SONG: It's All Understood by Jack Johnson
There were cogs and gears drawn up Coile's right arm in blue ink. They peeked out from under his sleeve as he reached across the table at dinner, his sleeve riding up just so. For a second, she thought they were tattoos, but that was something she'd mainly seen in the Capitol.
Coile caught her looking, and pulled his sleeve down, frowning. Iris shrugged, and turned her attention back to the rest of the table.
Missy - Coile's district partner - was a small girl, pock-marked and clearly malnourished. She had come from the sixteen-year-old's section, but could have easily passed for thirteen. Iris knew she wouldn't get too far into the Games. But Coile… he might have a shot. He was weedy and plain, sure, but Jordie had mentioned how smart he was. Iris could work with smart. After all, she didn't look like much, but she'd still won, hadn't she?
As Pomponia made idle chatter with the tributes, Iris met Haylee's eyes from across the table. She glanced at Coile, and then raised an eyebrow at Haylee. Haylee smirked, and nodded subtly.
Coile, Iris soon learned, was a talented mechanic. He could fix just about any machine, he told her, and had got a good job building train engines when he was fourteen, so he wasn't as malnourished as some of the other tributes this year. On top of that, he was a skilled artist - he had drawn the cogs and gears on his arm Iris had noticed at dinner. He was quiet and unremarkable, not very tall or handsome, but he was smart. He took in everything she told him with a quiet intelligence, and Iris could practically see the gears whirring in his mind as they came up with a strategy.
She doubted Pomponia was having much luck with Missy. Iris felt slightly guilty for dismissing her so quickly, but she had met kids like Missy hundreds of times before. A slumkid, sullen and angry at the world, too proud to take advice and yet completely untalented. She would not win. She hated the Capitol too much to take advice from Pomponia; and she hated the rich too much to take advice from Haylee or Iris. Coile was their best chance this year, and Iris, for the first time in a while, had a purpose.
/
He had two sisters. Cady, who was the same age as Iris, and Calla, who was thirteen. His father had left them five years ago, and his mother had worked herself into exhaustion to be able to keep their house on the outskirts of town. This meant that Coile and Calla had essentially been raised by their older sister, Cady. Iris had never met Cady, but already felt a kinship with her.
Coile was like a sponge. Iris rambled to him all day, every day. She wanted to tell him every last scrap of information she thought might help him. She quizzed him after dinner every night, to see what he remembered; he never made a mistake. She taught him what she knew about camouflage, about edible plants, about what traits to look for in the other tributes and how to know who to avoid. She told him about Agata, and Scorah, and Kasia and Christopher. She told him about falling into the pit of scorpions, about what had stopped them from attacking her; she told him about drinking urine when she and her allies had run out of water.
He took it all in intently, never telling her she was talking too much. He asked questions occasionally, and she answered them as best she could. Iris wasn't quite sure why she was talking so much, why she was so desperate for Coile to survive. She hadn't felt this way with the kids last year, and didn't feel it with Missy. But Coile was different. There was something different about him that gave Iris hope. He reminded her of Jordie, which was part of it. She also saw it as a way to make her brother proud; if she could bring home one of his friends, maybe he wouldn't hate her as much.
At the end of each training day, Coile told her about everything in detail. Who he had spoken to, who seemed to be allying with who, the types of plants at the survival stations. There were a lot of fungi and different types of moss; Iris guessed it would be a damp environment, a swamp or a rainforest, perhaps. It was hard to pinpoint who his biggest enemies would be. Missy had stupidly challenged one of the Careers to the obstacle course and had failed miserably; Iris was sure she would die on the first day, by her own idiocy if nothing else. The Careers were as they always were, strong and ruthless and beautiful. But Iris didn't think the other tributes would be much of a problem, if Coile did everything he could to stay out of the way and blend in.
His training score wasn't very impressive - only a five - and he stuttered and mumbled his way through the interviews. But Iris knew he could do it. He had to do it. He had to win. Iris wasn't quite sure why yet, but the thought of Coile dying made her almost as upset as the thought of Jordie dying.
