Haymitch watches the victors on stage holding their hands aloft. He's still reeling from Peeta's "baby" revelation. He had known the boy was good, but fucking hell. The live feed gets cut, and they're all escorted out by Peacekeepers. They line up around just the mentors, shoving people out of the way with shoulders and even guns. They stand between the mentors and everyone else, keeping them back from the citizens exiting the building, as though they might run and attack the Capitol citizens if they aren't restrained.
He sees Effie, Cinna, and Portia fighting against the crowd, trying to get to the mentors. One of the Peacekeepers breaks from the line, starts waving his gun at them. He opens his mouth to yell, and warn them, but he can't be heard over the din, and a Peacekeeper starts bellowing, "Every Capitol citizen has to go home! Curfew is in effect!"
Once the bottom floor of the Training Center is clear, it's just the mentors and the Peacekeepers. He hopes Katniss and Peeta are okay.
Three Peacekeepers step on the elevator with Gloss, Cashmere, Cash, and Heart, and they go up to District 1's apartment.
When the elevator returns, the scene repeats itself with Enobaria, Brutus, and Lyme.
The rest of them stand in line, silent. Training Center employees, Gamemakers, President Snow's many assistants, all walk through the bottom floor of the Training Center, not bothering to keep their voices down.
They won't show a recap of the interview. Rebels are in the Capitol. President Snow is canceling the Games. President Snow is executing Caesar Flickerman for letting the show get away from him, and allowing Peeta to say, "If it weren't for the baby," on live television.
Haymitch believes it about the recap. The rest would be a surprise.
He has to keep his face carefully blank as Plutarch walks by, deep in conversation with one of the Training Center employees.
Finally, he and his three Peacekeepers make it to an elevator and ride up. Haymitch wonders if Effie has made it home yet. He's so sick with worry that he'll open the flat door and Katniss and Peeta won't be there. He can't think about it. He won't think about it, until he's searched the entire place.
When the door opens, it's such a relief to see Katniss and Peeta, he feels weak with the sight.
"It's madness out there," he says. He walks to the window and leans casually on the side of it to peer down into the street below. "Everyone's been sent home, and they've canceled the recap of the interviews on television."
Peeta and Katniss have joined him at the window, watching more rows of Peacekeepers, some of them even waving guns at Capitol citizens. You can tell it's their first time being threatened.
Peeta and Katniss seem excited, and Haymitch hears himself remind them that these Games won't be canceled.
They both nod and look serious.
Katniss asks, "The others went home?"
Haymitch feels a catch in his chest. "They were ordered to. I don't know how much luck they're having in the mob." He looks closer, wondering if he'll see a victor or mentor, or Effie's golden hair.
"Then we'll never see Effie again," says Peeta. He looks at Haymitch and asks, "You'll give her our thanks?"
Katniss, who is watching Peeta with the softest expression, looks at Haymitch too and says, "More than that. Really make it special. It's Effie, after all." Oh, assuming he would just say, "Thanks, sweetheart," and leave it at that? Trust Katniss to make him feel bad and confused since, really, he probably he would have done that last year, if they had asked then. Katniss continues, "Tell her how appreciative we are, and how she was the best escort ever and tell her… tell her we send our love."
Her words are awkward because they're not hers. She's trying to give Effie the kind of thanks Effie herself would give, and the gesture, followed by the message of love, moves him. He thinks about telling Effie that even in the midst of everything, Peeta and Katniss thought of her.
They're all quiet, probably thinking of different things, all wishing without hope for the same thing: that this night won't end, or could end on a different day.
"I guess this is where we say our goodbyes as well." If all goes well, he, his tributes, and Effie should be safe in Thirteen in about five days.
"Any last words of advice?"
His throat closes up. This time last year, he was hoping against hope one of them would live. This time, he's certain they'll both be dead in the first ten minutes, if not by tributes, then by Gamemakers on orders from Snow.
"Stay alive," he manages.
If he says more, he's not sure he'll remain calm, but that can't be it. He grabs Katniss first, hugs her, and quickly releases her to hug Peeta briefly as well. He's certain he's going to be sick.
"Go to bed. You need your rest."
Katniss looks like she's about to say something, then her brows contract, and she shakes her head, looks down at the ground.
Peeta says, "You take care, Haymitch."
He nods his understanding. They turn to go. He swallows hard, fighting the rising bile. He needs to speak before they're fully out of the room.
"Katniss," he says, and they stop. "When you're in the arena," they turn around and look at him. He can barely see them in the darkness. He hopes they can't see how close he is to throwing up like the first night he met them, like nothing has changed.
"What?" asks Katniss, probably wondering if he's about to say something cutting. It makes him feel even worse.
"You just remember who the enemy is." Not Finnick, not Wiress, not Seeder or Chaff. He could just say, please don't kill my friends, the murderers, but instead he says, "That's all. Now go on. Get out of here."
They do, and he walks swiftly to his room, and is sick into the toilet three times, till nothing comes up, then two more, dry heaving. He makes a bed by the toilet. It's going to be a long night.