The girl with the knives

Chapter 3: Victors

Hello again. I just wanted to say that I'll try to update every Friday and if, for some reason, I can't update on said day I'll tell you as soon as I can.

Well, there goes the chapter.

When I open my eyes again I'm still in the white room, Cato sleeping in the seat next to me. He has a worried expression, and the mouth a bit open. I try to contain a laugh, but it escapes my mouth anyway so I cover it with my hand and try to stop it.

He rubs his eyes a bit and then opens them. When he notices I'm watching him and cleans a little river of drool falling from his mouth and yawns. After that he sits straight and asks me:

-Are you fine?

-Yes.

-Great.- Then he stands up and continues.- Ready?

-For what?

-Going home, obviously.- He says like I'm stupid or something.

-You mean going to my 'house', there's no 'home' and you know it. Don't talk to me like I'm stupid. And shouldn't I speak with the doctor first? I haven't even heard a word from him.

-We're going home, to MY home. I'm not talking to you like you're stupid. And I've already spoke with him and everything is ready.

-Why am I supposed to go to your home and not to my house?- I ask not really understanding the situation.

-Because...- He rubs the back of his neck while looking to the floor and I don't need him to continue.

-They're gone, aren't they?- I ask looking down to my hands resting in my lap.

-They would like to be here for you, but -I cut him before he can continue.

-No, they wouldn't. You don't have to continue, I know what they'll be doing instead of looking after me; have fun in the Capitol. It's always that; parties, meetings,... Everything but taking care of me. -I continue looking down and he takes a step in my direction.

-They're Victors, that's what Victors do when they win, that's what we fight for. But they love you and they would like to be here with you, I'm sure.

-Sure.- I say sarcastically, still looking at my lap, with a sad smile in my face.

He stands up and goes to the door, then looks at me.

-C'mon, get dressed and move your ass to the waiting room. Then we'll go HOME.- He says pronouncing slowly the word 'home'. Then leaves the room.

I get up slowly and go to the chair, where my clothes are lying. When I'm ready I comb a bit my hair with my hands. There's a crutch next to the chair, I catch it and leave the room using it so I don't need to walk with my right leg, which is pretty damaged from the fight.

When I walk into the waiting room I see Cato signing some papers. Then he turns around and smiles at me. Cato says something to the girl in the other side of some kind of modern table where he's with the papers, gives them to her and walks to me.

-Lets get going.- He says and starts walking, then stops when he sees I'm not walking.- Clover? Are you alright?

-Cato, I don't have to go to your 'home', I can stay at my house. I mean, it's not like I don't want to stay at your house, it's just that I don't want to bother, and there are your parents and your sister, maybe they don't want me there, I...- He cuts me.

-You wouldn't bother anyone, how can you think that? -He says like it was the stupidest idea in the world.- Besides, my parents are working in some other District -His parents are Peacekeepers, so they don't spend much time with Cato or his sister- and Annie loves you. Just, don't worry, ok? And don't try to get free from me, because you won't. -He says with a smile.

I smile and we walk out of the hospital and into his car.

-We should go to your house so you can pack your clothes, pajamas and whatever you'll need. -He says.

-You know I would stay at my house, right? -I ask.

-Yeah, I do.

-So.., will you let me stay there? You could always visit or something if you wanted to. -I try.

-Nope, I won't let you. -He answers while driving and looking at the road in front of us.

I groan and move a bit until I'm comfortable.

-How much time have you got to be taking care of me? -I ask.

-About a week, if you're fine is it. If not you'll have to stay with me until you're alright.

-Then, God help me get better! Please! -I say looking to the ceiling of the car and throwing my hands to the air. Then I chuckle a little, so does Cato.

He stops the car and I see he's parking in front of my house. He goes out of the car and helps me, I lean on him until he picks the crutches and gives them to me.

We walk to the front door, I open it with the key I find in my pocket. My house is empty. We go to my room (Cato helps me go upstairs), then I pack some clothes and stuff. Cato insist I sit in bed and he packs my things, but I don't let him and make him sit in my bed until I finish. When the bag is almost full of stuff I look over my shoulder and see Cato smiling at me, I smile back and continue packing.

When I finish we go back to his car (Cato helps me again when we're using the stairs). He carries the bag all the way and doesn't let me do it. But when we're at the living room I look at the left before leaving the house. I stop walking and go stand in front of the full body mirror my mother bought in the Capitol. I have a read check and my jaw is purple in the left side. The rest of my body is purple, read and even blue or black. I stare at my arms, legs and face for a bit, then I see Cato standing behind me reflected in the mirror.

-It doesn't hurt.

-I know. - He answers sadly, I think he has just understood I hadn't seen he bruises before.- They have used some Capitol medicine so you don't feel the pain.

-Oh. -I say, never stoping looking at my reflection in the mirror, examining every bruise and every mark.

I fall to my knees, still watching my reflection. Cato runs to me and holds mi shoulders, then he lets his hands fall from my shoulders to my arms. He looks worriedly at me and then hugs me. I stop looking at my reflection and move until I'm face to face with Cato. Then something happens to me, something that hadn't happened to me in years: I start crying. I cry for my parents not loving or caring about me, for them not even living with me, for not having any friends besides Cato, for feeling alone, for having to go to the Games for feeling somehow loved, even if it means dying trying to get that love. I'm cut from my thoughts when Cato talks.

-You don't need to go to the Games for feeling loved, and you won't die. God, I wouldn't let you dye. -He presses my head harder to his chest and hugs me tightly, lying a hand on my hair and another on my back.- Please, don't ever say anything like that again, please. -He begs hugging me tighter if possible. He sounds like he would start crying in any moment. So I cry harder, I start sobbing hard, so hard it hurts. So I cry and sob even harder.

-I didn't know I was saying that (the reasons why I'm crying), I thought you wouldn't hear it, -The next I say it in a whisper.- I wish you didn't hear that... -I know he has heard it because he hugs me tighter, it feels like my bones are crushing from the strength of the hug.

I don't know if we were like that for seconds, minutes or hours, but when I don't have anything more to cry for I start feeling tired, and before I say we should get going I feel my eyes close and I also feel Cato stroking my hair. Then I fall sleep.

~m.