𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔯 ℭ𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔡 - Clove and Cato/Clato

XXXV

I awoke with a stiff neck, held together by a neck brace. I began to freak out as I remembered what Cato had done to me. I shot up to see my father sitting there waiting for me to awaken.  I clawed at the neck brace frantically as my dad rushed over telling me not to touch it because I was swollen.

I tried to speak, asking for Cato, but I was shut down. "Don't try to talk. Cato's okay, I promise." He helped me to sit up as the bed adjusted, and he sat down. "Remember the first time the capitol took him? They conditioned him to think a certain way. This is basically the same thing but with fear. They use tracker jacker venom to put him into a dissociative state, then torture him, stripping his identity and redirecting the cause of all his pain to a source. You. They turned him into a weapon to kill you, Clove. It's a new terrain, but they've put together a team to do everything they can to reverse it."

"I..." My voice was coarse and faint as I tried to make out a sentence. "...need...to see....him." The last word was almost a whisper, but still sounded intent.

My father shook his head. "He needs time. He's been calmer with the doctors, but they're all strangers to him so we're going to test his response on someone he remembers from home. Someone he trusts."

The door opened slowly as I was met with a sympathetic River. "Hey, hero," He greeted with a soft smile. "How's that neck of yours?" Before I could speak, he held his hands up to stop me. "Save your voice." I nodded and gave him a thumbs up, to which he smiled and reciprocated. He then looked over to my father. "They're ready."

I looked over to my father, and he gestured for me to follow. Outside, Haymitch and Johanna waited, leaning against the wall. "Hey, kid," Haymitch greeted, pulling me into a hug. I could sense the jealousy oozing out of my father.

"Nice bruise," Johanna commented, pulling me in. She still looked malnourished, pale, and tired. I could tell she still hadn't slept since what happened. I was going to ask them what they were doing waiting for me, but I was immediately shut down by Johanna and scolded for even trying to verbally communicate in my current state.

We walked down a dimly lit hallway straight to where Cato was being held. The others and I watched intently, waiting for something to happen. He seemed docile, but frightened. Just then, the doors clicked open, and Enobaria slowly walked in, making her way toward his bed.

"Hey," she greeted softly, sitting down next to him.

"E..." He replied, recognizing her.

From the other side of the glass, where I was, Johanna looked tense. "She's too close!" She scolded my father.

"No, it's fine," He replied.

She clenched her jaw and continued viewing Cato and Enobaria's interaction. She informed them that we were in district thirteen and that they, as well as the other tributes were rescued.

"There was an attack on district two...our home," Cato noted softly, sorrow beaming from his puffy red eyes. Enobaria nodded in response with a sigh. Then, his facial expressions hardened. "It's all because of Clove."

"No, Cato, it's not Clove's fault. None of this is her fault," Enobaria tried to explain, placing her hands on his, to which he pulled away.

"She told you to say that!" Cato replied, getting agitated. "She's a liar, E. You can't trust her. She left us in that arena. She wants to hurt us!"

"Cato..." Enobaria started, keeping her composure. "What you're saying isn't real."

"She sent you here to talk to me...She knows you're here now! You can't trust her! She's a monster! She's a mutt that the capitol created to destroy us!" He spat out, desperately trying to escape his restraints, in a fit of panic and anxiety. "You have to kill her, E! You have to kill her!"