/*-*/ /*-*/ an ass of you /*-*/ /*-*/

Haymitch ran a hand over his face. He was beyond exhausted. That girl of his sure did a number this time and he wasn't sure he could blame her if she wanted to give up now.

He'd seen it all on the live telecast. The camera had just found Prim attending to the injured Capitol children and Katniss calling out to her when the next wave of bombs went off.

He was too old for this shit. His heart couldn't take much more bad news.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?" the nurse behind the desk asked, sounding as weary as him, but more polite than he could ever manage.

"My name is Haymitch Abernathy. I'm looking for Katniss Everdeen, she was brought here with burns," he explained.

The nurse studied his face for a few moments, no doubt determining if he was who he said. Whatever he was looking for, the nurse must have found. He turned to the computer and typed away before address him again.

"She's in the intensive burns care unit, level three." He pointed behind Haymitch, "Take one of those lifts to level three; turn right and there will be a nurse station. Someone there will be able to help you further."

"Thank you," Haymitch sighed in relief.

Finally someone willing to be helpful. He turned to take the nurse's directions. The phone rang and the nurse quickly answered it.

"Panem Central Hospital, how can I help you?" Haymitch froze. "Give me one moment I'll put you through to her."

'Panem Central was the closest. They took her and the other surviving prisoners there.' That's what Fulvia had said. That means Effie is meant to be here!

Should he find out? They didn't part on the best of terms, but they were still friends. Sort of. The very thought of being able to lay his eyes on her after all this time had his heart racing, and a feeling that was too much like longing sprung in his chest.

That was that then.

He turned back to the nurse and wore an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but can you check if someone else is here too?"

"Sure. Surname?"

"Trinket, Effie."

The nurse typed away at the nearby computer again.

"I'm sorry nothing under that name."

'Trinket is my stage name Haymitch; new job, new name. It helps keep public life and family life worlds apart.'

"Try: Ravens, Mia."

He vaguely remembered her saying that's the name she'd model under before becoming an Escort.

"I'm sorry nothing under either."

"Try both surnames with the first name Euphemia instead," Haymitch pressed.

"I'm sorry sir; there's only person we have under either surname, and he's a long term patient and has been here for months."

Haymitch felt a heavy weight descend on his chest again. Maybe he'd been looking forward to seeing her more than he'd been willing to admit.

"Okay then," he muttered, nodding his thanks and turning to go check on his girl.

He mindlessly followed the nurse's previous instructions and before he'd really noticed it, he was standing before a glass window watching his girl on fire with doctors and other medical staff flying around her like moths around a flame.

It was everything catching up with him now that the Capitol was taken. That's what he has to keep telling himself. This hole and unnamed heavy weight in his chest had nothing to do with his inability to locate his Escort.

Nothing at all.

They were just putting Katniss into some healing-status-chamber-thing when he heard two pairs of foot steps approach. Turning his head he saw Plutarch and Fulvia had joined him.

"What have the doctors said?" Plutarch asked.

"They've stabilised her. She's gonna be in the chamber-thingy till they believe the skin grafts have taken." He chuckled humourlessly. "She's lucky to be alive, they said. It ain't gonna feel like luck to her."

Thankfully the two Capitols didn't comment and joined him in silent vigil over their broken Mockingjay.

Haymitch was the first to break the silence.

"Any word on Peeta?"

"He's been found, unharmed. They've moved him into the President's Mansion with the rest of Thirteen's Command Central. It's organised for him to meet with a therapist every day so they can continue to help him sort through his memories."

Haymitch nodded glad the boy was fine too. Well, as fine as he was going to be after what the Capitol had done to him. He should check on him in person. Haymitch decided he would do that as soon as he knew Katniss had at least regained consciousness.

"Where did Effie get moved to?" he asked, keeping his voice carefully casual.

His two companions didn't answer him; they just looked at him confused by the question.

"I asked at the desk they said she wasn't here."

"Haymitch we've just come from her room. She's here, in an induced coma while they determine all the things done to her, but definitely here at this hospital," Fulvia answered.

"What name did you ask for?" Plutarch asked, he was giving Haymitch a curious look.

"Trinket and Ravens."

"Those were both stage names. Neither are her real name," Fulvia commented, joining Plutarch in giving Haymitch an inquisitive look.

Haymitch carefully kept his face blank as he fought the urge to yell at them both that he realised that, but didn't want to admit he didn't really know her surname.

"What name is she here under then?"

"Her real name," Plutarch answered with a shrug causing Haymitch to clench his jaw.

After a moments silence, Fulvia supplied the information he wanted to know.

"Euphemia Crane."

Instantly Haymitch felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Crane?!

She had been married to Seneca? All those rumours about them had been true. That's why she took his death so hard.

Why did he feel like the floor under him was spinning?

'I've always felt secure in my relationship with him.' … 'I know he loved me unconditionally back.'

How stupid could he be? Did he really think those fleeting flirtations had meant something; that one drunken kiss was more than just poor judgement due to alcohol? Why did his insides feel so cold at the thought of her going home at the end of the Games to be with Crane?

He didn't want to think about how much time he spent in Thirteen thinking about her; longing to see; heck even hear her stupid annoying voice.

It was harder and harder to admit that he felt nothing for her, because this nothing was burning his insides at the very thought of her being Mrs Crane.


I'd say trust me, but shouldn't be trusted with story-lines. I enjoy the unpopular and often am willing to entertain something that goes against what I normally enjoy myself...

Thank you to all those who reviewed, one more chapter to go. I will update and finish this off tomorrow at some point. (It is currently insanely early for me, but MIDNIGHT STAR WARS has me very awake.)

Please drop me review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Do you like/dislike this turn of events?