Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

xvi. memoir

sixteen - memoir

- - - ➳

something is terribly wrong with asher.

he moves more slowly than usual, always looks in pain (though he tries his best to hide it), and doesn't sleep. just now, to our astonishment, he actually misses his target while practicing. asher halloway has missed! i didn't even think that was possible.

"okay, sit down," carly orders after we all get over our shock. she attempts to gently guide him to a rock, but he recoils, almost stabbing himself with his dagger in the process.

that is the second time he has almost harmed someone accidentally. what has been going on with him?

"i'm fine," asher insists. "i really am."

"no, you're really not," matthias argues with a sigh. "asher, what is going on? something is obviously wrong, and we all know it."

"i'm fine," asher asserts defensively. "no need to worry about me." right as he finishes his sentence, he suddenly doubles over in pain, cries out, and clutches his stomach. he clenches his jaw tightly to stop his cries, but they still can be heard. his eyes are squeezed shut and it hurts just to look at him in so much pain.

without saying anything, i rush to his aid. matthias does the same while carly, for once, stands completely still in shock. together matthias and i carefully move him to lay down on the ground instead of trying to get him to sit. matthias reaches for asher's shirt to check on the stings, but asher stops him by grabbing his wrist.

"no," he protests, teeth clenched. "don't. i'm fine."

"asher, no you are not," i say seriously, not even bothering to hide my worry. i realize i have made a huge mistake. i have come to care for asher already, and him hurting hurts the whole team as well.

"thalia, i'm okay." this is one of the few times he has used my actual name, and because of that, i fall silent, not knowing what to do. asher is so stubborn that it'll take someone even worse than him to get him to let us play doctor.

"come on, let me check," matthias coaxes, wrist still captured in his iron grip, but it doesn't work. i am ready to slam myself into a tree in frustration.

"don't touch me," asher snaps bitterly when matthias grabs his shirt with his other hand. he pushes the blue-eyed boy away with more strength he's shown since waking. "leave me be."

"asher–" i try, but he holds his hand up again and i stop. after sharing a look with matthias, i sigh. "okay, asher. we'll leave you alone."

asher looks a lot calmer now, but his jaw is still clenched and his muscles are tense, so it's obvious he's still in immense pain. "thank you."

i nod and get up, brushing myself off. i notice matthias staring at the tube of ointment by the pack. it appears to be untouched.

"asher, have you been putting that stuff on?" he questions slowly. asher, taking deep, controlled breaths, pushes himself up so he's sitting with his hands out on the ground behind him for support.

"no...not really," he admits, looking at the ground in shame.

"why not?" carly asks, voice small. this is the first time she has said a word, and i wonder why she's being so quiet.

"i forget, okay?" asher claims defensively. thanks to my excellent lie-detecting skills, i notice the slight twitch on his top lip. he isn't telling us the truth. why? i have so many questions it makes me want to explode.

"whatever." carly leans down, grabs her bow and arrows, and straps them to her back. "i'm going hunting. maybe pick off a few more tributes."

this is not an unusual occurrence, so none of us object. often carly will disappear for a bit and return with freshly picked berries or a squirrel she killed. when she doesn't bring food, she'll come back with information about the other tributes.