27. Change Of Heart

I wasn't sure how I was able to get myself up the next morning, because my entire body felt too relaxed and tired to move at all. I wasn't sure how I could feel relaxed, really, when my arm and shoulder were injured, and I still was going to have to rid myself of Shane.

I slowly sat up to see the blanket missing, but a jacket on my lap. I felt it, trying to find the slit on the arm. It wasn't my jacket, it was Shane's.

I tilted my head. Why did I have his jacket? And where the hell was the blanket? I saw Shane kept his arrows and bow inside today, a nice change. He probably figured after yesterday that it wasn't smart to put his weaponry out in the open for others to take.

Scrambling to my feet, I stiffly inched out from the cave to a rather gloomy day outside. There was no rain, but the clouds threatened to give us just that. I walked down the small path to find the blanket near the edge of the lake. I didn't see Shane anywhere. Had someone killed him off and was now waiting nearby, ready to finish me off as well? I had a good fight yesterday. I need a day off.

"About time you got up," Shane called. He emerged from the waterfall itself, looking freshly soaked. I had no doubt he was naked under the water, taking his bath. I didn't peek underwater to look. He wadded to me, resting his arms on the edge.

"I've got questions," I said.

"Like what?" He brushed his damp hair back.

"Why do I have your jacket?" I dangled it in front of him.

"You got cold last night so I gave you the blanket, but then I didn't want cameras to see me strip down, so I took it. Then you were fretting and shivering when I took it so I gave you my jacket instead. You settled down after that."

Well, at least I was luckier than Victor had been. I hadn't snuggled with Shane though, he gave me warmth in the form of a jacket. "Great, that blanket is getting washed before I even touch it again."

Shane chuckled.

"By the way, smart of you to finally put your weapons inside the cave," I told him. "Was the boy I stabbed the only one who died yesterday?"

"Yeah. He was from Eleven," Shane reported. "It's getting harder now, for whoever's left. Fewer tributes means smaller chance of them encountering each other."

"Not if the Gamemakers put their say in it," I countered. "They'll find a way to bring us all together. Maybe another feast like usual." I noticed Shane had a small bruise on his forehead. Cautiously, I touched it. "From yesterday?"

"Yeah, he hit me pretty hard on the head." He rubbed his forehead. "I'm not sure how I was still conscious, he had a hell of a punch."

"I'd say. Is your head throbbing?"

"Since we touched it, yes."

"Sorry, couldn't help it. Is that all he did to you?"

"No, there's bruising. He didn't need a weapon to kill someone; he could just beat them up enough to make them bleed internally. If I didn't know any better, he would have done well with the Career pack."

"Do you have anything to cure those?" I asked, hopeful.

"No. You?"

"I wish I did. I think Jenna had medicine in her pack. Are you feeling okay, with the bruising?"

"Not really."

"How about I go hunt today instead of you?"

"What?" he scoffed. "Please, you're in worse shape than I am."

"I don't need a bow and arrow to hunt; I can still use my other arm for using a knife." I grinned. "You need to stay in the cave and relax."

"I don't get you, Crystal." He shook his head. "Where's the fierce Career determined to make it out as the victor? I don't see her right now."

"Then who do you see?" I bent down, my face near his.

"I see just a regular sixteen-year-old girl who isn't a killer." I felt a wet hand cover mine. I looked down but didn't pull my hand away. "You aren't who you say you are, Crystal. Right now, you're not a Career."

"Whatever. I'm going to go hunt for us both. I'll be back by sunset."

I stood up and sauntered into the cave to bring my knife and steal Shane's bow and arrows—I might as well come more armed than I would be if I was alone. I only had one knife, and if I lost that, I was screwed.

Shane must've not been looking when I left to go hunt, because I never heard him come after me or call for me to bring back his bow and arrows.

* * *

Okay, maybe carrying a bow with a pack of arrows wasn't such a smart idea. I never had any experience in archery, so I had no idea how good I'd be. I knew for a fact I would be horrible at it, only because I never touched a bow or arrow in my life—unless you counted the one that I pulled out of my leg, and the one that Aubrey and I had yanked out of Ben when we got the medicine that kept him alive for only another two days.

