Haymitch had been busy finalizing the paperwork for the new Panem when Chaff found him in Johanna's room. The two had been brainstorming about the rules they would demand for the benefit of the districts. They turned to Chaff with a frown because the latter looked like he's ready to faint.
"What's the matter with you?" Haymitch asked.
Chaff took his time to catch his breath.
"They arrested Trinket", he answered.
Both Johanna and Haymitch stood up fast. The paper he's holding has been forgotten on Johanna's hospital bed.
"What did you say?" Haymitch asked with a growl.
"I found her in Peeta's room. We were walking back to hers so she can rest but when we got there, soldiers were already waiting in her room. I tried to stop them…they said it's under Coin's orders", they heard the shaking in his voice. He's also seething in anger, "I've never seen Trinket like that before. When they put the handcuffs on, she just zoned out", Chaff answered.
Johanna literally ripped the needles from her arm. She does not really need the morphling anymore and they have no idea how she's persuading the nurse to continue giving her one.
"Where the fuck is my axe?! I am getting her out of there and I don't care how many soldiers I have to gut along the way", she yelled.
They have no doubt in their heads that she will do just that. Hell, Haymitch wants to stab someone right now but the Capitol is filled with rebels and soldiers all loyal to Coin. If they started killing people because of a Capitol escort, people will turn on them even if they're Victors.
"Hold that thought, Jo. I am talking to Plutarch. Chaff, go find her axe. If Coin refused after I exhausted all efforts, we go on killing spree to get Trinket out", he barked.
A smirk played upon the girl's lips. She's itching to kill someone ever since the bombing on the Presidential Mansion's gate.
"Don't take too long, old man. I don't like Trinket in a cage", she replied.
Haymitch marched on Plutarch's office. He ignored the secretary outside and two soldiers posted by the door. They can't hold him anyway. Plutarch stared at him with a frown.
"Haymitch—"
"What the fuck is she trying to do here? Really? Trinket? Is she really that desperate for another bloodbath?" Haymitch cut him off before he can say anything Capitol-ish.
It occurred to him that the former Head Gamemaker didn't know the arrest either.
"Oh god…I did not know. Alma ordered for the arrest of all participants of the games. I was excluded, of course, and I thought Effie would be too. I didn't know. Let me talk to her", he said.
Haymitch scoffed.
"You think she will listen to you when she did not even bother consulting you about arresting Effie? Have you seen the state she was in when we found her? They chained her to the damn wall! I just promised her she'll be safe and now, you throw her into the cell", he nervously rubbed his face with his hands, "I need to get her out of there. I need to talk to Coin right now", he demanded.
His hands are shaking and weight of his knife on his waist is becoming too heavy.
"I don't think it will be a good idea. Let me do the talking. Cooler head is better than—"
"Johanna is just waiting for me to fail in negotiating with Coin. She's been dying to axe someone and you just gave her the perfect excuse to start killing people. Chaff is shaking from anger and don't start with me because I am doing my best to control myself. If Peeta gets a wind of this, you can already guess what he's reaction will be like. Enobaria may not care for Effie but she's with us. Do you really want all the Victors turning against this administration?" he snapped.
Threatening them even though they're outnumbered is a foolish idea but he's running out of options. He has to believe that they still have some weight in Panem.
"Fine. You can talk to Coin but I will be there. I can't let you do something stupid that will get all of you killed", Plutarch agreed.
Coin is sitting on her throne when they arrived in her office. Plutarch asked the soldiers to give them the room and they did. Looking as smug as ever, Coin greeted them with a calculating smile on her face.
"What do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Abernathy?" she asked.
"Effie Trinket", Haymitch simply said.
He saw it registered on her face and he knows she ordered for her arrest specifically.
"Ah…it's a shame, yes, but you do understand I have a rule to uphold. The people want justice and that goes for everyone who participated in the games which includes your escort", she explained.
Haymitch raised a brow at her.
"Everyone? I don't see anyone arresting Plutarch", he challenged.
For a moment, he felt the former Head Gamemaker tensed beside him.
"It's different with Mr. Heavensbee", Coin said.
"It's different with Effie too. She's the Mockingjay's escort and she went against Snow. She was imprisoned and tortured for it and you want to do the same to her?" Haymitch asked.
It is obvious that the woman does not care about the things Effie went through. Like his observation before, she's out for blood and as long as one is Capitol, no one is safe from her.
"The people deserve justice. Ms. Trinket was an escort long before the Mockingjay", she pointed out.
Haymitch is at the end of his ropes. Reasoning with the woman is hopeless and he's already considering giving the signal to Johanna to gut everyone that's going to block their path to Effie.
