Come Back to Me

XV

"Do you hear that?"

Surely she was hallucinating but, even so. The hope raced through her veins, providing Cordelia one last source of strength to push her shaky bones out of the sandy dirt and over to her partners.

"Wake up," She shook Parker first, honestly having more faith in him waking up at all, "come on!"

His eyes fluttered, then he shut them again not wanting to devote anymore energy to the matter. Cordelia's annoyance was enough to push her to kicking him hardly in the stomach, him wincing loudly, the viewers going into another wave of tearful laughter.

"What the," Parker cried out, sitting up fastly. Then, his head tilted to the side, "is that what I think it is-"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, you ass!"

The crowds laughed again as Parker shook his head in bewilderment. Cordelia harshly stumbled to help the boy to his feet, him groaning in discontempt.

"Stay here with Grethcen," Cordelia's face had reddned, part from the sun, part from the lack of water and part from her fragile temper, "I'll go check it out."

"I'm not staying here by myself!" Parker muttered.

"Gretchen's here, we're not leaving her alone."

"Then you stay and I'll go check it out-"

"Jesus fuck," Cordelia let out a tired huff, bending down to shake Gretchen awake, "Gretchen?"

The girl let out a hum, her eyes remaining closed so she could gather more strength to open them.

"You have to wake up, we have to take just a couple more steps."

"You go, I'll stay here." Gretchen mumbled.

Cordelia deadpanned.

What lovely, supportive allies she had chosen for herself.

"Parker won't stay with you." She reasoned.

"Why not," Gretchen sat up, she rubbed her face, looking over at the boy, "why not?"

"Because he hates women."

Parker chuckled lightly at the accusation, reaching out to pick the girl up with Cordelia's assistance. The three tributes gathered their weapons and furthered their distance, stepping slowly around the corner and if she had the access to any tears at all, as well as the comfort of privacy from the thousands of viewers on the other side of the hundreads of cameras around, Cordelia would cry at the sight in front of them. They had discovered the entrance to another smaller cave on the lower level of the mountain, inside a small stream leading out of another entrance and down the other side of the mountain, the sound of trickling coming from the tinest waterfall formed out of the rocky wall of the cave.

"That's," Gretchen swallowed, coughing at the scratchy feeling it sent down her throat, "we're all seeing the same thing, yeah?"

"Yes, yeah," Parker said, stuttering over his words slightly, "I think. Unless you're seeing anything other than water, then you're hallucinating."

Parker raced for the water, only stopping when another voice spoke.

"Wait!"

Gretchen raised her kukri, Cordelia pushing the girl's arm down. Within seconds, he had appeared, previously hiding behind a group of bigger rocks.

"Carter-"

"Don't drink that," The boy spoke weakly, giving Cordelia the thought that he was as close to dehydration as the rest of them. This turned her focus to the water, "look at it."