Here it is. Thank you for being patient.
Chapter 23
When I walk to the compartments, my mother finds me. We walk to our boarding cell without saying a word. The pain of my sister leaving still lingers.
My mother unlocks the door with her key and we get ready for bed. It feels different without Prim here. She's usually the one to ask about our day, and tell us about hers. My mother and I don't speak till we're both in bed.
"Good night," she says exhausted.
"Good night," I reply.
I turn on my side facing the wall. Prim not sleeping next to me is unfamiliar now. I blink in the darkness for my eyes to adjust, as if she might appear there somehow. I bring the other pillow against me and exhale to relax. It seems impossible. I take deep breaths and close my eyes tightly. Two hours later, I'm still not asleep and I lay on my back. I sigh and push the pillow against my face while I grunt in frustration. I stare at the ceiling intently. Instead of seeing a canvas being painted with good things, I start daydreaming about Snow and Coin being dead. I start to imagine what my life would be like. It's so unrealistic… or maybe it isn't. I try to turn off my thoughts and fluff my pillow to try another attempt at falling asleep. At least a few hours; five would be great.
The next day is a bore. I have breakfast and then go to some classes. During the Lunch Period, I tell myself I'm not hungry, and think of something else to do. During the day Peeta has therapy, so I can't visit him now. I go visit Beetee till I think I can't handle it anymore. Watching scenes of the war going on isn't me making me feel better about Prim being there. I find Plutarch and Fulvia in the studio and see them viewing some footage sent from the film crew.
"We got some new stuff!" says Fulvia excitedly.
"We'll make sure to order all the footage by date," says Plutarch.
"Of course!" she says. She goes to a computer and moves files and files of footage to different folders.
"Are you editing them?" I ask. They both turn around, suddenly realizing I'm there.
"We'd like to, but we would like to see everything before we start putting our project together," says Plutarch.
"The footage we get, we view, and then organize. We want to arrange things by settings and time," says Fulvia.
"So you watch all the video?" I ask.
"Yes we do," she answers.
"And what have you seen so far? Are bombs and traps going off? Do any of them get hurt?"
"Well, from what we've seen, even the back lines are getting some attacks. They were only to go through deserted streets with pods still active. They're filming mostly in those streets, but I have seen some video of an actual battle, which means they're close to it," says Plutarch
"Has there been any news of casualties or deaths?" I ask hastily.
"There has, but not from anyone in our squad," he answers. "We lose quite a few each day, but District 13 has sent more doctors and nurses to help. Hopefully, the rebels can get into the mansion and capture Snow. Till then, we're still going to see casualties."
"Snow's not going to go peacefully. He'll take all the lives he possibly can before he's taken out." I say solemnly.
"That may be true, but they're working very hard to find him. I'm sure they'll take extra precautions to save more injured people. We catch him, we save lives. We got most of our forces on his capture so we can win this war," he says. "Let's just be optimistic, alright?"
I shrug. I just can't shake the feeling.
"Let's review what we just got, shall we?" says Fulvia. She clicks on an icon, and a window appears with a scene of a street. The camera turns around and I see them. FInnick, Johanna, Boggs, Gale, and a few others I don't know. The camera films from behind them, while they walk steadily down the street, looking to windows and roofs. Boggs holds a hand up and they all stop. He gestures for the soldier next to him to shoot a pod. The man fires his gun and it goes off.
Bullets begin to fire from the pod. Bullets are shooting everywhere, but the squad was expecting it, and they all bunker behind cars and walls. The camera zooms in on Finnick who fires back at the pod. Once the pod stops, everyone gathers in the middle of the street and continues to walk on. A close in of Gale and Boggs, shows him telling to activate the next pod. Gale does not shoot it like I'd suspect. He runs toward it, and then it activates. I grab my wrist tightly. A fan of fire assembles and begins to spin. I see Gale do a sort of somersault and he dodges the ring of fire. When Gale gets up, I realize I have been holding my breath and quickly suck the air back into my lungs.
"They know where the pods are and what they do, right?" I ask.
"Yes, Boggs has the Holo. They know exactly what they're up against, and that makes good footage," says Plutarch.
"They're doing quite well. With all this footage we've been getting, it might mean calling back to camp early." Fulvia says.
"You think so?" I ask.
"Sure," says Fulvia. "We won't need them to go into battle anymore. Maybe we'll have it ready to air by the time we achieve victory."
