Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
Gale rushes through the prisons, fog blurring his vision as he avoids the gunfire that rains down upon him. He doesn't know where the hell Mellark's cell is, this was not thought out very well. Then again with Haymitch in charge, is it ever?
He takes a moment to breathe and turns down a very uninviting corridor, the lights flickering above him on the wires that they hang. The entire prison is eerie, Gale blocks out most of it.
There are three people on the list that they need to get out. Three people and three people only. Peeta Mellark. Annie Cresta. Johanna Mason. Anyone else is just a risk. So when Gale peers into the first cell and finds none of them, his stomach clenches as he walks away.
And it happens again and again, it happens with every cell that he looks into. He's supposed to help them. He's supposed to be the hero but he doesn't have the time, doesn't have the manpower to save all of these people.
"We've got Cresta," a muffled voice rings inside his head. Gale almost forgot he was wearing a headset. "We're running out of time."
Gale hurries his pace down the suffocating corridors trying to ignore their pleas. He just needs Mellark and Mason. Mellark and Mason and that's it. Then he can go.
He peers down into a cell that doesn't have anyone calling out for him. Maybe they're restrained, unconscious. Surely the sound of gunfire has woken them? Maybe it's one of the Victors he's looking for. When Gale glances through the metal bars and finds a blonde in a heap he almost dismisses it.
Mellark and Mason, he reminds himself. But there's something about the golden haired girl that makes him pause. And Madge. No, no it can't be her. She died in the bombings alongside everyone else he couldn't get out. Gale doesn't have time to waste and wallow.
"Gale?" her voice is barely a whisper but Gale hears it anyway. "Is that you?" He freezes in his steps and turns back to the cell. The heap on the floor is slowly trying to sit up. "Gale Hawthorne?"
"Got Mason."
Gale blinks in the direction of the blonde, trying to study her facial features and figure out if he's hallucinating. What if they sprayed some sort of loopy gas down the halls? She looks so out of place, so broken and scared. Bruises line her face, welts and rope burn claw at her wrists.
"Undersee?"
"For the love of God," Haymitch's voice is through the headset. "Get it together, Hawthorne."
But he doesn't. He shoots off the lock on her cell and races into the room, bending down and helping her up. "Is it really you?" she asks in a squeak.
"Hold on to me," he says, scooping her into his arms. She barely weighs a thing, fitting into his arms like a doll would a child. She grabs his shoulder but obviously doesn't have the strength to do so for long.
"We got him. Get back to the ship." Madge whimpers and tries to tighten her grip, only to pass out moments later. Gale flings her over his shoulder and races through the prisons with ease.
And when they touch down in District 13 she's still unconscious. He carries her to the medical ward and holds her hand while they treat her. When she blinks open her sea blue eyes and finds him, Madge starts to shake.
"It's okay," he whispers, squeezing her hand once. "It's okay. We won't hurt you. I won't hurt you."
"You saved me," she says weakly. Gale shrugs and the faintest smile crosses her face. "I never thought I'd be safe again." His thumb rubs her hand and her eyes flutter shut. "Thank you."