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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act three.

(chapter forty, two weeks, four days)

a white room, 75 ADD.

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JUNIPER WOKE WITH A guttural scream as she jumped up from her laying position on the bed, heart beating rapidly as her head pounded from the intensity of the light that hung from the ceiling. Her bones groaned and her muscles ached as the Hale woman sat up fully. 

"Fuck," Juniper grumbled as she dug the heels of her hands into her eyes. They were puffy and red, the signs of sobbing and crying, and the Victor could feel her heart seize in her chest. 

Gloss. 

She had dreamt of Gloss. Why had she dreamt of Gloss? Dreamt? Was that even the right word? And Wade Rankine. She hadn't heard the name of Wade Rankine, the Victor of the Seventy-Third, in a long time. Why had she dreamt of them? Dreamt? 

Juniper slowly got up from the bed and placed the soles of her feet onto the tiled floor, feeling the coolness of it creep up into her being, making her shudder. She figured it had something to do with what Clampitt said yesterday. Cashmere Nicholo had seen. She had seen Juniper kill Gloss. Juniper had killed Gloss. 

Swallowing a lump in her throat, the Hale woman tried hard to dispel any thoughts about the Nicholo siblings as she set her eyes upon the tray that laid on the bedside table. There was a steaming bowl filled with the same thick, creamy clump of porridge and a simple glass of pristine water. And as Juniper stared at it, she debated eating it. She knew it probably wasn't poisonous considering Clampitt took a spoonful of that exact meal, but she didn't want to risk anything. 

But yet again, it was the growling of her stomach that took ahold of her actions as she leaned over, grabbing the bowl and spoon that rested on the tray before laying it on her lap. As she slowly scooped some up and placed it in her mouth, Juniper immediately became aware of the saltiness that tickled her gums as she swallowed the porridge. The type she had in Ten when she was younger was much sweeter than what the Capitol porridge was. Not that she would complain. She would rather have salty food than none at all. 

Juniper just put the empty bowl and glass back onto the tray on the bedside table when the door banged open and Dr. Clampitt, black hair loose with her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, came waltzing in with a clipboard in hand. Her white lab coat swished around her knees as her heels clicked and Clampitt didn't seem to expect Juniper to be awake because as she caught sight of the Victor sitting upright, a sense of surprise filled her face. 

"Well... you're finally awake." 

"Finally?" Juniper asked as she readjusted her position, sitting cross-legged on the quilts. 

"Yes. Finally." Clampitt cleared her throat as she looked down at her clipboard, clicking a pen she got from her pocket before scribbling something down. "I'm rather shocked you slept that long." 

Juniper eyed the doctor as she asked, slowly, "How long have I been asleep for?" 

"Two days," Clampitt responded, nodding. 

The Hale woman wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brows as her face morphed into that of confusion. Two days? She had been asleep for two days?  For forty-eight-hours, she laid still in the quilts as she dreamt of Gloss and Wade Rankine? As Juniper thought this, another question began to pop into her mind. How long had she been there for?

She was asleep before Clampitt first visited her, but for how long? All she remembered was waking up with a cry, the memories of Brent Higgins clouding her brain. And then the doctor first came in. But how long was she asleep for? How long had she been in the Capitol for? Was it a couple days? A couple of weeks? 

"How long have I been in the Capitol?"

Clampitt looked up, debating something as she stared at the Victor. Her brows furrowed slightly as she did, glancing down at the clipboard before looking back at Juniper. She took a breath before replying, "Two weeks, four days." 

Juniper didn't move. 

"You were knocked out cold during the two weeks due to the strong sedatives we gave you," Clampitt told her. "You first woke up four days ago. You have been unconscious for two of those days."

"Two weeks, four days?" 

"Correct, Miss Hale." 

Whilst Juniper should have been dismayed, depressed, and discouraged by that statement, bitter, cold rage was the only thing that filled her up. She had been in the Capitol for two weeks, nearing three and no rescue attempts had been made? She had been in the white room of hell for two weeks and four days and yet no rebels had come to save her? No Plutarch. No Lucy Stevens. No rebellion. 

Two weeks, four days. 

"You're joking..." Juniper scoffed. If she was in the white room of hell for nearly three weeks, surely Finnick, at least, would have pushed some buttons to have her extracted from the Capitol. 

"I'm afraid not." Clampitt sighed as she walked further, clutching the clipboard. 

Juniper looked down at the quilts that she sat upon, admiring the stitching as she tried to distract her mind from the thought that she had been in hell for nearly three weeks without a peep from the rebels. 

Two weeks, four days. 

