Hey everyone!

Look at me updating all fast for you guys! :)

So hopefully this chapter will lift all of your spirits after the contents of the last chapter :(

And make sure to leave a review letting me know what you think! They've dropped down in number again.

O O
-

Skeptical face is skeptical.

excuse my weirdness, I have consumed nothing today but coffee, so that should explain most of it :P I love coffee...

Anyway! On to the chapter!

Chapter Six: A light in the dark.

Somehow I suddenly have no air in my lungs, and I find myself clutching the closest thing to me (Felix's arm) for support. Leroy lets out a heartbroken cry of pain and I gasp as my chest tightens in empathy. Felix grabs Leroy's shoulders and gives him a small shake, forcing him to focus, Felix asks urgently.

"How long ago did you find her?"

Leroy looks confused and frowns.

"What? Why does that matter?"

Felix tightens his grip and gives him another shake, shouting quickly.

"Tell me how long ago!"

Leroy gasps and struggles to think.

"Um...I brought her here the moment I found her..."

"How long?!"

Leroy shrugs and shakes his head.

"Fifteen minutes ago?"

Felix releases him and runs into the living room where Dash is sitting on the couch with Becky's head in his lap. Felix quickly but carefully takes Becky and sets her on the floor, explaining briefly.

"There's still a chance I can save her. Dash go find Mr. Flint and being him here as quickly as you can!"

Without another word Dash stands up and runs out the front door. Leroy looks anxious but slightly hopeful as he asks.

"You can save her?"

Felix places Becky's slender arms at her sides and tilts her head back slightly as he replies.

"I can try."

He holds one hand over the other, lacing his fingers together he places the heel of his palm over the left side of her rib age. He presses quickly down and then lifts his hands up rhythmically, silently counting, he pauses after thirty compressions and tilts her chin up, takes a deep breath, and placing his mouth over hers, blows two deep breaths into her. He goes back to the compressions and repeats the process.

Leroy and I look anxiously on, time dragging by as we wait for something, anything to happen.

After almost an hour of Felix's treatment, I could tell he was exhausted, but he refused to give up, after coming up from supplying her with breath, he ground his teeth together and said.

"Come on Becky, breathe!"

He put all his weight on the next compression, and all three of us jump when Becky coughs and water spills from her mouth. Felix quickly makes her sit up and he tilts her forward. She gags up what seems like a gallon of sea water before she gasps and inhales deeply.

"Becky!"

Leroy instantly falls to the floor by her side and wraps his arms tightly around her. She's still unconscious, but now we can all see her chest rising and falling as her heart resumes beating and her lungs draw oxygen in eagerly.

Felix is breathing heavily, and he sits down hard, leaning back against one of the chairs he tips his head back and closes his eyes. I crawl around Leroy and Becky, and wrap my arms around Felix.

"You did it."

I whisper. He nods and takes a deep breath.

"The...sooner...your dad gets here...the...better."

He says breathlessly, coughing a few times and then rolling his shoulders. I sit up on the chair behind him and start to rub his shoulders, which are so tense I can barely press down into the muscle.

"You should move her onto the couch."

Felix tells Leroy, who nods before gently lifting her and laying her on the couch, keeping her head in his lap.

Around five minutes later Dash returns with my father. He does a quick check on Becky and then turns to Felix.

"How long did it take to resuscitate her?"

"Around an hour."

My father raises his eyebrows.

"You performed CPR for an hour?"

Felix nods, and my father looks impressed as he turns to Leroy.

"She's breathing normally and her pulse is steady, but she still hasn't regained consciousness, we wont know her full condition until she wakes up. it's a miracle she's still alive at all."

Leroy nods and my father nods towards the stairs.

"Come on, we should get her upstairs. Mags, would you call Becky's father?"

I nod and kiss Felix's temple before walking to the phone and explaining what happened to Becky's dad. He sounds frantic, but relieved, quickly telling me that he will be over in a few minutes before hanging up. I walk back into the living room, where Felix has moved on the couch, Dash is occupying one of the chairs. Leroy and my Father are still upstairs. I sit down beside Felix and resume rubbing his shoulders and back.

