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Blindsided That&039;s how I feel when Haymitch tells me in the hospital I fly down the steps to Coht into a warto the Capitol? I have to go! I&039;jay!" I say

Coin barely looks up frooal of unifying the districts against the Capitol has been achieved Don&039;t worry - if it goes well, we&039;ll fly you in for the surrender"

The surrender?

"That&039;ll be too late! I&039;llYou need ot!" I shout I don&039;t usually brag about this, but it&039;s got to be at least close to true "Gale&039;s going"

"Gale has shown up for training every day unless occupied with other approved duties We feel confident he cansessions do you estimate you&039;ve attended?"

None That&039;s howAndI trained with Beetee down in Special Weaponry"

"It&039;s not the sas "We all know you&039;re sood shot But we need soldiers in the field You don&039;t know the first thing about executing orders, and you&039;re not exactly at your physical peak"

"That didn&039;t bother you when I was in Eight Or Two, for that inally authorized for co nals I&039;m about to reveal too much

No, the bomber battle in 8 and my intervention in 2 were spontaneous, rash, and definitely unauthorized

"And both resulted in your injury," Boggs reh his eyes A

sirl who can&039;t quite catch her breath since her ribs haven&039;t fully healed

Disheveled Undisciplined Recuperating Not a soldier, but someone who needs to be looked after

"But I have to go," I say

"Why?" asks Coin

I can&039;t very well say it&039;s so I can carry out ainst Snow Or that the idea of re here in 13 with the latest version of Peeta while Gale goes off to fight is unbearable But I have no shortage of reasons to want to fight in the Capitol "Because of Twelve Because they destroyed my district"

The president thinks about this a moment Considers , but you can begin training If the Assignment Board deems you fit, possibly your case will be reviewed"

That&039;s it That&039;s the uess it&039;s le day unless so suitedaround a field with a gun with so ligence

Back in the hospital, I find Johanna in the sa mad I tell her about what Coin said "Maybe you can train, too"

"Fine I&039;ll train But I&039; Capitol if I have to kill a crew and fly there myself," says Johanna

"Probably best not to bring that up in training," I say "But it&039;s nice to know I&039;ll have a ride"

Johanna grins, and I feel a slight but significant shift in our relationship I don&039;t know that we&039;re actually friends, but possibly the wordallies would be accurate That&039;s good I&039;, e report for training at 7:30, reality slaps me in the face We&039;ve been funneled into a class of relative beginners, fourteen- or fifteen-year-olds, which see until it&039;s obvious that they&039;re in far better condition than we are Gale and the other people already chosen to go to the Capitol are in a different, accelerated phase of training After we stretch - which hurts - there&039;s a couple of hours of strengthening exercises - which hurt - and a five-mile run - which kills Even with Johanna&039;sme on, I have to drop out after a mile

"It&039;s ed woman we&039;re supposed to address as Soldier York "They&039;re still bruised"

"Well, I&039;ll tell you, Soldier Everdeen, those are going to take at least another month to heal up on their own," she says

I shake my head "I don&039;t have a month"

She looks me up and down "The doctors haven&039;t offered you any treatment?"

"Is there a treatment?" I ask "They said they had to mend naturally"

"That&039;s what they say But they could speed up the process if I recoh, it isn&039;t any fun," she tells et to the Capitol," I say

Soldier York doesn&039;t question this She scribbles so on a pad and sends me directly back to the hospital I hesitate I don&039;t want to"I&039;ll be back for the afternoon session," I promise She just purses her lips

Twenty-four needle jabs to e later, I&039;drip It&039;s been by my bed so I can take a hit as needed I haven&039;t used it lately, but I kept it for Johanna&039;s sake Today they tested my blood to make sure it was clean of the painkiller, as theand whatever&039;s set erous side effects They made it clear I would have a difficult couple of days But I told theht in our room Sleep&039;s out of the question I think I can actually s, and Johanna&039;s fighting off withdrawal sy off herit had to happen anyway But by three in the et of every colorful bit of profanity District 7 has to offer At dawn, she drags

"I don&039;t think I can do it," I confess

"You can do it We both can We&039;re victors, re they throw at us," she snarls at et dressed

WeI think I&039; outside Her face turns ashen and she see

"It&039;s just water It won&039;t kill us," I say She clenches her jaw and stomps out into thearound the running course I bail after a ain, and I have to resist the temptation to take off my shirt so the cold water can sizzle off y fish and beet stew Johanna gets halfway through her bowl before it couns I h to fit the parts together When York&039;s back is turned, I help her out Even though the rain continues, the afternoon&039;s an ie At last, so froot the best score in my class

We&039;re just inside the hospital doors when Johanna declares, "This has to stop Us living in the hospital Everyone views us as patients"

It&039;s not a problem for me I can move into our faned one When she tries to get discharged froree to let her live alone, even if she comes in for daily talks with the head doctor I think theyand this only adds to their view that she&039;s unstable "She won&039;t be alone I&039; to room with her," I announce There&039;s some dissent, but Haymitch takes our part, and by bedtime, we have a corees to keep an eye on us

After I take a shower, and Johanna sort of wipes herself doith a damp cloth, she makes a cursory inspection of the place When she opens the drawer that holds my few possessions, she shuts it quickly "Sorry"

I think how there&039;s nothing in Johanna&039;s drawer but her govern in the world to call her own "It&039;s okay You can look at my stuff if you want"

Johanna unlatchesthe pictures of Gale, Prim, and my mother She opens the silver parachute and pulls out the spile and slips it onto her pinkie "Makesat it" Then she finds the pearl Peeta gave h somehow" I don&039;t want to talk about Peeta One of the best things about training is, it keepsof hi better," she says

"Maybe But he&039;s changed," I say

"So have you So have I And Finnick and Hayet me started on Annie Cresta The arena ood, don&039;t you think? Or do you still feel like the girl who volunteered for your sister?" she asks me

"No," I answer