I started to shake Thomas under me, screaming for him to open his eyes. I lost Peeta in a similar way and I don't think I could bare to lose Thomas like this. Especially when his death is unnecessary. I started to hate Effie in those moments, this is probably her real payback, take away from me what I took away from her. I start to hyperventilate and I think he might… I don't even say the words because I refuse to say them. It won't happen to Thomas, it can't. Effie comes back, still a little tipsy, with the real doctor, not my mother.
He looks down and starts to examine, Thomas' wound. He feels for a pulse and say it's strong, but he might have been unconscious from the shock. At that moment, Haymitch and Candice come in and Haymitch pushes the doctor out of the way so hard he nearly flies and hits the edge of the front door. "What happened!", he yelled, looking straight at me as he holds Thomas in his arms. I try to tell him but nothing is coming out but gibberish and Candice says, "Calm down Katniss. And tell us." Effie speaks up at that time and says, "I was trying to kill Katniss… but Thomas got in the way." More people have formed around us including Henry and Cinna and my family. Haymitch glares at Effie and says, "What in the world were you thinking!?" However, his voice is booming, louder than he expected to sound and Effie starts to shake. "I-I-I was trying to hurt Katniss...but I didn't want too… and I sure didn't want to hurt Thomas." Candice starts crying over Thomas' body asking him to please wake up. Haymitch gets up and starts charging for Effie but Henry stops him and his strength is much too powerful for Haymitch. He tries to wriggle around him but Henry just stays hold as he eyes Thomas on the ground. Tears form in his eyes but he blinks them away but not before the fall from his eyes.
Finally, a groan comes out of Thomas and he says, "Oh god… Katniss…" I grab his hand and say, "Yes Thomas! It's me." He moves a bit and says, "Why did you call my parents? You know they're over dramatic." He chuckles a bit and says, "Dude, Henry are you crying? Oh I have to get a picture!" Henry glares but there's a smile to his face as well. I never realized this before the Games but Henry and Thomas were really good friends and that's why he'd been just as upset as me when Thomas got shot. He rolls over a bit and sees Haymitch and says, "Dad… please leave Effie alone. She did not purposely shoot me and you know that. And Mom… Mom please stop crying. Why do people cry man? Everyone is such an ugly crier." He moans some more in aggravation and says, "Hey Doc, how much is it going to cost to you know… stitch me up?" The doctor looked and said, "I don't deal with many gunshot wounds. It's going to be kind of pricey… the surgery… the stitches… room and board for the stay…" This is why everyone went to my mother. Though she had no degree and could only afford a couple of beds in her apothecary shop, everyone went to her first because the real Doctor wanted to make a profit for every little thing. Prim got stung by a bee once, and when we took her, he charged us $150 to make the swelling lump on her hand go away. In other words, we had a pretty shitty Christmas.
Haymitch groaned in the Doctor's direction and pulled out wads of cash and threw it at the doctor and said, "Will that take care of it?" The doctor counted it carefully, over and over again, as if Thomas wasn't bleeding on the ground. Henry rolled his eyes and pulled out a wad of cash and threw it straight at the doctor's head and spat, "That should be enough. If not, we can get more." After counting it again, it amounted to almost $8,000. Though it was MORE than enough, he asked that we carry Thomas into town to his Doctor's office.
When we got there, more people had shown up, including Gale and Madge, all the stylists, Polly, pretty much half the town. Thomas kept groaning in displeasure and said, "Please make them go away." Then he yelled, "I DON'T EVEN LIKE HALF YOU PEOPLE! GO HOME!" Still everyone stayed. Everyone loved Thomas and Candice. And some people started to like Haymitch and so everyone was here for them. Effie stood in a corner being huddled by the stylist team and Cinna in front of her. If things didn't go right for Thomas, several pairs of hands would be aiming for her throat, including mine. I finally walked over to her and pulled her outside away from everyone.
She breathed and said, "I've been praying he won't die. Oh what have I done? I'll go to prison for the rest of my life for taking an innocent boy's life." I swallowed hard and said, "If Thomas dies, I doubt you'll make it out of District 12." I looked at her cold and hard. I whispered to her, "Did you do this on purpose? To make me feel the pain that I caused you." Effie shook her head immediately and said, "No of course not! I went there to kill you… but I wasn't going to do it. I've been so sad and scared and… lonely. SO lonely, Katniss. I spend my nights thinking on revenge but no matter what I do… it will never bring my dear Paul back…" She starts to cry and something in my body, tells me to pull her closer and hug her. Let her cry in my arms. She does for a bit and says, "I know I shouldn't be mad at you and it's not like you planned on it. But… if it was the other way around? If… President Snow had asked me to kill the last thing you loved on Earth… would you not blame me too?" I wanted to say no but I couldn't. I would blame her and… I would want her dead. I was about to speak my answer when Henry came outside and said, "He's calling for you Katniss!" Effie smilies and urges me to go see him. I give her a quick kiss on the cheek, something I never did before, and ran to see Thomas.