"How did you bring her back?"

Dash asks Felix curiously. Felix tilts his head forward slightly so I can massage his neck easier.
"Once I started working on the docks, an old fisherman showed me what to do if someone had drowned. Basically you pump their heart for them, and provide air for their lungs. If you get them in time you can get their heart and lungs working again."

Dash nods. Felix rubs his eyes and then says.

"I can teach you if you'd like."

Dash looks surprised, but pleased.
"Might be handy to know, thanks."

"No problem."

We sit in silence for a moment, and I realize they both must be exhausted. Felix was resuscitating Becky for almost an hour, and Dash was running around the District searching for my father for just as long.

"You two should get some rest."

They both look at me slightly surprised.
"Not until we know if she'll be okay."

Dash says. I cross my arms and fix them both with my most motherly stare.
"You both have to be completely worn out, and staying up and pushing yourself to the limit of endurance is not going to make Becky recover any faster. Her father is going to be here any minute, so she'll be worried over enough as it is. Get some rest the pair of you, and I promise to wake you up if there's any change in her condition."

They both stare at me for a minute, and I flick my eyes from Felix to Dash. For a moment, I think they're going to say something, but then they exchange a glance that says "it would be pointless to argue when she's in this mood" and shrug.

"Fine, but we're both staying here."

Felix says firmly. I smile and nod.
"Perfectly reasonable. Felix can take my bed and Dash can have the spare room."

Dash raises his eyebrows at the assigned resting place for Felix, but wisely chooses not to say anything. He stands up and stretches.

"Be sure to keep your promise."

He says before disappearing down the hall and into the spare bedroom. Felix stands up with a groan and rubs the back of his neck.

"You coming to bed darling?"

I shake my head and glance towards the stairs.

"I'm going to stay up with Leroy. It's not like I could sleep anyway."

Felix nods and gives me a kiss before climbing the stairs and walking into my room. I stay downstairs for another minute or so, and then I walk upstairs and go to Leroy's closed door. I knock quietly.

"Come in."

I hear my father's muffled reply, and quickly slide into the room, shutting the door behind me and leaning against it.

"How is she?"

He has his stethoscope out, and he loops it around his neck as he glances at Becky, who is lying peacefully on the bed. Leroy is sitting on the other side of the bed with her hand held tightly in his.

"The brain needs oxygen to work properly and she didn't have any for a dangerously long time. Her vitals seem to be working fine, and her pulse is steady, but we won't know if she has any permanent damage until she wakes up."

I walk over to the bed and look down at Becky, seemingly sleeping peacefully.

"Will she wake up?"

My father glances at Leroy, who is staring numbly at Becky, gently running his fingertips down the side of her face.

"There is a chance she could slip into a coma, but I am optimistic that she will wake up."

I nod.
"Is there anything else you can do?"

He shakes his head and stands up.

"Not at the moment, now we wait."

He gives me a hug, and I let out a sigh.

"You'd best go downstairs and wait for Mr. Riller than."

He nods and kisses the top of my head.

"While I'm down there I'll make some coffee, sound good?"

I give him a smile and nod. He casts one last glance at Becky and Leroy, and then goes downstairs. I walk over and sit on the opposite side of the bed as Leroy. I watch him for a few minutes before reaching across and taking his free hand.
"Hey, she's going to be fine."

He doesn't look at me as he replies quietly.

"You can't promise me that."

I sigh and release his hand.

"No, I can't."

He very slowly looks up, and I see the tears spill out of his eyes and trail their way down his face.

"Mags, I can't lose her."

I nod.
"I know."

He shakes his head, more tears falling from his eyes.
"I can't...not her too. Watching you in the games, watching you hold Will as he died...it nearly killed me. The only thing I had to hold onto was you were still alive. And then you came home, and I thought that maybe it would be okay again."

He wipes the tears away with the back of his hand and takes a deep breath.

