[unrecorded]

[caroflower]

Caro knows there's something wrong, but she isn't sure what. She's home, she's won the Hunger Games. She steps off the train and looks at all the people gathered there to watch. Her parents are hanging back as far as they can get away with-- that's fine. And there-- there he is, running towards her and catching her in a fierce hug. She laughs and actually lets him swing her around a little.

"Aw come on," Caro says, laughing. "I told you I was coming back." Laughing? Told who?

And then she realizes whose arms she's in, and the little part of her brain telling her something's wrong screams into overdrive. Zopf is holding onto her like it's the most natural thing in the world.

She wants to scream, but she doesn't. She's laughing and talking with Zopf, and then he looks over her shoulder and nods respectfully at someone behind her. She turns to look. It's Walter, and he looks amused in a very bitter sort of way.

She wants to get away from Zopf and ask Sullivan what the hell is going on, but her body isn't really responding to the increasingly frantic part of her that knows this is all wrong. And now Zopf is leading her by the hand towards some sort of welcome home party that no one should actually want to attend. And yet.

Time is passing in a slightly too fast blur, and then Zopf's pulling her aside to talk to her about something. No wait, he's leaning in to kiss her. This is all wrong.

Goddammit Caro, wake up.

--

Caro jerks awake, heart pounding. What the fuck was that and where is she. Okay. She's still in her weird isolated recovery room. She really did win. And... are those clothes?

Yes they are. Caro cautiously eases out of bed now that she's no longer hooked up to anything and pads over. Of course, it's a recreation of the Arena uniform. She slips into it quickly and checks her pockets out of habit, only to find...

Sullivan's note. What the hell? Huh.

She doesn't have time to ponder its presence, because just then the door slides open. Time to go, then.

Comments

[illdrinktothat]

Walter's been milling around the waiting area all morning. Truth be told, he'd been mostly milling around all night, they just hadn't let him in. It's not as if he could have slept much otherwise anyway. He'd say he probably wouldn't sleep until he gets home... but he might not anyway.

At least not until he hits the blackout section of drunk.

Now he's just quietly pacing while he waits for Caro to come out, hopefully looking like Caro and not... whatever the Capitol finds fashionable.