kill for your love - the hunger games

(069) juniper hale needed more morphling

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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act three.

(chapter sixty-nine, juniper hale needed more morphling)

hospital ward, 75 ADD.

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"HALE, IF YOU'RE HAVING another flashback or whatever the hell, I'm going to hit you." 

The darkness that submerged Juniper Hale was diminishing as the low lights of the hospital ward flooded her vision. And as they did, a pain that she couldn't ignore was stabbing her in the chest, trickling throughout her entire being. Her head thudded and her fingertips twitched, even more so when Juniper opened her eyes to see Johanna Mason peering down at her. 

"What? No." Juniper clenched her jaw as she tried to sit up in the bed, but as she did, her ribs gave out an aching cry that had her hissing. "What are you doing?" 

Johanna was perched on the side of Juniper's bed, a morphling bag in her hand with the drip still attached to the socket taped to her arm. And as she sat beside the woman, Juniper began to notice little things about her. Some of the bandages on her flesh were taken off. There were tiny fluffs of hair growing back onto her head, something she hadn't seemed to notice before. And she had grown back some more weight. She was still severely underweight, but she looked slightly better than what she did. 

"You've been out of it for two days." Johanna scoffed. "Those nurses must really not like you if they gave you a sedative that strong." 

"What?" Juniper winced. "Two days?"

"Oh, yeah," Johanna told her. "It's been such a joy without you." 

"Wow, thanks," Juniper grumbled as she cradled her side. As she got up fully, she saw the pain in the woman's face. "What is it?" 

"I just thought I'd tell you that we've got some head doctors coming around now," said the Victor from Seven. "I've got one who comes around every day, supposed to be helping me recover. He's a complete moron. At least twenty times a session he reminds me that I'm totally safe, that nothing can touch me." 

Juniper thought of Dr. Aurelius and scoffed, saying, "I've got one. I've only had one session with him and he just did paperwork." 

"Well, he must think you're somewhat crazy because he's cut back your supply of morphling."

The Hale woman furrowed her brows before looking up at the morphling bag that was hooked on the stand, clenching her jaw when she realised it was a much lower dose than what she had previously. That must have been why her ribs were hurting more, why agony was trickling down her entire being. Juniper groaned as she laid back down, feeling annoyance fill her up. 

"They've cut mine back too," Johanna assured her. "I guess they don't want us turning into those freaks from Six." 

"I think they were onto something, though." Juniper closed her eyes as she tried to ignore the stabbing, groaning pains from the sudden lack of morphling. 

"What? The creeps from Six?" Johanna questioned. "I suppose... dose yourself up with morphling and paint flowers on yourself." 

Juniper huffed as she opened her eyes, asking, "Did they actually cut your dose down because they thought you were going to become an addict?"