Dew of the Sea [Finnick Odair]

[14. Close Calls]

Day Three

Rosemary

By the time they found water, the sun was setting and she was so close to passing out from dehydration, she didn't think she could walk any further. Kyler had to practically drag her onto the frozen river once he spotted it and it took him another half-hour to break the ice with his sword.

With the shakiest hands she had ever worked with, Rosemary put some iodine drops into each of their canteens before handing them over to Kyler to fill up. While they waited for thirty minutes–or as close to thirty minutes as they could stand being by water and not drinking it–they washed their faces and took the opportunity to check any wounds they had.

Rosemary's palms were faring well, considering the fact that she was in the Games. The gloves really helped, just like Vina said they would, the sharp ends of her nails finding leather instead of sensitive flesh when making fists. Other than soreness in her muscles and some bruises on her knees and face, the cut on her forehead was the only thing that she needed to tend to. She washed it out with the icy water, finding that the temperature felt good on her heated flesh. An infection, surely. Once the wound was washed, she dug into the small first aid kit that came with her pack and was about to put a bandage on it, when Kyler spoke up and offered to help.

Rosemary had never experienced an intimate moment of her life–romantically intimate, anyway–but she was pretty sure that with Kyler sitting so close to her, face only centimeters away from her as he concentrated on putting the bandage on her forehead, this had to be somewhat close? She had never wanted to kiss anyone before that moment and now she couldn't stop staring at his lips.

She looked up into his eyes and caught his eyes flashing up to meet hers. He's staring at me too! She shouted in her mind. What is wrong with us?

She had a crush. I have a crush!

Rosemary couldn't believe herself. Here she was, in the middle of the Hunger Games, and she had her first crush. On a boy who was not only two years older than her, but also another Tribute–a Career at that!--in the Games who might kill her and her brother. They would both end up dead, probably within the week and she had a crush.

Other than the obvious, something serious had to be going on with her mentally. She could simply not comprehend how she ended up with a crush instead of fighting for her life. The universe was surely laughing at her and it made her furious.

She jerked away from his touch, just as he was finishing adhering the bandage to her skin. There was a glint of hurt in his eyes and immediately her heart raced.

"Sorry, it hurts a little," she lied. She didn't like the thought of hurting him, even if she hadn't meant to.

"Oh, sorry," Kyler awkwardly shuffled away and picked up her canteen, handing it over to her. "Here, you need to drink."