"I can't stay for long. I have a meeting I must hurry to after this." Clampitt stood in-front of Juniper, studying her with her squinted eyes as she hurriedly wrote things down on her sheet of paper. 

"If you have a meeting, why are you here?" 

"I was merely here to see if you were awake yet," Clampitt muttered. She eyed the empty glass and bowl on the table and wrote something down. Juniper didn't bother to question what it was. Two weeks, four days. "I didn't expect you to be, but now that you are, I have to write down my... findings." 

Juniper merely hummed as she waited for Clampitt to finish. When she did, she put the pen into her pocket, tucked the clipboard under her arm, and went for the door. It opened and slammed behind her, leaving it so Juniper was by herself. 

Two weeks, four days. 

Juniper had been in the Capitol for two weeks and four days and yet nothing. She at least expected for the rebels to take their time in rescuing her, but not two weeks and four days. Or maybe the rebels weren't planning to extract her. Maybe Plutarch and whoever was the leader of the rebellion decided it best to leave her in the Capitol, deeming it too risky to rescue only one person who didn't even do her job in the arena. 

Juniper felt the cold rage course through her veins as she began to shake on the quilts. Anger took ahold of her mind as it began to sear through her body. Her heart thudded rapidly as her head pounded, the lights becoming increasingly bright to her eyes. 

Two weeks, four days. No rescue. 

Two weeks and four days. It had been two weeks and four days since Juniper had been in the Capitol. And yet no-one came for her. Did they all not like her that much? Did they not care? Surely Finnick was trying to do something. Lucy, maybe. But no. Two weeks, four days. No-one was coming. It was nearing three weeks. No-one was coming for her. 

At the sudden thought of this, Juniper felt the rage clench her heart, feeling the anger twitch her fingers as she suddenly got off the bed, grabbing ahold of the tray that was on the table before flinging it across the room. But no shattering of glasses and bowls, the clanging of trays could deafen out the words two weeks, four days. 

In. Out. 

In. Out. 

In. Out. 

Two weeks, four days. No-one was coming to rescue her. Plutarch had truly left her alone in the arena. He had no intentions of getting her. If he did, he would have put all his efforts into helping her escape. But he hadn't. Two weeks, four days.

But as Juniper stared at the shattered remains of the bowl and glass, she realised that maybe she had been a little too harsh on Plutarch. She had no idea what was happening outside of the white room of hell. There could be a full war. Bombs could be going off, people dying, districts being taken. Plutarch could have a full revolution on his shoulders and yet here Juniper was, heart twisted at the idea of being in the Capitol where she hadn't been hurt yet. 

But Plutarch still left her in the arena. 

That thought came rushing back and Juniper scoffed as she flopped back onto the quilts, staring at the white ceiling. She could feel her mind battling ideas in her head and it made her airways contract, stomach recoiling. Juniper had no idea what to do. Escaping by herself was completely out of the question and she doubted Clampitt would even think twice about helping her. Juniper had also seen the corridor beyond her white door and remembered the amount of Peacekeepers' that littered it.  She was well and truly stuck in the white room of hell. 

Suddenly, the door bursted open, but Juniper didn't bother getting up. She heard the heavy, muffled breathing that belonged to a masked Peacekeeper and saw, out of the corner of her eye, a guard bending down to collect the tray. Then there was the sound of glass and porcelain being brushed against the tiled floor. And then the Peacekeeper left and the door slammed shut behind them. Juniper sat up and the mess she had created was gone. 

As she sighed and laid back down on the bed, she began to think back to Clampitt. When would she return? Would she even come back? Juniper gathered that the doctor came at times when it best suited her or when she was instructed to. There was no schedule. Or maybe there were for certain days. Or maybe Clampitt was an extremely important, busy person and could only come during certain hours. Juniper had no idea and didn't think that the doctor would come back at all that day. 

Juniper was sure of it as she laid on the quilts, playing with the end of her paper robe as she stared up at the roof again. She had no idea how long she was in that position for, but she knew that it had to be past morning and even afternoon because soon, the door blew open again. 

The Hale woman sat back up, joints aching from laying down for hours with boredom filling her brain, and eyed the person who entered the room. It was Clampitt, but she didn't have a clipboard with her. Instead, in her grasp, the doctor held another small, black tape. Juniper swallowed a lump in her throat as she watched as the woman walked further into the room, heels clicking behind her. 

"How was your meeting?" Juniper clenched her jaw as she watched the doctor perch herself on the end of the bed. She could feel the mattress sink as the quilts moved slightly with the addition of another person. "Was it invigorating?" 

"Not in the slightest." Clampitt scoffed as she pushed her glasses up her nose. She cleared her throat as she tapped a finger against the square, black tape. "Have you had dinner yet?" 

