The Help (Hero and Mai)

[Hero]

Clark Underton --- D10

Even in his sedated state, Clark could see that she wasn't fine.he could see the faked smile and the remaining tears in her eyes. "Jess, you aren't fine. Even if we've known each other as short a time as we have, it doesn't take a genius to see you aren't fine. What's going on? You can tell me you know." He kissed her hand. "Getting by? How can you just get by? You know that life with me is always an adventure. This one just happen to include a hospital." He offered her a small smile and kissed her hand.


"Jess, you don't have issues. If doctors call being human 'issues' then we all have issues. You my darling are perfect the way you are." He slowly turned his head towards her, silently admiring her. He was debating whether it was fate or destiny that brought them together. He wasn't even sure he believed in it. Much less, he didn't want it to change. He did want out of the hospital of course. "I can't imagine. I'm so sorry." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Some of it, yes. But I didn't want to see a pretty girl like you killed. And then you came back home and here you are. Which I'm quite happy about. Minus the hospital."

When the nurse popped her head in, he waited for an opportunity to speak. Just as she finished up, his stomach gave a notable growl. "If it isn't too much trouble, could someone grab me some food? I'm starving."

[Lotus]

Jess looked at the nurse as she waited for her to give a reply. She managed a smile when Clark asked for food and the nurse quickly agreed to bring him some. "Nurse? My father can be sent in in five minutes." With that the nurse nodded and left the room so it was just Clark and herself again.

She turned back to Clark and ducked her head down to hide the tears glistening in her eyes. "Everyone thinks I'm a mess, they bunch all of us victors together. They know we either suffer from the terror of the games or bask in that terror. They do nothing to help us, just say it's normal and we should be grateful we're alive. How am I supposed to be grateful I'm alive? I killed people. I'm glad you never saw my games, not because I was just a supposed pretty face that you didn't want to see die. I snapped in there, I broke down and that was the moment I nearly died. I was so close to the verge of death that I nearly gave up, but I wanted to make my dad love me by proving that I was worth something. I ended up killing a kid, my first kill in there and from there I didn't stop till I was the last... I suffer from it every day, the nightmares don't stop when the sun rises. And there's also this problem, that we haven't just known each other this short amount of time. I know you, but I can't remember from where. I may have lost a memory of something, but I need you to tell me how we really know each other. I would remember your eyes anywhere... That's why I just get by..." She trailed off as the tears streaked down her cheeks. She brutally wiped them from her cheeks before lifting her head and giving Clark a soft smile.

Slowly, she initiated the first contact and she moved forward and placed her lips softly on Clark's, kissing him slowly. Just then the door opened and in stepped her father, his face a mask of anger. He strode towards Jess and pulled her from Clark's reach which caused her back to slam into the wall. She looked up to see her father standing in front of her, sneering. "You lost me my servant girl. He won't be able to work for weeks with that leg, and it's your fault!" Jess shrank back away from him, which wasn't a good idea because his hand came out and slapped her across the face; hard. "You useless girl. You should have been shot!" That was the final straw, tears streaked down her face again as her father stepped away from her.

She looked towards Clark who sat on the bed with wide eyes, "I'll be back soon Clark, I promise." With that she ran out of the door and out of the hospital. She ran all the way back to her house in the Victor's Village, where Atlas was waiting for her at the door. She didn't even have time to comfort her from her whining, instead she ran upstairs and into the bathroom. She sank down to her knees as she reached for something sharp, and she slowly did the only thing she had ever been able to do well; hurt herself.