Chapter Two
Despite Coin's announcement of no casualties, it seemed that after the bombing, everyone was desperate check on people they knew. Everywhere Effie went there were people asking after family members, couples hugging. Even the stiff soldiers where nodding and smiling to people they knew.
Effie, not really having anyone in District Thirteen, walked straight up to Level 31 and made herself look presentable. It was a terrible thing, she came to knew, not having anyone who was dead-set on worrying about you. Especially your looks. In the Capitol, there was always people curious about what she was wearing. Her hairdresser was always coming up with new wig designs for her.
but down amongst the population of Panem,
After that, she found herself in the cafeteria on level 33. They were serving a late breakfast.
As Effie queued up, she couldn't help but think again of the revolting quality of the food. She never quiet realised what food normal people eat.
She was remind of how hard adjustment to Thirteen had been. Effie had never been in a place which had so many rules. Specific shower times, the horrible grey uniform, restricted areas and food rations. Every citizen got two meals a day - only two! The food was measured. The ladies who stood behind the tables of the buffet measured out each portion they served. Each person got exactly one cup of white carbohydrate-like mush, and a half a cup of something else. In that morning's case, it was beans. Effie shuddered.
"Thank you." she said to the lady, and grabbed a spoon - only a spoon. District Thirteen had no forks or knives. They weren't there because they weren't needed. None of the food had enough texture to be cut.
"Why don't you come sit here, dear." the buffet woman offered. "We always see you sitting alone."
Effie was take back. She hardly knew these people, and they were not only being friendly, but also polite.
"Oh - Yes I will."
The one woman smiled. She was old, and had parchment skin of a warm brown colour. She made Effie sit on a chair in the back.
"My name is Daisy Missick." she introduced.
"Effie Trinket." Effie parroted.
"You come from the Capitol?" the woman asked. She seemed surprised, but not in the usual condescending way. Effie bowed her head in shame regardless.
"Of course so comes from 'de rotting Capitol, Dais. Can't you hear it in her voice?" A woman from the back said. "You need to go upstairs so Domic they can check you hearing."
Daisy shook her head. "Don't mind her. She's just a bit down these days."
"I'm not down!" the woman argued. Effie caught a glimpse of her hunchback body. "When 'dey told me I was going to be a cook down here, I thought I'd at least do a decent bit of cookin', you know. Nope, just work 'dem machines and buffeting!"
Effie stared at the beige tiles of the room and the pots sitting the corner. "You don't cook in here?"
"Of course we don't cook!"
Effie had intended the question for Daisy, but the mad woman replied. She startled Effie by popping her head around the corner.
"Chin up, buttercup!" the woman said, "I'll show you how the machine works, and give you some more." The woman had a wicked grin on her face. She gestured to the pot of grey-green beans.
"Oh, no. I am quiet alright." Effie cover quickly. Daisy looked at her understandably. The beans made Effie nauseous just by smelling them.
"It's actually no machine-" the crazy-looking woman started.
"It's a printer." Daisy explained.
"And it prints in 3D. Three dimensions." She said in wonder, "We get instructions from the upstairs on what the food needs, and 'den print it here."
Effie spotted a very industrial looking lump of metal in the corner. A conveyer belt came from it centre. She wondered if they had similar machines in the Capitol. She had never actually been inside a kitchen, now that she thought of it. Cooking was considered primitive in the Capitol, and as a result, no one cooked. Everything was prepared by Avoxes and came from the districts, that was all she knew.
"If it is a printer, can't you print whatever you like?" Effie asked. "Make the food better?"
"We are under strict instructions from above." Daisy said, "They tell us what to do."
So many rules, Effie thought.
"Also limited resources." the woman said, "The little food comin' from 'dem farms are precious. And that's how everybody get 'em nutrients by the printer. No sunlight, you get all sorts 'o disease. If it wasn't for 'em old stinky beans, you would die, buttercup."
Effie didn't like the woman's tone. It remained her too much of Haymitch, and of her and Haymitch's argument the previous night.
"You were Twelve's escort." the woman said, "I remember you although its hard without all de feathers and bejewlery and stuff. 'May 'dem odds be ever in your favour.'."
Effie shuddered. "Do you come from Twelve yourself?"
"Not a compete airhead, I see. Yeah, I came from 'de Seam."
Effie decided to ignore the insult, "Like Katniss."
"Yeah." the woman moaned, " 'Dem old Everdeens. Shame." she shook her head, looking lost in memory. " 'Dey call me Sae, Miss Trinket."
"Greasy Sae." Daisy added.
"Greasy Sae." the woman repeated, her lisp catching each 's' in her name.
"You knew Katniss, didn't you?" Effie softened.
"I know her, yeah. She's not dead, so why you de past tense?" Greasy Sae may have looked slow, but her intelligence was as sharp as a needle. "I sold soup in 'de Hob back in Twelve. My whole life I fed the starving men, woman and children in 'de Seam. You have to what you have to do to make life easier for 'dem poor souls around you, regardless of who ye' are."
Effie looked for something to say back, but couldn't find it. She could not relate to what Greasy Sae said in anyway.
