DISLCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OR CLAIM ANY RIGHTS TO THE HUNGER GAMES TRIOLGY. WISH I DID THOUGH BECAUSE IT'S FUCKING FABULOUS.
A/N: This chapter is a lot of dialogue so prepare yourselves lol. Hope you enjoy, please review! ^.^
"The Capitol?" I mumble out.
"Yes." Confirms Beetee.
"How do we get there?" I say quickly.
"It's not that simple Katniss, we haven't even united the Districts yet, it would be a suicide mission." Coin says sternly.
"This is Peetas life." I spit out. I don't know why I am so bitter to Coin, I am frustrated as she doesn't seem to be taking this as seriously as she could should be.
"What are our options?" Plutarch pipes up.
"Well, without treatment his life expectancy is only a week." Beetee says softly.
"A week?" I repeat in disbelief. Peeta can't live for just a week. He has to live to be old and grey.
"How long would it take to unite the Districts?" Asks Haymitch.
"It's hard to say," she sighs. "We haven't even got District two yet, let alone District one. And then there is the Capitol. It would take more than a week, no doubt."
My stomach begins to twist and turn to the point it feels like a fancy knot that Finnick created that can't be undone. The thought comes back to me, what I thought in the first arena, "If he dies I'll never go home. I'll spend the rest of my life in this arena, trying to think a way out." And I refuse to stay in a damn Arena.
"Send me." I blurt out. "I will not let him die, if you don't send me, I will find a way on my own. Better to send me with reinforcements then on my own." I add. Now I've put Coin in a dead lock. I've probably made her more angry, let alone willing to help me. She stares at me for a long time, no one speaks. Just silence.
"No." Coin says.
"Fine." I say getting up. "I'll see you in the Capitol." I spit out before walking away.
"Katniss wait." Gale shouts. I turn to face the table.
"What?" I say bitterly.
"Coin, you need to consider this, you've seen what your Mockingjay is capable of, she will find a way out, despite how many guards you have on her." Gale says.
"He has a point." Plutarch says matter-of-factly. "Maybe it should be like the Victors rescue. Volunteer only?" he adds in an attempt to coerce Coin.
Coin turns to Beetee now. "How many soldiers would you need, what exactly would you need to do?"
"Well," Beetee says scratching his head. "You would need to get into the Capitol Grand Hospital, Cressida knows a doctor that is employed at the hospital so she would be able to find the location of the treatment." He says pausing taking a breath. "His treatment is very complicated, he is given a very strong medicine that works through a large machine. It will drain out his blood and filter through all the bacteria and infections and then back into his system. He will also have further treatment running through his lungs, essentially draining them dry then restarting them. The machine he needs is quite large, about the side of that doorway." He says pointing at the doorway we came through. About Six and half feet tall and 3 foot wide. "Plus the actually medicine comes in fluid bags, like morphling. You would need it least half a dozen. And you will need the drug treatment for his lungs, they will come in vials. I am unsure how much he will need, it will depends on Peetas weight and his condition at the time of administration so you will need to get as much as you can carry."
"That's a lot." Coin says hesitantly. "But we need our Mockingjay." She adds on.
"Get it on camera." Haymitch pipes in. "What else could help the rebellion? The Mockingjay sneaking into the capitol to save the man she loves?"
Plutarch smiles, "That is a great idea Haymitch!" he says optimistically.
"And you think Cressida would be okay doing that?" Gale asks curiously.
"Cressida would be vital for the mission. She knows the doctor in the Grand Hospital." Beetee adds in.
Coin considers this more a moment before turning her attention to Plutarch, "What do you think?" She asks.
"She won't cooperate to be our Mockingjay any other way." He says smiling at me.
"How many?" Coin asks abruptly.
"It least 15." Beetee replies.
"Okay we will make an announcement this evening." Coin says.
I want to scream and yell to do it now, but I am pushing my luck enough, so I stay silent. As everyone gets up to leave I grab Haymitch's arm. "Can I see him?" I ask desperately, almost begging.
"No sweetheart, he is in isolation, we can't afford him to get any more sick than he already is."
Admitting defeat I don't say anything else and let him leave. As I sit in my own pitiful silence I stare at my hands trying to organize my thoughts. I need to say goodbye. Like Coin said, this will probably be a suicide mission, but I need to take that risk for Peeta. I refuse to give up on him, even if Coin wants to, I decline to ever do that to him.
When the announcement beams all over District Thirteen, I see all the citizens' eyes light up to the President standing on the podium looking at everyone. Confused looks pass through as Coin reinforces her previous statement.
Now we have to wait for the numbers to stack, those who volunteer are ordered to Command as the assembly concludes. I don't want to feel the disappointment if the numbers prove unsuccessful so I walk slowly to my compartment. When I arrive I slump down onto the bed, and I can feel the morphing starting to wear off, so instead of trying to stay awake to hear back from Command I let myself drift off to sleep.
When I eyes open I see a very sober Haymitch staring back at me with an ice cold grip on my shoulder. My head is hurting, not as bad as this morning, but bad no less. "Oh what." I mumble. "They got the number Katniss, get up." As the words concrete itself in my head I shoot up onto my feet. "Easy girl on fire, you're not set to depart until the morning."
