One Last Game -Haymitch Abernathy-

Chapter 13

Amelia sat on the couch, watching as Katniss ran to Rue. The young girl was stuck in one of the Career's traps. She felt a tremendous amount of relief when Katniss found her—knowing that they were together again. Katniss ripped off the net, and the two hugged. "You're okay, see. You're fine," she tried to reassure the younger girl.

Rue pulled away with a gasp, her eyes on Marvel. He had a spear, and he drew his arm back. Katniss reacted just as quickly, taking a bow and shooting him straight in the stomach.

Amelia sat up on the couch, not exactly sure what just happened. It was all so quick. Marvel had thrown the spear before Katniss shot him. And it was now lodged in Rue's stomach. As Katniss turned around to check on the girl, Rue pulled the weapon out of her abdomen.

The girl fell to the ground, but Katniss caught her. Amelia blinked away the burning in the back of her eyes. Silently she grabbed the remote and muted the TV. What was about to happen next, well, she didn't want another memory of a dying child in her brain. She already had so many.

Amelia jogged through the snow, a few fish tied to a rope slung over her shoulder. It was growing late, but the sun was still out. She walked to where Tyler was waiting for her. They had been in the same hideout since they ran off from the cornucopia.

However, as she approached the small ridge, her eyes found a drop of blood. And then another. The fear that took over was intense. The blood trailed up the ridge and onto the rocky ledge, the place they were hiding. "Tyler!" Amelia dropped the fish without thinking. She began running towards the area as quickly as possible. Her entire body was trembling as she crawled over the top and slowly sunk down on the ledge. It was a small drop that was easier to climb up than go down. Right now, that didn't matter. Grabbing her spear, she slowly crept around the corner. The blood trailed into the small cave and pooled near a rock. "Tyler?" There were no signs of anyone. Amelia kept her spear ready, eyes roaming over every inch. She had only been gone a few hours. "Tyler?"

"Amelia," the voice was faint, but it was him. Amelia relaxed hearing him alive, but his voice sounded strained.

"Where are you?" There was no response. That was never a good sign. Rushing into the cave, she followed the trail behind a large boulder. There were a few things Amelia was expecting, but not what was in front of her. "Tyler." She dropped down to her knees. Tyler was bleeding badly, his body covered in different cuts. "Oh, Tyler. What happened?"

Amelia had no idea what to do. She ripped off her scarf and tried to apply pressure. Tyler winced, taking a shaking breath. The biggest injury seemed to be to his leg. But there was bleeding from his arm, chest, and mainly his throat. There was also a large gash on his head. "Sorry," his breathing was ragged. "I wanted to help get more firewood for the fires." Amelia's hands were shaking, and tears blurred her vision. There was so much blood pooling, and it coated her hands. It was a miracle he was still alive. "Augustus found me. But I fought him off." He tried to smile at her. His normal curly hair was matted with blood. It was clear he was dying. "I just fell down the ridge."

"You should have waited here. I told you to wait here!" She wasn't actually angry with him, but she was terrified. This wasn't a situation she was mentally prepared for.

"I'm sorry," he whispered through tired eyes.

The blood began to soak through the scarf. "No, no," Amelia's lip quivered. She wiped her tears on her jacket, not wanting to worry him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout." Searching the cave, she realized there was nothing to use to help him. "When did this happen?"

"Ten minutes, I think," Tyler looked up at her. He wasn't shaking anymore. As if he was no longer cold. "Am I gonna die?"

"What?" Amelia sat down beside him. "No, you're going to be fine." He couldn't die, not like this. They had been fine this morning. All he had to do was stay hidden. Why didn't he listen? "You'll be fine. Okay?" Tyler's eyes began to flutter closed. "Hey, hey." She placed a hand on his cheek. "Tyler?"

His eyes reopened, but his lips were incredibly pale. "Hi."

"Hi," she forced a smile. "I need you to stay awake."

