A Game Of Justice ✭ Cato Hadley

Twelve - Nothing Comes For Free

After lunch and the afternoon workout the next day, Clio has to bribe her guards into letting her into the hospital wing. They lead her through sliding doors and along a series of corridors with several twists and turns, enough to disorientate anyone, before pressing a high level button that whizzes them up in a lift. She's met by one of the doctors, in a white jacket over his white uniform.

"Request to see Johanna Mason." Guard One says.

The doctor taps his pencil against the clipboard in his hands, reading over some of the charts in a huff before deciding. "Patient is strapped down so shouldn't be a danger to you, though you will be removed if you are of danger to her. No sudden noises and no water. Third door on the right."

Clio follows the man's directions and she looks at her guards when they stop her outside the thick door. "What? Aren't you coming in with me?"

"No." Guards Two shakes his head. He unlocks the chains around Clio's wrists while Guard One unlocks the matching pair around her ankles, and she feels instant relief as the pressure eases. Three and Four exchange worried glances, gripping their weapons tightly as if she's going to pounce in seconds. "If you so much as try to–"

"I'm not going to attack Johanna." Clio scoffs, taking a deep breath and pushing open the door.

She's not entirely sure why she decided that visiting Johanna is on today's itinerary, but she's been back over twenty-four hours and no one but Katniss has been in to see her. Finnick's still too wrapped up with the lack of Luna, and she doesn't want to see Beetee, he's got the best job in Thirteen down in the weapons room but he's still pissing her off; they're never going to see eye to eye. They'll never let her see Peeta, as much as she wishes she could congratulate him on strangling Katniss – which, on second thought, is probably why they won't let her anywhere near him. She's surprised they're letting her into Johanna's room, but Clio thinks that the woman from Seven is as useful to the rebellion as she is right now. Something must have been done to her in the Capitol because the Johanna she knows is angry, vengeful and one of the most valuable assets in a war against the Capitol. Maybe she's here because the woman has no one right now. Her family is dead, they have that in common. She's been through torture or worse, and now she's stuck in the hospital. She probably needs a friend. Not that we are friends, Clio thinks. But if there's any chance of a life outside of this underground district, then I should probably try to be friends with someone, and I presumably have most of a chance with Johanna. Then there's the fact that she's at least loyal to the cause, having held up well under torture and kept everyone in this bastard district alive by not selling them out at the first available opportunity. She can't hate Johanna.

The District Seven woman sits up as the door opens and Clio can immediately see her frame as she steps inside the room and pulls the lock across on the door. The action sends her guards into a flurry of movement, panic across their features, and Johanna laughs as Clio wiggles her fingers through the small window before pulling the shutters closed, though the older woman can't tell who's come to see her until she turns around. "Clio?"

In answer, Clio turns on her heel and takes Johanna's appearance. It's her, sure, but she's remarkably different than she was before the Quell. She can see the shock in her face as they take each other in, both of their hazel eyes darkened by the lack of sleep and framed with deep dark circles; Johanna wasn't expecting her, that much is for sure. "You're bald."

Johanna snorts. "Congratulations, your eyes still work."

"Glad to see the Capitol didn't suck you of all your humour."

"What are you doing here?" Johanna asks, watching carefully as Clio sits at the end of the bed and crosses her legs underneath her. "Who sent you?"

"I came to see how you were doing." She replies.