"I've always been a cook." Daisy said, "I grew up in Thirteen, but my parents originally come Seven."
"Have you been down here your whole life?" Effie asked, bewildered. She didn't get to find out that morning, though. A familiar face walked into the kitchen.
"Effie! Where have you been? I have been looking since eight o'clock!"
It was Cressida. She had come to fetch Effie for the post-bombing propo.
"Coin wants it done before dinner. Beetee wants it earlier because he needs to do something with the broadcasting and coding."
"Where is Katniss?"
"Upstairs, in the medical ward waiting for you."
"Good. Thank you." Effie said.
"Don't go hiding again." Cressida told her, "Someone said you're upset."
"Upset? Who?" Effie enquired.
"Um - Haymitch I think."
Effie managed to scoff, "I am not."
"Right." Cressida agreed, "See you in the council room in half an hour."
Effie had to climb the stairs as the elevators were still out. All the levels above 20 had been destroyed. Apparently they were sealed underground now. This made Effie wonder how they were going to get out to shoot the propo.
She felt a sting of anger at Haymitch for telling the team that she was upset. Now that she thought about it, she was't really. After the few slow stares from empathetic Daisy, Effie felt re-energised. She didn't skip up the stairs as she usually did, but she did not trudge either. She had taken what Greasy Sae said to heart. She had to help where she could, make life a little easier for the people around her. She had to get Katniss ready, and fast.
She found Prim first in the hospital, looking rather professional with a clipboard. "Darling Primrose! Where is your sister?"
Prim gestured to a room in the back. Katniss was talking to a man who had a bandage around his head. Of course. No casualties yes, but injuries defiantly.
"Katniss! Hello! Yes! We have to be in the board room in twenty minutes for a propo."
"I know."
"Oh Cressida told you, good. Up to my compartment now. We have lots to do in little time."
"I am not putting on make up, Effie. Remember, I'm not supposed to look thirty-five."
Effie's gazed narrowed at that. The girl's attitude had always been something.
"Very well. You still have to let me do your hair. And costume. There is too little time to get Octavia and there rest of the prep team involved."
Effie paused, hands on her hips. "I have to do my job, Katniss."
The girl sighed at that, but didn't argue. She knew Effie was right.
A quick fifteen minutes later they were up in the meeting room. Katniss had refused to put on Cinna's Mockingjay outfit but in the end it was for the best. They would not have had time to have done that anyway. Effie carefully platted Katniss's signature side side-plat in, and dabbed on the little foundation she had. It was not how Cinna would have done it, but Effie thought she looked dashing either way.
"Good morning, everyone." she said cheerfully.
"Afternoon." Beetee corrected.
"I'm not sure about the good, either." Gale said, resting his crossbow over his shoulder. He was looking a particularly nasty crack in the wall.
"Put that thing down, Gale." Haymitch said. "You'll kill someone."
Effie eyed Haymitch cooly. He looked worse than he did last night. His beanie still gave him the impression of a homeless person, which was only reinforced by his recent inability to shave.
He was playing with a pen and sitting at his chair at the table, eyes boring around the table, but looking everywhere but at her. He was going to be ignoring her for a long time, she could tell.
"No time to waste. It's going to be a hike up." Cressida said.
"And she means hike." Beetee said. "I'm not sure how you'll get out precisely. The top mile is all rubble, including most of the exits. At least that is what I was informed."
"Well make it eventually." Boggs said, looking formal in his soldier posture. "There is bound to be an exit. The engineers have set up various scout groups in all the higher levels."
It was a hike indeed. Concrete blocks scattered the levels. Effie always got the feeling that District Thirteen was a cave, but no more than that afternoon. It was cold and dark. Whenever they came across an open fire, Boggs had to stop an inform someone downstairs, otherwise there was the risk of something blowing up, and more levels becoming rubble.
"So Katniss, it's 'Thirteen is alive and well and so am I'." Effie prompted, but was blissfully ignored.
"Never one to waste it in rehearsal, I know."
She heard a few sniggers from the cameramen behind her. No surprise to anyone there. The girl never did respond to anything formal.
When they reached daylight, the group were all equally horrified. Plutarch said that there was a forest about District Thirteen. There wasn't even a sign of anything resembling life. The only thing visible was the rubble of concrete and metal. The sky sulked in grey, and everything had the stench of - flowers?
In the centre of the little hole they stood in, lay scattered roses - white roses - looking very much out of place. There were hundreds.
"Why would they drop these?" Gale asked.
Effie knew immediately. White roses had always been Snow. Even before she met him personally, she always saw the president in the petals of the flower.
Despite Cressida's best efforts, Katniss couldn't continue. It must have been too much for the girl. The shock of seeing the woods of Thirteen destroyed by the bombs, the smoke and the smell of roses. She started mumbling things along the lines of "Peeta - I can't do this -"
Effie softened when Haymitch ran down to the girl, trying to sympathise by hugging. She was shaking, having one of those panic attacks Plutarch said she had since the Quarter Quell. It was upsetting to see. Eventually, Katniss ran back down the hole they came from.
"You'd better go after her." Cressida instructed Haymitch.
