An Extra Tribute

-battles in 8-

We land soon after and the hovercraft takes off after we all unload. There's a team of about nine of us; Katniss, Gale and I, Boggs and another soldier I don't know the name of, and the camera crew, two sturdy Capitol dudes carrying large cameras connected to their torsos with headsets, also cameras, the director, Cressida, who's also from the Capitol, and her assistant Messalla. One side of Cressida's head is shaved and tattooed onto it are an assortment of vines that travel down her neck as well. If I'm being honest, it looks really cool. Messalla has several piercings on his head, three piercings on his ears, one on his lip, and when he speaks to Cressida, I spot a large silver ball strung through his tongue that is about the size of a small grape. I grimace and look away, managing to catch a glimpse of Katniss and Gale snickering at me.

"Come on," Boggs calls in an authoritative tone and we all seem to listen automatically as we slide out of the way for another hovercraft. They unload supplies and half a dozen medics instead of people and camera equipment. I take over leading the mission as I usher everyone down an alleyway between two warehouses. It's long and decorated with rubble of previous attacks. It spits us out onto main street that's normally filled with people visiting different shops to get whatever food they can or gathering in the square by the Justice Building to launch another surprise attack. It's normally a sad scene anyways, but today it's devastating.

My hands fly to my mouth as I see the people I worked side by side with for months wheeling and carrying their neighbors and loved ones to a makeshift hospital. It's just an old warehouse with a messy red H over the doorway, but you have to make things work.

"This won't work, " I hear Katniss say. "I won't be good here." Something in me snaps at her, but I don't say a thing. These people need help and she's worried about how the camera's going to see her?

"You will. Just let them see you. That will do more for them than any doctor in the world could." Boggs isn't wrong. I assume she nods, because they follow me further into the street. Paylor's at the door of the hospital, instructing people on where to go and how to help. The patients are broken, with bleeding or missing limbs, major burns, and cuts so deep you can see the bone. This isn't good. And with so many... the majority aren't going to make it. She sees us and walks our way. Our medics rush into the warehouse when she gestures sharply to them.

"Commander Paylor of 8," I introduce to the group. "Paylor, Soldier Katniss Everdeen." I glance back at her. "Our Mockingjay." Paylor gives me a nod of a greeting before looking Katniss over. It seems like Katniss is doing the same.

"Yeah, I know who she is, " Paylor replies. "You're alive, then. We weren't sure." Her tone is slightly accusatory, but I can't blame her. Had I been here, I would've felt the same. Even back at base, there was a part of me that wished she'd decided sooner, but she was broken in more ways than one. She needed time and we could give it to her. I also didn't mind 13 when her, Prim, Fin, and Gale were around.

"I'm still not sure myself, " says Katniss.

"Been in recovery. Bad concussion." Suddenly, the volume of his voice drops for a word. "Miscarriage. But she insisted on coming by to see your wounded."

"Well, we've got plenty of those, " Paylor says.

"You think this is a good idea?" Gale asks, gesturing to the mess of a hospital. "Assembling your wounded like this?" I know what he means. There's been bombings for weeks. Now that all the people Snow believes to be expendable are in the same place, they can get rid of them all at once.

"I think it's slightly better than leaving them to die," Paylor replies, a bite in her tone.

"That's not what I meant," Gale says.

"Well, currently that's my only other option. But if you come up with a third and get Coin to back it, I'm all ears." Paylor backs up and waves Katniss into the hospital. "Come on in, Mockingjay. And by all means, bring your friends." Katniss glances back at our crew before leading the way into the hospital. Hallways are made using thick curtains as dividers and we pass through the first section entirely filled with corpses. Flies buzz around and there's a stench of decaying flesh that makes my eyes water. White strips of fabric cover their faces, but some are blown off anyways. I scoot up to Paylor.