Chapter 26 Chapter 26 The Final Winner

I spit the berries out of my mouth and wipe my tongue with my clothes to keep the venom out of my mouth.Peeta pulled me to the edge of the lake, rinsed my mouth with water, and we hugged. "Did you swallow any berries?" I asked him. He shook his head, "What about you?" "I'd be dead by now if I had to eat it," I said.His lips moved as he answered my question, but his voice was drowned out by the cheers of the Capitol from the speakers. The helicopter appeared and lowered the two ladders.Unable to let go of Peeta, I put one arm around him and help him up the ladder, the two of us on one foot.The current sucked us both.I'm happy this time, because I'm not sure Peeta will make it all the way up the ladder.When I look down, Peeta's leg is bleeding profusely.As soon as the helicopter's door closed behind us and the electricity went off, Peeta passed out on the floor.

My hand is still gripping Peeta's back, a handful of fibers as they yank him away.The doctor, wearing a sterile white coat, mask and gloves, is ready to start the operation immediately.Peeta lay pale on the operating table, covered in tubes.For a moment, I still felt like I was in the Hunger Games, and the doctor seemed to be another pack of threatening wild dogs, planning to kill him.I was terrified and rushed to protect Peeta, but was grabbed and thrown into another room, separated from Peeta by a layer of glass.I banged on the glass, yelling Peeta's name.I was ignored, only some Capitol service staff appeared behind me and handed me some drinks.

I sat on the ground slumped, with my face against the glass door, looking at the transparent glass bottle in my hand in puzzlement.The bottle was cold, filled with orange juice, and stuck in a frilly-rimmed straw.How out of place the soda bottle looked in my bloodied, battered, mud-stained fingernails.My mouth was watering at the smell of soda, but I put it on the ground, distrusting anything so clean and beautiful. Through the glass, I see the doctor busy beside Peeta, focused and frowning.I see fluid running through pipes, and rows of gauges and lights dazzle my eyes.I don't know, but from what I can tell his heart stopped twice.

It feels like home now, when people brought home people who were badly injured in a mine explosion, or a woman who was three days into labor, or a starving child battling pneumonia, and Mommy and Prim helped them heal, Mommy, Both Prim and the doctor had the same look on their faces.Now was the time to run into the woods, to hide in the woods till the sick were gone, until there was the sound of hammers on the coffin-slabs at the other end of the Gap. Now.Here I am, trapped in the metal shell of the helicopter; also trapped by the same forces that bind the dying people I love.I often see them sitting around my kitchen table.I thought to myself, "Why didn't they leave? Why did they stay and watch us?"

Now, I know it's because they had no other choice. I was startled to see a person staring at me from inches away, before realizing it was the reflection of my own face, with my terrified eyes, sunken cheeks, and tousled hair in the glass.Manic, ferocious, crazy.No wonder everyone keeps away from me. We flew to the roof of the training center, and they carried Peeta away, leaving me.I started banging on the glass door and screaming.I catch a glimpse of a strand of red hair—it must be Effie.It must have been Effie who came to my rescue - and that's when a needle went into my back. When I woke up, I was at first afraid to move.The ceiling of the whole room glowed with a soft yellow light, and I could see that I was in a room with only one bed.There are no doors and no obvious windows in sight.The air in the room has a pungent disinfectant smell.There are several tubes in my right arm that extend up the wall behind me.I didn't have any clothes on, but the sheet was comfortable against my body.I tried to get my left hand out of the sheet.Not only was the arm scrubbed clean, but the nails were trimmed into perfect ovals, and the scars from the burns were less noticeable.I touched my neck, my arms and legs, the scars on my forehead, and as I was touching the silky hair, I froze.I carefully stroked the hair on my left ear, no, this is not a hallucination, I can hear again.

I tried to sit up, but with a wide belt around my waist, I could only lift my body a few inches.The wide band made me nervous, and I twisted my body to get out of it, when the walls opened up on both sides, and the red-haired Avax girl walked in with a tray.Seeing her I stabilized and stopped trying to escape.I have ten thousand questions I want to ask her, but I am afraid that getting too close to her will cause her to panic.Apparently I'm closely watched.She placed the tray on my lap, pushed a button, and pushed me into a sitting position.While she was fixing my pillow, I ventured a question.I said it as loudly as possible in my hoarse voice on purpose to show that there was no secret. "Did Peeta survive?" She nodded at me, and when she put the spoon in my hand, I felt the strength of a friend.