He sighed deeply, meeting Effie's gaze somewhere along the way. For a moment she thought he was accepting her sympathies for him, but then his jaw hardened again, so she looked away. He had looked angry. She felt empty.
x
Serval sunrises and sunsets passed before Haymitch sunk down from exhaustion. Between Plutarch, Coin, Beetee and himself, they formulated a plan. A good plan, to get Peeta and the others out of the Tributes Centre.
Beetee's big head had cooked up a complex system go events that he had trouble following. Things about a setting a bomb off somewhere in the Districts, then sending out a propo, then getting some secret Capitol rebels to lead Peacekeepers off somewhere else… But he supposed the whole point was to make it difficult so that Snow and his officials could not follow what was happening either.
He scratched up Katniss from where she was hiding in the laundry, and got her up to Coin's control panel. They had a narrow time frame, and he was so confident that it would work.
Finnick started talking about President Snow. Things Haymitch himself didn't know about the man. The more Finnick spoke, the more excited he got. Boggs and the rest of the team were busy flying in Capitol airspace. He was crossing his fingers and mumbling things to keep the good luck going. It didn't last. Beetee's transmission with the soldiers got lost in a blinding flash on the screen.
His fingers twitched nervously at the scene playing out in front of him.
"We've lost contact." Beetee repeated.
President Coin muttered a few instructions, and things became even more of a frenzy. Then a lightbulbs went off over Katniss's head. She suggested that they broadcast her.
And before Haymitch knew it, the devil himself appeared on the screen. Large and in high definition, Snow's smile filled the room with ice. It was the first time since the bombing when Haymitch felt genuinely scared, overwhelmed by seeing the man who had taken so much from him. He had never seen Snow's evil, joyless face so up close.
He thought of his mother and his brother; the 46 dead tributes he had mentored; the ash that was now District Twelve; and the thousands of people he knew in the hob. In the Seam. And his girl.
He felt like disappearing to get some booze, but kept his composure, for the girl's sake.
She was all calm and brave as she always was. She answered his tricky questions without pause, and reciprocate equally paradoxic ones back at Snow. She looked determined, forceful with her words, but patient enough that Snow payed attention to her. Not of the first time, and certainly not for the last, he was in awe with her talent.
For a few brief moments, Beetee got through and spoke to Boggs. It would have been such a good plan, until Snow grinned into the camera at Katniss. "Don't you think I know your friends are in the Tribute Centre?"
The screens froze in white. Gale and the rest disappeared.
She was frantic. Jumpy, demanding answers from everyone. "We have to get hold of them. We have to tell them he knows."
"There's no signal." Came from Plutarch. Beetee, who was mumbling into the microphone nodded. Just as brave as the Mockingjay had been a few moments before, just as frantic as she was now.
"No, Haymitch. He knew the whole time." she whined, "He was taunting us. We have to get them out. They're in there."
"No, we don't know that."
"Did I lose them both tonight?" She asked, desperate and overcome with fear. "Did I lose them both tonight? Did I lose them both tonight?" She fell into Haymitch's arms, shaking. He was reminded of Effie during the bombing.
x
"Here we are again." Effie yodelled, entering the board room again, "And no Katniss." she repeated, pouting her lips in a pose. "Pity."
Prim looked disappointed, but not surprised. She walked the length of the room, making sure that her sister wasn't lying hidden away somewhere.
"Is that Haymitch?" the teen asked doubtfully.
She speed walked closer. Lying under the table with his hands to his chest was a man. His beanie was pulled over his nose. Effie thought he looked rather like the old mentor of District Twelve who was suffering a hangover.
"Haymitch?" Effie asked softly.
He groaned. It didn't matter now hard Effie tried, she always sounded like she was nagging.
"Wake up, Haymitch."
"What?" he groaned, feeling fingers on his head. He repeated another friendlier "What?" to Prim when he realised it was her touch.
"Do you know where my sister is?"
"What do you think?"
"Don't be rude, Haymitch. Maybe if you weren't sleeping through a crisis-"
"I wasn't sleeping Effie and you already knew that."
"It looked like-"
"But I wasn't. I was trying to clear my head from the full blown sh-"
Prim stood awkwardly in the battleground. She picked up on the bitterness between Haymitch and Effie immediately.
"Sorry." Haymitch mumbled, "I'm just…"
Prim shook it off. She didn't mind. She was quiet used to bickering when Peeta was still around. He and Katniss fought like cat and dog.
"Why are you looking for Katniss?"
"Because Boggs is looking for her. Apparently it's Coin. She wants a meeting."
Haymitch lit up. Maybe-
"There's no news." Prim extinguished his excitement, "Coin just wants to talk to her."
"Of course." he muttered, sinking back onto the ground. He felt the hardness of his shoulder blades, and the thickness of his skull. Why did everything in Thirteen have to be made of concrete or metal?
"Well, we should check her compartment."
"But she won't be there." Prim said, "Maybe the dining hall?"
"That is where Coin went off to check. She is most probably over there, if she hasn't crawled into an unknown shaft of this cave." Effie elaborated.