He's better now and smiles when he sees me but his eyes glare around the room. I hug him and kiss him and he whispers in my ear, "If you love me, get my parents out of here. They won't stop clamoring me." Since he's feeling better, I call out, "Candice, Thomas is dying to see you! You too, Haymitch!" They both run to his bed and Thomas glowers at me with full annoyance mixed with anger as they hover him and kiss him and hug him. He gives me the finger from behind his mother's back and I just grin at him.
Haymitch, Candice, and I all spend the night in Thomas' room until Effie comes get us in the morning to tell Haymitch and I that we have to go. Neither of us really want to leave Thomas but I don't think we have a choice. Thomas smiles when he sees Effie and she freezes as she confuses it with sly anger. She starts to apologize but he holds his hand up and says, "It's cool, it's cool. You weren't aiming for me and if you were, you have terrible aim, sweetheart." She still stands there terrified but he just rolls his eyes and says, "I ain't dead, okay. I can walk, and talk and do all the cool stuff I usually do. If anyone gives you shit about this, just tell me, I'll take care of it." He looks at Haymitch then and gives him a "don't-push-the-issue-look". Haymitch nods and turns his attention to me, "Let's go."
We we're in our hotel room getting ready for Henry's Capitol party. His face was on all the posters in the city and once they found out which hotel Henry was in, crowds of people were standing outside screaming his name. Henry liked all the attention and maybe he was remembering my words when I said the Games weren't all that bad, if you win them of course. It was myself, Henry, Effie, Haymitch, Cinna, and the stylist team waiting in the lobby of our room for someone to pick us up and take us to the Capitol castle. Haymitch barely glanced in Effie's direction and everyone was sitting still and quiet. You could cut the tension in the room with a chainsaw. Finally, someone came to get us and we all let out a sigh of relief that we would be out of that room.
I got drunk again at this party, but this time for actual fun. I met up with Portia and some models from my time here and actually tried to enjoy myself at the party. However, when can I ever just relax and enjoy myself? A tall man with a full beard came up behind me and grabbed me. I was startled and almost pushed him away and then I see his uniform. He's a guard for Snow. He whispers to me, "Follow me Miss Everdeen." I sober up as quickly as possible as I follow him into the castle. I'm led into a room and I'm pushed down a table with rope tying my hands behind my back. I start to cry and say, "I'm sorry! Whatever I did, I'm sorry!" I start to whimper some more and then I hear someone else being tossed in with me. Haymitch? He's tied up too. What did we do?
Snow comes in with a bright smile on his face that turns to a frown. He looks at his guards and says "Why have you roughed them up, Guard? I just asked you to bring them here." He shakes his head at me and says, "It's hard to find good help these days, isn't it?" Haymitch snorts and says, "I'll say." We both are picked up and placed half way on a table. Then two guards point guns to the back of our heads. I scream and Haymitch says, "Whoa whoa whoa! What's going on here?" Snow chuckles and says, "Do not be frightened. This is incentive for someone else." Just then Henry walks in by held by some more guards and he gasps in horror. Snow turns his attention to Henry and says, "Now if you decide not to agree to my terms, I'll blow their brains out all over this entire room." I start to speak but in broken speech and say, "B-but you said you d-didn't kill Victors." Snow, not looking at me, waves his hand and says, "He's old and you're old news. The Capitol will forget about you before they get a chance to miss you." Henry isn't crying but his body is physically sobbing. Haymitch shakes his head and says to me, "Henry don't let him get in your head. It's not worth it-" but his speech is cut off by a guard kicking him in the ribcage. He almost falls over in pain but the rope is keeping him up. Snow rolls his eyes and says, "We'll kill Katniss first. And then maybe you'll change your mind before we off Haymitch here."
The man above me cocks his gun to my head and Snow counts, "5… 4…" I start to panic but I've been so close to death before that I should be used to it. I tremble and try to hold back tears. Whatever he asked Henry must be bad if he's said no to the point Snow will kill Haymitch and I before he accepts. I look at Henry and shake my head no. I've prepared to die so many times, I knew it was going to happen someday. "3…2... 1. Okay then… shoot-" Henry screams "Wait! I'll do it okay. I'll do it." The man pulls his gun away from my skull and breath out a huge amount of relief. Henry is shaking and Snow pulls him into a handshake. "You will report to me in six months, as soon as the Games are over." Henry puts on a fake grin and says, "I'd be delighted. See you then."
The guards untie Haymitch and I, and we both look at Henry. He moves swiftly out of the room and we follow behind him, almost running to catch up to him. "What was that about?", I asked, finally catching him. Henry rolls his eyes and says, "None of your business Katniss. Just know it's handled. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself." He walked away from me after that and joined the party again like nothing had happened. He raised up a glass and partied as he heard a thousand different voices cheering his name. Haymitch and I stood together in shock and fear. Worried what Snow was going to make him do.
A/N: Okay so this chapter is kinda sh*tty and is pretty much a filler chapter to push things on. I'll probably post another chapter today, which will actually good. Still, if you want you can leave reviews, suggestions, and commentary for this chapter. I love them and love you all. xo