I guess she didn't want me dead anyway.Peeta survived.Of course he will.With the help of all their precious instruments.But, I didn't know for sure until just now. The Avax left, the door closed silently behind her, and I stared hungrily at the plate, a dish of thin broth, a drizzle of jam, and a glass of water. "That's it?" I murmured dissatisfied in my heart.Shouldn't the food that welcomes me back be more substantial than this?But I found myself struggling to finish all this.My stomach seems to have shrunk to the size of a chestnut.I wondered how long it had been since I hadn't eaten since I ate quite a bit on my last morning in the arena.Typically, a few days are allowed between the end of the race and the winner's reappearance to allow the hungry, bruised and emaciated winner to recover.Somewhere, Cinna and Portia are rushing to make public appearance costumes for us.Haymitch and Effie are also preparing the banquet for our patrons and preparing questions for our final interview.Back home, District 12 must have been busy welcoming me and Peeta back, after all, it hadn't been nearly thirty years since we last won.

Home!Prim and Mom!Gail!And Prim's skinny old cat!I'm going home soon! I want to get off this bed right now, to see Peeta, to see Cinna, to know more.Why not?I feel great.But when I was about to climb out of the wide belt around my waist, a cool liquid was injected into my veins from a tube, and I almost lost consciousness immediately.This happened several times, and I don't know how long it took. It seemed that I always woke up and then ate.I tried to refrain from running away lest I faint again.But strangely, what I see always seems to be at dusk.I only know a few things.The red-haired Avax hasn't been around since he fed me; my scars are gone; and, is it my imagination?A man is yelling?Not a Capitol accent, but something close to home.I felt faintly comforted in my heart that someone was finally looking for me.

I finally survived, and I have gradually recovered. The tube in my right arm is no longer in place, and the wide band on my body has also been removed, allowing me to move freely.I began to sit up slowly, stunned when I saw my hands.The injured skin is smooth and clean, not only the scars are gone, but even the scars left by hunting are gone.My forehead is as smooth as satin, and I look at my calves, there is no scar at all. I stretched out my legs to the ground, fearing that they would not be able to support the weight of my body, but my legs were strong and powerful.There were my clothes by the bed, and I cringed a little at the sight of them.It is the costume worn by the "tribute" in the arena.I stared at the dress as if it had teeth.But then I turned the corner and, of course, I was going to meet our team in this suit.

I was dressed in less than a minute, and waited anxiously in front of the wall, knowing there was a door even if I couldn't see it.The door opened suddenly, and I stepped into an empty hall, which seemed to have no door at all.But there must be a door.Peeta must be standing right behind the door.I'm conscious now, growing restless in my eagerness to see Peeta.He must be all right, otherwise the Avax girl wouldn't say that, I want to see him with my own eyes. "Peeta!" I yelled, and there was no one here to ask anyway.Then I heard someone calling my name, but it wasn't his voice.The sound thrilled me and made me long to see her.It's Effie.