Prim nodded. "I am going back to the hospital. Feel free to join me Effie - and you Haymitch."
In the end, it was the disproving stare from both woman that got him up. Also, he had the tiniest smidget of hope that there might be alcohol in the hospital. He just had to check.
"Soldiers, are you off duty right now?" And official-looking person asked the three of them.
"I am a nurse, sir."
"Off duty?"
"Correct. I have a shift now on Level 27. Lots of injured citizens after the bombing." Prim excused herself.
"Right. Good luck in there." the officer said, and Prim walked off. "And you, soldier?"
Haymitch looked at Effie expectantly. "Well I don't know about soldier." She rolled her eyes. "But we are off-duty."
"What are your duties?"
"Mockingjay One." Haymitch answered automatically. He could see some of the officials shuffle in surprise. "We work for Coin personally, so whatever you want us to do-"
"You have been instructed to help engineers with the recovery of the upper levels as a result of Thursday's attack. Please abandon your schedules." the officer commanded formally.
Haymitch took one look at the staircase they would have to take. All those levels without an elevator…
"Now you see, soldier." Haymitch started, "I don't think you understand. Mockingjay One works directly with Katniss Everdeen and Finnick Odair-"
"Here is a direct instruction from President Coin's office to take all off-duty citizens to the nineteenth floor."
Their eyes followed wall that went up to the now blackened Level 1. Eventually he found the wall reading '19'. It was so high that he had to squint to see it though foggy air. There was no way Haymitch was going to walk up those stairs. He opened his mouth to retaliate-
"Officer." Effie beamed. Haymitch wondered how she got her voice to go all husky like that."There must be some kind of mistake. We are not meant to do that kind of physical work."
Then Haymitch understood what she was trying to do. She batted her eyelashes, hands on her hips. This only confused the officer further.
"And even if we were supposed to some sort other duties, we aren't trained for it. You see, Level 30 needs us on standby."
The soldiers at the back whispered amongst each other. Everyone knew that Level 30 was where Coin's control centre was.
"Just in case Commander Heavensbee needs us." she added. He knew she did that just to show off their importance. Haymitch rolled his eyes. But he had to give it to her, she was a convincing flirt.
"Sorry soldiers, no excuses. Officer Jenkinson will show you to your work. She will take you to Level 21." the soldier said.
To say Haymitch looked overenthusiastic would be a mistake.
"Why did you do that?" He growled.
"I know you have very little respect for me at the moment, Haymitch, but do try to shut it out. This might be for the better." Effie said quickly. "For you and for me. Imagine you lying in that room and rotting?"
He rolled his eyes once more, looking up at the first staircase.
"You could have tried a different strategy. Being pretty only works in the Capitol!"
"Being arrogant does not work either. Get your chin up, buttercup." she fired back, copying Greasy Sae from the previous morning. "This could be entertaining."
He narrowed his eyes, thighs already burning from the stairs and his head still throbbing from lack of booze, worsened by the sound of her voice.
Trust Effie to bring optimism to the table, he thought bitterly. She paraded forward, not even blinking in his direction, and he followed grimly.
The engineers needed more than just a little bit of help. Visual clues of the of the bombing were everywhere. Cracked tiles and scattered boxes stretched as far as they could see in the corridors.
They reached a level where engineers and soldiers stood dark passages. Haymitch could make out plans on a screen, explaining the layout of the sinkhole, and red areas of where the bombs had eaten into the ant farm. It actually looked better than he imagined the bombs did the previous night.
Effie and Haymitch's task was to look for open fires or burst water pipes. If they found a fire, they were to put it out immediately. In the case of a pipe, it was a call to a soldier or mechanic nearby.
In the end, Haymitch ended up laughing because it was entertaining, but at Effie's expense. She had insisted on carrying the fire extinguisher, and she looked ridiculous while doing it. She kept of changing her grip on it, back buckling under it's weight; while Haymitch strolled with the spotlight, pointing at where they were going.
"You okay there, princess?"
"Dazzling." She grunted, but still managed to sound cheerful somehow. He chuckled. Stubbornness did have its cost.
The corridor they moved down was residential. Plutarch was right about each citizen having standard living quarters. The compartments were cold and dark and identical. The whole experience was a lot more eerie than Haymitch would admit to. Occasionally, the pair would stumble across evidence of a bunk bed that was still unmade, or some momentos of whoever's room it was - proof of that someone once lived here - even if it was only two days ago that the bombing happened.
"Where are the people staying now?" Effie asked.
"There are extra beds in the bunker." he said, "And on Level 39."
She raised an eyebrow in question.
"That's my level. No one lives there. It's mostly storage. And cockroaches."
"Sounds pleasant." she said sarcastically, "Wait, isn't that a fire?"
Effie stared at the corner of the room. In a crack the floor there was a sure enough a small blaze. Haymitch could have put it out by stamping with his foot. It was no larger than the flame of a candle.
Effie, however, grabbed the extinguisher and rushed forward, only to struggle with the mechanism.
"Could you?" she asked after a while.
He passed her the torch and fiddled with the nozzle until it cracked open. He picked up the contraption and aimed at the flame.