The night before the Games, she made him go over everything he had learned, everything she had taught him, again and again until she was satisfied he would remember. He told her what he would do if the arena was a rainforest, what he would do if it was a swamp, or a forest, or a beach, or a desert. He was as ready as he could possibly be. After loading him up with carbs, she gave him a sleeping pill and a hug, and sent him to bed.
She had done what she could. She hoped it would be enough.
/
Iris chewed on her fingernails, fidgeting in her seat as she stared at the blank screen. It wouldn't switch on for another ten minutes at least, but she worried that if she turned away for even a second it would start and he would need her and she would miss it.
A warm hand touched her shoulder, and Iris tried not to flinch away from it. "Hungry, are you?" Lyme asked.
Iris blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
"Well, from the way you were snacking on your fingers…"
"Oh," Iris said, pulling her hand from her face. "Right." She hadn't talked to Lyme since arriving in the Capitol. Guilt curled in her stomach from how she had last talked to her, from how she had dodged Lyme's calls all year. She had missed her, truly, but hadn't felt like she deserved to talk to someone as good as Lyme. "How are you?"
Lyme shrugged. "We're not going to win this year."
"How can you tell?" Iris asked, even though she knew the signs of a Victor as well as Lyme did, even if she'd only been a mentor for two years.
Lyme rolled her eyes. "The boy is fueled entirely by testosterone. He's already fought with the girl from One and the boy from Four - if they don't take him out as soon as they can I'll be surprised. And the girl… well, she's just not going to win." There was something there, present in Lyme's eyes, the tiny frown on her face, that told Iris there was something Lyme wasn't telling her. What was it about the girl from Two that had worried Lyme so?
Iris didn't ask. It wasn't the right place or time. She glanced at the screen again - she couldn't help it. "Remember when I asked you how you were?" she said, instead of asking about the girl. "Not your tributes.
Lyme smirked. "Well, I've missed you, of course." Her smile fell. "I suppose I should be asking you how you are, but from the way our last conversation went, I would guess not well."
A chime rang out through the room. Five minutes until launch. Iris felt her chest tighten in anxiety. She grabbed Lyme's hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry," she said, meaning it. "I've missed you too."
Lyme smiled down at her. "It's okay. I just want you to remember that you don't have to be alone in this. That's no way to live." The screens flickered on, and Lyme squeezed her hand. "Good luck."
Iris turned her attention to the screens, which had live footage of the tributes in the Launch Rooms, and their vitals. Coile was sitting down, eyes closed, seeming as though he was trying to calm himself down. Missy seemed to be shouting. Iris wanted to roll her eyes, but reminded herself that no matter how irritating Missy was, she was still a kid in a shit situation, dealing with it as best she could. And if that was by screaming at her stylist… Well, who was Iris to judge?
Haylee dropped into the seat beside her, and Iris tried not to let her surprise show on her face. "Good morning," she said cautiously.
Haylee grunted. "Speak for yourself." She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Why are you here?" Iris asked suspiciously. She probably could have been more delicate, but Haylee had never helped her before.
Haylee rolled her eyes. "Your aunt had words with me. Said if I didn't help you with the tributes this year, she'd move out of mine and never talk to me again."
"I see."
"Don't worry. I haven't grown a heart. It's purely for selfish reasons."
"Oh, of course," Iris said drily. She didn't think Haylee would be much help, whether she was in the booth or drinking in the Capitol, but Iris didn't mind. It was nice not being alone in the little room.
An announcement rang through the room, and Iris gritted her teeth as the tributes were ushered into the tubes. The remaining screens turned on, and Iris suppressed a gasp - she had been right! The arena was a murky, marshy swampland. She couldn't believe her luck. There would be plenty of mud for camouflage, and places to hide. He would struggle to light a fire - everything looked damp - but at least he would be able to hide. Iris couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. He would be okay. He just had to get through the Bloodbath, now, and then he could hide.
The countdown started. Coile was in between the boy from Seven and the girl from Eleven, both of whom were fidgeting nervously. She didn't think they would attack him - both of them seemed too panicked to think of it. Coile looked nervous, but focused. He looked around his surroundings, at the mud, at the moss, at the trees, and nodded to himself.