I turned around and saw them all standing in a room at the end of the hall—Effie, Haymitch, and Cinna.I ran towards them without hesitation.Maybe a winner should be poised and proud, especially when she knows it's all going to be filmed, but I don't care.I ran towards them, but, to the surprise of even me, I fell into Haymitch's arms first.He whispered in my ear, "Nice job, honey." His words were less sarcastic.With tears in her eyes, Effie kept patting my hair, and murmured that she told everyone that we were like precious pearls.Cinna just hugged me tightly and didn't speak.I found Portia absent with a sense of foreboding. "Where's Portia? Is she with Peeta? Peeta's okay, isn't he? I mean, he's still alive?" I kept asking. "He's fine. It's just that they want your reunion to be broadcast live at the award ceremony," Haymitch said. "Oh, that's how it is." He had been worrying about Peeta's accident, and then a stone fell to the ground. "I have to see him with my own eyes to be relieved." "Go, go with Cinna, he's got it for you," Haymitch said. It was a relief to be alone with Cinna, with his arm around my shoulders, and I felt safe.He led me away from the cameras, down several corridors, and to the elevators that lead to the lobby of the training center.The hospital was deep underground, even lower than the training hall where the contestants practiced knotting and throwing spears.The windows of the hall were covered, it was pitch black, and a few guards were on duty, other than that, there was no one there.We walked to the special elevator for "tribute", and the sound of footsteps echoed in the empty hall.When the elevator went up to the twelfth floor, the faces of those "tributes" who had returned to their homeland flashed in my mind one by one, and I felt heavy and uneasy. The elevator doors opened, and Vinia, Flavius, and Octavia surrounded me, chattering so excitedly that I couldn't make out what they were saying.But I understand what they are thinking, that is, they are happy to see me from the bottom of their hearts.I was also happy to see them, though not as happy as Cinna.Meeting them is like coming home to three of your favorite pets after a tough day. They flock me to the dining room, and I can feast on them—roast beef, peas, fluffy omelets—but my portions are strictly controlled.I tried to ask for another copy, but was refused. "No, no, they can't serve you all the delicious food just yet," Octavia said, but she slipped me an egg roll under the table anyway to show she was looking for me. We went back to my room, and Cinna left for a while, while members of the design team helped me get ready. "They did a complete plastic surgery on your body, and there is no blemish on your skin." Flavi said enviously. But when I saw my naked body in the mirror, I found that I was pitifully thin.Although I know that I must be much thinner after coming out of the arena, but now I can count the ribs with my fingers. They set up the water in my shower, then did my hair, manicure, and makeup.Talking non-stop beside me, I hardly have to answer.That's fine, I don't really want to talk anyway.The funny thing is, while they're all talking about the Hunger Games, it's all about where they were, what they were doing, how they felt when a particular event happened. "I was in bed then!" "I just dyed one of my eyebrows!" "I swear I almost passed out!" They were all talking about themselves, not the "tributes" who died in the arena. In District 12, attitudes towards the Hunger Games were not the same.People watched and gritted their teeth with hatred, because after the game, people had to return to normal life order as soon as possible.In order not to feel disgusted with them, I simply did not listen to what they had to say. Cinna came in with her yellow dress hanging from her arm. "You've given up on the 'Burning Girls' idea altogether?" I asked. "That's what you said." He said, pulling the clothes over his head, and I saw the breast pads in the clothes, which can add a little line to my starving body.I run my hands over my chest and frown. "I know," Cinna said before I could protest, "the contest organizers wanted to have surgery on you, and Haymitch had a big fight with them about it, and now it's a compromise. "I was just about to look in the mirror, but he stopped me. "Wait, don't forget your shoes." Vinia helped me into a pair of flat sandals, and I turned to look in the mirror. I'm still a "burning girl".The material of the clothes has a soft sheen.Even a slight movement reveals the curves of my body.In contrast, the costumes worn on the chariot at the opening ceremony were very dazzling, and the costumes in the TV interviews were too unnatural; and this costume makes people feel like they are bathed in pearls. "What do you think?" Cinna asked. "I think it's the best," I said.I was taken aback when my eyes moved from the pearlescent fabric to the hair.My hair has been let down and pulled back lightly with a headband; makeup has removed the corners of my face, my fingernails are painted, and the gown is at my waist—oh no, it's my ribs. Bottom—tucked in, accentuating my line better than a padded bodice, with a pleated skirt that falls to my knees.In the flats, which showed my natural figure even more, I looked very down-to-earth, like any ordinary girl, a young girl, fourteen at most, pure and innocent.Yeah, it's hard to imagine how Cinna could capture and accentuate a girl who just won a brutal