"Um-" she interrupted, "Do you mind if I do it?"
"No no no." he bored, "Be my guest."
Haymitch explained the nozzle to her, and then watched her try for herself. He was astonished, looking at a sight he never thought he'd see in his life: Effie Trinket, beloved Capitol doll and escort, manhandling a heavy metal gun in a squatting position with her frilly Capitol shoes still on. She blew out the fire, looking way too pleased with herself. She exhaled, and then took the torch from him.
"What? You want me to carry it?"
She smirked, walking out the room. "You carry, I extinguish."
"Because that's what equality is." he stated, full of sarcasm, but not the kind intended to hurt.
"Exactly." she smiled, directing them down the passage. "Trot along."
She ended up putting out two more fires until they cleared the area. And due to her enthusiasm, they ended up doing three more corridors like it.
Effie was surprisingly hands-on, and took control of the situation well. He wan't sure why he was so surprised anyway. She had done it countless times as an escort. Maybe it was just the thought of her in a jumpsuit, with that ridiculous headscarf. Or just seeing her do manual labour. Effie Trinket doing manual labour, he snorted.
"This looks like Peeta's token." Effie said, holding the light onto a dresser in one of the bedrooms. Haymitch came closer.
A square metal locket on a long string. It was very similar to the one Effie had given to Peeta, except that it was silver.
"That poor boy." She smiled sadly, picking up the locket. She got it open with her nails, and the two looked at the picture of a smiling woman. Whoever the locket belonged to had a beautiful girl in their life. Haymitch thought that the girl looked like Finnick's Annie, only with blonde locks.
"Do you think he is still alive?" she asked unexpectedly.
Haymitch didn't have to wonder who 'he' was. He wanted Peeta to be alive so badly. He knew that if the boy was dead, or if something happen to him, the revolution would die. Katniss was the revolution, and Katniss was not coping without Peeta. He hoped that Peeta was okay, because without him she would go crazy - like Annie - or just lose all motivation - like him.
A darker part of him knew the truth. He had a horrible feeling in his belly. After Snow's transmission, he was so sure the man had done something to Peeta. There was no way Snow was going to go lenient after the Quarter Quell.
"No." he said, and after a while, watching her optimism fall.
Effie's big blue eyes stared down at her feet.
"I hope I'm wrong." he added.
"As do I." she said, "I think you're wrong."
She set down the locket, and they watched it for a while, their minds suck on the boy with the bread. Then Effie lead him back to the engineers.
"Anything interesting, ma'am?"
Effie had convinced the young engineers to call her 'madam' instead of the anonymous 'soldier'. She originally suggested 'Mrs', but changed her mind to 'ma'am.'. The trainee engineers' eyes widened. They had been taught the only person to be called ma'am was President Coin. Effie enjoyed giving herself the same kind of authority, and the trainees did too. They were still young, like the sass Effie had to offer.
"This whole corridor's clear, boys. Hardly any cracks too." she said, smiling.
"That's good, ma'am, because this is my level." the one boy said. "My mom's going to be happy."
"Keep quiet, Geras." the one boy said under his breath, "We have to be professional."
When the one boy called Haymitch 'sir' he shot them a poisonous look. Effie and everyone else in District Thirteen might like titles, but he didn't. He was going to be Haymitch and not 'sir' or 'soldier' or 'Mr Abernathy' or anything else.
"I think we'll leave now." Haymitch interrupted their conversation. Effie would probably have him carry the fire extinguisher until the entire Thirteen was checked for cracks and fires.
"Just as well, sir- soldier. I just got a transmission from Commander Boggs."
"What did he say?" Haymitch demanded. If it was news about the rescue mission…
"Well he was asking for you two to go Level 30. Apparently-"
And then he started running. Effie and the engineers stared bleakly after him.
"Never mind, boys. His majesty has got a more important job that checking for cracks. I'd better follow him."
"You do that, ma'am."
Haymitch made it down sixteen levels and stood at the hospital entrance.
"News?" he demanded, almost tripping over Boggs with his speed.
"They're back." Boggs said. "You should fetch-"
"Katniss." he breathed, running again. He ran faster than his thoughts. Remembering only talking a bit, and then running again through the doors of the medical ward with the girl and Finnick.
And then there, in the centre of the hall, cursing away doctors, was petite little creature that looked like she came back from the dead.
"Johanna?"
She ripped a few IV lines out her arm and smirked at him. He never understood the phrase 'on your deathbed' properly until now. She looked terrifying, with her head clean shaven and every other body part that he could see purple with bruises.
Then there was Annie, rushing into Finnick. He watched the two embrace in a kiss, desperate and relieved with their whole hearts. He hoped that Katniss got to do the same. Haymitch patrolled the room, fishing for any hint of Peeta.
"Gale! You're okay! What. What is it?"
The soldier was quiet. "I don't get it. Every gun was back online and on us and we flew right past them. They let us go."
Every fear Haymitch had about Snow was strengthened. Something happened to Peeta. His nails curled into his palms. If the boy wasn't dead, the something happened to Peeta, he knew it.
"He's in there." Gale gestured.
