Dan POV
That night, I go back to my quarters exhausted and with puffy eyes. My family has their own compartment, but Maisie insisted that she sleep in my compartment. I lay on the spare bed - as most compartments are usually host to at least two people - and Maisie is fast asleep on the other bed. Maisie, who is too young to know how to count past twenty, but who has seen the Hunger Games with her own eyes. Of course my parents would turn her away if something bad happened, but I know from experience that they always covered her eyes too late.
I eventually doze off.
When I wake, Maisie is nowhere to be found.
Oh no, I think.
Opening the compartment door, I call out, "Maisie?" There is no reply. Think, Dan, think. Where would she have gone?
Food.
I run down the passageways and to the cafeteria, trying to locate her through the sea of 13's citizens who are just now rushing to get breakfast.
"Maisie?" I call again. I pass by complete strangers, and I ask, "Have you seen a little girl about this height and with brown hair?" Every time the people shake their heads.
Then, I spot my brother.
"Where's Maisie? Is she with you?" I ask.
"No, we thought she was with you," he says, becoming wide-eyed. Where would she know to go in District 13?
I run up to Command, and as soon as I open the door, I see Maisie sitting right next to Alma Coin.
"Maisie!" I scold her, "You were supposed to stay in the room! You scared me to death!"
Maisie looks like she's about to cry, probably because I've never had an outburst like that before. I go over to her and squat down to her eye-level.
"I'm sorry. I was just worried about you, okay? What are you doing up here all by yourself?" I ask quietly.
She answers, "I heard you talking about Charlotte last night while you were dreaming. I came up here because I've heard them talk about her, too."
I didn't know I talked in my sleep. Apparently Maisie did.
I take Maisie into my arms and stand up, saying, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Coin. I should've kept a better eye on her."
Coin waves it off, reassuring me, "No, no, it's perfectly alright. She's safe anywhere in 13. In fact, I had something to tell you, but I'm not sure if Maisie should hear this."
I set her down and tell her to go wait outside the door, but stress that she should not go anywhere else unless I am with her.
Alma puts an arm around my shoulder and says, "I got some news from the Capitol this morning. Charlotte collapsed from malnourishment at about three in the morning, and on her way to the hospital, our inside asset got her on a hovercraft."
I do a double-take. Did she really just say that they got Charlotte out? "When will she be here?"
"We aren't sure. The craft had to take the long way to get here, merely to avoid being shot down by any Capitol anti-aircraft weapons."
"What should I do?"
"There is no sense in distracting Snow. He and his assistants have already been informed, but they don't seem too worried," Alma whispers, "What I am trying to say is...we have no idea what condition Charlotte will be in."
"Thank you for telling me," I say, beginning to leave.
"Wait," Alma says, "There's a catch. I can't assure you that she'll make it here. There are at least two Capitol aircraft following Charlotte's ship, but we have no idea how far away they are from each other."
"Please just try to get her back alive," I plead before leaving the Command room.
Later
I am woken up at about one in the morning by the sound of loud sirens. Air raid sirens. I scoop up a drowsy Maisie, and I start to rush downstairs to the bunker. When Maisie realizes what's happening, she starts to cry, and I am trying desperately to calm her down as we go deeper into the heart of District 13.
I am so disoriented, half from lack of sleep and half from the fact that just yesterday, I learned that Charlotte was on her way here. Safe. Now, I am not so sure if I will even be alive to see her again. I run as quickly as I can towards the bunker, making it inside to begin searching for my family.
I eventually find them, and I give Maisie to my mother. Before I know it, a soldier is behind me, dragging me by the arm along with him.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Charlotte has arrived," he answers, keeping a stern look on his face, not bothering to even glance at me.
He takes me down a long corridor in the bunker, and then I feel the ground shudder. A bomb has just hit 13. We don't make it another ten feet before two more explosions rock the walls of the bunker. I am then taken to a huge, metal door that can only be opened by the soldier's key card. He accesses the room, and inside there is nothing to be found but more doors - five on each side of the hallway, one more at the end of the hall - and he takes me to the first door on the left.
I had expected to be able to see Charlotte right away, but I am greeted only by the only familiar face from 13 I know - Coin. She ushers me to a chair at what seems to be a conference table, and then she offers me a cup of water, to which I politely decline. All I want is to know what's going on.
"As you know, we have Charlotte here in the District," Alma begins, "And you will be able to see her soon, I promise. What you do not know is that she is currently in a type of comatose state brought on by malnutrition, sedatives, opiates, and hallucinogens, as well as traumatic injuries. All I can assure you of right now is that she is being helped and that her system is being drained of the toxins while being replaced with medicines and other things to get her body back to normal. They are trying very hard, but most likely she won't wake up for at least two more days. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," I reply numbly. Well, at least Charlotte is alive. Mostly.
"I expect you to behave yourself. That means no more outbursts, Daniel. We got her back, like you asked," Alma says with a serious look. I sheepishly avert her gaze.
"I understand, ma'am," I mumble.
"Good. I want you to know something," she continues, "I am not here to be your enemy. I am here to protect everyone in this District, which includes protecting not only yours and Charlotte's safety, but everyone else as well, including the hospital staff. We don't want to have to sedate you a fourth time, Daniel."
"Okay," I mutter in slight annoyance. I can't be mad at her, she saved Charlotte's life as well as mine, but I can't help but feel defensive for her chastising me over things I did more than two weeks ago. Still, she's probably only saying this because hospital staff has gotten tired of having to deal with me and stick me with a needle every time my brain forces me to have an emotional breakdown.
I leave the room, this time without the soldier, and I make my way back to my family, wanting desperately to be able to tell them that Charlotte is 100% okay, but that simply is not the truth.
