Chapter Text
“Hi, Sweetheart.” I see a blurry figure as I come to. “You’re okay.”
I blink rapidly, trying to clear my vision and my head so that I can understand his words, the syllables not meaning anything to me in my confusion.
I cough as I try to speak, my throat dry and scratchy.
“Here,” Haymitch helps to support my neck as I take a sip from the cup of water he offers me.
“Peeta?” I ask, the first thought I can form.
“He’s alive.” He reassures me.
I relax slightly, but there’s still more to discuss “home?”
His face pinches, “we don’t know yet.”
I move to look at my surroundings and I realize we are still on the hovercraft, we haven’t landed yet.
“Who else?” I manage to croak out.
“Finnick’s with us. Johanna too. We got everyone we could...” Haymitch shakes his head, his hair falling in his face and hiding his eyes, but he isn’t a coward and quickly looks back at me. “Marey was captured and Render was taken at the same time Marey was, they were the ones closest to you all that we could not get. Watt, from 5, was hiding on the other side of the arena, he was captured as well.”
My breath catches. We didn’t want anyone captured. Not Watt, who I barely know. Not Render who, despite teaming up with the careers, obviously was antiGames and antiCapitol. Especially not Marey, the motherly figure we all so desperately needed in the arena… especially my boy with the bread.
“Just Finnick and Johanna?” I ask, tears falling from my eyes that I don’t even attempt to wipe away.
“Beetee is alive, he was in between the forcefield and the tree and sustained major injuries, he is alive though.” Haymitch sighs, “the only other survivor we got was Barley. We were just able to pick him up before the Capitol hovercraft arrived… It was stupid but we got lucky.” Haymitch scratches the back of his neck. I can tell he feels guilty for saying it, no life saved is ever stupid, but I do get where he is coming from, it probably was more dangerous than I even know.
“Katniss,” another voice announces their presence.
I turn my head to see Finnick, his arm bandaged from where they obviously removed his tracker, he has scratches all over his stupid symmetrical face and he looks exhausted. He’s alive, walking, talking, and sane.
It’s the best he’s ever looked.
“Finnick.” I respond, unable to come up with any words.
He just shakes his head and grins, he marches straight for me and presses a long kiss to my forehead.
“You did it!” He says, his eyes filling with tears. “You destroyed the arena and we are alive.”
I shake my head, incredulous.
“Don’t give her too big of a head, she doesn’t need any more ego boosting.” Johanna comes in next, she is limping but upright. Her arm bandaged just as Finnick’s is.
“I don’t feel like I did anything good,” I respond, my voice tight as I say what I’m actually thinking.
“Good. That means you’re still human.” Johanna manages to be sincere. Her face sad at the thought of what happened to Seeder and Marey and Enobaria and Render and Watt and everyone else.
“We are two hours out.” Plutarch comes marching in next, commanding the room and also managing to submit it to me at the same time.
I tilt my head and stare at him, not speaking a word.
No one else in the room does either and the temperature drops some as my glare turns icy and the situation turns borderline volatile.
“Plutarch.” I greet him coldly.
“Katniss,” he tries to be warm, obviously picking up on my frostiness but refusing to let it phase him.
“I don't like you. I don’t trust you… We need each other, that I am well aware of.” I squint at him further as he almost shrinks in on himself. “You do not get to make choices or decisions about me, my life, my family, or my part in this. Not without my express permission. MY” my voice raises abruptly, causing Finnick to flinch back and Jo to grin manically, “permission. Mine. No one else's, otherwise you will not have my cooperation.”
Haymitch snorts beside me but all of us ignore him.
“Do you understand?” I don’t let up on my glare for a single moment.
“Katniss-” He starts, but I cut him off.
“Do you understand?!” My voice rings out across the hovercraft.
“Yes.” He answers, obviously shocked at my response and statement.
“I am not your enemy. You are not mine. I will not be used as a puppet that you or anyone else controls. Anyone that tries is in for a rude awakening. I have dealt with one puppet master already,” well… more than one, but nobody here besides Haymitch knows that, “I will not be stuck under the control of one again.”
Plutarch is obviously offended that I’ve compared him to Snow, or even just brought up the slight possibility that he is in any way similar or could be. But he also perks up at the “we are not enemies" part.
“I understand. You have done more for Panem than anyone else ever has,” he tells me, obviously trying to get on my good side.
I don’t respond, just turn back to Haymitch.
“Where is Peeta?” I ask, I need to see him for myself now that I know he is alive.
“He’s in the other Med bed, Sweetheart…” Haymitch hesitates and it draws my attention more than anything else he’s done since I’ve woken up.
“Haymitch?” I question, my heart starting to beat faster as I remember that Peeta was injured. Alive does not mean unharmed.
“He threw himself on top of you when the lightning hit. You were almost entirely uninjured, you hit the ground hard, bruised yourself up real good, but he was hit with debris and some of it hit his head.” Haymitch’s voice gets rougher, as if he was holding his emotions back, “he hasn’t woken up yet, but we did everything we could for him here, he will have to wait until we get to 13 for anything more.”
I can’t sit up. I’m still too weak for it but my head rolls to each side as I try to spot his bed. As I turn back towards Haymitch he leans slightly and I can just see past him. I can see Peeta’s side profile from my angle, he is lying on his stomach and his face is turned towards me. His face is serene. It’s also flat. It’s nothing and everything all at once.
“Haymitch…” My voice catches and my mentor doesn’t waste a second.
“Sweetheart… the both of you will be okay.” He seems just as upset, “I promised the both of you didn’t I, at least once upon a time?”
I almost smile at his words, but I am overwhelmed. I can hardly think straight, my entire body hurts, and I feel so weak and out of it.
“Did I hit my head?” I ask, unable to confront my helplessness in regards to Peeta’s health.
“I’d say so, you both flew through the air!” Johanna throws her hands up.
“Fuck.” I mutter, closing my eyes as I realize why I might be so weak and not like myself.
Finnick startles at my cussing, unused to it, and even Jo seems surprised but she grins. Haymitch just stares at me unimpressed.
“I mean, I know it’s not ideal but watch your language!” Finnick jokingly scolds, sounding more like the father he will be someday than he ever has before.
“I can’t get hit in the head again, not after the last games…” I manage to get out, causing Haymitch’s eyes to get wide and both Johanna and Finnick’s faces to drop.
“What do you mean?” Finnick questions already halfway up out of his seat in his panic.
“Said I had brain damage from the explosion at the cornucopia, bad concussion.” I try to explain, but Peeta was the one who learnt all about it, more concerned with knowing every detail than I ever was.
“Fucking hell, Brainless! Why would you pull some shit like you did then?!” Johanna masks her fear with anger, something I hadn’t previously picked up on but I am glad to know that this time around as her response probably would’ve gotten under my skin before.
“No other choice.” I tell her, slowly feeling myself slip back into unconsciousness, my eyes getting heavier and my finger tips starting to feel like they're floating, all the weight from my body leaving as I fall into the darkness.
“Don’t fall asleep!” Haymitch says but I can’t hear what he says after that.