𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝑶𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒓

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍.

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞.

Rosie went through with the rough plan she'd created the night before, when morning came she helped Toby to his feet, put the water bottle and knives in pockets of her trousers and began walking toward where she'd set up the traps.

"Once I get the food cooking I'll find water so I can wash your leg out, then I'll re-bandage it. You're going to be okay." Rosie was confident in her words, too confident. Her brain was working overtime the entire night, trying to figure out a way that she could get them both out and back home. Toby had explained the reason he didn't mind dying was because he didn't have anyone to go back to, but now he had Rosie, so it made sense in her head that they could go back together, now. She had yet to come up with a feasible plan, but she wouldn't stop trying until she did.

When Rosie got poisoned Toby didn't give up on her, so she wouldn't give up on him. He wasn't going to die, she wouldn't let him.

Eventually, they found where she'd set the trap, and the first lucky break happened when they found it had a rabbit caught up. Rosie quickly killed it and began cooking the meat, she talked to Toby about how she'd never seen a rabbit look appetising, usually, they looked utterly depressing in her eyes. He smiled and added comments here and there, saying he'd somehow never had rabbit before. Rosie guessed it was because he had a job and didn't have to provide for anyone but himself. While that idea was appealing—not having to provide and worry about feeding anyone but yourself—in the grand scheme of things, she wouldn't trade their lives, all the worry and stress was worth it, to her at least.

"Don't set expectations high," She'd told him.

Thankfully there was a stream nearby and she collected water, but couldn't find the plant she'd used the day before—they'd have to walk and find it.

"I'll go get the rabbit. Drink some water." She handed the bottle over to him, and he gratefully accepted. His throat was sore and the water helped ease the pain for a while.

Once she deemed the rabbit cooked enough, and stamped out the fire, she went back to her ally. She refused to acknowledge how pale he was, how he was sweating more than the weather called for—it hadn't been hot like the day the Games started, it was gradually getting cooler and cooler as the days went on, and now the nights were almost at the temperature where she shivered.

"How is the pain?" She asked as she cut up the meat with her knife. It was tough, she realised, she'd probably cooked it a few minutes too long, but she wasn't willing to chance undercooked meat. The last thing she needed was for her or Toby to get sick from the food.

"Not as bad as yesterday, but it still hurts a lot. I think my stomach hurts from hunger more than anything else." He gave her a genuine smile that was slightly wonky, like one side of his face was too heavy to curl up. She didn't let herself acknowledge it.

With her own smile, she offered him the largest piece of meat she'd cut off. "See, I conditioned myself to put up with being hungry during the time at the Capitol. It was all strategy, definitely not because I always felt sick." She took a bite of her piece which was significantly smaller than Toby's. He needed all the strength he could get as they had to move after they finished eating and she'd changed his bandages, they shouldn't stay near where a fire would've been seen burning.

Toby smirked, "Whatever you say, Rosie."

Rosie rolled her eyes.

"How is it? Not quite as good as food from the Capitol." She commented after finishing her portion.

"I'm hungry enough it tastes like heaven. But not quite as good as that lemon tart, you have room for improvement." He threw the bone from the leg of the rabbit to the side of him, and drank some more of the water to ward off the sharp pains that lit up his throat and neck. He hadn't wolfed it down like he usually did with food, he enjoyed it—it really wasn't all that bad, probably due to how hungry he was. But, he also took his time due to the choice that he wouldn't take any more food, she still had a little bit of the rabbit left and there was no point in him taking it if he wasn't going to be of any use to her anymore.