"When I found her on the beach...it was like, there wasn't anything left to hold onto. And the only thing I could think about was, 'take her to Mags.' Because when everything else falls apart, you're the only thing I have left. You are always there, you always come back. You always have hope."

I didn't know I was crying until one of my tears falls onto my hand. I walk around the bed and grab Leroy in a tight hug. He wraps his arms around me tightly and I feel his tears land on my shoulder.

"Oh Leroy...I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I didn't tell you for a reason. You have so much to deal with, so many scars, I didn't want to add to your burden with my problems."

I pull back and place my hands on his shoulders.

"Listen to me Leroy. I am your big sister, and I will always, do you hear me? Always, want to help you with your problems. So don't think for one second of trying to carry your weight alone, because that's what I'm here for."

He puts his hands on either side of my face and says firmly.

"Well then you listen to me Mags. I am your little brother, and no matter how much you think you're protecting me, you need to let me help you with your problems as well. In any way that I can I want to help you."

I kiss his forehead and give him a quick hug.
"Deal."

We sit with Becky for a few minutes, then her dad arrives and I decide to leave him and Leroy with Becky. I go downstairs and find my father in the kitchen, without saying anything he hands me a cup of coffee. I take it gratefully and smile.
"Just what I need. You told Becky's dad about her condition?"

He nods and sips his own steaming mug.
"Yes, I told him we probably won't see any change until the morning."

I nod and quickly drink my coffee.

"Would it be okay if I took a short walk?"

He hesitates before answering.
"Don't go far."

I finish my coffee, put the mug in the sink and then stretch on tiptoe to give him a kiss.

"I won't. Be back soon."

I walk towards the door and then spin around.
"Oh! And if there is any change in Becky could you make sure to tell Dash and Felix?"

He smiles and nods.

"Thanks!"

I exit through the back door, since it's closer to the beach, and take a deep breath of the evening air. Since it's still relatively early in the evening, the sky is still lit up in glorious warm colors from the sunset, and it's fairly light out. I quickly walk to the beach and make my way down to the tide line, looking around for a few minutes at the flotsam. I discover a tiny light pink conch shell, and slip it into my pocket, intending to give it to Becky when she wakes up. I glance up at the growing twilight and decide to head home.

I exit the beach by walking to the docks. I can't go unrecognized any more, but before I became a victor I was pretty well known around the docks because my father used to work on one of the ships, and Felix still does. I used to wait for father's ship to come back every evening with my two small brothers in tow, and while I waited I would talk to the fishermen working on the docks or repairing their boats.

"Hello miss Flint!"

I turn and see Mr. Briggs walking towards me, I give him a smile and a small wave.
"Hi mister Briggs."

"What are you doing down here at this hour?"

I shrug.
"Just getting a bit of fresh air."

He nods.
"Say, you wouldn't happen to know what's going on with miss Riller would you?"

I look surprised.

"Becky? How did you hear about that?"

He shrugs.
"Well her dad rushed off in a right tizzy, and then that Dashing kid came demanding to know where your father was. So I figured something must've happened to miss Riller if her dad and the doctor are being called. She's alright I hope?"

I nod quickly.
"Yes, there was an accident at a beach party and she nearly drowned. She's stable right now, but we won't know anything else until she wakes up."

Mr. Briggs nods and then says.
"You let me know how things work out."

I give him a smile and start walking towards town.
"Will do. I'll see you around."

He gives me a salute before returning to his work. I walk through town towards victors village, realizing that I've walked in a big circle. The streets have only a few people in them at this hour, and it's nice to avoid all the stares. I suddenly get that prickly feeling on the back of my neck and I glance over my shoulder. Nothing. I shrug it off and continue walking. But I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching me. I try to dismiss it as paranoia, but my arena instincts are telling me otherwise.

