One Last Game -Haymitch Abernathy-

Chapter 46

The morphling wore off, and the reality of the situation finally set in. Amelia felt numb inside. She felt hollow and alone. Every sound scared her. Every unknown noise caused her heart to race with fear. She didn't feel safe anywhere. District 13 was entirely underground, which made her feel trapped. Amelia wished she died in the arena. Her body was different, as was her mind. It was weak and fragile.

By order of President Coin, the rescued Victors were supposed to see a mandated therapist. Amelia worked with a specialist to see how badly the Tracker Jacker venom damaged her mind. It was bad. That much was clear. Amelia didn't know what she had forgotten, but the others did. Haymitch sat in the corner of the room. He insisted on staying by her side. He never asked what she wanted.

Amelia knew him, but the memories were fragmented. She remembered loving him, but that was it. Whatever connection they shared was gone, at least on her end. She knew his face. She knew he left her behind in the arena. That was all he was to her now.

The room they kept her in felt like a prison. It was the exact same size as her cell in the Capitol. It had no windows and a sliding door. It was all the same. Haymitch tried to liven up the room by bringing her flowers.

Amelia decided she hated flowers. They were dirty and attracted bugs. They didn't make her feel better, only worse. "Tell me again," the doctor said. "Your name."

"Amelia," she said again. "My name's Amelia."

"Last name."

Amelia blinked for a second, searching her mind for the name. "Sawyer."

"Good." Sometimes, it took her longer to remember.

"You were in the Hunger Games how many times?"

She paused, "twice."

"How long were you in the first games?"

"A few days." That was wrong. It was around two weeks. She was in the Quarter Quell for three days.

"Tell me about your family." Amelia thought for a moment. The memories of her family were gone. The memories of her childhood were erased, as were their faces. The memory of the people she once loved had been taken from her. Amelia clenched her fist, digging her nails into her thigh. "It's okay," he assured her. "It'll take time. Don't get frustrated with yourself." But Amelia was frustrated. "This is a safe place." That's what they said constantly. They reassured her that she was safe, but Amelia didn't feel safe. "Why don't we talk about what happened?"

"I'm really tired," she said. "Can we do this another day?" That's what she said every day. They never made much progress, but Amelia wasn't sure she cared.

"Amelia," Haymitch spoke up. "Please."

She stared at him. "What? I didn't ask you to be here. I'm tired." She wanted to find Johanna. They had been apart for a while. Amelia had an unhealthy bond with the girl. They were bonded by trauma. "I'm not doing this today."

"Okay." The doctor never pushed her. "We will work on your schedule. Just know this-"

"Is a safe place, and nobody can hurt me." Amelia had heard it before. "Whatever." It might have been rude, but she didn't care. The girl didn't care about anything anymore. The doctor grabbed his belongings and silently walked out the door.

"Amelia," Haymitch stood up and approached her. "You need to talk to them. They can help you get better."

Nobody understood what Amelia had been through. They thought talking would magically heal her. It almost made her laugh. It showed how naive everyone was. It didn't matter that she was safely in District 13. What happened to her was forever burned into her DNA. Who she was before was gone. Amelia didn't remember a large majority of her life. But she would never forget what happened in the Capitol. Eight weeks she was held there. It had been eight weeks since the Quarter Quell.