After a night sleeping in the bushes, we both feel better. But we can't stay on level 12, there aren't many hiding places.
We eat some food and try figuring out the Arena. Mani estimates we've been on the east side, so maybe we should go down to the west.
"I want to do more than hide," he says. "If we get more drones, I want to make traps for the others. Let's take them out before they kill us."
"Any ideas?"
"Nope." He sighs. "But first, we should find water. Maybe we can find a faucet among the pipes?"
"I don't know … I have a bad feeling about that. I don't think the Gamekeepers would make it so easy to get water."
Mani shrugs. "Well, you stand guard then."
So I watch as Mani inspects a couple of spots, then moves to a third, covered with orange blossoms. He brushes up against one and releases a poof of orange pollen, then falls to the ground.
I drop down to floor level, then tug my shirt up to cover my nose and mouth. I stay as low as possible.
No cannon sounds. Mani is shaking, like he's having a seizure.
Leave him, my grandmother's voice says. Or push him into the middle.
I sigh. I know the rules. There can only be one winner. Mani doesn't like to kill. But he can kill. He did it yesterday, for me.
I pound my fists on the ground. I've killed one Tribute, one cute bunny, and a wicked spider. I've killed a lot of ugly disease-ridden rats. I can kill if I have to.
Slowly, I rise, to do what I must do. I walk over to Mani, my shirt still covering my face. I kneel next to his head. I tug at my shirt, so that my right hand is covered. Gently, I brush the pollen off of his face. Then I hook my hands under his arms, and I pull him away.
A week ago, I could have done it with much less effort and grunting. But I'm hungry and dehydrated. I figure fifteen feet or so is adequate. Mani looks up at me, his limbs jerking.
I brush hair off of his face. He's my friend. I can't kill him.
Water begins to fall on us. I look up and see that the trees arranged around the edge are spraying water. Water also flows through the channels in the ground and platforms, to pour down the interior circle. I dig into our packs and pull out our jackets. I cover Mani as best as I can. I stick our water bottles into the channels and quickly fill them. I add iodine tablets and check on Mani. He watches me, his limbs still reacting to the toxins.
Ding-a-ling! A drone appears and lands next to Mani. I turn it off, then open the slim box it brought. It's an injectable needle with a vial of clear liquid. Easy enough to assemble.
"Look, someone sent you an antidote!" I show him the needle before I plunge it in the soft part of his upper arm. He grunts. The water stops falling, so I dig In our backpacks for dry shirts. I pull off my wet shirt then use it to sponge the pollen off Mani as best as I can. I'm shivering in my swim top, so I pull on a dry shirt.
Ding-a-ling! Another drone for Mani. I power it off, too. It's brought nasal spray. I almost laugh, it's so absurd. I hope the next drone doesn't bring toilet paper. No wait, we could use some toilet paper.
"And here is something for your nose!" I hold it up and he shakily reaches for it. I help him position the bottle so he can squeeze it.
Then I stand and face the sky. "You know, he's really hungry. So am I!"
My stomach growls. We don't have much food left. I stand up and walk around, careful not to touch any plants. I see another rabbit and send my knives flying, but it jumps away.
A cannon sounds while I retrieve my knives and I shriek. I run over to Mani and look at him. He's struggling to sit up. I help him do so, then I squat beside him and hold a bottle close to his mouth. I carefully pour a little water into his mouth. He swallows it and blinks at me.
"Thank you." His voice is so hoarse.
"You're welcome."
Ding-a-ling! This time the drone flies to me. I remove the pot, then power it down. The pot is really warm. I carefully open it. Butter chicken and herbed rice! With two sporks.
"Thank you sponsors!" I put the pot between us and hand a spork to Mani. The food is so hot, it almost burns my mouth. I don't care. It's really good, and I am very hungry. I restrain myself from eating it all, and help Mani eat his share.
His eyes are drooping, so I help Mani lie down on my mattress pad and cover him with the sleeping bag. Then I explore the roof.
I like being up here, it's open. But I am aware that it is too open, if another Tribute were to arrive. Not much room to hide. Mani would be slaughtered quickly in his condition. We could hide in the bushes tonight and then descend tomorrow.
I try to figure out how many Tributes are left. Eight or nine? Four Careers are still alive. Plus that ratfaced boy and a couple more.
It's odd that the Arena is designed to flood in 24 days. Clearly the Gamemakers want to drive everyone to the roof and end it. Then I remember that there is an upcoming major celebration, an anniversary of some battle where the Capitol crushed many rebels. They'll want the Hunger Games over with by then, they can trot out the Victor as another symbol of their power and cruelty.
My breath catches. Could I be the Victor?
Ding-a-ling! A drone approaches Mani. I sprint over to capture it so we can use the parts. It's a pot of hot mashed potatoes, with two juicy slices of roast beef, covered in gravy. The smell wakes Mani up and we eat half of it.
"Who is your mentor?" I ask, licking some gravy off my spork. "They're doing a great job today."
"Beetee," Mani replies. He looks at the drones. "Have you ever seen so many at a time?"
"Nope." I pull my legs up and rest my chin on my knees. "Maybe … it's easier to send us drones up here?"
Ding-a-ling! And another one for Mani. This time it's a miniature tool set, for electrical work.
I snap my fingers. "You said you wanted to build a trap and he's sending you parts?"
Mani grins. "That's awesome." He looks at me and his smile fades. "I can't believe you saved me," he says, in a soft voice.
"You saved me yesterday," I quietly remind him.
I move us closer to the bushes, so we could duck in them if need be. Mani starts taking droves apart. I sit and watch the sun go down. Then the stars begin to appear. I smile to see the Milky Way again.
The view is disrupted by the Panem anthem and flag. The boy from 10 is dead.
Ding-a-ling! One more drone for our collection. Mani is thrilled at the loops of wires and the chips it brings. I have never seen him look so happy. For being in an Arena where only one can win.