Thinking quickly, I duck into a doorway and wait ten seconds before peaking around the corner. I scan the street for anything suspicious, and I freeze as my eyes land on something across the street. Someone is standing in the shadow between two buildings. They're tall, and I can tell by their broad shoulders that it's a man. He's not moving, just leaning against one of the buildings with his arms crossed, but he's staring right at me. I feel my breath catch in my throat, and I try not to panic. But then he shifts and the light hits his face for a brief second.

Black curly hair, sharp features, arching brows set above electric blue eyes. A small smirk curving his lips.

No. That's impossible. I bolt out of the doorway and crash straight into someone.
"Goodness! I would be more careful if I were you...why Mags! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

I steady myself and look up confused. Pixie, or Paula, is standing with several shopping bags drapped on her arms. Her golden hair is up in a pony-tail, and she's dressed in a light green dress. I glance over my shoulder and when I look back at her the smile has disappeared and she looks concerned.
"Mags, what's wrong?"

I take one last look at the alley, confirming that it is empty. And I let out a relieved sigh. It was just my imagination acting up due to stress.

"Nothing...I just thought I saw something..."

She raises one eyebrow and says skeptically.
"Are you sure you're alright?"

I give her a smile and nod.
"Yes, I'm fine. Out shopping?"

She looks down at her bags and laughs.
"Yes, I decided to splurge a little on ordinary things before the victory tour."

I feel a pit in my stomach as I realize that the all important event is coming up.
"Oh right...that's coming up rather fast isn't it?"

Paula gives me a reassuring smile and says comfortingly.
"Don't worry dear, I'll be there the whole time, and Dash will be there too."

I nod and give her a small smile.
"I know. We'll have fun won't we?"

She nods and gives me a conspiratorial wink.

"Loads of fun. Well I'd best be heading home, I'll see you soon I hope?"

I nod and give her a wave, calling after her briefly.
"I still need to have you over for dinner."

She returns my wave as she shouts a reply.
"I look forward to it!"

I look at the alley one last time before hurrying home. Telling myself that it was just my imagination, I've been stressed and my senses have been overly hyperactive lately. That plus the fact that I now know about Cedric, has made my imagination run away from me. Despite all this I can't help feeling relieved when I close the front door behind me.

I find my father in the living room, and I plop down on the couch next to him.

"Have a nice walk?"

I nod.
"I ran into Pixie, literally in fact."

He chuckles and then asks.
"She's our District's escort right?"

"Yeah, she's pretty normal for a Capitolite. I told her we'd have her over for dinner sometime soon."

He puts his arm around me and kisses the top of my head.
"That would be nice."

I lean against him and let out a sigh.
"Any change on Becky?"

He shakes his head.
"She's sleeping peacefully. I convinced Leroy to go get some rest in a spare bedroom since his is occupied, mind you it was hard, but he's asleep now."

"Good, he needs rest. Is mister Riller still here?"

He nods.
"He's still up in the room with her. Speaking of which you should go get some rest."

I sit up and look at him.
"Are you going to sleep anytime soon?"

He shrugs.
"I might, go on now. I'll see you in the morning."

I give him a kiss and retreat to my bedroom, slipping in quietly so I won't wake Felix. I change into sweat pants and a tank top, and crawl into bed. He shifts slightly and murmurs.
"Any change?"

I cuddle up beside him and shake my head.
"No, go back to sleep."

He wraps his arm around me and kisses the top of my head.
"Goodnight Mags."

I rest my head against his shoulder and allow myself to relax and enjoy the feeling of being held by him.
"Sleep well Felix."

So I know it's not actually that soon in updating (sorry!) but it's pretty soon so I'm sure you'll forgive me :)

So yay! She's not dead! And she'll probably be okay...so that's good news! What do you guys think of Mags little hallucination? And I'm curious what you guys think of Pixie Cuff, AKA Paula Treman. Let me know your thoughts and or questions in a review and I'll try my best to get back to you on that ;)

Next update will probably be...soon, since as far as I know I have no plans for the coming week, (except tomorrow) so I should be able to write, although things do tend to turn up unexpectedly and I never know what my family has planned anyway :P
But we shall see.

Fare thee well Hamiltons! Until next time!