^Saylee, Angelica's ally from District 8.
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Chapter 30
POV: Magdalena (District 10)
Time: Day 7
Tributes Remaining: 17
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All throughout the morning, the focus is on Rex. I can't take my mind off of him. He's gotten progressively worse throughout the night. All night, I couldn't stop worrying about him. I started hyperventilating when a cannon shot fired early in the morning, but luckily it was not a cannon for Rex, but for another tribute.
Dalia and Laciespend the morning attending to Rex's injuries. In the daylight, it looks so much worse. Just looking at Rex's exposed back makes me a bit nauseous. He's in so much pain, and it breaks my heart.
I spend the morning sitting with Soren. Of the group, he's been the nicest. I've mostly stuck with him since Dalia and Lacie are spending so much time looking after Rex. The group's last ally, Robin, is a quiet one. He mostly sits by himself, only occasionally helping the girls with Rex. Other than that, he stays away. I wonder what his deal is.
It's about noon when Rex lets out a burst of air before gasping.
"Lena..." he calls. "Lena-"
Rex begins to cough as I stand, rushing to his side. He's extremely pale, and he barely looks like himself with all the pain he's in.
"What is it?" I ask him as calmly as I can. "What do you need?"
Rex's breathing is shaky as he speaks. "It's too late for me, Lena," he says. "I can't do this, I can't stand the pain..."
"It's okay, Rex," I say, tears welling up in my eyes. I can't stand to see him like this. "We'll change your bandages and it'll get better. You'll see"
"There's no way I can win now," he says. "Better now than later. Why suffer through all of this? For what?"
"Rex-"
"You don't understand. I can feel it, it's coming-"
Rex enters another coughing fit. My heart sinks. I think it's time.
This can't be the end. Rex and I have been practically inseparable since were Reaped, especially after everything we went through with Tanner. It feels like we're connected now. We understand each other and what we both need in every moment. I feel like a piece of myself is about to be ripped out, something that I will never be able to get back.
I sit behind Rex, resting his head on my lap. I'm trying my hardest to hold myself together for everyone's sake. The others gather wordlessly around Rex's body, with Soren and Robin on one side and Dalia and Lacie on the other.
I think back to when we were first Reaped. I was so scared of Tanner, and Rex pulled me under his wing. We made a pact on the train that we would stick together until the very end. I never thought it would end this way in that moment. But here we are. Rex looks like a shell of his former self.
"Protect Magdalena... Please," Rex says, his eyes pointed at Soren. Rex has never used my full name before.
"We will. I promise," Dalia says quietly.
"Goodbye, Rex," I say, choking up a bit.
Rex lets out a shuddering sigh before his eyes glaze over and a cannon shot booms.
I stand shakily. My whole body feels numb. Dalia stands up next to me, holding me tight.
"Talk to me," she says earnestly. "Are you okay?"
I just shake my head. "I can't. I don't want to think about it."
Dalia lost her own District partner, Nia, a few days ago, but at the same time, I feel like she wouldn't understand. I train my eyes above me to the sky, fighting the urge to look down and see Rex's corpse at my feet.
"We need to go," I tell the group. "I need to leave this behind while I'm still in shock."
The others nod and stand quietly. I know it'll haunt me later, but I can't bear to sit next to his dead body after everything we've been through together. Does that make me a bad person?