Don't Play With Death (on indefinite hiatus)

Chapter 18

New chapter guys :D

This is actually proofread, but maybe I missed a few things, so if you see any mistakes, do tell.

I don't have a song for this chapter, but you're free to suggest one :)Anyways, remember to leave a comment and tell what you think of this! And votes are always appreciated!

Thought I'd post another picture of my lovely Chason, you know, to refresh your memories..haha. ----->

Anyways, enjoy!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 18

 The rest of the week just flies by. I slowly, but rather grudgingly, start living normally again. On Wednesday, I’m back in training. The intensity of training has definitely reached new heights; I can sense the nervousness and determination of the other contestants. After all, there is only a week left to prepare ourselves for the Games.

 I visit Cato in the hospital every day, hoping to see improvements, but I’m greatly disappointed. The doctor says that he has suffered a serious brain damage, but it’s not fatal, and that he can live through it. They’ve started to give him blood transfusions too, and now, he can almost breathe by himself without the oxygen mask. But his heart is still weak. He doesn’t show any signs of regaining consciousness anytime soon. Which makes me wonder…what will happen if he never wakes up? He’s still an Odium Games contestant, but he sure as hell can’t participate in the Games if he’s glued to the hospital bed like this, especially not in his half-dead state. Will they replace him?

 “I don’t think he will be replaced,” the doctor tells me when I ask him. “I think he will simply be considered the first contestant to die. I mean, not that he will die –” he adds quickly when seeing my expression.

 “Second contestant,” I mutter dully, thinking about how Cato had killed Jerich.

 “I’m sure he will wake up, Runa,” says Lylia reassuringly, but I can hear that even she doubts her own words.

 “He might wake up, but we don’t know which condition he will actually be in. He might be physically healthy, but as for his mental state… we don’t know what damage that brain injury has done. He might not be the same.” The doctor look at me with pity, like someone trying to tell a child that something tragic has happened without frightening it.

 I stop asking questions after that.

 Because Cato is still in the hospital, I start training with Chason instead. It turns out that he’s a very skilled archer. He manages to hit every target perfectly, and astonishes most of the other contestants, including the Gamemakers. He tries to teach me how to do it, but my skills with the bow and arrow haven’t improved the slightest. I’m so bad at it that it’s probably beyond help.

 But I show off my knife throwing to Chason, and when he tries to do it, he’s actually surprisingly good. It seems like nothing is a challenge to him, he takes every new task in stride, and does everything with natural ease and rather effortlessly. I can just imagine how the Gamemakers are going to give him top score at the end of the training sessions. Anything else would’ve been unthinkable.

 Not that I don’t think the Gamemakers aren’t impressed with me, too. I notice how they’re all staring tentatively at me when I throw knives, and once, I’m even brave enough to try the axes. I hit my target perfectly; straight in the heart. I smile smugly as the Head Gamemaker nods at me approvingly.