A Hunger Games Fanfiction: Prim's Games ||Book One||

Chapter 11

A hovercraft appears above me and a ladder falls. Another comes next to it and releases a claw to take Peeta. I take one last look at him and grab the first rung of the ladder. I freeze into place and am carried to the top.

I'll see Peeta again. Once I get back to District 12 they'll have a funeral for him. Or maybe they'll have had it by then. Who knows.

Once I get inside, I'm taken into a room with a glass door and doctors begin to operate on me. A brace is put around my bruised neck, they treat my shoulder and the graze in my arm I got from when Marvel threw his spear at me. When they come to my wrist, they put me under to provide surgery.

I wake up feeling like I'm in a new body. I'm still very dirty, but I can move my wrist. My shoulder feels much better, and my throat barely hurts. I guess the Capitol doctors are miracle workers.

We get to the building of the Training Center, and I'm transported inside to my room from before the games. The Avox girl brings in some bread, and I immediately think of Peeta. I want to throw the bread, but I don't want to scare her.

I eat the bread and try not to throw up by thinking of Peeta. I drift off to sleep, but awake the next  afternoon and I can't sleep any longer.

I dress my in the clothes I wore in the arena, and I go out into the hallway. I'll be seeing Effie, Haymitch and Cinna. Here we go.

They step out of the elevator and I immediately fling myself into Haymitch's arms. Don't cry. Don't cry.

He returns the hug and I don't think I could be happier to see anyone else. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem drunk.

"Congrats, Sweetheart." He says, giving my back a reassuring rub.

I hug Effie and Cinna each in turn. I apologize for damaging the flower Cinna gave me, but he's quite forgiving.

Cinna takes me to a different room and my prep team greets me. They strip me down and put me in a bath. The scrub the blood and grime off my hands and nails.

They keep chattering about their favorite parts of the games. When Cato killed Thresh, when Marvel died, when they get to Peeta I just try to tune them out. I won't get angry at them. They don't even know better.

They do my nails and hair. Then Cinna dresses me in a sky-blue flowy dress that reaches my ankles. They give me short heels and do my makeup. They go thick with mascara and eyeliner, and go with a deep red for my lips.

The dress has padding at my ribs and breasts. That makes me a little angry.I look awfully sexy for a twelve-year-old. I don't even look twelve anymore. Maybe a short sixteen or seventeen-year-old.

"Cinna--"

"They wanted you to have some curves." Cinna interrupts. "Since you haven't hit puberty yet, they required that we add some padding at the breasts."

"What about the ribs?" I ask.

"They also thought you were too skinny. They want you to look as healthy as possible for the ceremony tonight."

I'm not good enough for them, though I just won the games. I'd rather stay myself, but I know better than to get into an argument about it.

I wait under the stage for the time for me to show up. Haymitch comes and gives me hug. Seems odd, but I return it.

"Listen," he says urgently. "The Capitol isn't happy about you refusing to kill each other. Mostly you, because you challenged them. And it doesn't matter to them about Peeta because he's dead."

That last sentence feels like a hit in the chest. I really didn't need that.

"You'll have to be careful. I doubt they'll harm you, because you're a victor, but I wouldn't be too sure about your family." His voice cracks at family. What happened to his family?