How can I be Mean? (Lamina x Female oc)

Where am I? (Ch 18)

            A deafening bang reverberates throughout the entire room, causing Vale's eyes to strain open, and takes in the sight of the brown walls and ceilings. She lies perfectly still, afraid that any movement will send waves of excruciating pain through her body. After a moment, she cautiously begins to stir, only to find that there is no pain at all. As she sits up, she surveys her surroundings, trying to piece together where she might be. The room appears elongated, with steel beds lining the walls. At the far end, a metal door with a small window at the top catches her attention. She gazes at it, half-expecting someone to enter, but no one does. Slowly, she moves to the edge of the bed and lets her bare feet touch the cold floor. It's then that she realizes she's no longer wearing her own clothes; instead, she's dressed in a long white gown.

            As she struggles to stand, her feet give way, and she tumbles to the ground. Vale reaches out to the bed, using it to pull herself back to her feet slowly. Every step towards the door is a struggle, as she clings to anything within reach for support. Finally reaching the door, she presses her ear against it and hears silence on the other side. She cautiously turns the handle and cracks the door open, only to shut it as a figure passes by quickly. Voices start to echo in the hallway, prompting Vale to hastily retreat to the bed, pulling the sheet over her legs.

            The door swings open, revealing a woman in a nurse's outfit. "They'll be pleased that you're finally awake," she chirps. As the woman approaches, Vale can feel her heart race. Standing by the bed, the nurse takes hold of Vale's wrist to check her pulse. "I'll finish up here and then go get them," she says, jotting something down in her notepad.

            "Who," Vale managed to mutter, her voice barely above a whisper. The woman didn't respond immediately, instead focusing on checking Vale's eyes with a small flashlight.

            "You will just have to wait and see," she finally replied, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. She continued her examination, meticulously checking Vale's reflexes, her legs, and the bandages that tightly covered her side. "I'll go get them now," the nurse announced before turning away and exiting the room.

            As Vale lay there, her mind raced with questions. Who were "they"? And why would they be pleased to see that she was awake? These thoughts consumed her, and she even pinched her arm in a desperate attempt to wake herself up from what felt like a surreal dream. She should be dead, but this certainly didn't feel like a dream – it all felt too real.

            The sound of the door clicking open suddenly breaks the silence, capturing her undivided attention. As she gazes at the figure in the doorway, she grapples with the realization that if this is a dream, then it's the most surreal and vivid dream she could ever imagine. Standing before her is Lamina, tears cascading down her face. Without hesitation, she dashes towards Vale and envelopes her in a tight embrace.

            "I knew you would wake up," Lamina sobs as she holds Vale close.

            Though initially stunned, Vale eventually reciprocates the hug, murmuring, "I... I don't understand." As they embrace, Vale speaks again after a moment, "I should be dead," causing Lamina to draw back from the embrace.

            "The Capitol saved you, Vale," Lamina says with a smile. "They claimed that our relationship drew more viewers to the games. They decided if we both won then more people would pay attention." Lamina pauses, a troubled expression crossing her face.

            "There's something else," Vale inquires, noticing the unease in Lamina's demeanor.

            Lamina stares at their intertwined hands, she begins to speak, "We are going to–" before being interrupted by the door opening once more.

            A short man dressed entirely in black steps inside. Vale recognizes him, though she can't immediately place where. As the man approaches them, it dawns on her – he is the same man she had seen at the meeting with the Capitol students, the one who had been drinking the mysterious liquid.

            "Hello Vale, I'm Dean Highbottom," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "Are you feeling well?" Vale nodded in response, still trying to make sense of the situation. "I'm glad that our technology is well enough to save you. Did Lamina explain why we saved you?"

             Lamina hesitated before answering, "I haven't explained it fully to her. I haven't explained what we are required to do." Highbottom steps closer to the girls, studying them both. 

            "Well, it's simple. When the Capitol tells you to do something, then you will do it. We will film every part of your relationship and most other parts of your life. You are at our beck and call," he declared. "Of course, for this, you will need to live together. We will build you two a home in Four and Seven, and you can travel between both whenever you like. In return, we will give you money at the start of each month to live on." 

            Vale sat in silence, her mind racing to process every piece of what Highbottom had just said. She stared at him, her eyes widening, not knowing what to say. Highbottom glanced at them before speaking again. "Well, I will leave you two alone for now," he said, turning around. Once he reached the door, he turned once more. "I forgot, there are new things you two will have to do. The president decided he wants you to go on a tour around Panem. First in the Capitol, then go to each district, talking about how the games brought you two together."

 _________________________________

Hey!!!

I quickly finished my homework and started working on this. I'm going to have this be the last chapter and have them live together dealing with Capitol bullshit. I thought about making another fanfic talking about their tour, but I'm not sure. If you are interested in reading that then leave a comment. If there is no interest then I'm thinking of writing a Bridgerton fanfic about Eloise. 

Hope you have a good night/day!