The family ties of Lily Juniper Abernathy (book 3)

Chapter 15

One week and two days later

Finnick

"You gonna go asleep then?"

He curled up in a ball with his teddy and I tucked his blanket round him.

"Night daddy?"

"Night? Love you."

He yawned and closed his eyes "I love you too d-" he went quiet and I smiled ruffling his hair a little.

Lily slipped into the room and slumped down next to me.

"We should be in 4 by the morning?" She yawned

"So then what was the phone call about then?"

"While I'm in 4 I have to go for a health assessment then they can send the results to 13 then they can say whether I'm healthy enough to take part?"

"Make sure they don't inject you with morphling?"

"They won't?" She giggled "Its boxing not lab rat trials?"

I shrugged "Yeah well?"

"Yeah well?" She said dropping jet voice into a grunt to mock me

I suppressed a smile "You aren't funny?"

She gave me a knowing look and I couldn't carry on keeping a straight face.

"You fail at trying not to laugh?"

I shrugged "You make me that way?"

She lifted up my arm and out it around herself "OK, we'll continue this conversation tomorrow, night?"

"Night?"

Lily

Stupid examination assessment rubbish. They wanted me there at nine o'clock in the morning. They hadn't told me how long this was going to take so I might miss going with Finn, Charlie and Annie to Finn's grandma and grandad's.

"Hey butterfly! clinic's that way?"

I turned and Finn was walking shirtless in shorts, his hair glistening with water, bronze and amber next to me, who looked like an old woman stooped over to help with walking.

"What?" He said slowly. I realized then I was gawping so I slammed my jaw shut "It's the middle of winter and you're going around shirtless?"

he grinned "Pretty much. Anyway the clinic is-" he got hold of my shoulders and turned me round on the spot "That way?"

"Oh, okay, I'll see you HOPEFULLY in half an hour or so?"

He nodded "Alright, there's nothing wrong with you so they won't keep you?"

"Yeah, they shouldn't?" I sighed

he kissed the side of my head "See you later?"

I nodded "Bye."

I headed up the cobbles that he had directed me to- why on earth would you build a medical clinic up an un-even cobbled road?"

As I walked a donkey plodded along next to me. So that was why. My face screwed up and my eyes shot to the floor when I realised it had fish loaded onto it's back.

"Oh! Hi Lily!"

I looked up and Fluctus was sat ontop of the basket the donkey was carrying. He was a year or so older than Charlie and he was riding a donkey next to me. Something about that seemed weird to me but I suppose I wasn't from around here?

"Hi Fluctus, you alright?"

"I'm brilliant because it's Christmas soon- today is the last day the seas are good for literally anything so coz it's a small catch I get hooked into doing it because-" he took a breath "Larus didn't come home last night- he's at his girlfriend's: they kiss each other infront of me like a sucker on an octopus- its so gross...and anyway somehow it's automatically my job?"