Missy was next to the boy from Two. Iris tried not to think about her.
The gong rang out. Coile jumped forward and grabbed a knife and a packet of jerky that were in front of him, and then he turned tail and ran - as fast as he could in the mud, anyway - for the cover of the trees. Missy fell, a spear through her gut, and Coile tore through the swamp, leaping over roots, trying not to slip in the mud.
He ran and ran and ran until he could not run anymore, and then he sat on a log, panting. He looked around him, quiet, and when he seemed assured he was alone, scooped up a handful of mud. He held it for ten minutes, watching his skin intently, as Iris had told him to - if it was going to hurt him, it wouldn't take longer than that. The Gamemakers didn't have that kind of patience.
Ten minutes passed. There were still people dying. Coile began to cover himself with mud. He covered every inch of exposed skin, and then his clothes. He had tucked his jerky and knife away safely in one of the many pockets of his pants. When he was done, he was a sight to behold - he looked like a monster, some kind of bogeyman risen from the earth.
Haylee clicked her tongue. "Smart. Very smart."
Iris didn't say anything. Coile began to look for a hiding place. There were many trees, with thick trunks and winding branches that wouldn't conceal him. He kept walking, and then made his way over to a thinner patch of forest. There seemed to be a lot of fallen logs, and Coile stopped and stared, as if this was what he had wanted. Iris felt confused. She wasn't sure what he was doing, and from the expression on her face, neither did Haylee.
Coile began checking the trees in the area, examining them closely, pushing and knocking on each one. It became apparent what he was doing when, on the fifth tree, a smile spread over his face, cracking the dried mud on his cheeks. He climbed it and peered down into the trunk. Iris gasped, realising what he was doing - he had been looking for hollow trees. That brilliant boy! She wanted to hug him. It was a large tree, and still looked to be alive from the outside. There was enough space for him to squeeze himself inside. He wouldn't be able to lie down, but he could sit and stand easily enough. The main thing about it was that it would keep him hidden.
And hidden he stayed. When night fell, and the Careers began their prowl, Coile stayed quiet. He had made a small hole in the trunk so he could see out, and watched as the Careers traipsed through the scrub, searching. They didn't find him. Haylee had fallen asleep by now, but Iris didn't think she would sleep for a while. Every inch of her was awake, thrumming with adrenaline she hadn't felt since she was in the arena.
She would have to get him some water tomorrow. He would be alright for the night, but with all the running he had done that day, he would get dehydrated fast. If she could convince Haylee to stay conscious for him tomorrow, she was sure she could set up an appointment with Lucan. She shuddered at the thought, but Iris was prepared to do anything to get Coile home. He had grown on her immensely in such a short amount of time, and she was determined to help him survive.
/
Lucan was more than happy for Iris to meet with him. He put something in her drink again, as he always did. She spent the day drifting in and out of consciousness, sometimes waking and feeling him moving painfully inside her before passing out again. One of the times she regained consciousness, she made a noise of pain, and Lucan tutted, before giving her something else to drink. He had given her something stronger, then, she could tell. It made her feel like she was floating. She imagined that she had grown two beautiful, shimmering wings, and was fluttering about the sky with Kasia. She could hardly tell that Lucan was there, and the day passed blissfully.
She was angry when whatever it was wore off, however, and told him so; he promised not to drug her up too much next time, when she was mentoring. She had lost the whole day. The appointment was only meant to be a few hours long.
She ran to the Mentor's station as fast as she could, feeling woozy and sick. There was a horrible, tight feeling in her chest, and Iris couldn't keep her emotions under control. By the time she got to the booth, tears were pouring down her face, and she was sweating profusely.
She needn't have worried; Coile was fine, still holed up in his tree. Haylee looked at her in alarm when she entered the room, and Iris collapsed into a chair. "How is he?" she rasped, her cheeks wet.
Haylee eyed her warily. "He's alright," she said, looking Iris up and down.
Iris hadn't seen her reflection, but she was sure she looked a sight. Her hair was tangled in the back, and her skin was clammy. She was sweating and felt nauseated. She wasn't in pain, thanks to whatever drug Lucan had given her, but she was sure she would be hurting when whatever it was wore off.
