Chapter Four
Me and Katniss survey the scene for a few moments. The smell is putrid and I'm having a hard enough job keeping my dinner down as it is. I realise that Effie is right, Haymitch is all we've got. When we're in that arena it's him that could well save our lives. Her life, because if I'm going to get her out of there alive then it's Haymitch I need to work with.
Almost in unison Katniss and I take one of Haymitch's arms each and haul him to his feet.
I tripped?" Haymitch asks. "Smells bad. Damn right it does Haymitch. He wipes nose smearing his face in chunks of vomit.
"Let's get you back to your room," I say. "Clean you up a bit."
We half drag half carry him back to his compartment. We heave him in to the bathroom and drag him in to the bath, turning on the shower to try and clean him off a bit. I sense an opportunity to maybe tell him about my plan, but I need to get rid of Katniss first.
"It's okay," I say to her. "I'll take it from here." She looks relieved, and to be honest I don't blame her. It's not exactly my idea of fun having to deal with a very drunk mentor who's covered in foul smelling sick.
All right," she says. "I can send one of the Capitol people to help you."
No I need to do this on my own, otherwise she might work out what I'm trying to do.
"No. I don't want them." I tell her, she nods and leaves the room to go back to her own compartment.
I sigh and then get to work. I hose Haymitch down as best I can, before towelling him off and throwing a quilt over him. I don't even try to lift him out of the bath, I'm strong but not that strong.
I lightly slap him across the face until his eyes open slightly. I talk quickly not wanting him to pass out before I've finished speaking.
"I need you to listen to me. Once we're in that arena you're going to do all you can to bring Katniss home, do you hear me?"
Haymitch nods slightly his eyes unfocused. I only hope that he understands.
"Between the two of us," I continue "we're going to work to try and bring her back to District 12."
Haymitch nods again, before slumping back in the bath, his eyes closed his mouth wide and snoring. I leave the room going back to my own bedroom; I only hope that I managed to get through to him. I need to work out a plan with him before the games start, and time is not something I have an abundance of.
Once I'm back in my room I rush to the toilet. The rich food has taken its toll on my stomach and I'm violently sick. I retch until there's nothing left to come up, and I go backing to the bedroom. I change in to some pyjama's I found in the drawer, and climb in to the bed. For the first time since we got on the train I think about what will be going on back home. My father will be putting the dough by the oven so it can rise in time to be baked tomorrow morning. My mother will probably be sweeping up the front of the shop. Robus and Sol will be tending to the pigs. The realisation that if I'm going to save Katniss, I'll never see their faces again. They'll see me, when the Capitol ship me home in a wooden box to be buried back in District 12.
The tears start falling down my face, so I shut my eyes and try to go to sleep. Eventually I manage it, waking up just as the sun is rising over the mountains that we seem to have reached during the hours I was asleep. I climb out of bed expecting my feet to hit the cold dusty wooden floor boards that line the floor in my bedroom at home. I'm surprised at first to feel the fluffy carpet on my feet, until I remember where I am and why.
I cross to the window and survey the scenery outside. We're about to go through a cast mountain range, so I know enough of Panem's geography to realise that the Capitol is just hours away.
I quickly dress in the clothes that I put on yesterday seeing as they're still clean. I walk over to the mirror and brush hair, whilst rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. It's still early but I decide to head down to the dining room and see if breakfast is out. I open the door and my greatest surprise I find Haymitch sitting there.
"Morning." He grunts at me, clearly nursing one hell of a hangover.
"Good morning." I reply, taking the seat opposite him. I'm trying to work out whether he remembers anything from the previous night. I'm about to say something, but he beats me to it.
"Listen, we've got to sort a few things out before the girl comes in." he says quickly. "What you said to me last night."
"You mean about getting Katniss home?" I interject, "You actually remember me saying that."
Haymitch fixes a gaze on me. "I remember more than you'd think son."
"Anyway," He continues. "If it's really what you want you've got to come up with a plan now."