Looking back at the screen, I see they aren't acting anymore. Messalla continues to film, but it seems like they're taking a break. Boggs refers to his Holo. I see Pollux holding another camera, from his insect shell. Finnick talks to a man I hear him call Mitchell and then another man named Homes. There are twin sisters, but I only know one of their names; Leeg. I'm trying to remember their names, so I know these people when they come back. They're in a war, and the least I could do is remember their names.
There stands a middle-aged woman next to Johanna. I ask Plutarch who she is, and he tells me her name is Jackson. She's Bogg's second in command. She's looks tough, but I admit, the way she points her gun and walks, appears sluggish. Plutarch tells me she's is the very best at shooting. He says it's because of her farsightedness, as she says.
"This is the last hour of footage for today," says Plutarch. He plays it and we see a different street. It's late afternoon, from what I can tell. The team continues to activate assigned pods and dodge their attacks. They shoot other things, so it appears to whoever is watching that they do not have a Holo. They come across a corner and just when Boggs is to make a sign to the team, a shot is fired and a pod activates. It's not one of the assigned pods as I can tell from the look of Boggs' worried expression. Scatters of metal darts fly in every direction. I grip tightly to a chair and watch as the barely visible darts fly into one of the twins' head and another into Johanna's shoulder.
"No!" I shout. Fulvia grasps one of my shoulders to calm down. On the screen, the woman falls to the ground and Johanna stumbles. It appears everyone else has found cover, until the camera shifts and falls to the ground, viewing the street on its' side. Whoever was holding that camera is either badly injured or dead.
The camera films just minutes more of the team shouting and running to aid the fallen soldiers. The sister runs to kneel beside her twin. Medics are called for and they hastily get to the sides of Johanna, and who ever held the camera. They check Leeg's sister's pulse, and she is pronounced dead. The camera is brought upright, and then turned off. The screen goes black.
"She died." I say softly. Fulvia and Plutarch have worried looks on their faces and they don't say anything. "What about the person holding the camera?"
Plutarch looks to a smaller screen. "It appears only one of them were pronounced dead today."
I shake my head. "Who was it that got injured, from the film crew?"
"Messalla," he answers.
"Oh," I muffle. He was Cressida's assistant. I just saw him the other day. "They have to get out of there."I say in a low tone.
"That's not an option right now. They've been assigned a mission, and they can't leave till it's accomplished," says Plutarch. "It appears it got out of hand for a second, but that doesn't mean they can just leave." I sigh in frustration. "They'll finish probably before the third day. Then they'll be sent back to camp."
I pace around the room, and then I lean on a table behind Fulvia.
"We should call it a day…" she says. "Maybe tomorrow they'll have some new footage to replace… this," she says tiredly.
"Wait, just not yet. It appears President Coin is on her way here," Plutarch reads off the small screen.
Coin is coming here. She'll want to know how they're doing and see some of the footage. She'll see the video of the member of Squad 451 die. It probably wouldn't affect her much. She's pretty heart-less.
Within in few minutes, she arrives with some important looking officials. Her minions, I'm guessing. She gives me eye contact with a grave face, and then walks over to Fulvia and Plutarch.
"How's the project coming along?" she asks.
"Well, we received some good footage, along with some disturbing." Says Plutarch
"What do you mean?"
"A member of Squad 451 was killed in an accident, and it was shown on camera."
"Will you please show us," It's more like a command, less like a question.
Plutarch brings up the window of it, and it is fast forward to the start of the accident. Being replayed, I see it was the deceased sister that shot the pod. Coin watches it with discountenance, and the two people she brought along watch it as well. I don't watch the video, but the expression of Coin and the other two. When the video ends she looks to Plutarch.
"That's what happens when somebody is not paying attention. It's is very unfortunate. You might want to keep this video, so that we can display what horror the Capitol is causing." Coin says. "We'll make sure to send in a replacement."
"Who are you thinking about sending?" asks Fulvia.
Coin puts a hand to her chin and thinks. "The team is composed of mostly Tribute Victors, so what about Peeta Mellark?"
Everyone is facing the screen, their backs to me. Coin doesn't see me restrict my hands from meeting her neck.
"I don't think he is in condition to be going," says Plutarch. "He's still staying in the hospital."
