Safe and Sound

Chapter Thirty Two - Alive

I helped Grayson to his feet and we both limped and staggered over to the ladder, our wounds bleeding and our strength fading. Grayson was still clutching the arrow and feather. As soon as we held onto the ladder, the odd force that kept us attached to it pinned us to the rungs and we were lifted up onto the Hovercraft. As soon as we got inside, we both crumpled to the ground as the fatigue and pain hit us. The adrenaline was gone, now we were going to suffer more than before.

I was then picked up by a doctor in a white coat with a white mask, being forced to let go of Grayson at last, much to my dismay. I was then carried and placed on a bed, put under anesthetic as they set to work on my mauled leg. My vision went blurry and my mind went funny, but eventually I went under.

* * *

When I woke once more, my legs felt odd and new. I looked under the covers to see the skin on my injured leg had been completely replaced. My new skin was as smooth as a new born baby's, and was still pink and rather vulnerable, like a baby bird's. I then looked up completely. It was hard to sit up, but I somehow managed. I looked about. I was in an empty room. Just me and my bed, with the mall machine pumping morphine into my body. Just me and my thoughts.

I looked at my arm that had all the tubes inside, to see that my ribbon was still tied to my wrist. Besides that, I was completely naked. My ribbon was singed and torn, but it was now clean. It no longer had blood on it. Grayson's blood had been scrubbed off of it.

Not only had my ribbon been scrubbed up, but I had been scrubbed up. My hair was silky and thick again, pulled back into a plait going down my back, however I was sad to feel that the feather Grayson had weaved into my plait was no longer in my hair. I smelt of roses and the scars, bruises and burns I had gained weren't as prominent. I ran my hand along the long, thin one on my stomach. Even that one was less noticeable now.

I sank back into the soft mattress of the bed and took a deep breath. I was out of the arena. Even though it was slightly ridiculous to say so, I sort of missed it. It was beautiful in there, even though it was a place of death. It was like a graveyard. It was beautifully made, but it was funny because it wasn't used for its beauty. It was used for its dark, sad purpose. To allow the dead to rest. Plus, I had grown so used to waking up in the arena and surviving that it felt like second nature to me. It was odd to wake up and no longer need to survive. I just had to live now. I was a victor...but was Grayson?

As soon as I thought about Grayson, I immediately regretted it. I didn't know if he had made it. I wasn't quite sure if he was even alive. But there were two victors, if Grayson was alive. What were they going to do? Grayson wasn't even supposed to be a victor. I bet it was a sympathy vote from the people of the Capitol. Maybe our kiss had temporarily warmed their dark hearts. His kiss tingled on my lips as I thought about him.

I thought about the brown haired boy for a long time. When a male Avox walked in and handed me a tray of food, he stayed and looked at me as I stared off into the empty space, not touching my food. The Avox seemed to be worried about me, so he reached out gingerly and put a hand on my shoulder to see what would happen. I flinched, but calmed down when I realised that it was a friendly gesture, a supportive gesture. The Avox then pushed the tray up my body, so it was resting on my stomach. I looked at him and he nodded, before walking out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my tray of food.

* * *

A few days passed, but I had practically no recollection of them. I kept waking up, eating food, falling back asleep again suddenly. It could have been a year for all I knew, because I didn't know anything. I was stuck in some vortex between being conscious and being thrown into blackness. But every time I was able to think, I thought about Grayson. I couldn't get the boy out of my head. I thought about whether he was alive and well, whether he would be allowed to be a victor and, most of all, I thought about our kiss. If I concentrated hard, I could still feel the tingle and the warmth of his lips on mine.

I looked over to my arm to discover that I no longer had tubes going in and out of me...that meant I was in a stable enough condition. Thank the little goodness left in Panem, I thought. And if I was in a stable condition, surely it meant that they wanted me to get up...

I moved my legs so I was in a seated position, my bare feet touching the cold floor as I sat on the edge of the bed. My head spun slightly, but this head of mine had felt worse. It had had a rough time in the arena, I could definitely say that for sure. Once the spinning subsided slightly, I pushed myself off of the bed. I expected my weak leg with the fresh skin to buckle and send me sprawling out on to the floor...but it didn't. I stood as firm and tall as I had before. I smiled to myself, pleased with the recovery I had made. I wanted to thank the doctors, but the only reason they tried to get me into such a fit state was so I would appeal to the Capitol. I mean, who would want their children to look up to a girl with a mauled leg and a boy with practically no intestines left? I cursed myself for thinking that, and sat down once more.

That was when I noticed there was something on the end of my bed. I leaned over and picked it up. It was the outfit I wore in the arena...well, a new version of it. There were no tears or scorches or any sign that it had been used. The Capitol must have wanted me to look presentable when I finally met up with Haymitch, Effie, my stylists and Cinna...Cinna! I smiled. He really had made me the Flaming Mockingjay once and for all and I was so grateful.

I sighed and put on the outfit once more, covering my bare and vulnerable body. I was glad my ribs and various other bones were no longer on show. I also made sure to push the left sleece of my jacket up ever so slightly, so my ribbon was clearly visible. My ribbon; one of my symbols, a true part of my heart. I laced and strapped up the boots, tucking the ends of the trousers into them. I kept my hair braided down my back. I didn't want to look at it without Grayson's ribbon weaved in.

I then sat myself back on my bed and waited. I only had to sit for roughly four minutes before a part of the wall opened up, causing me to leap to my feet. It was my instinct, the instinct that had been drilled into my head by the Games. But I needn't have worried, it was only Effie. I looked and saw Effie standing with Haymitch and Cinna, waiting for me in a small chamber at the end of the room. Even though I would have preferred it to have been Grayson, I managed a smile. Cinna opened his arms and I half jogged, half skipped over to him. I fell into his embrace, his arms strong and firm.

"Well done, my Flaming Mockingjay. You did it, you're out of the arena. I don't have to remember you after all, because here you are." He said. I smiled brightly. I hugged Effie next. She teetered a bit on her heels, but she hugged me anyway. I decided that Effie wasn't actually that bad as she told me how proud she was and how glad she was that we both got out of the arena. My heart skipped a beat slightly. Grayson must be alive.

But I shocked myself somewhat when I hugged Haymitch next. He didn't smell of alcohol as much as he usually did and he actually hugged me back.

"You did it. You're alive." He whispered into my ear. I nodded into his torso, actually quite glad that I was here to do so.

When I pulled away, I looked at all three of the adults standing in front of me. "Where's Grayson?" I asked them, eager to get to the point. Thankfully, none of them frowned. They actually all smiled, if only a little bit.

"He definitely was in a bit of a sorry state when the doctors dealt with him, but he's doing fine." Effie said. I could have laughed, but not because of humour or amusement. Grayson was in more than just a sorry state. He was practically holding his stomach inside of him when the hovercraft lifted us up. "And the only reason he's not here is because the Capitol want to have your reunion on live television. They think it will please the audience, and I agree with them on that one. It's going to be lovely."

"Lovely. Right." I said. I wouldn't have worded it quite like that, but I guessed the Capitol would, what with their mushy hearts and love for tragic stories of star crossed lovers that would inevitably end with pain or broken hearts. But at least Grayson is alive.

"Come on." Cinna said, "I'm going to get you ready. The world is waiting for the two of you, Harper Anselin. They want to see their Mockingjays again."