A songbirds soulmate- hunger games catching fire/mockingjay fanfic

chapter 16

That's two people dead in what must be the past three of four days. All I can think of is whose next? A selfish attitude has overcome me, it doesn't even cross my mind the fact that Avel died trying his best to stop the pain of the whip on my bare skin. It's all about my own survival now. Not Johanna's, not Annie's. It's incredibly selfish of me and I regret even thinking about it but I don't want my dying wish to be to see Katniss again; that has to be reality.  

Since there are only three of us left now it means more bread and more water for each of us. I'm still not sure if it's a good or bad thing that we're being kept alive. After I've eaten I fall asleep dreaming of Katniss, for once no nightmares interrupt my slumbers tonight. 

* 

When I wake Avel's body has gone but his dried blood still stains the floor bringing the strong stench of death into the hot air. Annie's still asleep mumbling to herself. But Johanna sits and looks up at the roof, plain and grey. I guess she's looking more deeply than the ceiling pattern. 

"Johanna." A croak. She doesn't answer. 

"Johanna!" I shout sharply in case she didn't hear me. Still no answer. I lick my lips and form them to say her name once more when she shoots a tempered look at me; anyone else would think I'd just woke a sleeping baby. Upon seeing her angry features I sharply dodge her gaze until she lifts her head back to the ceiling. Well, that was nice. 

"Mellark!" I hear a threatening voice behind me bark loud enough to wake Annie. 

I shoot around to see Commander James, the lady Peacekeeper who killed Lavinia standing at the door to my cell. I don't answer but give a slight no to show I'm listening.  

"You are required to check something over in our lab." 

For some reason that doesn't overly excite me. She opens the cell and with much effort I stand up and step out, as soon as I do two other Peacekeepers swarm me and grab each of my arms tightly not wanting to have to stop me from trying to escape again. As I step in the elevator and look around, Annie stayed asleep after all; either that or she pretended to be the whole time. Johanna doesn't look up to see me leave she just sits and picks at her stubs for fingernails. 

* 

I arrive at a large building which must not have been too far from the prison, another building the Capitol wanted to keep away from the rest of the world. It's exterior is large and white in the shape of and octagon with around two or three floors. One of the less quirky buildings I've seen. I step in to a cool, refreshing breeze that overcomes me. The air smells clean, something I hardly remember experiencing. I pause for just a moment to take in the gorgeous oxygen before I'm hauled along by the Commander.  

The halls are narrow much like the one's at the first cell I was kept in. They also use the same equipment, including the key pads for a person to place their hand to be allowed access to a room. We walk through many corridors filled with rooms and laboratories. Plenty of scientists and people in smart suits pass us but none of them make a second glance at me; they're all too busy in their own work. Finally we stop at a room in the heart of the building. Just before I'm shoved in I manage to get a glance at the name of the room. It's the morgue. 

The room is fairly small but long, containing many draws built into the walls. Most defiantly where bodies are kept. A huge light dangles low over the centre of the room making me squint at its brightness. One lone scientist walks around the room scribbling notes and measuring bottles of different liquids. A body lies on a metal table in the middle of the room, next to it stands a trolley containing all types of tweezers and knifes. I close my eyes and pray hard. Please don't let it be Katniss. Oh Lord please! Once I step forward close enough to feel to cool metal of the table on my stomach I open my eyes. It's not Katniss. 

It's Madge. 

Or what's left of her. The mangled corpse is burnt in many areas and half of her lower face has disintegrated. The only reason I know it's her is because of her large, gorgeous turquoise eyes. 

"Oh, Madge." I sigh quietly to myself daring to stroke her once-golden hair. 

"So you knew her then?" James asks bluntly. 

"Yes I knew her!" I snap and turn back to Madge's body. 

"What was her name?" 

"Madge Undersee." I whisper almost inaudible.  

"What?" 

"Mange Undersee!" I bark and turn around to face Commander James. "And it still is her name! She was an innocent person and you killed her!" I think back to what she was like, about the same height as me, smart and resourceful. Never had a bad word to say about anyone. 

"Is her father dead too?" I ask through gritted teeth.  

"Yes, we need you to identify him and some others." 

I'm guided to many draws which are pulled out showing me different bodies, some I know, some I don't. Some are too disorientated to even tell they were once human. Among them are Madge's father, Mayor Undersee and some of my friends from school which I find all the harder to look at. Commander James wastes no time and hastily moves me along to the next body and the next one and the next one. She probably hates it in here almost as much as I do. 

"This is the last one." She states, although I think it was more for herself then for me. When she opens it a low and painful noise escapes from the depth of my throat. My father.