"Why? Is it evening?" 

Clampitt ignored Juniper as she eyed the door. She furrowed her brows and cleared her throat yet again, averting her eyes to a high corner in the room. Then suddenly, the door banged open and a Peacekeeper came in, holding a tray of steaming food. They placed it on the bedside table and immediately left the room, locking the door behind them as Juniper eyed the meal. It seemed to be a bowl of brown stew with chunky pieces of deep purple in it. The colours did not look appealing to Juniper. 

"It's lamb stew with dried plums." Clampitt nodded as she gestured to the tray. "And do try to not throw this dish please. The Peacekeeper was not happy in clearing it up."

"How do you—?" Juniper went to ask, but then she suddenly looked at the high corner Clampitt was studying moments before. "Cameras." 

"Yes." Clampitt smiled. "It's only to make sure you're okay, of course." 

"Of course." 

Clampitt, yet again, ignored her comment as she pointed to the tray. "Are you going to eat that or not? That stew is my favourite so if you won't, I will."

Juniper did not like the idea of her food going down Clampitt's throat and she even had to admit that despite the appearance, the smell floated up into her nose and made her mouth water. And so, narrowing her eyes at the doctor, Juniper grabbed the bowl of stew and the silver spoon before digging in. 

"There's water there, if you need it," Clampitt reminded her and as Juniper shovelled the utensil into her mouth, feeling the sauce drip down her chin, she eyed the glass of water. It was as pristine and clear as ever and by the looks of it, cold. "Now, would you like to watch the clip whilst you're eating or after?" 

Juniper raised a brow as she looked at the doctor, but she didn't answer. She'd rather not watch the clip at all. She'd rather eat her lamb stew and dried plums in peace than see whatever Clampitt had pulled from the records. But with her absence of an answer, the doctor seemed to choose one for her. 

"Okay. We'll watch it after you finish." 

And so, with that in mind, Juniper slowly ate her meal, taking pleasure in Clampitt's disgust as the sauce dripped down her chin and neck. Her nose scrunched up slightly and she had to avert her eyes. Clampitt may not have been a certain, stereotypical Capitol citizen, but Juniper figured she still respected manners and etiquette. Not as much as Nadine Groves ever would, but enough to be disgusted by Juniper Hale. 

Nadine Groves. 

What had happened to her? And what had happened to Yara Give? They still had to be in the Capitol. They had no idea about the rebellion. Were they also in other versions of the white room of hell? The Capitol surely wouldn't punish them considering they had no idea about the plan or rebellion. Or were they with the rebels with Lucy? Had Lucy made an arrangement to get them out? Lucy Stevens didn't practically care for the escort or stylist, but what if the rebellion needed them? No. Juniper was kidding herself if she thought Plutarch would want Nadine Groves and Yara Give on their side. 

The minute Juniper finished her stew and the glass of water, the door to the room blew open and a Peacekeeper came in, rolling a trolley with the same old television on it. He pushed it until it was in-front of Clampitt and Juniper before exiting.

"Did you enjoy your meal?" The sarcasm in Clampitt's tone was enough to draw a burp from Juniper, smiling when she saw the doctor flinch. "I'm going to have to teach you manners soon..." 

Clampitt held out the black tape in her grasp and pushed it into the player. She turned the television on as it began to crackle. They sat in silence before suddenly, the sounds of crashing waves and insects buzzing filled the room. Juniper swallowed a lump in her throat as she looked at the screen, realising it was showing her, Beetee, Finnick, Johanna, Peeta, and Katniss standing on the beach. The shot showed them all, especially as Beetee drew a circle that was divided into twelve wedges. 

"If you were Brutus and Enobaria, knowing what you do now about the jungle, where would you feel safest?" 

"On the beach." Juniper on the screen rolled her eyes. "Considering the jungle is filled with things that could kill you." 

"So, if it's the safest, why aren't they here on the beach?" Beetee asked. Juniper looked over at Clampitt to see that her eyes weren't trained on the screen. She was staring directly at her. 

"Because we're here." Johanna Mason's voice snapped and so, shifting slightly, Juniper turned her attention back to the screen. 

"Exactly. We're here, claiming the beach. Now, where would you go?"

Juniper watched as the shot switched to Katniss, who spoke, "I'd hide just at the edge of the jungle so I could escape if an attack came. And so I could spy on us."

"Also to eat," Finnick said as the camera changed to show all of them once more. Clampitt's eyes were still trained on her. "The jungle's full of strange creatures and plants. But by watching us, I'd know the seafood's safe."

