The 69th Hunger Games

Chapter 12

It was late, too late for Tomas to be up, but he couldn't sleep. He was burning up and he hadn't stopped throwing up since he got home from school. I wiped his hair from his forehead which was damp from sweat. He was laying in the fetal position, a bucket ready by his bed and a cool cloth draped on his neck.

"Let me get you a new cloth." I said, taking the one that was now warm and walking out of the room. Elias was standing just outside the door.

"How is he?" he asked, following me to the bathroom.

"His fever's worse." I ran the cloth under the cool water, letting it get as cold as possible.

"We need to take him to the apothecary." I nodded, handing him the cloth.

"Put this on his forehead and lets go." I ran into my room and grabbed my coin purse, shoving it into my pocket. Elias carried Tomas bridal style down the stairs and out the door. We had to walk down the road and into town, past the factory and to the fifth house on the left. "Go ahead, I'll catch up to you." he nodded, started the walk down the road. I walked up to Alton's house, knocking on the door. He answered quickly for it being so late, his eyes half opened and his hair a mess. "Can you watch the house? Elias and I have to take Tomas to the apothecary. Mathus is asleep." I said everything so fast I wasn't sure he'd heard everything.

"Yeah, of course. Is everything okay?" he looked alert and worried.

"I hope so." I ran to join Elias and Tomas who were already past the factory.

I knocked on the door and shuffling noises came from the other side. The door swung open and Minny, a short, elderly woman, stood before us. She looked from me to Elias holding Tomas and motioned for us to come in.

"Lay him on the table." she ordered. Elias placed him on the table and Minny examined him carefully.

"He is very sick." she checked his pulse and listened to his breathing. "How long has he been like this?" she walked over to a cabinet and began taking things out.

"He was complaining of a stomach ache a few hours ago and all of a sudden he broke out into a fever." I explained. She started mixing everything into a bowl, crushing it into a paste.

"I'm going to give him something for the fever, but I'm not quite sure what it is." she pulled out a spoon and scooped up the paste. Tomas laid on the table, his eyes closed and his breathing fast and shallow. She opened his mouth gently, feeding him the medicine. "Swallow." I could see his throat working as he worked it down. He coughed, but kept the paste down. "His pulse is very weak." she said, checking it again. She motioned for us to follow her into the next room.  "I've never seen anyone this..." she trailed off. "I don't know what could help him."

My heart sank in my chest and I fought back tears. I could see Elias' skin turn pale as we realized our little brother was dying.

"What can we do?" Elias asked.

"Give him this every four hours." she handed us the bowl of paste. It smelled like leaves and looked like mud. "It will help with the fever. Try giving him bread. He's very weak and needs to eat." we nodded. She gave us her condolences and we left.

Elias put Tomas back in his bed, replacing the cloth with another. We closed his door then went downstairs into the kitchen. I put the paste into the cupboard and sat down with him at the table. I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They fell down my cheeks and onto the table, forming a small pool. I crossed my arms on the table and laid my forehead on them. Elias rubbed my back and I could hear his quiet sobs.

Tomas was only 9. How could he be dying?

"It's not fair." I said between sobs. If I could have traded places with him, I would have. I would have been the one lying in bed so he could grow up. I sat up and wiped the tears from my eyes. "I'm going to go sit with him." Elias nodded, wiping his own eyes.

I sat on the edge of his bed, gently wiping his forehead with the cloth. His eyes were scrunched up tight and his hands clutched his stomach.

"Anna?" he squeaked in a weak voice. I leaned down closer so I could hear.

"I'm here, Tomas." he opened his eyes and looked at me.

"I don't feel good." a small drop of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. I smiled, trying to reassure him it would be okay and wiped away the blood. I clenched my jaw, fighting the tears.

"I know, I know." I placed my hand on his cheek. "Try to go to sleep." he nodded, closing his eyes and rolling onto his side. I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me. Down the stairs, Elias was standing in the living room with Alton.

"I'll leave you two alone." Elias said, giving me a look before leaving. Alton gave me a sympathetic look and I could feel the tears threatening to fall.

"Elias told me." a wave of pain overtook my body and I ran to him. I buried my head in his chest, letting the years soak his shirt. I held onto him for life, my legs shaking under me.

"He's just a kid." I sobbed into his shirt. He rubbed my back and something in his touch calmed me. I pulled away, wiping the tears from my eyes. "I'm sorry." I looked down at the floor.

"It's okay." he smiled apologetically. "I just can't believe..." he trailed off.

"He was fine this morning. We had breakfast, he went to school and when he got home he said he wasn't feeling well and just started throwing up." a tear fell to the floor.

"Did you have anything unusual for breakfast?" he asked; I shook my head.

"Just some of the bread from the care package, like usual." he furrowed his brows in thought. I racked my brain for an answer, but came up empty. It seemed that the illness that had taken my parents was taking my little brother from me as well.

Tomas was one of those little boys that always had a smile plastered on his face. He was always outside playing or doing his best in school. Everyone loved Tomas. I could still remember the day he was born. The doctor was worried because he didn't cry, but my mom knew he was just a good baby.

It was three days before he passed. Three days of watching him deteriorate right before my eyes. Elias and I planned a small ceremony for him in the cemetary. Alton and his brothers came along with Cecelia and Woof. We each laid a rose on his grave before saying goodbye. We walked back to the Victor's Village in silence, Cecelia and Woof giving us hugs before departing. Elias took Mathus and Alton's brothers inside, leaving us alone in front of our house.

"Thank you." he looked at me confused.

"For what?" he asked.

"For everything." he smiled and I couldn't help but smile back. "We should go-" I was cut off by his lips. It took me a second to realize what was going on. I pushed him away, holding my hand to my lips. He looked at me shocked and I didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, I-" he stopped. I shook my head, taking a step back. It was too much and I had to leave. I walked down the road and into town, leaving Alton standing in front of the house with the shocked look still on his face. My heart was racing and I was feeling a wide range of emotions all the way from anger to sadness to confusion.

"Pst!" I stopped and turned to see where the noise had come from. "Over here!" an older lady I'd never seen before was standing in a doorway, waving me over. I looked around, but no one else was there. She waved once more then retreated into the house. I followed, curious. "Close the door." she hissed, closing the curtains. I closed it and watched as she checked out every window before closing the curtains. "You're in trouble." she addressed me finally.

"What-" she held up a hand.

"Don't talk, just listen." she kept checking out the windows as she talked. "You should know why your brother died." she began. "They're not happy two of you survived the games, so they're trying to get rid of you. Your brother was just collateral." I shook my head, not beliving anything she was saying. "You think I'm crazy, but what other explanation do you have?" she waited for an answer, but I had none. "It was in the bread. They poisoned it. You better watch your back, Anna. The Capitol is looking to get rid of you and the boy, too." she looked me directly in the eyes, her face completely serious. Alton and I were in trouble which meant our families weren't safe. If the Capitol wanted you dead, you were dead, and that was the end of the story.

END OF BOOK ONE