It had been a lucrative day. Lucan had paid her for the hours he had stolen from her without her consent. There was enough money in the account to send Coile a two litre water bottle and a package of protein bars. Iris sent a note with it: Make it last. You're doing well. -I
She sent the parachute, and a sense of relief washed over her once it was safely in his hands. Coile smiled as he read the note, and took several large gulps of water before putting the bottle down. He was sitting with his back against the trunk, his knees squashed up to his chest. It didn't look very comfortable, but at least he was alive.
"He's trying to go nocturnal, I think," Haylee said. "He's been sleeping on and off all day."
"Good," Iris said. He would be able to go out in the night and reapply mud. She wondered if he had found any plants he could eat yet, but didn't see anything in the tree. No matter. The provisions she had sent him would last a week, if he was careful. If he limited himself to a protein bar and a few strips of jerky a day. He would be hungry, but it would be enough to keep him going. She would have to send him dried fruit or something too, to keep up his blood sugar. But if he slept during the day, Iris could meet with Lucan… by tomorrow night, she was sure she would have enough to send him something else.
She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. She had spent the better part of the day unconscious, and yet still felt groggy and unwell, as though she hadn't slept for a few days. When she opened her eyes again, she found that Haylee was staring at her intently. Iris raised her eyebrows. "Why are you staring at me?"
"He gave you something, didn't he?" Haylee asked quietly.
Iris blinked a few times. She was finding it hard to focus; Haylee had an odd, fuzzy quality to her, like she was made out of fabric. "Yeah."
"Don't go to him tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Just- don't. He's trying to get you to rely on him. To need to see him every day. Don't go to him tomorrow," Haylee said firmly. "Don't ever go to him two days in a row."
"But - Coile needs -"
"Coile is fine. He's got food, water, a knife, and somewhere to hide. You don't need to go to Lucan."
Iris shook her head. Haylee didn't understand. Iris had to see Lucan tomorrow, because things would get more and more expensive. She had to see Lucan as much as she could the first few days, so that there would be money for later if Coile needed it. "I have to."
Haylee shook her head, and stood up, obviously angry. "Do what you want then. Don't listen to me." She turned towards the door.
Heat flared in Iris' chest, and she scowled, twisting her chair around to Haylee's retreating back. "I know what I'm doing, Haylee. Just because you don't want to do your job doesn't mean I don't know how to do mine."
That had been the wrong thing to say. Haylee whirled around, her face tight with rage, and Iris got a glimpse of how she must have been, back in the day. Surely it was this rage that had let her survive this long, that had won her the Games.
"I have been doing this for longer than you've been alive, little girl," Haylee snarled, grabbing the front of Iris' shirt and yanking her forwards with surprising strength. "I have sat here in this booth for you all day. I am making an effort, so don't you dare speak to me like that."
She let go, and Iris slumped backwards in her seat, feeling too stunned to say anything. Haylee had always been a bitch, but she'd never acted like that. Iris crossed her arms and scowled.
Haylee left.
/
She didn't come back the next day, and Iris chose not to be angry at her. Maybe she had reacted too quickly yesterday. She had been feeling quite emotional after returning from her appointment with Lucan, and perhaps this had fed her anger unfairly. As useless as Haylee had been before, she had been working in the Capitol for far longer than Iris, and perhaps there were some things Iris should simply accept Haylee knew more about.
She wondered if Haylee not showing up was her way of ensuring Iris didn't go to Lucan. If so, she'd been right in assuming that Iris wouldn't leave Coile alone. Lyme came in the morning and took over for her so Iris could have a shower and a nap. She hadn't cleaned since the day before, and she could still smell Lucan all over her, otherwise she would have refused - but it was Lyme. She trusted Lyme. She felt far more like herself again (though who was she, really? What did it mean to feel like herself when she wasn't sure who Iris was anymore?) after a shower and a few hours of sleep.
Coile stayed tucked inside his tree all day, dozing. When night fell, he poked his head out cautiously before climbing out the rest of the way, knife gripped tightly in his hand. He reapplied his mud, and began looking around, the moon providing plenty of light for him to see. There were mushrooms growing in the area. Iris didn't recognise them, but she trusted Coile; he had spent a lot of time at the survival stations at her request. He picked some of the mushrooms, filling his pockets, and scurried back to his tree.