"I was hoping you'd help me with that." I say quietly. Haymitch gives a bark like laugh, and takes a swig of something from a silver flask. The strong smell of spirits hits me even though I'm sitting across the table from Haymitch.
I'm about to say something when Effie trots in to the room, and pours herself a coffee from the jug on the table. I take a moment to look at the food on the table, a huge basket of rolls, tureens of fruit, flagons of orange juice, and huge platters of eggs, ham, potatoes and sausages. One of the Capitol attendants comes in with a steaming silver jug of something, and pours a mug of it for me, and another for Katniss when she arrives. I pig up my mug and look inside it, it's a creamy brown colour. I take a sip and the warm liquid tastes delicious.
"What is this?" I ask the room at large.
"Hot chocolate." The Capitol attendant replies with a smile.
Katniss arrives just a few minutes later.
"Sit down! Sit down!" says Haymitch waving her over. She sits and serves herself from the huge platter of food. I notice that she's looking at the mug of hot chocolate just like I was.
"They call it hot chocolate," I say. "It's good." She takes a sip, and within a few seconds has drained the cup. Me and Katniss eat until we're fit to burst, Haymitch adding the spirit from the flask to his glass of juice. After another few minutes Katniss starts to speak.
"So, you're supposed to give us advice," she says to Haymitch.
"Here's some advice. Stay alive," says Haymitch, and then bursts out laughing.
He's starting to get on my nerves. District 12 tributes never stand a chance with Haymitch as their mentor. I exchange a look with Katniss and realize that she is feeling the same way I am. I act impulsively.
"That's very funny," I say. I lash out at Haymitch knocking his glass to the floor where splatters the liquid all over the floor. "Only not to us." I add.
I can guess what is coming; Haymitch looks at me for a moment before punching me in the jaw, knocking me from my chair. I sit up on the carpet just in time to see Katniss drive a knife in to the table between his hand and the bottle of drink.
"Well, what's this?" says Haymitch. "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?"
I get up from the floor, scoop some ice from the tray of fruit, and raise it to my jaw. Haymitch stops me though.
"No," he says. "Let the bruise show. The audience will think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you've even made it to the arena."
I think for a moment trying to work out what Haymitch's aim is.
"That's against the rules," I say.
"Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better," says Haymitch. He turns to Katniss. "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"
I could answer that question for her. My father buys enough of her squirrels; she always hits them right in the eye. Sure enough she yanks the knife from the table, throws it, and it lands in the seam between two panels.
"Stand over here. Both of you," says Haymitch, nodding to the middle of the room. We obey and he circles us, prodding us like animals at times, checking our muscles, examining our faces. "Well, you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough."
I don't dispute this. The most good looking tributes always get the most sponsors. One year a tribute called Finnick Odair from District 4 won the games purely of the gifts sponsors gave him for his beauty.
"All right, I'll make a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you," says Haymitch. "But you have to do exactly what I say."
It's not much but it's a step forward, maybe I can hope to persuade him to help me get Katniss out alive.
"Fine," I say simply. Katniss goes one step further.
"So help us," she says. "When we get to the arena, what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone —"
"One thing at a time. In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist," says Haymitch.
"But —" she begins.
"No buts. Don't resist," says Haymitch. He takes the bottle of spirits and leaves the car, just as it is plunged in to darkness. We must be in the tunnel that leads up to the Capitol through the mountains. Katniss and I stand in silence as we speed through the tunnel. Eventually light floods the compartment once again, and we both run to the window to get a glimpse of the Capitol. The buildings are huge, and painted in pastel colours. Huge stone structures rise high in to the sky, and people wearing the most bizarre clothes wander around the streets.
People start to recognise that it must be a tribute train that's pulling in, and again I act impulsively. If I'm going to help Katniss then I need to get people on my side. I wave at the passers by, smiling happily at them. It's only when we pull in to the station that I realise Katniss has stepped back from the window. She looks at me questioningly.
"Who knows?" I say. "One of them may be rich."