She rushed past doors: "Peeta." she breathed.
Hardly believing his eyes, Haymitch saw the boy sitting upright. He looked tried and worn down. Looking even worse than Johanna - if that was possible. This time he saw a course in the flesh looking at Katniss with - hate? No, rather like someone who lost every last bit of their humanity. That is what Snow did. There was no hope in his eyes. Peeta was going to become like him. A sad excuse for oxygen, a burden to whoever he comes across.
Katniss moved closer to him, and couldn't help but feel he was intruding a very private moment. He ushered for the nurses to leave the room. Soon it has only him and the his two victors in the room. Katniss bit back a sob, reaching with her hands forward to him.
Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. The relief he was standing on got yanked away. The boy jumped up, shoving Katniss again the wall and then tumbling down to the floor with her. He didn't have time to process what was happening. Peeta lay over her body, hands clasped to her neck. He was strangling her.
"Peeta! Get off!" he shouted, voice raising an octave. He grabbed the boy by the shoulders. It was hopeless, really, because the boy had been much more of a man for a while now. He threw Haymitch up against a table. He felt a corner collide with the back of his ribcage and winced, managing to shout a "Help!" in the process.
Boggs and a few nurses rushed in. He thought it was too late, that he had lost Katniss to his other dead victor. Dead victor - because whatever that thing was, it was not Peeta. It was not the baker's son, who helped him build a goose enclosure in the Victor's Village. It was not the boy who painted pretty pictures for the major, and it was most certainly not the boy who fell in love with Katniss.
Gale and Boggs's collective strength was enough to get Peeta out of the room. As for Katniss, there was a sea of medics for her. He waited long enough to hear her breathing again, and swarmed out the door.
He was so exhausted that his limbs ached. People for all over were rushing to where he went, and firing questions at him. He strolled out, not giving three damns about anything for the moment.
He almost forgot where he found the alcohol. On a table - in a cupboard - or did someone give it to him? Regardless, Haymitch took it and went down to his level.
He wanted to save the bottle, stretch out the good effects it would give, but he was far too emotional for that. He consumed the contents in one swig, thinking about how much he needed it. How he deserved it. He trembled with pleasure.
He didn't understand why people took his booze away. Wasn't he entitled to it after suffering so much? Didn't he deserve one way to escape from it all? He sank into the pillow, thinking of what a deeply horrible world it was that he lived in, and slept for as long as he could.
Chapter Three
"Pigs in a pen, we were! More imprisoned than a bunch o' Avoxes in jail. The whole of the Seam was a concentration camp. No food, no running water. Each winter 'dere was a death toll on how many people froze. More peacekeepers patrolling the place than rats. And you can trust me, sunshine, there were rats the size of dogs creeping 'round the place."
Daisy grimaced, "That is quiet enough. You're upsetting me, Sae. I can't imagine how she's handling it."
"I don't mind." Effie lied, trying to irradiate her mind of visions of rats eating starving children, "Anything to distract me from this."
"Better get used to it." Greasy Sae warned. She picked up a spoonful of the eggplant-coloured mixture they were serving for breakfast that morning, " 'Dey told me tomorrow's cabbage."
Daisy shook her head, "They didn't tell us anything, Sae. Aren't we supposed to cheer up Effie. Relieve her from the whole Katniss Everdeen stress? Let talk about something else. Why don't you tell us a story, sugar?"
"What is there to tell?" She pondered. Her mind was so clogged with Peeta and Katniss that she could hardy think clearly without having an emotional outburst. Talking about the Capitol would make her feel guilty.
"How about your old job?" Daisy asked sweetly.
The Hunger Games? Was that the only thing Daisy could think of? Well, Effie supposed her whole life had revolved around it, after all. Her entire life - since she could remember had somehow been about the Hunger Games. The betting, the costumes, the posters in her bedroom… And then later on actually having tributes, having a mentor, having stylists, having victors, having a victory tour… Effie Trinket was the Hunger Games.
"I've been to Distract Seven." Effie said, looking at Daisy, thinking that might interest her. "I saw it on Katniss and Peeta's Victory Tour. But also before that. My sister does - well I suppose did-" Effie said with a wink in Sae's direction, "-business over there. I went with once."
"Capitol citizens are allowed to travel to other districts?"
"No, not exactly. You have to be under strict supervision if you leave the Capitol. I travelled quiet a bit with my job as an escort, but that is organised. My sister was there on a special case. I went with specifically so she wouldn't be alone between the peacekeeper bodyguards."
"And? What did you see?" Daisy asked eagerly, "In District Seven?" she clarified.
Effie had to think hard. Her brain never really kept storage of specific districts. They all seemed the same in her mind. Cold, poor, confined. The only place she remembers standing out was Twelve, and that was because it was her district.
"As an escort," she saw Greasy Sae twitch, "I never really went further than the train station and the square. It wasn't allowed. However, when I went with my sister we saw a factory."
"Oh - what was in it?"
Effie struggled to remember. "Well they were making furniture."
"The lumber, of course." Daisy smiled, "My father's father was a carpenter."
"That's right. They were crafting chairs. My sister was there to order chairs for desi-" she hesitated, "-Design Week."
