𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 | Hunger Games

xʟᴠɪɪ

AELLA DIDN'T KNOW KNOW
how to process what had just happened. One minute she heard Katniss's words, saw the Holo falling toward she and Finnick, and the next Pollux and Gale were dragging them both from the ladder just as a fiery explosion happened below them.

That surge of adrenaline that she'd used to save both herself and Finnick was still residing in her body as she laid on the ground panting heavily for breath. Her entire body was numb and mind numbing, sharp pitched, ringing echoed in her ears. A searing pain was exploding from the side of her abdomen and wrapping into both her stomach and her spine but when she felt the thick drip of blood on her hands she knew it didn't belong to her.

Strangled breaths mixed with pained groans. They pounded through her head and came from her right and she turned her head to see Finnick lying beside her, eyes still closed. The blood was his, she remembered, and it was still oozing out from the side of his throat in fast waves.

Panic danced through her veins as she pushed herself on to her knees and reached for his body. She couldn't see the wound for the blood but she knew it was bad. Bad enough to put his life in imminent danger if she didn't get him any medical attention within the next fifteen or so minutes—perhaps even less. He was quite literally bleeding to death in front of her and she refused to let that happen.

"Fin, Finnick-no!" She rushed out, pressing her hands to his throat mindlessly. His brows furrowed and a pained groan tumbled from his lips but he didn't open his eyes, "Someone grab me something—anything!" Aella rushed out quickly.

Cressida was on her knees beside her in a moment, pulling the contents of her backpack out in search of anything that would help stem his bleeding. When she pulled a shirt out she barely had the chance to offer it up before Aella was reaching over and snatching it out of her hands. She bundled it into a ball and pressed it to his blood-soaked neck before using her ripped waist holster as a tourniquet, wrapping it around his neck.

"Aella we have to go." Katniss was saying, pulling on her shoulder... pulling her away from Finnick, "He's too badly hurt, he's going to—"

Aella was on her feet shoving Katniss into the wall and holding a dagger to her throat before anyone could comprehend it. Complete and utter rage roiled through her veins as she looked at Katniss. She'd tried to drop the Holo on them, tried to sacrifice them without even consulting her. Aella had barely stood a chance at trying again to get she and Finnick to safety.

It didn't matter if they were willing to die together to save their team. What mattered was that Katniss had taken one look at their predicament, determined there was no way Aella would've made it, and made the decision to drop the Holo. Now she had the audacity to suggest leaving Finnick behind? To say what? He was too badly hurt...was going to hold them up? Perhaps. But Aella couldn't care one bit. She wasn't leaving him and he wasn't leaving her. He'd just made her that promise.

So when she looked at Katniss underneath her dagger she snarled at her and said, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here."

But Katniss couldn't. She didn't have an answer for her.

Gale was on them both a second later, prying Aella away from Katniss, "We don't have time for this. We need to leave."

But Aella didn't listen, not until she heard Peeta saying, "Aella if you want to save Finnick we need to get him out of here."

That did the trick. In a split second she'd forgot about Katniss and was rushing back over to Finnick. Momentarily distracted... once she knew he was out of imminent danger she'd go back to dealing with Katniss. Peeta knew that.

"Someone help me get him up." She said, hooking Finnick's arm over her shoulder and beginning to haul him up. Pain danced through her body and she squeezed her eyes shut as she seethed but she did her best to ignore it. Finnick was in a far worse state, he needed help.