been picked up already. Of course it has. If it hadn't, then something might actually be going my way for once. I turn back to face the bed and Gale. I'm just going to have to suck it up and get on the bed with him. I carefully position myself on the bed next to him, making sure I lay in a way that keeps me from having to touch him. I'm close to him but not touching him. It's the best I can do for now. I close my eyes and quickly drift off to sleep, the headache meds kicking in and covering me in a blanket of drowsiness.
(Gale POV)
When I wake up, I find Madge, curled up next to me. My breath catches in my chest as hope rises up within me. Has her memory returned? Does this mean that she knows me? That she loves me again? I stare at her, afraid to move. If she doesn't remember me, I don't want to wake her up. This is the closest I have gotten to be to her without her pulling away. I want to savor it. Want to use this one, precious, undisturbed moment to ease the pain that's been relentless on my heart. She's so beautiful. Even with her wounds and bruises, she's breathtaking. I cautiously reach over and trace one of her golden curls with my fingertip. Feeling braver after this doesn't wake her, I gently run my fingers over her cheek. I force myself to pull back though because all I want to do right now is just kiss her. Want to cover her face in kisses and then press my lips to hers. It's been so long since I got to kiss her. So long since I felt her lips against mine. I prop myself up on my arm and just watch her sleep. She looks so peaceful. So at ease. So unlike the Madge I've seen since we've been here. God, I hope her laying here beside me means she remembers.
My curiosity about her memory is answered about an hour later when she wakes up. Her blue eyes opening, widening when she sees my face in such close proximity to her own. And then she does it. She rears back, and then sits up quickly, straightening her clothes. She doesn't remember us. I try to keep my face from falling but I know it is anyway. I sit up too.
"Hey." I say quietly.
"Hi. Were you watching me sleep?"
"Yeah, sorry." I say as I get up off the bed. I've already made her so uncomfortable and she hasn't even been awake for a full minute yet. Good job Hawthorne. Way to look like a creeper.
"It's okay. You don't have to leave." She calls out to me as I go to walk towards the door.
"It's okay?"
"Well, I mean, it's weird but it's okay. I'm not mad or anything."
"I didn't mean to seem creepy or anything. It's just, I mean, I woke up and there you were sleeping next to me. I couldn't help it."
"I had a headache after I finished at the Medical Center. Decided to skip lunch and head back here to rest. I tried to sleep on the floor but I couldn't get comfortable so I didn't have another choice except to get on the bed with you. I, I hope that was alright." She explains and blushes slightly at the end of the explanation.
"Yeah, it's fine. Of course it is." I reassure her.
"So, how was task orientation?" She asks, changing the subject and sounding so much more like the Madge I know than the Madge with no memory.
"Not too bad actually. Got to take a tour of this whole place and got my work assignment. I'll be working in the kitchen."
"The kitchen? You cook?"
"Not exactly. I was working at the café in town while you were in the games. Guess they assigned based off that."
"You worked at the café?"
"Yeah, briefly. But it was after you left so you wouldn't have known about it. It's not something you forgot, I mean."
"Well that's good to hear for a change." She says with a bit of humorous sarcasm.
I sit down on the bed again since she seems comfortable now but I don't try to touch her or try to get too close to her. "I guess it's pretty frustrating hearing about all this stuff you're supposed to remember but don't, huh?"
"Frustrating. Overwhelming. Embarrassing."
"Embarrassing?"
"Mmhmm. Like this morning? At breakfast? If I can't carry on a simple conversation with a child about her dolls, how on earth am I going to be able to function around adults?"
"Don't let what happened with Posy embarrass you. She doesn't know about your memory loss, we didn't want to tell her because she's so young. And she probably thought you were just teasing her anyway. She's crazy about you."
"Crazy about me?"
"Yeah, I wasn't kidding when I said she was your biggest fan. She practically idolizes you. And you, you're pretty fond of her too. You liked to spoil her rotten, do girly stuff with her."
"She's really cute. Lot's of personality in such a tiny person too."
"That's one word for it. She's more than a handful sometimes but it never bothered you. You'd just take her aside, whisper in her ear and then she would calm right down."
"What'd I whisper?"
"Different things. Depended on the situation. Usually you'd make a deal with her or bribe her somehow. Worked like a charm, every time."
"I wanted to do something this morning but I wasn't sure if that was okay or not!" She exclaims.
I smile, careful not to laugh like I did last night. "It would have been fine. That's probably good though, right? That your instinct lined up with your past behaviors?"
"I guess. I feel like I don't know what to do anymore."
"How was the Medical Center? Did they say anything this morning?"
"Okay. I met my Doctor. He's going to meet with me each week to track my progress. And the rest of the week, I'll be given assignments and work with therapists to try and recover my memories."
"What kind of assignments?"
"They gave me one today but I haven't opened it yet. That's what I'm supposed to work on the rest of today." She says as she grabs an envelope from the nightstand and holds it up to show me. "What are you supposed to be doing?"
Shit. I forgot about going to meet my work supervisor after lunch. I glance at the clock and see that it's way passed lunchtime. In fact, it's almost dinner time. "I uh, was supposed to go eat lunch and then meet with my work supervisor. Kinda slept through that though."
"Well maybe there's still time before dinner. You should go. Just explain that you overslept and I'm sure they'll understand."
"Yeah, I probably should. Will you be alright here?"
"I'll be fine. I have an assignment to work on anyway. Go, I'll see you later, at dinner." And she waves me off.
"Okay, bye." I tell her as I hurry off towards the Kitchen. On the way there, all I can think about is how good that just went. She was comfortable talking to me. I was comfortable talking to her. Were we making progress? Does this mean that we're heading in the right direction? Yes, I think it does.