The Wrong Victor

Chapter thirty-two: Prim

I look at the group of people ahead of me leading me through this mine field. I hold Katniss's hand as Peeta carries her on his back. She's completely hidden in his neck and I don't blame her. Finnick is walking next to me making sure I avoid stepping on the pods.

"Prim, we would like to shoot you right here." Cressida says as she points to a monument that obviously used to be a statue of a child. "I know you are acting way beyond your age, but we need the districts to see you as your age, as fourteen."

"I don't know why I'm being pulled into propos. I'm not a public speaker. I'm a healer." I say as Cressida gets Pollux and Caster in place before messing with my hair. She pulls out my one braid and braids it into twin braids.

"Because, you are the youngest here and you have been a symbol of purity and hope since Katniss took your spot. To see that the Capitol and Snow made you tough will show how absolutely terrible. Next to you on the screen will be images of you from before everything happened. To show the difference. Do you know your lines?" Cressida asks as she ties off my braids with ribbons to really sell the tarnished little girl look. She tries to clean my face and I just pull from her.

"No, I don't because I am more concentrated on being in a safe location and keeping Katniss safe and healthy." I say as I check in on my sister who is muttering to herself.

"All you have to do is stand there and answer questions. We're going to talk about the harm the games have done. Talk about how you had to grow up fast and how you had to take control for your family." Cressida says as she stands with Caster and Pollux as Finnick helps me up to the statue and makes sure I'm stable.

"Alright. Fine. Just let me know when." I say making sure my medic band around my arm is straight and not obstructed. I'm given the cue and Cressida begins. Thank god she's asking questions because I'm not like Peeta.

"Prim, can you tell us a bit about why you're here in the Capitol in the middle of a war at age fourteen?"

"I'm a medic. I've been trained in Thirteen's hospital by the doctors and have been given my medic badge. I've been a healer for many years studying under my mom, and now I have formal training. This is where my skills are needed. I'm here to be the medic to squad 451 and to continue being Katniss' nurse."

"You're only fourteen and a formally trained medic, I'm sure on your way to becoming a full fledge doctor after the war is over. Now, two years ago can you tell me more about that? About what you were doing?"

"Two years ago I was selling goat cheese, I was struggling to stay alive with the small rations we had. I was scared of my name being pulled for the reaping. I was watching my sister fight for her life so I wouldn't have to."

"And in two years you've jumped bounds and leaps. The war took away your childhood. Your innocence."

"In the district no one had a childhood. Especially not in district twelve. You were lucky to make it to twelve if you came from the seam. We wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Peeta throwing bread before Katniss turned twelve. The only childhood I had was before the mines stole my father and I don't remember much from that time."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't. And it just keeps getting harder as the years continue."

"I see. Do you have any words for the Capitol? Any for the folks or even Snow?"

"No." I say noticing the name drop has caused Katniss to shake against Peeta's back. "Katniss? Katniss, it's okay. It's okay." I say as Finnick helps me back to Katniss. I brush over her braid and help Peeta set her on the ground.

"NO! DONT TOUCH ME! PEETA! PEETA!" Katniss screams as she covered her ears rocking back and forth.

We aren't in a safe location. I pull out a sedative and measure it out. "Be ready to catch her. We need to get to a secure location." I say before looking at Peeta who is extremely worried. "Finnick grab her arms I need her neck." I say and he quickly and carefully grabs her arms causing her to scream more as I quickly and accurately push the needle into her skin and give her the sedative. "Shh, you're safe. You're safe. I'm sorry. You're safe." I whisper as pull out the needle and catch her head. "You're safe." I kiss her head.

We carefully get her back on Peeta's back before we look at the rest of the group. Of course the cameras caught that.

"Prim can we continue?" Cressida asks, I know she wants the shots for the rebellion. I know that. But I don't care.

"No, there are cameras around that could have alerted to her screaming. We need to get to a safe location." I say as I pack my kit again and sling it on my back. "Where's our new camp?"

"Just ahead." Boggs says finally treating me like an adult. I know I'm fourteen but for him to treat me like an ignorant child ticked me off. I'm the one who heals everyone here.

We continue walking carefully Finnick making sure I step correctly through the streets of the Capitol.

"I think you should continue filming after Katniss is in a bed." Peeta says as he walks with his running blade.

"I don't like public speaking. And I need to make sure that when Katniss wakes up she's not in an episode still." I say as I carefully step around a pod with Finnick's help. "Is this what the games were like?" I ask just naturally curious about what went on in the arena as we had to watch every tribute not just who we wanted to watch.

"Hmm, a bit. This is like when we were walking next to the force field. Had to make sure we didn't run into it again." Finnick says with a smile at Peeta who chuckles.

"I saw that part but then it cut away to someone else. Who revived him? I'm sure it wasn't Katniss she couldn't even clean his wound." I say as I walk around another pod and nearly lose my footing only for Finnick to catch me.

"I did." Finnick says with a grin. He smiles too much for being in a war.

"Finnick, are you mentally well? You smile too much for someone who is in the middle of a war."

"Geez, Prim! Yes, I'm mentally well. I'm just still riding on the high of getting told I have a child. And I'm thinking about how this is like teaching a child to walk."

"This is nothing like teaching a child to walk."

"Oh? And how do you know?"

"Because I'm a medic."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"The fact that I'm a licensed midwife and I've studied child development since I was little."

Finnick goes to continue arguing when Peeta clears his throat. "You're not going to win in an argument with Prim. She's Katniss' little sister. There's no winning an argument with them if they have their facts straight. Hell even without their facts straight they're both so stubborn it's easier to just say they're right." Peeta chuckles as we walk to the new camp location and the others in the squad start setting up tents.

"Boggs, I need a cot to lay Katniss in." I demand as I watch Katniss rest against Peeta's shoulder.

"Your tent is almost done then the cot will be in there." The older man says and I give him a stern look. "Leeg 1, cot please."

I smile in thanks before helping Peeta lay Katniss down on the cot. "She should wake in an hour I didn't give her much, just to knock her out and to keep her under for a bit."