"I see," she says. "I'll ask his doctor about it, tomorrow. If he can't go, we'll find someone else." She walks out without meeting my glare. Her minions follow her out. Plutarch and Fulvia start shutting things down, and gathering papers.
"You should start going to your boarding cell," says Plutarch. I get up from the table. "Don't worry, Katniss. He's in no shape to be going. The doctor wouldn't let him go."
I nod and walk out of the room.
I have dinner with my mother, and then after, I go with her to the hospital. She puts away papers in filing cabinets and I help dispose of used gloves and stuff. She wipes down a sink, and then organizes jars of bandages and things. I see a drawer slightly out, and I'm about to push it in, when I see something familiar. I pull it out and look at the cover of the book. It's the book my mother uses to record different types of plants, herbs, and their capabilities. The time before the Quarter Quell, Peeta and I added some plants to it.
"It's here," I say. My mother turns around, to see what I'm talking about. "I remember taking it from District 12, but I sort of forgot about it." I flip through some of the pages till I reach the ones Peeta drew. The thick, slightly wrinkled paper reminds me so much of the time before the Quarter Quell.
"Yes, I brought it here so it could help me with remedies for treating patients. I'm taking very good care of it." she says with a small smile.
I close the book and put it delicately back in the drawer. There's a knock on the door, and it makes me jump. My mother goes over to open it. There stands Dr. Odessa with a small container of capsules.
"Hello, Ms. Everdeen. I just wanted to drop these off for Katniss." She looks behind my mother and sees me. "Hello, Katniss. I have some new supplements for you to start taking."
"New supplements?" my mother questions.
"Yes, it's for the child development. The past few appointments, I noticed the baby was a little for small for her term. These are not very strong, and they should help with the baby's growth. It's all natural." Dr. Odessa says.
She hands them to my mother. "I think it's best if she takes these before she goes to sleep. She has to wait a few hours before taking any other vitamins."
My mother examines them, and nods. Dr. Odessa gives a smile, and then leaves. My mother tosses them to me. "Why haven't you told me about this from your appointment?"
"Well, she said it wasn't a big deal." I reply. My mother sighs and we start leaving the hospital. We walk up a flight of stairs and go down a hallway till we reach Compartment E. Reaching our boarding cell, my mother unlocks the door and we step inside. After we shower, I'm trying to dry my hair as best as I can. My mother puts a cup of water and the capsules on the drawer.
"Don't forget," she says. Then she walks to her bed and gets under the covers. "Goodnight."
"Good night," I say. After a few minutes, I quietly go to our drawer and pull out the little things I hid in the parachute. Carefully avoiding Buttercup on the floor, I sit back on the bed, next to a small light. I hold each item in front of it, trying to remember all the details. That book was almost forgotten, even though it's so very important to my family. I just don't want to lose these things forever.
I get up, and put back the things in the drawer. I swallow the supplement, and take a drink of water. I decide to just sit on the bed so my hair continues to dry.
Coin's attempt at making Peeta go to the Capitol, makes me angry. She can't, and if she could, I wouldn't let her. Anyway, the doctor will definitely say he's not well enough. Why is she so worried about what I do? Coin is just another Snow, and I hate her dearly.
Suddenly I feel odd. The anger quickly subsides and I feel hazy. I get up slowly and grab one of the supplements. I hold it up against the small light, and notice a liquid substance inside of them. It's gel-like, almost syrup-like. I remember they were slightly sweet going down my throat. Then I recognize it; sleep syrup. It's the kind I gave to Peeta, during our first Hunger Games. Why would Dr. Odessa give me this and lie about it?
While trying to fight the lethargy of it, I try to walk over to wake up my mother. My muscles begin to feel weak. This sleep syrup is stronger than I thought. I'm losing consciousness and I fall back unto my bed. I'm sitting against the side of it, when I hear distant turning of the knob and see the door slightly open. Dark silhouettes block the light form the hallway. That's all I see before I go under.
OH NO! itty bitty cwiff anger. And Dr. O is a backstabber.
Little thanks to silent rider7, Browniangel, pirate-princess1, jesuschick13, Phoenix Refrain, Loud Avox for your multiple reviews. I forgot to mention! Thanks iluvtheboywiththebread for the threat. I 'm really considering what will happen in the story. I'm considering it more. E Salvatore- your review very informative and it really gives an idea what I should continue doing with the story. Thanks to everyone... else.
-cheezebuns