"Why aren't we going now!?" I shout.
"Because everyone needs to prep, including you, you look like crap." He says.
"Well thanks." I say sarcastically. "were is everyone preparing for the suicide mission as Coin calls it?"
"Down in weapons with Beetee, you'll be taking your bow as usual so I think only a couple of practice shots will be enough for you then you can go get some bloody rest before we are set to go."
"My head Haymitch, I need something for my head." I mumble.
"They won't let you go if you've already got an injury." Haymitch says throwing a clean jumpsuit and a fresh towel. I look up at Haymitch annoyed and he adds on, "I'll sort it out." He says gruffly. "Now get in the shower, I'll meet you in weapons after."
When I get down to weapons I see all the soldiers and I am impressed with the turn out, they would have to be at least 20. Haymitch swiftly passes me a couple of pills which I quickly swallow. I gulp down some water and look up to see Finnick. I approach him slowly, before saying softly."Finnick didn't expect to see you."
"Well Hello to you to Girl on fire, ready to save the baker boy?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." I reply.
"Don't look so glum Katniss, we are going to save Peeta. Then you'll happy ever after with the boy with bread and you can make toast." He says happily with a wink. I give him an eye roll and go to walk away when Finnick grabs my arm. "If you're surprised to see me, you'll be even more surprised to see Johanna." He says. My eyes light up immediately. Johanna?
"Why the hell would she want to come?" I scoff.
"You don't know do you?" he questions. I look at him quizzically.
Finnick looks down at his feet. "They had adjoining cells in the Capitol Katniss, they are both very familiar with each other's screams." He pauses and looks up into my eyes. "Johanna knew firsthand what he went through, she said that he didn't go through all that torture to end up dead."
"I had no idea." I say looking up at Finnick.
"No idea that they adjacent cells or that Johanna had a heart?" He says with a light chuckle.
"Both I guess" I say with a small smile.
I'm called away from Finnick by Beetee, who gives me my bow and lines me up for training. Luckily my archery skills are still up to scratch and it doesn't take long before I am cleared to go to bed. I lay down my weapon and start to walk to my compartment for bed, but as I walk with my hand resting on the metal railing the temptation to see Peeta and say goodbye tickles in my mind. I throw around the possibility, and why I should and shouldn't go. I don't want Peeta to become any sicker, but if this mission proves unsuccessful tomorrow we'll both be dead anyway.
I give in to my temptations and wind up in the hospital wing. I have no familiarity with were the 'isolation' room would be. But I know I will have to tread carefully to ensure I don't get caught by nurses or doctors, fortunately sneaking around silently in the woods searching for prey has come in handy, again. As I turn a corner down a white corridor I see Haymitch, my stomach drops and I quickly turn down a different hallway, but not in nearly enough time. "You're getting predictable sweetheart." I hear him call. I decide to stop myself running and instead hope that Haymitch will grant me this one desire.
"Please Haymitch." I plead.
"You know I can't Katniss." He responds softly.
"Why?" I ask frustrated.
"You know why." He replies.
"Come on Haymitch, if we don't get back from the Capitol, we'll both be dead anyway." I say repeating my earlier thought.
Haymitch looks at me for a second realising the reality of the outcome of this mission. He lets out a sigh of defeat and looks up at me. "Give me a minute."
I stay silent as he walks away.
When Haymitch returns Prim is behind him. "Hey little duck" I say with a smile, hiding my desperation.
"Hey." She says sweetly.
"Prim has been assigned Peetas care earlier when he was put in isolation, she'll help you get in." Haymitch says patting her shoulder.
Tears spring to my eyes with relief. "Thank you." I let out trying not to encourage the ugly cries.
"Keep it together sweetheart, you haven't even seen him yet." Haymitch says with a laugh.
I follow Prims instructions and put on a sheer ugly yellow gown, a surgical face mask and gloves, I'm even instructed to put on a hair net. I feel stupid covering myself from head to toe, but I do what I'm told in order to see him. Once I am in the appropriate gear I follow Prim to the door. "Take it slowly Katniss. You know he isn't well." Prim says giving my head a reassuring squeeze.
"Thank you Prim." I say softly holding back the hideous cries that lie behind my words.
When I enter I realise that the room reeks off cleaning products and medicine. Something I think that the Capitol hospital will probably smell a lot like. I turn to Peeta, he looks the same, which I guess is a good thing. I crawl up next to him and feel him pull me in closer to him and kiss my head.
"Don't go to the Capitol Katniss ." He says softly.
"I have to Peeta." I reply.
"No you don't Katniss, please." He pleads.
I sit up and look at him. "You know if the roles were reversed you would be doing the same Peeta." I say sternly. I've got him in a stalemate and there's nothing he could ever say to change my mind. Admitting defeat he pulls me in closer and holds me tightly.
It isn't long when I hear Prim knock on the door. As I pull away Peeta has an iron grip on my wrist. "Don't go Katniss." He says almost bitterly.
"I have to Peeta, I'm sorry." I reply
"I love you Katniss." He yells out as I exit.
"I love you Peeta." I yell as the door seals between us.
I know that if I die. My last thought will be of him.