Once he was safely back inside, Coile examined the mushrooms a second time. He seemed to deem them safe to eat, and began to eat them raw. Iris smiled. That was good. He'd get an extra day out of his rations, now.
She wondered how long the Gamemakers would let him stay in his tree. He would be allowed a few more days at least, she hoped - the Careers had created plenty of drama already, with infighting and hunts. She hoped that would be enough to satiate the Gamemakers for a while, but she wasn't naive. Once they had picked off the rest of the tributes, the Gamemakers would need to provide them with more, and it was usually the boring tributes who were supplied.
She was confident, however, that he would be safe for the rest of the day. The girl from Three would have provided the Capitol some entertainment. She had been wandering through a deeper part of the swamp, up to her ankles in dark water, and an alligator had come out of the murk. Its teeth had gone right through her leg and she fell, trying to grab onto something. But her hands slipped helplessly on the mud and she screamed as it dragged her into the water.
There had been some splashes, then, and the gurgling shrieks of the girl as the alligator rolled, and rolled, and rolled. The dark water went red. And then, it went quiet, and the girl's limp body floated up to the surface, broken and bloody and hardly resembling a human anymore. Iris had to leave the room for a few minutes, after that, her stomach churning. After a cigarette on the balcony, she had returned, feeling slightly less ill; but the image of the girl from Three's broken body would no doubt join the collection of pictures that haunted her dreams.
At least it meant he would be safe for at least another few days. The Gamemakers seemed to follow a formula - it went more or less the same every year. After the Bloodbath, the Careers hunted. There would be a lull a few days after, as everyone hid, and if no one else had died three days in, the Gamemakers sent out the mutts.
Coile knew the patterns. Even if she hadn't told him, he would know about them, would know he would have to move in a few days. Hopefully by then there weren't many left. They were already down to ten, and if the Careers kept fighting amongst themselves like they were, hopefully they would take themselves out.
Maybe Haylee had been right. Coile would be okay. She didn't need to see Lucan, not today at least. There were other sponsors, and when Haylee got back, Iris could go out and try to make some new connections. She'd have to ask Lyme for tips, but Iris was certain she could do it. She was willing to do just about anything in the bedroom, if it would help her tributes. Her self worth was already at an all time low, so what did a little more humiliation and pain matter?
/
"I found another sponsor," Haylee said.
Iris blinked the sleep from her eyes. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but a quick glance at the screen told her that Coile was okay. "What?" She rasped. When had she last had something to drink?
Haylee dropped into the seat beside her. "Another sponsor. He'll meet with you today, if you're willing."
"Not Lucan?"
"Not Lucan. This way, if you need the money, you don't have to see Lucan twice in a row."
"Is this because of what he gives me?"
"Yes. I learnt the hard way. I don't want it to happen to you."
Haylee didn't say what 'it' was and Iris didn't ask. She sighed. "Okay. I trust you, Haylee." She was shocked to realise she meant it. When had she started to trust Haylee? "Who is he?"
"He's a newer sponsor. Youngish. One of Wiress'."
Iris nodded. She hadn't talked to Wiress yet this year. Perhaps she should check in on her, after the horrible death of her tribute. "Okay. I'll see him today instead. But I already have an appointment with Lucan tomorrow."
Haylee shrugged. "Alright. I'll be here."
"Thanks. And I'm sorry about yesterday. I know you've been doing this a long time."
"Yeah. It's cool. Just listen to me sometimes. I might be a bit of a cunt, but I know what I'm doing."
The new sponsor was called Marcius. Marcius was in his thirties and while he wasn't unattractive, he had a violent streak. One day with him was enough to explain to Iris the bruises she sometimes saw peeking out from under Wiress' clothes, the haunted look she got in her eyes when she returned from her sponsor appointments. With Marcius, there were no drugs to help Iris drift away from what was happening to her. She was suddenly, painfully aware of what it meant to be a victor, of what the sponsors were truly doing to her.
