"Though it may seem like it was vice versa,
You took care of me at her deathbed,
You gave me hope that miracles could happen."
When Finnick and Annie arrived, they were greeted by the sight of Annie's parents crying. Annie's mother staggered over to them. "S-She…" she blubbered. "Elle… she…" Marlene hiccupped. Finnick gripped Annie's wrist, as if to protect her from what Marlene was about to say.
Annie turned a light shade of pink. "W-wh…" she started, but soon found herself unable to speak clearly, just like her mother.
Finnick turned to the doctor sitting on a stool beside Elle's bed. "How is she?" he asked.
The doctor, Doctor Rivers, looked troubled. "We're afraid she won't make it, Mr. Odair," she said. Finnick sighed. "But there's still a chance… a twenty percent chance, maybe… that she will live. We did all we could, Mr. Odair; all we could do right now is hope."
"Hope for what?" Finnick whispered. "A miracle?" She nodded.
Annie wriggled free from Finnick's grasp and ran to Elle's bed. The doctor stood up and offered her stool to Annie. "Thanks," Annie managed to get out after sitting down.
"You're welcome," Doctor Rivers replied. "I have to prepare for a surgery at three, anyway." Then, she left.
Finnick got another stool from the corner of the room, set it down near Annie and her stool, and sat down. "I can't believe this happened to her…" Annie muttered. She sounded like she was about to cry.
"She won't die," Finnick said. "I just know it." More of 'I'm just hoping,' Finnick thought.
"This is my f-fault." Annie was crying now. Finnick looked behind him. They were alone. "If… if only…"
"This isn't your fault," Finnick told her firmly just as he felt one of Annie's teardrops splatter his skin. Annie buried her head in her hands. "She's not going to die, Annie." But somehow, the more he said it, the more he found it to be untrue.
An hour later, both of them were still there, weeping. Annie wept for her sister. Finnick wept… for some reason. He didn't know why he was crying—he barely knew Elle. But it didn't matter. They were both weeping for a lost cause.
Or so they thought.
For just as they found that they had no tears left, Elle's eyes started to open.