I wasn't too worried about running into other tributes since there were less than half still left. I knew there was me, Shane, Jenna, and Bane. Right there was four. How many others were still alive? Maybe Shane would know. I made a mental note to ask him about it when I got back.

The weather wasn't too pleasant. I rolled up my long sleeves, exposing my arms, trying to cool them down. I walked around aimlessly in one direction, so I knew I could easily turn around and go back. Besides, I would hear the waterfall; the roaring water would be loud enough to tell me how close I was.

I had to admit, since the tracker jacker venom, my luck seemed okay. I wasn't dead, I managed to kill another tribute, and I scored an amazing hideout. The only downside was Shane. That boy befuddled me with every action he did. He took me back with him, knowing that I still had the urge to kill him. He kissed me after I supposedly saved his life.

Maybe I was dealing with another Bane, only Shane was getting closer than Bane ever could. I thought one lovesick tribute was enough, I thought bitterly. The Hunger Games wasn't playing matchmaker, that wasn't its job. Its job was to have twenty-six children fight to the death so only one could come out the victor for their district and be able to train future tributes. The Games was a way to keep all thirteen districts in line.

Even if two lovers were in the arena, the Gamemakers wouldn't allow them both to live—neither would President Snow. They'd all make sure no rebellion would rise again like it did a little over thirty years ago.

The idea of love on a bloody battlefield seemed stupid. Who on earth would want to find love in such a horrible place? It'd probably be the only good thing, I considered. Was falling in love in the arena a way to hold onto what a tribute had back at home? Was it a way of making every last moment count if they knew their odds weren't good in the Games? Or was it a way of holding onto what humanity they had left in them?

One thing was for sure, there was one—possibly two—love struck tributes in this arena. What made me attract one—possibly two if Shane was anything like Bane—boys to me when I had no interest in falling in love at all? Was it because of my looks? My personality?

Boys seemed to be hard to understand, even more so as they got older.

Focusing on love made me jump at the sight of a fat rat disappearing. I grimaced. Stupid love made me miss a chance at food. I snorted irritably. Got to keep going, it's the only way I'll find anything. Or maybe, thinking about it long and hard, I might come up empty.

I wandered through the forest, finally getting to a point where I decided to give up. The lack of wildlife in the arena really pissed me off. All I saw was the rat, and I was too distracted to even notice it until it ran away from me. I was a horrible hunter when it came to food. If it was tributes, I'd have no problem.

Feeling defeated by the arena, I turned around and headed back for the shelter.

I had no doubt that Bane and Jenna were being showered with sponsors because they stuck together. I was on my own because I was deciding to stick with Shane. What other choice did I have at this point? I couldn't go back to Bane or Jenna, not unless I had a death wish. I was just another enemy to them now; I was no longer a Career in their eyes.

I stumbled over a bush, regaining my footing. My mind was muddled with all sorts of thoughts. How many days had I been in here? Who was still left aside from Shane, Jenna, Bane, and I? Were the Gamemakers planning to change the arena? When would the next tribute be killed?

I still had lots of questions about Shane, too. I knew that kissing me because it was the heat of the moment was not a good enough answer for me. Why didn't he just kill me? I knew he said that wasn't his game plan, but people could become so desperate that they'd kill their temporary alliance. It's happened before, and I wouldn't be surprised if it happened now.

Was that what it was between Shane and me? An alliance? I wasn't sure, because I was worrying about everything else to really mull that over. I must've gained trust from Shane after I hadn't thought about killing him last night and after I slain District 11's boy. I felt that was trust I didn't intend to receive.

A loud yell made me tense; I forced an arrow into the bow. I could see the sun was starting to set. I heard no cannon, but I hadn't imagined someone screaming. It rang out again, making me shudder. Someone was getting attacked. It didn't sound that far off either...

I realized it was Shane who was yelling.

I was gripped with fear. I didn't even consider leaving him by himself, to have him deal with the problem himself. That was gone from my mind. All I could think about now was to reach him and to help him. I didn't call out his name as I ran with the bow loaded and at my side.