It was hard seeing Lucan, but he seemed like a perfect gentleman next to Marcius. Iris welcomed the peaceful daze Lucan's drinks put her in. Still, it seemed to please Haylee that Iris didn't just see Lucan, that she had another option now. Iris supposed it was a good thing, to have another. It meant more money for her tributes, for one, and made her less reliant on Lucan, for another. But it didn't feel like a good thing, Iris thought to herself, as she washed the blood off in the shower later.
/
He had made it to the final eight. Iris could hardly believe it. Was this feeling, this bubble of hope and joy, the reason some of the Career mentors seemed to like their jobs? Was this how they kept going, even though they didn't win every year?
The money from Marcius had helped Iris send Coile some iodine tablets. There was no way the water in the marsh was safe to drink, but it was too damp to light a fire - even the Careers hadn't managed one. Not that there was much left of the Career pack. The boys from Two and Four had gotten into a fight, leaving the boy from Four victorious and the boy from Two dead. A few days after that, the Ones had made off in the night with all the water, leaving the Fours and the girl from Two.
Iris didn't think it would last long. The Ones would undoubtedly have a mutt sent after them in a day or two, because they weren't particularly interesting without the drama of the other careers. The other three were bickering constantly, and had been tracking the girl from Eleven with not much luck for three days now. The audience's patience was wearing thin, and if something didn't happen soon, the Gamemakers were sure to take it out on everyone.
She knew Coile needed to find a new hiding place, but how to tell him? Perhaps she could send him something useless, something he didn't need. He was resourceful, and would likely find a use for it anyway, but there was so little money in the account, and Iris hated to waste money. Especially after what she had gone through to get it. The bruises had changed colour and the cuts were healing, but there was a new pain now that Iris knew would never leave. She wanted her pain to at least be useful.
She settled on sending him a small knapsack. It would hopefully be enough - he wouldn't need a bag, after all, if he was going to stay hidden in his tree. The only time he would need one would be if he was moving around.
Coile seemed to get the message. He put everything he had left - a few strips of jerky, three protein bars, the water bottle, and a few iodine tablets - into the knapsack. Then he reapplied the mud, covering the bag as well. By nightfall, he was ready, and began to creep through the swamp, his eyes wide and alert.
His new hiding place was alarmingly close to the Cornucopia, where the Careers were hiding out, but it was also one of the safest places he could have picked. There seemed to be an ample supply of hollowed-out trees, that none of the other tributes seemed to have caught onto - Coile was the only one who had discovered the readily-supplied hiding places. His proximity to the Careers would hopefully keep the Gamemakers off his back. Iris knew the Careers wouldn't find him, which would infuriate the bloodthirsty audience, and she was hoping that the Gamemakers would take them out to add a bit of excitement.
/
It had ended quite suddenly, Iris thought after. The Ones had both been killed in a mudslide, and the girl from Two had killed both the Fours in their sleep one night, apparently not finding them useful any more. After that, Coile, the girl from Eleven, and the girl from Two were the only ones remaining. The girl from Two was the favourite to win. But Iris hadn't been worried. She had realised what Lyme meant, now, why the girl from Two wouldn't win. She was careless, loud, and utterly convinced of her own greatness.
She had been tracking Eleven for quite some time now. The girl from Eleven had caught on quickly, and began leading Two on a merry chase through the swamp, evading her quickly and neatly, getting closer and closer to the Cornucopia and, by extension, Coile.
Coile had seemed to sense the upcoming finale. There had been no feast announcement, no cannons for a few days, no mutts to drive him from his hiding place. But he must have realised that there were only three of them left. Of course he had kept count of the tributes. Iris hadn't told him to, but did she need to? He was a smart kid.
The end began with the girl from Eleven creeping past his tree, followed later (and much more loudly) by the girl from Two. He had waited until they had left, and then went outside, re-applied his mud, and, leaving everything but his knife in the tree, started to creep after them.
The fight between the two girls was epic. It lasted for a whole hour, with both girls quite well-matched in skill. It seemed as though they had both forgotten that Coile was still alive, or perhaps they didn't care, and had decided to go after the greater threat first. Iris probably would have done the same thing, had she been in their shoes. But she had learnt the hard way that the greatest threat was often hiding in plain sight - or, in some cases, was camouflaged.
