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The stink of unwashed bodies, stale urine, and infection breaks through the cloud of antiseptic The three figures are only just recognizable by their old facial tattoos

Flavius&039;s orange corkscrew curls Octavia&039;s light evergreen skin, which now hangs too loosely, as if her body were a slowly deflating balloon

On seeing ainst the tiled walls like they&039;re anticipating an attack, even though I have never hurt theainst them, and those I kept to uard&039;s orderingthat follows, I know Gale has somehow detained hiest I crouch down and take her icy hands, which clutch mine like vises

"What happened, Venia?" I ask "What are you doing here?"

"They took us From the Capitol," she says hoarsely

Plutarch enters behindon?"

"Who took you?" I press her

"People," she says vaguely "The night you broke out"

"We thought it ular team," Plutarch says behind me "Cinna requested it"

"Cinna requestedthis ?" I snarl at hi I know, it&039;s that Cinna would never have approved the abuse of these three, who hetreated like criminals?"

"I honestly don&039;t know" There&039;s so in his voice that makes me believe him, and the pallor on Fulvia&039;s face confiruard, who&039;s just appeared in the doorith Gale right behind hi confined Why are they being punished?"

"For stealing food We had to restrain theuard

Venia&039;s brows co toWe were so hungry It was just one slice she took"

Octavia begins to sob, ed tunic I think of how, the first time I survived the arena, Octavia sneaked me a roll under the table because she couldn&039;t bearform "Octavia?" I touch her and she flinches "Octavia? It&039;s going to be all right I&039;ll get you out of here, okay?"

"This seems extreme," says Plutarch

"It&039;s because they took a slice of bread?" asks Gale

"There were repeated infractions leading up to that They arned Still they took uard pauses a moment, as if puzzled by our density "You can&039;t take bread"

I can&039;t get Octavia to uncover her face, but she lifts it slightly The shackles on her wrists shift down a few inches, revealing raw sores beneath theuard "Unchain theuard shakes his head "It&039;s not authorized"

"Unchain them! Now!" I yell

This breaks his coe citizens don&039;t address him this way "I have no release orders And you have no authority to - "

"Do it on my authority," says Plutarch "We came to collect these three anyway They&039;re needed for Special Defense I&039;ll take full responsibility"

The guard leaves to make a call He returns with a set of keys The preps have been forced into cra that even once the shackles are re Gale, Plutarch, and I have to help therate over a circular opening in the floor, and my stomach contracts when I think of why a room would need a drain The stains of human misery that must have been hosed off these white tiles

In the hospital, I find my mother, the only one I trust to care for theiven their current condition, but already she wears a look of consternation And I know it&039;s not a result of seeing abused bodies, because they were her daily fare in District 12, but the realization that this sort of thing goes on in 13 as well

My mother elcomed into the hospital, but she&039;s viewed asStill, no one interferes when she guides the trio into an examination room to assess their injuries I plant myself on a bench in the hall outside the hospital entrance, waiting to hear her verdict She will be able to read in their bodies the pain inflicted upon them

Gale sits next to me and puts an arive a nod, wondering if he&039;s thinking about his own brutal flogging back in 12

Plutarch and Fulvia take the bench across from us but don&039;t offer any coe of the mistreatment, then what do they make of this move on President Coin&039;s part? I decide to help theuess we&039;ve all been put on notice," I say

"What? No What do you," I tell her "Not just to me But to you, too About who&039;s really in control and what happens if she&039;s not obeyed If you had any delusions about having power, I&039;d let theree is no protection here Maybe it&039;s even a liability"

"There is no comparison between Plutarch, who masterminded the rebel breakout, and those three beauticians," says Fulvia icily

I shrug "If you say so, Fulvia But ould happen if you got on Coin&039;s bad side? My prep team was kidnapped They can at least hope to one day return to the Capitol Gale and I can live in the woods But you? Where would you two run?"

"Perhaps we&039;re a little ive us credit for," says Plutarch, unconcerned

"Of course you are The tributes were necessary to the Games, too Until they weren&039;t," I say "And then ere very disposable - right, Plutarch?"

That ends the conversation We wait in silence until ht," she reports "No permanent physical injuries"