Hey people!

So here I am with a brand new chapter for all of you, at a much more reasonable update time I might add, but that's beside the point!

Alright, so in this chapter I think I'm going to focus on the aftermath of the chariot mishap, and possibly the first day of training? I'm not sure, we'll see where it goes.

As always, thanks so much for reading and all your support! Love you guys ;)

Chapter Twenty-two: What now?

As we reach the other side of the courtyard, we're overwhelmed by reporters, guards, concerned onlookers and stable hands. Medics rush Trina and Vince past us, both still unconscious and appearing in fairly critical condition.

Dash manages to gain the attention of some of the crowd, and quickly assists the guards in keeping them distracted until they can get a barrier set up.

I walk right past them, seeking out my tributes. I catch sigh of them, and my heart lurches in my chest.

Lisa is in tears, her body visibly shaking from the shock, she's clinging to Ryder, terrified as she hides against him. He has both arms wrapped protectively around her, his face grim as he murmurs soothing things to her.

I suddenly realize that I stopped walking, and have been staring at them, frozen for a few moments. I take a deep breath and push everything out of my head except the task at hand.

"Lisa!" I rush forward and she immediately transfers from Ryder's arms to mine, sobbing against my side as she clings to me.

I rub her back and hold my hand against her head. "Hey, it's okay, it's going to be alright." I say, slowly rocking her back and forth.

"Are…are they de-dead?" She stammers, inhaling shakily as more tears stream down her cheeks.

I shake my head quickly. "No, no they're going to be just fine. The hospitals in the Capitol are the best there is, trust me."

She seems to calm down slightly, but doesn't let me go.

I glance up at Ryder, silently exchanging tormented glances. If Lisa can't even handle an accidental death of a career, she'll never survive the tributes slaughtering each other in the arena.

Ryder looks surprisingly calm, despite everything that just happened. His arms are crossed, his face neutral of any expression, but a quick glance at his body language confirms that he's on edge.

"Come on, let's get you two back to the training center." I motion for Ryder to follow me, and then lead Lisa back toward Dash.

He's gotten the guards to get the crowd under control, and hurries over to me. "Hey, they said that Trina and Vince were still alive when they got to them, they've taken them to surgery. Zane and Tara are on their way to the hospital now. The other tributes and Mentors have been instructed to go to the training center and wait there for an update."

I nod. "That's where we were heading."

Dash glances at Ryder. "You okay?"

He nods. "We weren't hurt."

Dash looks down at Lisa and his face softens at her teary face. "Hey, sweetheart." He gives her a small smile and opens his arms.

She hesitates, but after a small nudge from me, runs forward and throws her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.

He scoops her up and cradles her in his arms, motioning for Ryder and I to follow, he leads us around the crowd and to an awaiting car which promptly takes us to the training center.

Dash takes Lisa back to her room and tells her to get some rest, leaving Ryder and I in the lounge.

He's looking around with slightly raised eyebrows.

"It's pretty…well it's a bit much isn't it?"

He nods, then rubs the back of his neck and glances toward the hall Dash took Lisa down.

I follow his gaze. "Do you have any siblings?" I ask quietly.

He turns to look at me and shrugs. "No, I grew up in the community home." He pauses, glancing back at the hall before sliding his hands in his pockets and letting out a sigh. "But I used to look out for the younger boys, they became my family."

I nod. "I'm sorry."

His jaw flexes as he shrugs again, staying silent.

Dash reappears a moment later. "Lisa's asleep, poor kid's exhausted."

Ryder suddenly straightens up. "I'm going to go get some rest."

Dash nods and motions toward the hall. "Your room's down there, first door on the right."

"Thanks." He quickly disappears down the hall, and Dash and I exchange glances.

"She's never going to make it Dash."

He nods. "I know."

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Give her the best chance we can."

I slam my fist against the wall and run my fingers through my hair, feeling an overwhelming sense of rage and hopelessness wash over me.

Dash walks over and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Mags, you need to keep a level head."

"She's going to die, Dash! They're going to kill that little girl, and for what?"

He gives me a warning look. "That's just the way things are."

"Well the way things are sucks." I brush past him and board the elevator, punching the button for the roof I cross my arms and lean back against the wall.

The doors slide open and I'm immediately assailed with a cool breeze that gently brushes my hair back and calms my senses. With a sigh, I straighten up and walk out onto the roof, delighted to find a makeshift garden covering most of it.

The sound of several wind chimes, add to the peaceful atmosphere, and for a moment I allow myself to forget where I am and what I'm doing. I simply close my eyes and inhale the scent of flowers.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

I open my eyes and turn around quickly, surprised to see Heather standing a few feet away. "Sorry, I didn't see you…it is quite lovely."

She smiles shyly and brushes her fingertips over some budding flowers. "I like it up here…reminds me of home."

I mentally run over the mentors in my head, matching them up to their districts. "You're from eleven, agriculture, right?"

She nods. "I stick out a bit there though with my fair skin and red hair." She shrugs. "I don't mind though, being a victor already singles us all out anyway."

"I enjoyed visiting your District, it's beautiful. We don't really have all that much greenery in four."

She smiles. "But you have the ocean, I love the waves and sand."

There's a brief silence, both of us longing for home, for escape.

"So what did you think about the chariot accident? That was rather unexpected." She says, changing the subject suddenly.

"I know, definitely didn't see that one coming. What will they do if one of two's tributes die?"

"Leo says they'll draw another name to replace them. It's only happened once before though, and it sounds like they'll both pull through."

I nod. "So, are you and Leo a thing?"

She blushes slightly. "Not really, we have to be careful because of…well because of everything."

"Yeah…I know how rough things can be."

She smiles. "You have a boyfriend though, right?"

I absentmindedly twist the ring on my finger and smile. "Yes, he helps me get through…everything."

"That's wonderful, I hope to have that someday."

We spend the next hour or so walking through the garden, Heather pointing out and naming many of the flowers and plants growing there. We talk about our homes, families, anything and everything to keep our minds off the games.

Finally, she says she has to go check up on her tributes, and I tell her that I should do the same. We exchange goodbyes in the elevator, and both return to our floors.

Dash is waiting for me, sitting in one of the chairs in the lounge. "There you are."

I give him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry."

He nods. "It's alright. So where were you?"

I point toward the ceiling. "I discovered the roof garden."

He smiles. "It's nice isn't it?"

I nod. "It's beautiful. They still sleeping?"

He shrugs. "Lisa came out for a little while, I made her eat something and then she went back to her room."

"Any word about two's tributes?"

"I was just going down to check on them."

I frown slightly. "They're here?"

He nods and stands up. "The medical wing, it's off of the training room."

"I'll come with you."

He looks surprised. "You sure?"

I nod. "I want to."

"Alright, let's go."