"Oh the Capitol." Greasy Sae shoved a portion of purple sauce into someone's plate. "Sadists."
Daisy looked apologetic for her friend. Effie hardly flinched. She had grown used to the rebels' hate of the Capitol. Haymitch was not the only person who brushed her off for her Capitol origins. She could almost tolerate their distaste, however, Design Week wasn't the Hunger Games. It was a harmless Capitol celebration. No one was taking advantage of the districts during Design Week. They would simply celebrate beautiful things. In Effie's opinion, it was the same as District Eleven's full moon harvest.
"When were you in Seven with your sister?"
"I think I was… I was twenty-six." Effie hummed thoughtfully. "The 66th Games."
"Sorry. I don't know why I asked. That was years after my family came to Thirteen." Daisy looked embarrassed, but Effie thought she understood.
"I think your family was damn clever for leavin' the Districts."
"I suppose." Daisy said, "It was a big risk. My father heard rumours of Thirteen. They were going to execute him for stealing medicine from a peacekeeper. He decided leaving would be the best option."
"That's- that is horrible." Effie said, picturing the scene. Where Effie came from optimal medical care was a basic right. This man would have been killed for trying to practise her natural-born right. And then he packed up his wife and his children and his life and ventured out to find a place that he wasn't sure existed.
"And then you and your family made it across four districts boundaries?" Effie asked doubtfully.
"It was nine years after the first rebellion when my pa came here. I wasn't even born when they left District Seven." Daisy said, "I am not sure exactly, but I think I remember my pa said five boundaries. They took a route around Eight, skipping some mountains or something."
"That's right. They would have missed the military facility in District Two by doing that." Effie said, remembering the maps they had to memorise in school.
" 'Dat's what you call bravery. Straight after dem dark days too. Genius."
"Katniss wanted to do the same thing with Gale. Run off before her Hunger Games."
"Imagine that happened." Daisy said, bewildered, "Where would the revolution be without the Mockingjay?"
"Why is it that even when I leave the damned hospital, people still don't shut up about the Mockingjay?" came a voice that did not belong to their conversation.
Effie and the two old women looked up to find a hostile-looking creature in a hospital gown pick up the pot of purple sludge.
"For the love of god! Even normal people food in this place is hospital food!"
"Excuse me," Daisy stood up, "But you're not allowed to eat more than the daily portions-"
"Do you want to talk about real problems, lady? 'Cause NOBODY IN THE SINKHOLE KNOWS WHAT REAL PROBLEMS ARE!" she shrieked.
Daisy was speechless. No one from Thirteen ever had outbursts like that. Coin made sure things were organised and stable. Nothing overly creative, or overly emotional was in her proximity. This is why the lady's outburst came as shock to Daisy.
Greasy Sae, the first woman to put up a fight, just watched the woman take three good helpings of purple, smirking all the way. That was when Effie finally recognised the girl. It was Johanna Mason, only without her hair. Her usual aggressive aura seemed intensified.
"Miss Mason-" Effie tried to intervene.
"NO!" she shrieked, looking vaguely surprised to see Effie in the kitchen.
"Johanna, you are supposed to be at therapy with Doctor-"
"You are District Twelve's escort, aren't you? Haymitch's assistant." she sniggered, "Stupid capitol escort, you think you understand the FIRST THING of what it's like…"
"I don't know what you-"
"You know how much people HATE you escorts. YOU ARE THE ONES- It is PEOPLE LIKE YOU! YOU RUINED MY F-!"
"ENOUGH!" Greasy Sae interjected, suddenly behind the counter and next to Johanna. Effie had no idea how the old woman got there so fast.
"If you're gonna break the law, at least be smart about it." Greasy Sae was calm in tone, but she grasped Johanna so hard by the arm that Effie could see white knuckles.
She and Daisy watched in amazement how Sae hauled the woman into the kitchen and threw her in a chair.
"I don't care who you think you are, girl. Eat up, and do it quietly, otherwise it's Commander Gonzalez and a trip back to the hospital for you." Greasy Sae stood tall in the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand like a weapon. Effie was amazed. There was no way she could have done that. Her personality was not as overpowering as Sae's, especially against an axe murderer. But Greasy Sae put fire to rain, sure enough.
Johanna still hadn't stopped smirking, but she sit calmly in her chair. Carefully, she started putting spoonfuls into her mouth. Daisy, Effie and Greasy Sae watched her in apprehension.
"This is absolute horseshit." Johanna declared, dropping the plate on a table. "How do you cook this?"
"They don't ac-"
"I wasn't asking for you opinion, Trinket!"
"Watch you mouth, young lady-"
"Oh could the Capitol just leave whe-"
"I am not going to put-"
"I'll crush you skull, Trinket. Where are the knives in this place!?"
"Abernathy!" Greasy Sae exclaimed.
Despite the stress of the situation, Daisy was laughing a belly-deep laugh, watching the scene play out across her as if it was a scene from a movie.
Johanna had copied Greasy Sae, pointing a spoon at Effie like a sword. Effie was a canvas of emotion. Half terrified of the aggressive mental hospital patient baring teeth at her, and half disgusted by the spoonful of muck in front of her face.