Juniper watched as Beetee smiled at them all as he continued to say, "Yes, good. You do see. Now, here's what I propose: a twelve o'clock strike. What happens exactly at noon and at midnight?"

"The lightning hits the tree," Juniper had answered him. 

"Yes. So what I'm suggesting is that after the bolt hits at noon, but before it hits at midnight, we run my wire from that tree all the way down into the saltwater, which is, of course, highly conductive. When the bolt strikes, the electricity will travel down the wire and into, not only the water, but also the surrounding beach, which will still be damp from the ten o'clock wave. Anyone in contact with those surfaces at that moment will be electrocuted."

Before the shot could even change, the screen went black and the tape slowly ejected from the player. Juniper studied the corner of the television, still feeling Clampitt's eyes on her. It was only after a few minutes that the doctor reached over and pulled the tape out. 

"Was that the real plan, Miss Hale?" Clampitt asked. "Was that really what Beetee Latier from Three intended to do?" 

Juniper raised a brow as she turned to face the dark-haired woman, asking, "I thought you said it would be a waste of time asking the same questions over and over?"

Dr. Clampitt clenched her jaw as she replied, "My meeting today was about you, Miss Hale. They want to know what happened. You are our only key to finding that out."

"And what makes you think I would tell you anything?" Juniper scoffed. 

"Because you have no reason to be threatened by us, Miss Hale," Clampitt said soothingly. "We've given you nice food, we've given you a comfy bed, we saved you from the arena. We saved you when no-one else would. It would be nice if, for a change, you could help us—" 

Before Clampitt could even finish her sentence, Juniper bolted up from the bed, brows increasingly high as she felt herself laugh at the statement. No reason to be threatened? Juniper had every right to feel threatened by the Capitol. They had taken nearly everything away from her. They stripped her of her childhood, of her morals, of her life. The Capitol hadn't saved her. They just put her in the white room of hell and had Clampitt poke her with a stick with the attempts of making her spill. 

"For a change?" Juniper growled. "No reason to be threatened?" 

"Why, yes—" 

"You're joking!" Juniper barked out a laugh before she could even stop herself. "You have to be joking. You must be." 

Clampitt remained silent as she folded her hands in her lap. 

"You really think that I am — what?" Juniper asked. "Indebted to the Capitol? That I owe them something? You really think by showing me these little clips, it will make me spill? Well, there isn't anything to spill! Whatever Beetee was up to, that's his problem. I was just following that stupid lightning tree plan because I actually wanted to survive. Not because of some rebels, or some revolution, or whatever that little brain of yours thinks." 

Dr. Clampitt raised a brow as she looked at Juniper. "Are you done?" 

"What?" 

The woman sighed as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose before saying, "Miss Hale, I told you this. You don't have to keep denying it. If you just tell us the truth, nothing will happen to you. There will be no consequences." 

"Nothing happened!" 

Clampitt clenched her jaw as agitation filled her face, but she remained stoic as she responded, "Miss Hale... the rebels left you in that arena. They didn't come to get you. Instead, they got everyone else. Johanna Mason. Beetee Latier. Finnick Odair. Everdeen. Mellark. They're all with those... criminals. They left you there and they haven't even attempted to come and get you... two weeks and four days, Miss Hale... the rebels aren't coming to get you so do you really want to keep protecting them? When they have done nothing for you?"

Juniper lightly hopped from one foot to another as she heard the paper robe rustling. This happened before with her and Clampitt. The doctor trying to convince her to stop lying for the sake of the rebels. Juniper denying everything. Clampitt leaving her to it without believing her. The Hale woman figured this certain conversation with the doctor would be a cycle. 

"Why are you protecting them?" 

"I'm not protecting anyone. I don't do that sort of thing."

("Yeah... I'll do it..." Juniper nodded as she stood up. "I protect your Mockingjay and you get me out of that arena.")

Clampitt smiled bittersweetly as she whispered, "No, Miss Hale... you don't."

The woman got up from the bed just as the door blew open, a Peacekeeper coming in as he rolled the trolley out. Clampitt followed him to the door, looking over her shoulder as she eyed Juniper. But she sighed and quickly walked out. The door slammed behind her and the Hale woman could hear it lock.

Juniper stared at the dip of the bed where Clampitt had been sitting. She could slowly feel herself go insane as she stood in the room by herself. Every sense within her being seemed to heighten as her chest clenched, crushing her heart and cracking her ribs. It was like she couldn't breathe as she closed her eyes. 

Two weeks, four days. 

⇢ ˗ˏˋ matz 🎧 ! 

— i've made more memes for this fic and i've been giggling at them for the past hour