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No one had thought to tell Katniss when they picked up a District 12 survivor. She was just some girl that they had found in the forest when they went over with their hovercraft. No one had considered that Katniss might want to be notified of finding any new District 12 survivors; they thought she was only interested in her family, Peeta, and Gale. After all, Katniss was the only one who knew that she herself had an affinity for—
“Madge?” It was an exclamation spoken like a question.
Katniss stood like a deer in headlights when she saw a new member of 13 sit down on one of the District 12 tables for lunchtime. She was skinnier than she remembered, with bruises — mostly light — covering almost her entire body, and hair that desperately needed a wash. But underneath that ducked head and cowering body, she saw the beautiful, bright blue eyes that belonged to her Madge. And when she called her name, her entire body responded, jerking upright and latching onto her gaze.
“K-Katniss?” Was Madge’s response.
Katniss, ignoring the wave of vertigo it gave her, stood up abruptly and practically sprinted to Madge’s seat. Luckily, Madge had also stood up, and was able to return the bonecrushing hug that Katniss gave her when she came into contact with her.
They stood there embracing for what probably looked like too long but felt like not enough. Katniss buried her face into Madge’s neck, squeezing her eyes tight when she felt tears begin to sting. She felt okay to let them go when she felt Madge’s tears on her own shoulder. They were warm, like the hug, and Katniss decided it was a sensation that she enjoyed.
Eventually, for need of space or for people to stop staring, they pulled away from each other. They still held on to each other’s arms, but this time they did it sitting down.
“I’ve missed you so much, Katniss.” Madge said, wiping a tear away with the back of her hand.
Katniss gave her a smile. “Me too.” Then her smile began to drop, “I thought— I thought that you might’ve gotten killed in the bombings.”
Madge’s own smile started to waver. “I, um, was actually at Victor’s Village when the bombs fell.”
Katniss felt her brow furrow.
“I’d been, um, tending to your gardens while you were away. Helping your family out.” Madge sniffled, and Katniss inched closer to her, pulling her into a sidehug. “I was around the back of your house when they— the bombs— hit, so no one found me to help me evacuate. I think I passed out from the impact.”
“How have you survived on your own for so long?” Katniss asked, part in marvel and part in horror.
Madge’s previously troubled expression lightened up with a bit of a smirk. She looked coy, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Remember when you taught me how to hunt?”
Katniss sat back and stared at her, mouth agape. “You survived by yourself for that long by hunting?”
Madge nodded shyly. “I mainly survived off katniss roots, the ones you showed me, but I did manage to get a few squirrels.”
“I’m proud of you.” Katniss said, bringing Madge in for another, shorter, hug. She ignored the pang in her chest when she realised her family must not have survived. She filed it away. Madge would tell her when she wanted to. She let the hug go on for a little longer anyway.
Madge chuckled as she pulled back. “Be proud of your teaching skills. Besides, all but one of those squirrels were sleeping.”
Katniss shrugged. “You still must’ve skinned them, and started a fire so you could cook them, right?”
“I suppose so. Yeah.”
“So, be proud of yourself.” Katniss settled again. “Did they just bring you in today, then?”
Madge shook her head. “No, last night. I was up in the hospital before this, they just cleared me to come to lunch.”
“Does that mean you don’t have a compartment yet?” Katniss asked. She didn’t mention how that meant Madge must’ve been living alone for weeks.
“If that’s a fancy term for ‘room’, then no, I don’t… And I wouldn’t have anybody to share with, anyway.”
Right. There it is. Katniss squeezed her tighter. “I’m sorry. If you want, I could ask if you wanted to live with me? We could get a compartment across from my mother and Prim.”
Madge looked up at her. “Really? They wouldn’t mind?”
Katniss shook her head. “They spend most of their time at the hospital. We only really see each other during mealtimes anyway.”
Madge turned her head to the table Katniss was previously sitting at. Prim waved at her, and her mother gave a nod in greeting.
Katniss followed her gaze. “Here, do you wanna come sit with us?”
Madge nodded, and followed Katniss as she stood up. Katniss didn’t notice how weak she looked before when she stood up, because she had immediately been swallowed in Katniss’s arms. But now, there was a visible shake to her legs when she walked, so Katniss offered an arm to steady her. Madge took it, and Katniss didn’t comment on what little weight Madge had to lean on her.
“Hi, Madge.” Prim said as they sat down.
“Hey, Prim. It’s been so long, I miss tending to the flowers with you.”
Prim nodded, and Katniss noticed the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She realised that Madge must’ve been comforting and helping out her family when she was in the Quell, because she and Prim were not this close before.
“We’re glad to have you with us, Madge.” Katniss’s mother said, reaching out her hand to give Madge’s a small squeeze. “I know how confining the hospital can be for patients. If you’d like, you can stay in our compartment until you get your own. I know Katniss won’t mind sharing her bed, she does it with Prim all the time.”
“If Katniss doesn’t mind.” Madge smiled, turning to face Katniss.
Katniss was suddenly thankful that blush was hard to see on Seam folk, because for some reason the way Madge was looking at her, asking to sleep in the same bed as her, made her ears burn. “No, I don’t mind.”
“Thank you, I can barely sleep for a full hour at a time in there.”
They finished the rest of their lunch, Katniss giving some of her own to Madge when she had finished all of it in record time, before they had to follow their schedule. That was Training for Katniss, and Madge was escorted back to the hospital.
Although Training was really hunting, which should excite her, she really didn’t feel like seeing Gale right now. The need to hunt won out, and although she told him she was going to go down to Special Defence, he found her aboveground and didn’t say anything when she ignored him.
The only thing she could think of was Madge surviving in the forest on her own for weeks.
“You heard Madge is back?” Gale asked, breaking the silence.
Katniss loosed an arrow, piercing a bird that just took flight. She started trekking to where the body fell. “Yeah. She’s staying with me.”
Gale followed her. “I was thinking we could pick some strawberries for her if we can find any.”
Katniss held up a small woven pouch attached to her hip. It was full of strawberries.
Gale didn’t say anything after that.
Katniss presented them to Madge when she made it to the compartment for lights out. She would’ve given them to her at dinner, but there was a slight (large) chance she could’ve gotten arrested for hoarding food.
“Here. I found some while I was out hunting today.” Katniss said, standing up and handing Madge the pouch when she walked in.
Madge took the pouch gratefully. “They let you hunt?”
Katniss nodded. “It’s part of a deal I made with the President.”
Madge looked confused, but her expression was quickly replaced with awe when she undid the knot on the pouch and saw what was held inside. “Strawberries! I thought I’d never get to eat these again.”
Katniss smiled. “I washed them in the lake already, go ahead and try one.”
Madge plucked one out excitedly, her eyes closing in bliss when she bit into it.
“Oh my goodness, this might be the best strawberry I’ve ever had.” Madge groaned, already biting into another one.
“Here, you have to try one.” Madge said, holding out the pouch to Katniss.
She grabbed one and bit into it. It was fresh, unlike most food down here, and juicy, also unlike most food down here. She could easily tell that Madge liked them a lot more than her.
The meagre stock of berries was finished soon after that.
When Prim and her mother returned from the hospital, they all tucked into their bunks. They weren’t made for two people, and so for Madge to fit in Katniss’s, they had to practically be spooning.
She wasn’t complaining though, that might’ve been the first sleep she’d had without nightmares since she’d arrived in District 13.