I put energy I had left over into my sprint. I could hear the waterfall, so I knew I was getting close. What was going on with Shane? Did an accident happen? I would have expected another tribute to have found him, but I heard no other shouts. There was still no cannon blast either, so he wasn't dead. There was still time to see what was going on with him.

As the trees started thinning out and the roaring water became louder, I knew I was closer. I was waiting for someone to ambush and fight me, preventing me from getting to Shane. I'd certainly kill them or at least get them away from me.

As I passed the last tree, there was shadow from the cave. The water was deafening, and I saw Shane, wrapped in the blanket, on the ground. I darted to him, tossing the bow and arrow aside, kneeling beside him.

"What happened?" I squeaked frantically. "All I heard was screaming."

"Get me inside," he croaked, moaning in pain.

"Okay, okay." Carefully, I got him up off the ground. The blanket concealed him entirely except for his neck up.

I brought everything inside the cave. Shane nudged me away from a small area where flecks of water from the waterfall sprayed. I didn't argue with him on it, but I did find it a little odd.

I smelled something acrid as I led Shane deep into the cave. I saw his clothes were nearby. I sat him down.

"Okay, now what's wrong?" I asked. I tentatively touched his forehead. "You're not fevering."

"I'm not ill, I'm burned." He flinched.

"Burned?" My head tilted to the side. "What do you mean 'burned'?"

"I mean I'm—"

"Wait, I can get water to cool you off." I rose, but Shane grabbed my ankle. "Hey!" I looked down at him.

"Don't go near that water, it's got acid in it." I saw Shane's arm and hand blistered.

My eyes bulged. "Acid?" I looked at the waterfall pouring over the entrance of the cave. "It wasn't acidic earlier. You were in the lake."

"I was after you left until I started to burn. The Gamemakers decided to cut off our water supply."

I shook my ankle loose, and Shane sat up as I sat beside him. I carefully held his arm. He hissed as I tenderly brushed my fingers along his arm. I shook my head in disbelief. This was something I should have seen coming. Finding this wonderful site with a good water source for both drinking and bathing couldn't go very long without becoming deadly. Now, Shane and I knew that the water was deadly. It sucked it hadn't been when the boy from 11 tried to beat me to death. Then again, we both probably would have died then.

Maybe it was better that the Gamemakers made the water dangerous now rather than earlier.

"Let me see the rest of the damage," I demanded gently.

A little reluctant at first, Shane shrugged off the blanket and pulled it up. I assumed he got blistered everywhere—including his groin region. I tried not to make a face at the image. I couldn't imagine how much pain this was causing him.

His shoulders were red, just like his arms and hands, but his legs and torso were much worse. Blisters coated his slight bruising on his gut, probably making those spots even tenderer than they already were. Some blisters looked to be bleeding, and I was too afraid to touch any, in fear I would make Shane hurt more than he already was.

"My God," I breathed in horror. "You're lucky it didn't get worse."

"I got out pretty quickly," he said, flinching. "It could have eaten off my flesh if I wasted anymore time in the water."

"Then you are lucky. I really wish I had the medicine now. This would be gone by tomorrow morning with that stuff."

"Good luck for us trying to get a sponsor," Shane muttered. "We're the most unlikely pair, and I have no doubt our mentors are pissed at us for sticking together for so long." He looked into my eyes, ice-blue meeting gray. "I'm surprised you came running. I thought you would never come back. I would have been pissed, too, because you took my bow and arrows." He shot me an accusing look.

"I figured more weapons couldn't hurt." I shrugged. "Now, do you think you can move enough to get dressed?"

"I can try. Can you help out a little?"

"Sure, but I am not helping you put on your underwear."

I stood, watching the acidic water fall in front of me as Shane dressed. We took our careful time in getting his pants on him. We at least got socks on his feet. We tried to get his shirt on, but he was in too much pain, so we figured it was best to leave that alone.

As insects began to chat in the woods, I tried to figure out ways to help Shane get more comfortable. He couldn't move much without being in pain, the blisters were really bad.