"Okay."

She looked away from him and towards the cave entrance. Hoping that at any moment, there would be a package from a sponsor. But nothing ever happened. Nothing ever came. "Come on. Give me something." Amelia glanced back at Tyler, noticing his eyes were open. However, he wasn't moving. "Tyler?" She gently shook his shoulder. He didn't move. "Hey, Tyler? Come on." The sound of a canon echoed in the distance. "Tyler!" Amelia let the tears fall freely. He was gone. Letting her head fall into her hands, she slowly let herself go.

~~~~~~~~~~

Amelia sat with her knees pulled up to her chest on the couch. The games continued playing, but for the first time, she wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were on the window, watching the never-changing night sky. It was nearly three A.M. Amelia hadn't slept in two days. Since Haymitch made her rest on the exact couch she was sitting on now.

Days like today were harder. The memories of Tyler were the hardest. Why did she leave him? What if he went with her? Amelia had never lost anyone like that before, and it was her fault. His death haunted her. It made her wish she had died in those games. "Amelia," a voice whispered.

The girl glanced over her shoulder, noticing Haymitch walking down the stairs. She quickly wiped the tears from under her eyes. "Hey."

As much as she tried to hide her emotions, he always saw through it. "What are you doing down here?"

"Just getting some air," it was another lie.

Haymitch had been on his way to the kitchen. As he walked by, he saw the light reflect in her eyes. That's when he noticed the blurriness, the tears. He momentarily looked at the games, watching as the Careers made camp under some trees. "Did you sleep?" Amelia pursed her lips, giving him the answer he already knew. Haymitch abandoned the kitchen completely, slowly stepping down into the living room. She shifted her legs, tucking them underneath her. "Did you even try?"

"Don't ask me questions you don't want the answer to."

He sat down in front of her. Amelia watched as he lifted his hand, letting his palm rest against her cheek. He used his thumb to wipe the tears she missed. Caesar Flickerman appeared on the screen, and moments from the games appeared. Luckily it was still muted, and they couldn't hear what he was saying. Rue's face was all over the screen causing Amelia to look away. When she saw Rue, she thought of Tyler. The same look on his face as he died in that cave. Died in her arms. Haymitch noticed her reaction and took a deep breath. "Amelia."

"She was so young," she whispered sadly. "It's messed up."

"Trust me, I know."

If Katniss were to live, Rue would be her Tyler. The memories didn't ever go away, not even after all these years. "Reminded me of Tyler."

At the mention of his name Haymitch's shoulders tensed. His eyes searched her again, noticing as the tears returned. He should have known this was what was bothering her. The similarities were too significant. There was a silence that took over, and Amelia kept her head down. Haymitch knew sleep was more important right now. Grabbing the green threw blanket, he relaxed in the corner of the couch. "Come here." He threw the blanket over himself and pulled open the corner. The invitation was clear. Amelia didn't fight him, almost relieved he had offered. Moving closer, she shuffled into the small opening. Her body pressed against his, and she let her head fall against his chest. Haymitch dropped the blanket over her, making sure she was entirely covered. Once he knew she was, he wrapped his arm over her shoulders. "Want to talk about it?"

But there wasn't much to talk about. "It never gets easier, does it?"

Haymitch had been doing this longer than her. "No, it doesn't."

Amelia closed her eyes, listening to the beating of his heart. It was fast, faster than normal. She smiled slightly and felt her body relax. The man smelled of mint, pine, and a little bit of whiskey. "I don't want them to die."

"Neither do I." Amelia let her arm rest against his chest, her fingers dancing over the fabric of his black T-shirt. "Try to get some rest, Sweetheart." She hummed a small agreement, her eyes still closed. 

"Don't ever leave." Haymitch's hand rested against her back, his index finger tracing different shapes. The feeling was peaceful, and she focused solely on it. Soon she was lured into a peaceful slumber—the very first one in a long time. 

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sweetheart."