The fight ended with a knife in the girl from Two's gut. The other girl straightened up, wiping her hands on her pants, and that was when Coile sprung into action. He had climbed a tree towards the end, and had seemed to be waiting for the perfect moment to jump.
The girl from Eleven didn't see it coming. She couldn't have - he had attacked from above. His knife sunk deep into the top of her skull - she had probably died before she could comprehend what happened. A small mercy, Iris thought distantly, as the Mentor's Station erupted in noise.
Haylee was shaking her arm, and then Lyme was there too, talking to her. Iris didn't want to look away from the screens, even though she could hear the victory trumpets, and there wasn't any chance of Coile getting hurt now. She was half expecting them to reveal it was some cruel, elaborate prank; surely the girl from Eleven would jump up any moment now, laughing at Coile before killing him brutally. But that didn't happen.
Pomponia pulled her to her feet - she was allowed in the mentor's station, now the Games were over - and she and Haylee led Iris back to the Penthouse. She vaguely remembered protesting - "No, I have to see him, you have to let me-!" - but the two women held firm. Pomponia was saying something about sedation, about Coile having to sleep, too, so she might as well have a nap.
Iris had stopped making a fuss, her exhaustion winning out in the end. Coile had won. He was not in danger right now. She could finally rest.
/
When she woke up, the Penthouse was empty. Iris supposed Pomponia was dealing with the media - so where was Haylee? Iris hoped she was with Coile. She had made such an effort, this time - surely she wasn't off drinking now, after all she had done to help Coile get home.
Iris changed into some fresh clothes. She hadn't showered for two days, but a quick sniff told her that she didn't smell too bad. She was sure Coile smelt worse, if he hadn't had a wash yet.
She was trembling by the time she made it to the hospital wing. It had only been a week - but a lot had happened in that week. Coile was irrevocably, irreparably changed, now. He would never be the same. Iris had wondered, while he was in there, if it would be a greater mercy to let him die. But she hadn't wanted him to. She wouldn't do that to Jordie. He had lost everyone else in his life so far - his parents, his sister. She wouldn't let him lose anyone else, if she could help it. Friends were precious, and hard to keep.
He looked smaller than she remembered him. Pale and thin, his face pinched and hollow-looking. He had been bathed, though, she noticed. It was as though the mud from the past week hadn't ever touched his skin, as clean and glossy as it now was, no trace of even the acne he'd had before the arena. She wondered if he had been conscious for the bath they'd obviously given him, or if he had been knocked out like she had been. He hadn't needed surgery, like Iris had after - his worst injuries were malnutrition and a cut on his leg that had gotten infected.
Haylee was there, sitting next to his bed, looking down at him. She didn't look up when Iris entered, taking a seat on his other side.
It was a while before either of them spoke.
"I swore to myself," Haylee said, so quietly Iris almost hadn't heard her, "to never let one of my tributes win. I couldn't live with what I had done, so it seemed cruel to let another suffer the same way I had, even if they were alive." Haylee reached out a slender hand, and laid the back of it gently on Coile's forehead. "And now, there's two of you."
Iris didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what to say. It seemed as though she had intruded on an intensely private moment, even though Haylee was talking to her.
"I am not a strong woman, Iris," Haylee continued, her voice quiet, her eyes downcast. "I am cowardly, and weak, and utterly ashamed of myself and my inaction for so long. I can never make up for abandoning you in the arena, but I hope you can forgive me regardless."
"I do," Iris said quickly. "I do forgive you. I understand, now, I think." And it was true. She hadn't expected the guilt that had hit her after the trumpets announced Coile's victory. She had thought she had been redeeming herself, by helping him win, but what if she had been digging herself into a deeper hole all along? And now she had dragged Coile down with her.
Haylee sighed. "Yes. I think you do." She removed her hand from Coile's head, and stood up. She glanced at Iris, and opened her mouth; she then closed it and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Iris sighed. She understood Haylee better, now that she was in her shoes; but there were some things about her that Iris knew she would never fully understand.