District Seven-
Minerva "Minnie" Sonders 15 and Chance Michael 16
Minerva "Minnie" Sonders 15 POV
"So, what's gonna happen next?" I ask, holding a bruise on my cheek that I got at the disaster of an Opening Ceremony a few hours ago.
"Tomorrow we are going to prepare you for your interviews after training. But we have a little down time right now to talk tactics," replies Sonorous Pettigrew, our mentor. "When will Chance get back from the doctor?" I ask nervously, he broke his collarbone at the Ceremonies and hasn't been back since they evacuated the stadium. "Soon enough, they can fix his collarbone fast but it's not instant." I nod.
"Are you fast, Minerva?"
"Minnie, and yes, I've always been fast."
"Good, you'll need it. Can you fight?"
"I'm strong but I've never really fought anyone, Chance is the fighter."
Sonorous nods. "I take it your weapon is an axe?" I nod, swallowing the nausea from thinking about driving my axe into the skull of an innocent kid. "Use it at training, perfect your skills, and intimidate the other tributes. Nevertheless, don't forget, it's just as important to learn how to use a knife to skin an animal or blend into the background as it is killing. There may not be an axe, but there is always a knife." I nod again, trying to remember all of the information he is giving me. I've never been the smartest person, that's why I dropped out of school, but I can't afford to get an F here.
Chance walks in. With his arm hanging limply at his side and his eyes full of concern, I'm overcome with relief that he's okay. "Minnie! Oh thank god your okay!" he rushes to my side and frets over each of my bruises like an overprotective mother. "Chance! I'm fine, really! You're the one with the broken collarbone!"
He stops and looks down at his arm in a sling as if he just remembered he was the injured one. "It's not anymore." I roll my eyes, "I'm going to bed. Talk to Sonorous about the arena and don't worry about me okay?" I walk to my room slowly and there decide that I'll do anything to get Chance home, at the cost of my life.
Chance Michael 16 POV
"You've broken your collarbone in two places and dislocated your shoulder," says the doctor, examining me with strange goggles. I nod slowly and grimace at the pain that blossoms in my shoulder. "We can mend the bone easily but we'll have to pop your shoulder back into place the old fashioned way." I don't nod this time.
"Step into the booth, please." The nurse ushers me into a small closet-sized room. Before she closes the door she says, "This won't hurt too much, it'll only sting a little." She closes and locks the tiny door and I sit on the stool in the center of the booth. A purple light flashes above me and a strange buzzing fills the air, raising the hair on my arms and the back of my neck. An uncomfortable itching sensation spreads through my collarbone as if a bug was trying to crawl out of my skin as the bone mends. In no time, the buzzing stops and the nurse unlocks the door.
"That was the easy part, honey. Unfortunately, we don't have the technology to fix dislocated joints reliably yet," she says to me taking my hand and helping me out of the booth. I grimace thinking of the horrible ways they could possibly fix my shoulder. "Here," the short doctor says, reaching up to hand me a small mouth guard, "bite on this. This may hurt." Once the mouthpiece is in place and I am lying on the table the doctor stands on the table and takes my arms firmly with his hands. Pain tweaks my shoulder lightly and I bite down.
"Take a deep breath, hon," says the nurse in my ear. I do. "One… Two… Three!" The doctor yanks on my arm and I scream in pain. I bite down in agony on the mouthpiece and arch my back. As quickly as the pain started it stops, fading to a dull throb. I sigh, "Much better." With a satisfied nod, the doctor jumps off the table, hands me a sling and sends me back down to the seventh floor.
Once Minnie goes to bed, I explain to Sonorous my plan. I tell him that if given the choice to save only one of us, he needs to choose Minnie over me. He nods solemnly and promises to save her. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I could relax now; Minnie would be safe as long as I was alive and with her and would be safe after my death.
