The others say I'm getting my sanity back, although Finnick's just not how he used to be. He's more agitated, just fiddling with his rope. If he's not training or going through daily medication I'm always with him, but it's like he doesn't know I'm even there. I'm worried about him deeply.
We were walking in the halls of some of the lower floors of District 13's hospital. Constatly he's just walking by my side as he loops the rope and unties it again and again. Recently I've been trying to get the rope away from his hands since they're giving him blisters, and I just really want him to smile at me. So I tried doing it today again.
I sat him down on one of the benches screwdrived to the wall and held his ever busy hands. They stopped moving and he looked at me. "Annie..." "Finnick, honey, can you give me the rope again?" He looked at the rope then he looked at me again. "The... the rope..." he whispered. I reassured him with a smile. He looked at the knot he made and slipped it into my left hand. I used my right hand to caress his oh-so-thin cheeks. "Thank you." I pocketed the piece and stood up with him in my hands, he wouldn't let go. I wouldn't have let him either.
We walked up to the elevator at the end of the hall and Finnick was just staring at the floor. "Where are we going?" He managed to say. I smiled at him and held his hand tighter, "Just for a walk. Is there any particular place you wanna go to?" The elevator door opened and Plutarch walks out with Haymitch by his side. "Mr. Odair, Ms. Cresta," Plutarch bows. "Where might you two be off to?" Before I could answer Finnick squeezed my hand, "Katniss," he whispered, "and Johanna." I looked at him, a bit surprised of his response.
Haymitch just smiled his drunk smirk of a smile and nodded. I could've sworn Plutarch wanted to laugh with delight, but instead he says, "My goodness, well, best you two not be late. Have fun." then the two were gone. We went inside the elevator to the top floor, where Katniss and Johanna are.
I knocked on Katniss's door and it opened instantly, Prim invited us in, "Katniss, Finnick and Annie are here." Katniss stood up and hugged us both. She sat us down on her bed and Prim made cups of tea. We told her about going out with us but then her expression grew darker. "I'm sorry, I can't right now. Maybe next time." The moment her lips closed she went instantly to a smile. Finnick finished his tea and we said our good byes for now.
We left Katniss and went across the hall to Johanna's room. We knocked on her door. No one answered. I called out her name a few times as Finnick just held onto my hand.. "No one's home." I looked at Finnick with concern. He smiled at me like he was saying 'I'm glad it's just you and me'. I smiled back and we headed for the lake.
The thing about the lake is that only we tributes know where it is. Finnick found it when he was wandering about in the huge cavern that is District 13. We snuck around various guards, went through various hidden passages, and squeezed through various places. This isn't exactly the way Finnick found it, it's a shortcut we made, it's a bit harder but it's really quicker than walking to it like normal. After crawling through the last hole we reached a grassy plain and crawled out. I dusted myself and took Finnick's hand again.
"Here we are, your lake." Finnick's color instanty came back and he just seemed to become himself again. He let go of my hand and walked straight towards the water. Finnick took his hospital robe off, left with only his boxers, and jumped into the crystal clear water. I sat beside his clothes and waited for him to resurface. Being Finnick Odair, I didn't really worry because I knew that he and the water are one. Once he's in there, well, it's the most beautiful thing you'll ever see.
As I was watching the ever still water, he bobbed his head out at the center of the lake. He looked around, looking for me, "Annie, the water's great," he smiled, "I want you to enjoy it with me." He waited for an answer in silence. The breeze was blowing through my hair, which is weird since I don't know where the wind is coming from. "Well?" He whistled. I stood up, smiled and ran for the water, taking off my hospital robe in the process leaving me in my underwear, too.
As I dove for the water Finnick was already beside me. He pulled me close and our lips touched. It was then I knew that the old Finnick came back, even just for a little while.