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I'm curious to see who's still reading this story that started reading it when i first started posting the chapters. Leave me a PM or comment if you are one of the originals that started reading in the first ten chapters! I can't even convey how grateful i am for the support and enthusiasm for the story from everyone. Hopefully if i start my own book, I can reach this many people with my own ideas. For now, happy reading! And yes! It's happy!
41
Sweet Candy
"Is she going to be alright?" I ask in a low voice. I don't want to wake Annie up just yet; the doctors made it clear that I shouldn't.
"She's been traumatized. A patient with her mental condition rarely recovers from such an ordeal. Physically the whip marks on her back are mildly infected which may have attributed to her fever. There are also traces of burn marks on her hands and feet and a section of her hip. It looks like they were healed for the most part but missed in some areas. She needs to get her weight up and we're keeping her hydrated through an IV at the moment. Another day and I fear that sort of emaciation would have done some irreversible damage to her system."
I rub my temples and try not to picture all these terrible things happening to Annie. The doctor pats my shoulder mechanically; "Don't worry, she'll make a full recovery. Physically, at the very least. We just want to run a few tests and it'll be all about the recovery."
"What tests?" I ask. The doctor pushes his glasses up the brim of his nose and shrugs. "Basic ones."
"Like?" He doesn't answer. "What do you think they did to her?"
"We're not sure," he says finally, "There's many things you can do to a person that wouldn't be immediately present on their bodies."
I look up in horror, "You think they might have violated her?"
"We don't know. They did find her completely naked in her cell. That's why we're checking."
Rage boils up in my chest and I bite it back down. When she's better, I'll ask her what happened. What I need to avenge. For now, I just want her to be better.
Now that there's time to look at her I can see past the immediate beauty and through to the damage. There's a pale bruise on her cheek. She's much thinner than when I last saw her at the Reaping and it looks like she hasn't slept for days judging by the dark circles under her eyes. They have her hands and feet bandaged and her back as well. As angry as I am about her condition, it's hard to stay mad when I'm just so happy she's alive.
I sit at Annie's bedside and observe at her intently for a while. And then I go find a brush from one of the kits and bring it back. As she sleeps I brush out her hair, letting it unravel like silky nets over the pillows. She stirs in her sleep and wrinkles her brow. I graze the crease in her forehead with a feather-light touch and will her to wake up.
At least she didn't end up like Peeta. Or Johanna, for that matter.
"No, don't," she moans. The crease deepens and her fists clench. "Don't."
"Annie," I whisper, trying to draw her out of whatever terror is stalking her. She shakes her head and her face twists in concern.
"Stop!"
"Annie!" I shake her shoulders gently, "Annie, wake up."
Her green eyes snap open and lock on the ceiling. And then at the light. And then at me. She blinks in confusion. I rest my hand on her cheek. "It's okay, it was only a bad dream. You're in Thirteen now, you're safe."
