The Hunger Games: Camden Shepard

Chapter 12

I woke only an hour after falling asleep. The sun was shining right into my face through a window on the side of the room. The lack of sleep only worsened the soreness of my body. My head was still pounding, but now I could feel the bruises that speckled my body. The cut in my left shoulder throbbed, obviously infected. I blinked a few times in the brightness before I saw the parachute. Finnick had sent me another care package. I groaned as I sat up. The parachute was floating towards the window slowly, Finnick must have just sent it. I pulled myself to my feet and pried open the window. It creaked loudly, but eventually popped open and I caught the parachute and brought it inside. I sat down again, my legs were far too sore to remain standing for long, and opened the package. It was much larger than the last one, and it was more difficult to open with my sore fingers. Jack had come back into the doorway when I'd opened the window and was watching my feeble attempts to open the package. He sat down next to me, gently took the case from my hand, and opened it. Jack dumped the contents into my hands and then placed the empty container on the ground next to me. I opened the small scrap of paper first.
Cam,
We don't know what they've done to the water, or how to fix it, but the droplets should help. The other box is full of serum for your arm, it should help heal the cut.  I am so sorry about Layla, but you should remember who's really at fault.
All my love,
Finnick
I folded the note and put it in the same pocket as Finnick's last letter.
"All my love." I whispered. Jack shifted uncomfortably next to me. I opened the box with the cream and scooped out enough to fill the cut on my shoulder, then handed it to Jack. He took it gently and began to rub the cream onto his arm where I'd cut him during our fight. I cringed as I watched him. The cut was deep and long, a cruel reminder of the events from last night. After he finished applying the cream to his arm he lifted the leg of his pants. There was a nasty section of gauged out flesh in his calf. Jack applied the serum in silence, then handed it back to me. I screwed the lid back on and put it in my backpack. The empty water bottles clattered onto the ground around me as I unzipped the bag. I remembered the one full water bottle I'd kept and picked it up.
"Finnick says this may help with the water." I told Jack, holding up the droplets. Jack nodded and I opened the water bottle. The stench reached my nose almost immediately, at least it wouldn't be difficult to tell what water was poisoned now. I uncapped the liquid and began to squeeze a few drops into the water. As soon as the drops touched the water the smell went away. I recapped the drops and the water bottle, then shook it. After a minute I opened the water and took a long drink. If I didn't have a drink soon I'd die anyway.
I handed the bottle to Jack and he tipped his head back and chugged the rest of the water.
"When's the last time you had I drink?" I asked softly.
"Just before the snowstorm." He said. That had been nearly three days ago. No wonder he looked like death.
"What about food?" Jack shook his head.
"None since I got in the arena. I didn't get anything from the Cornucopia except my spear, and there aren't any animals in this God damned city." Jack said. I reached into my backpack and handed him two of the protein bars I had left. I took out the last one I had and Jack and I ate. Jack tore through the first bar in a matter of moments, and attempted to take his time on the second one, but finished that quickly too. I ate mine slowly, my appetite was gone, but I knew I had to keep eating.
"Where have you been this whole time?" I asked. Jack brushed the crumbs off his face.
"I've been lots of places. I've had to move between buildings several times. After the Games began I didn't even try for the Cornucopia, I just ran into the city. I'd seen the dagger in the pile before the Games started, but it was too far away. I couldn't see you, but I saw Layla. She followed me through the city for a while, but I was so scared that I just kept running. I could hear all the canons going off, I was hoping one of them wasn't yours, and I just ran. Eventually I figured I was far enough away from everyone that I stopped running and just went to the building next to me. I was stupid and camped on the first floor instead of up high, and that's how I got this." Jack pulled up his pant leg again, exposing the gash. "The Careers found me while I was sleeping and one of them, this terrifying girl with a sword, tried to kill me, but only managed to land a hit on my leg before I took off."
"Amiya." I said. "I killed her." Her face flashed in my mind and I shook my head. "She killed an ally of mine and hurt Layla before I finished her off. We killed the whole Career pack." I whispered. My fight on the roof with Ben danced before my eyes. I shook my head. Jack nodded in approval.
"It's good you did, Cam. She was pure evil." Jack replied.
"What makes us any better?" I asked, turning on him suddenly." She killed people, but so have I. What makes us different?" Anger was boiling in my chest and I could feel my cheeks flush with hot blood. Jack put a hand on my leg and sighed.
"You're not Amiya. You only kill when you have to, you don't take pleasure in it, and you wouldn't kill needlessly." Jack got suddenly quiet. "You aren't like me." He said. I looked up at him.
"Layla wasn't your fault. It was the Gamemakers, they killed her. They poisoned us, and they killed her." Jack shrugged.
"I'm still the one that was holding the knife." He replied. We sat in silence for a moment. Then Jack spoke again.
"We're going to have to get more water soon. Hopefully we have enough of those drops to last us a while." He had ended the conversation and I knew better than to try and bring it up again. I nodded, gathered my things in my backpack and said, "Let's go."