"You're going to release her", a voice interrupted them.
They turned and saw Dalia Everdeen standing by the door. She looked awful and Haymitch wondered if she has been sleeping at all.
"Mrs. Everdeen, this is a private meeting—"
"You already killed my youngest daughter and my other one is lying on a hospital bed. You're not sending her escort to her death as well", Dalia expressed firmly.
It's the first time Haymitch saw her that angry before. Dalia has always been calm, passive. This is a new side of her he's seeing.
"That is a grave accusation, Mrs. Everdeen. I understand your grief but that was a different administration. That was President Snow", Coin gently said.
Dalia raised a brow at her.
"Snow? Or was it Operation Nightjars?" that almost took both Coin's and Plutarch's breath away. "Yes, I do know a thing or two and unless you don't want the rest of Panem to know that too, you will release Effie Trinket immediately. This is not a threat Madam President but if something happens to me or my daughter or anyone I care about…you might find yourself on trial along with President Snow", she spilled.
Haymitch had heard about that from Beetee when he told him everything that happened at the Mansion's gate. He just did not know that Dalia knows about it too.
"You can expect Ms. Trinket to be released this afternoon under one condition: she's to play the Mockingjay's escort one last time when Katniss Everdeen wakes and able to attend President Snow's trial. Shouldn't be too hard since it's her job after all", Coin proposed.
He knows what she's doing. She will release Effie but she will show to everyone that she's still an escort. She will not let them forget.
"Fine", he agreed which ended the meeting.
Outside, Dalia and Haymitch walked side by side.
"You shouldn't have put yourself in the line of fire like that", he muttered.
"My daughter would have wanted to save Ms. Trinket, both of them. Besides, she came to visit Katniss this morning and…she's a good person. She does not deserve to get hurt again", she explained.
He reached for her arm to stop her from walking.
"Thank you, Dalia. This means a lot to me", he said.
The woman gave him a sad smile before reaching for his face.
"We never thought you will find someone again but I'm glad it's her. Do take care of her and when this is over, please take her away from this city. I already have a mind to get Katniss out of Capitol as soon as possible…maybe Four. Johanna mentioned it's nice there", she replied.
Johanna was a bit disappointed that she's not going to kill anyone anytime soon but she's glad that Effie is going to be released. Time couldn't come faster though. Haymitch must have counted it every second until it's time to get her out.
What he saw inside the cell almost broke his heart, Effie is curled on the corner, eyes blanked and fixed on the floor. She's cradling her shoulder and she seemed to be unaware of her surroundings.
"Princess? It's me, Haymitch", he gently said because he does not want to startle her.
His words were heard by deaf ears.
"Sweetheart…please…" he touched her face and she recoiled but since she's already against the wall, there's nowhere for her to run away to, "It's me. Please come back to me. Effie…" he pleaded because he does not want to lose her.
She slowly returned to the present and her eyes met his. She's still in a haze but he can see her getting back to herself little by little.
"Haymitch?" he nodded with a smile, "Wait. Stop…I can't keep playing this game. Stop this trick. It's not funny. You can't just…you can't keep showing him to me only to take him away again", she expressed.
He held her tighter and put her hand over his face. She stiffened and closed her eyes.
"Open your eyes, sweetheart. Look at me, please", she refused, "Please, princess. I need you to look at me", he urges.
She's shaking and she fought it but she really wants to see him again even though she's risking it to be another trick to her brain to torment her.
"You're going to disappear again", she muttered.
"No, princess. I will not. I will not. I promise. No one is going to lock you up again", he swore.
He will kill everyone if they put her back in prison again.
"Can you take me away from here?" she asked, unsure whether he can actually do that.
"That's why I am here, princess", he answered and scooped her up.
He carried her in his arms all the way back to her hospital room. He helped her get out of the uniform they put her into and he noticed her shoulder is swelling. He clenched his jaw in anger. It must have been from putting the handcuffed on her wrists. They damaged her bad shoulder.
"I need to call your doctor to take a look on your shoulder, sweetheart", she grabbed his arm and stopped him from walking away.
"Don't go. Please. I don't want you to disappear again", she pleaded desperately.
Luckily, Chaff entered the room so he asked him instead to get the doctor for them.
"I am here. I am not going to anywhere even if you want me to", he said.
That put her at ease and she did not let go of his arm even when the doctor arrived to examine her shoulder. She did not let him go away from her. He gladly stayed there too. He constantly touches her just to remind her he's still there. The doctor informed them that her shoulder was bruised but it's going to be okay. Later that night, she asked him to sleep with her on her bed and he gladly obliged.