"Do you have any gauze left?" I asked. Moonlight was being shown now outside the cave. "They can at least protect your body from becoming a bloody mess."

"I should. I stuffed them in the pack I got when I carried you back here." He winced.

I abandoned Shane to dig through and retrieve the small roll of gauze. It better be enough to at least wrap him up somewhat. I partially wanted him wrapped up because I didn't like the sight of blood. That was the sad thing about me; I was a Career who wanted to kill yet the sight of blood made me want to puke.

Shane propped himself up long enough so I could wrap his torso up. He definitely let me know whether or not I made the wrappings too snug. I put the gauze away after I was done.

"I'm guessing you didn't get anything?" he asked. He was lying down on the blanket, the pack propping up his head. It was the closest thing to a pillow he'd have, unless he wanted to hurt his blistered arms more by putting his head on them.

"Not a thing," I sighed. "Do you want to still try and get something on you? Your jacket maybe?"

"It's not worth it," he muttered. "I've moved too much for my liking." He grunted. His eyes met mine. "If this doesn't let up, kill me."

"Shane," I protested.

"Do it now, if you want. It'll save me the suffering."

"I'm not going to do that," I snapped, picking at my nails.

"You're not?"

"No." I shook my head.

"You've had three shots at killing me, and you never did it. Yet, here I am now telling you to finish me off and you won't do it." He scoffed. "You're truly a mystery, Crystal."

"Thanks," I said awkwardly, "I think. But I'm not going to kill you."

"Why not?"

"I can't." I looked down at my nails. "I'm not in the killing kind of mood. I'd rather doctor you up than stick a knife through your heart."

"I thought you said you wouldn't change."

"I can be wrong, can't I?" I retorted. I shivered. The temperature was starting to fall again. Great. "I'll find a way to cure you."

"Good luck with that," he grumbled.

"I'm serious."

"So am I." He shifted uneasily. "You look cold."

"I'll be fine."

"Really?" Shane arched an eyebrow at me.

I remembered the last time someone said they could endure the cold, they ended up dead. My mind went back to Victor's frozen body. Did I really want to suffer a fate like that? Who knew how much more the temperature could fall while we were asleep?

"Maybe not," I finally admitted.

"Take my jacket, then."

"What about you? That blanket won't be enough to wrap around you."

"Well then, we're just going to have to share the jacket somehow." He gave a tired smile.

I snorted irritably. It was like the blanket thing with Bane all over again. It would feel just as awkward though, because Shane kissed me. I couldn't forget a thing like that.

Since I couldn't think of an alternative, I lugged Shane's jacket over. I gently laid under the crook of his arm, slipping his jacket over us as much as possible. I curled my body into his blistered one, being extremely careful. His hand stayed on my waist, I almost shrugged it off but didn't.

The Capitol anthem was loud enough to ring into the cave. We both knew that nobody had died today. The anthem reminded me of something.

"Shane?" I whispered.

"Mm?"

"Do you know how many of us are left?"

"Besides you, me and your two former pack mates...I'm not sure," he admitted. "I think both of Seven is still intact, but that's all I can remember."

"So if that's true the count is up to...six. There has to be a few more we're just not thinking of."

"I'm sure there are." There was a small silence between us. "You're not armed under this, are you?"

"No." I had set my knife with my jacket and Shane's bow and arrows earlier when I knew I had no need for them. They were near the water bottle we'd have to rely on now and what small supply of gauze we had left. "Weapon-free. Why? Do you think I'll kill you in your sleep?"

"It might take away the pain I'm feeling," he said flatly.

"If you're still trying to convince me, forget it," I told him. "I've lost the urge to kill you."

"Why?"

"I can't answer that."

"Why?" he pressed.

"I don't have the answer yet." It was true; I didn't know why I wanted to help Shane now more than kill him at this point, I still had to discover the motive behind my change of heart.

Shane never continued to prod me for an answer since he figured I was telling the truth.

We laid there in silence, Shane in pain with his blistered body while I tried to get comfortable, listening to the acidic waterfall continue to run.