competition. The design must have taken a lot of thought from Sinner, and none of his designs will be arbitrary.I bit my lip and pondered his design ideas. "I thought the costume would look more...mature...sophisticated," I said. "I think Peeta might like this one better." His answer is measured. Peeta?No, this has nothing to do with Peeta.This is for the Capitol, for the tournament organizers, and for the spectators.Even though I don't quite understand Cinna's design intent, the costume reminds me that the game isn't quite over yet.There was a warning in his benign replies, an intention that he couldn't mention even in front of the members of his task force. We took the elevator to the floor where the training grounds were located, and as usual, the winner and his or her team ascended from under the stage, first the design team, the escorts, the instructor, and finally the winner.This year, however, with two winners sharing a set of chaperones and mentors, the whole arrangement has to be rethought.I stand under the dark stage, and a new metal plate will lift me up.Small pieces of sawdust were still scattered on the ground, and there was a smell of paint all around.Cinna and his design team had gone down to change their outfits, leaving me standing there alone.In the dim light, I see a makeshift wall about ten yards away, and I think Peeta is standing behind that wall. The audience was bustling and boisterous, and Haymitch touched my shoulder before I noticed him.I was startled, and unconsciously stepped back, still feeling like I was in the arena. "Relax, it's me. Let me take a good look at you," Haymitch said.I stretched out my arms and turned around. "Not bad enough." It's not really a compliment. "Just something," I said.Haymitch looked around the musty place, then seemed to come to a decision, and said, "Nothing, how about a hug? Good luck." Well, Haymitch's request is really weird.Anyway, we are the winners, maybe it is common sense to hug and wish good luck.But when I put my arms around his neck, he hugged me tightly.He started talking in my ear, quickly and softly, and my hair covered his lips. "Listen carefully, you're in trouble, you've made the Capitol look bad, they're angry, they can't stand being teased, and now they're a laughing stock for Parnum," said Haymitch. Hearing this, my heart suddenly picked up, and my heart was full of fear.With nothing covering my mouth, I smiled, pretending that what Haymitch was saying was lighthearted. "What will happen then?" "Your only excuse is that you're madly in love and don't know what you're doing." Haymitch let go of me and trimmed my hairband again. "Got it, honey?" He could mean anything now. "Got it," I said. "Did you tell Peeta?" "Needless to say," said Haymitch, "he's got it." "You think I don't get it?" I said, taking the opportunity to straighten Haymitch's bright red tie.Cinna must have gone to a lot of trouble to get Haymitch to wear this. "Since when have I thought anything mattered to you?" Haymitch said. "Let's take our places." He pulled me onto the metal plate. "Tonight is yours, honey, have fun!" He kissed my forehead and disappeared into the dim light. I tugged at my skirt, wishing it would be longer to cover the big bones in my knees, but I couldn't find it.I was so nervous that I shivered like a leaf in the wind. I tried my best to ease my nervousness, hoping it was just excitement.Anyway, this is my night. The damp and moldy smell under the stage became more and more unbearable, and it made me suffocate.I was breaking out in cold sweat, and felt that the board above my head was about to collapse, burying me alive under the rubble.When the horn of victory sounds and I leave the arena, I should be safe, from then on, for the rest of my life.But if Haymitch is telling the truth—and he has no reason to lie—then no place I've been in my life has been more dangerous than where I stand now. It's scarier than being hunted down in an arena, where I can die and it's over.But here, if I don't play what Haymitch calls "crazy in love," then Prim, Mom, Gale, and everyone I care about and love in District 12 will be punished. Well, I still have a chance now.Funny, in the arena, when I dumped the berries in my hand, I just wanted to outwit the organizers of the tournament, without thinking about how it would react to it in the Capitol.But, you know, the Hunger Games are their weapon, you can't beat them.So, now the Capitol is going to act like they're in charge, like they're the ones who directed it, and we're both going to kill ourselves.Only by following their train of thought can I escape smoothly. And if the scene doesn't work well, Peeta... Peeta will suffer too.But what does Haymitch mean when I ask if he told Peeta?Want him to pretend to be madly in love too? "Needless to say, he knows." He already knew that the Hunger Games weren't quite over yet, and we were in danger again?Or... really fall in love madly?I have no idea.I haven't sorted out my own relationship issues with Peeta.Too complicated.I pretended to be his lover in the game, and I raged at him in the Capitol. How should I treat him when I return to District 12?Maybe what I did to him made sense, maybe I liked him?These problems are tangled together, and this knot can only be untied slowly when I get home, in the quiet woods, when no one is watching.But I don't have that much time, and right now, the most dangerous scene of the Hunger Games just happened.