Courage, Compassion, and Capital

Chapter 6

Jack

I looked over at Beetee. "Why would you put that clip in there?" My voice was dangerously quiet. I didn't recognize my voice. That was never me.

"I didn't. Haymitch wanted me to. You know Haymitch Abernathy right?"

I nodded. Gosh, everyone knew Haymitch Abernathy. He won the 50th Hunger Games, during the second Quarter Quell, which had the dark twist of double the tributes. He had won by outsmarting the other tributes. When it was down to him, and a Career girl, he had drawn her over to the edge of the arena, and when she threw her axe, it bounced off the edge, flying back, and killing her. President Snow killed his entire family, along with his girlfriend, for using the arena as a weapon. 

"Well," Beetee continued, "he said it was the best possible clip from the Reaping, or any other time, to represent that part. I tried to stop him, but, you know, everyone else loved it."

I eventually nodded. I believed Beetee, that sounded like Haymitch. He was the one that organized the propaganda, or it was Coin. "Fine, I believe you..." My voice was better now.

Beetee smiled, but looked down at my foot. "What happened there?"

"Oh. Gale shot one of your exploding arrows at a wall to my right, and the wall exploded. A piece of rubble landed on my foot." I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Yikes." He got up, limping over to me. That was the first time I noticed the limp.

"You okay? You're limping." I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I just got out of my wheelchair a while ago."

My mind was blank, then I remembered. Enobaria had thrown a knife at him. He was probably still recovering. "Oh, right."

He nodded, sitting down next to me. We sat, kind of awkwardly. He patted my knee after a while. "I have to get back. I'm in charge of the arena."

I looked at him. "Is it bad?" I whispered.

He hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell me the truth or not. "Yes."

I shut my eyes, worrying for Hazel. "Will you make sure she stays safe?"

"I want to, but I can't promise anything."

"Okay...thanks Beetee..." I said.

"No problem kid."

I opened my eyes, only in time to see him walk out of my room, the door shutting behind him.

I rolled over onto my back, watching the open ceiling. The stars were still out. I looked at one, and kept it in my vision at all times. I tried to sleep, I really did. But I couldn't. Ugh... I thought, annoyed.

I thought of ways that I might be able to sleep, but then I remembered a phrase from before. Before Panem.

Count sheep when you can't sleep.

I decided I might be able to do the same thing, count the sheep, except, I could count stars. So, I looked up, and started at one star.

One, two, three, four, five...

By the time I reached twenty, I was asleep.

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Sorry this chapter is so short! I wanted to focus more on Hazel next chapter, and also, I kind of had writers block for this chapter...

Well, onto the next one!