staggering ( survivors ) // ridley/milo
Oct 26, 2019 2:01:44 GMT -5
Post by Stare on Oct 26, 2019 2:01:44 GMT -5
Milo's weight leaning into Ridley's shoulder made their progress slow, but their attackers didn't seem to be pursuing them. Still, Ridley felt far from safe. She'd seen the hits Charisma took, could name tributes who had died from less, and even though she knew that her allies were fighters it scared her.
The truth was that she already knew what was going to happen to Charisma, and she knew that she had deserved better.
"I'll say thank you later." Milo's breaths were coming in wheezes. "You're okay?"
Her? Ridley gave him an incredulous look. He'd taken the brunt of the hits and he was worried about her? What the hell was wrong with him?
"Charisma?"
Ridley faltered.
"I'm fine." She avoided making eye contact, instead focusing on keeping their progress fast and steady through the trees. Her throat felt strangely tight. "I don't think Car's going to make it. I'm sorry."
And she was. She was truly, genuinely sorry.
"I'm sorry too. She didn't - fuck this hurts." Milo was shivering against her.
"I know. I'm going to patch you up, though, okay?" Ridley paused long enough to peel off her cloak and drape it over his shoulders. "You're going to pull through."
"Probably will. Maybe." Milo was beginning to stumble. "Can we stop? I'm so tired." She nearly stumbled herself when he nuzzled into her neck, her grip on him faltering slightly. Of course, even half broken he was still a shameless flirt.
"Sure," she muttered, stopping and lowering him down, but he was already gone. She took the opportunity to begin assessing his injuries, trying to determine just how much farther they could move without hurting him.
And it was there, with Milo too far gone to see it, that the loss of Charisma struck Ridley unexpectedly, like a knife in the back. She squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head slightly, regret momentarily threatening to overwhelm her. It was stupid. She shouldn't have felt much of anything because the goal of the Games was to survive, and she'd certainly done that. She was succeeding, wasn't she? Winning? Doing her family proud?
But they'd lost Charisma.
Ridley sucked in a breath and tilted her head back, glaring at the sky. All that Career training, and she couldn't even keep her own ally safe. Who the hell did she think she was kidding?
Ridley Le Roux was still alive.
But she had failed, nonetheless.