And then there was Sae, rushing out the door and pulling in a second poor soul by the arm.
"Abernathy?" She murmured, hands on both sides of Haymitch's face, staring into his eyes. It looked almost as it the old woman, who was prompted up high on a chair to reach Haymitch's height, was going to kiss him.
Johanna stopped her death threats. Even she was taking an interest in the hunchback now. The kitchen went dead silent, watching Greasy Sae scrub her hands over the man's face.
"What have they done to you?" she was so soft, so tentative, so out-of-character. Johanna mouthed a "Heh?" in confusion. Daisy almost laughed again.
"Oh, this place is a hell. No cooking stew for me, no clothes for your fashionista over there, and no booze for you." Her fingers curled around his cheeks. "And you look like just like your mother."
Effie watched the scene in from of her with curiosity. She had never seen Haymitch so tiresome. Even when he was drunk and passed out on the train he was never so lost. Peeta's return must be straining him, just like it was straining her.
Greasy Sae pulled him in to a hug, and Johanna started laughing, not recognising what she saw in front of her either.
"Oh Abernathy… You look just like your mother." she repeated, only angry the second time round. "You look just like your mother!"
She slapped him, and Haymitch moaned, reacting for the first time since he came into the kitchen.
"How dare they take the alcohol away for this man!" She shouted at the ceiling, causing heads to turn from the cafeteria, "You look like something from the Seam!"
"I am from Seam." Haymitch slurred in a monotone.
"Your father bloody well wasn't!" she remained him.
He winced. Greasy Sae got off the chair, standing in the centre of the kitchen. Johanna was still smirking. She was adjusting her hospital gown to sit better in her chair, arms behind her head. She was enjoying the drama.
"I want to talk to the President." Greasy Sae announced, catching everyone's attention, "Everyone is miserable down here. Too much routine, too little colour. Coin and her inked-on schedules… So much order for the home of a rebellion. So much-"
She paused, looking at her listeners in the kitchen.
"Hospital girl-" she gestured at Johanna "-needs some space. Open space, 'dat is. She needs some air so that she can scream. So 'dat she won't scream at everybody else down in this hole.
"As for Abernathy. God, look at the state of you. You need a bottle of Ripper's 'o white brew-"
His eyes lit up for a second.
"-and a shower and a shave. President Coin might have banned the liquor in this place, but you can still get a haircut. I say you usher hospital gown over here up to de open air. Let her scream at a tree or somethin'. Then you go and get a buzz. The ladies 'n I can continue our conversation without you 'n hospital gown,"
Johanna gave a look at Haymitch, who was practically growling at Greasy Sae. "No." she said simply.
"I don't think so." said Haymitch bluntly. "Why are you having tea parties with Effie Trinket?"
Greasy Sae's eyes widened at his suspicion, but then her gaze hardened. Effie almost saw the gears turn in her brain.
"Trinket is fine when she's not complainin'. She's quiet - political."
Effie smiled, never one to reject a compliment. She didn't know Greasy felt anything other than dislike for Effie. In fact, Effie was flattered.
But then Sae was back to being the tough woman from the Seam: "I really don't care what you want, Abernathy. I'll take care of Mason for you," she seized hold of Johanna again,"But you're still getting 'dat haircut." she warned, posting a finger at him.
The old woman stopped in front of Effie, "You're a stylist, so you're doin' it, or Daisy's not serving you any starch for the next three weeks." Her eyes were wide and mad; but also dead serious. And then she was off and out of the mess hall with Johanna.
Haymitch glared at Effie and Effie at Haymitch. She thought he looked like her might burst.
"You guys better do it." Daisy held up her arms in salute, but giggled innocently, "I can't fight Sae."
Haymitch turned on his heels, "I'll go to the barber in the hospital."
"And get an army cut?" Daisy asked doubtfully, "Clean scalp?"
And so it happened that with relatively little protest Haymitch Abernathy sat in a chair in Effie's small one-person compartment, looking grey and sulky. She could see him twitching in irritation. Yes, twitching in the chair, trying his best to ignore Effie who was watching him in the mirror.
She cleared her throat, wondering what was up with him. She did not know what she preferred: shouting her lungs out at drink-deprived normal Haymitch; or this angsty lump of bored Haymitch.
Greasy Sae had a way of setting up a sticky situation. The woman was bad news. It was most probably her idea the trap the pair of them in the same room so that she could help Haymitch or something. Little did she know about their relationship. They had been through so many endeavours together, but they weren't friends. Half of the time they did not even like each other.
Effie glared at Haymitch. There was nothing that could help this sulking bear other that a bottle of scotch. But she had to for fill Sae's command. The woman was serious when she was serious.
Right, she decided. She will approach this as a simple task, which it was. She had cut people's hair in the past. She had cut her own countless times. She would approach analytically, like organising Katniss and Peeta's Victory Tour. There was no need for this to end up as one of their episodes.
"How ur-" Was she stuttering? What an embarrassment. "How short would you like it?"
His eyes tired across the mirror pane into her's. She held out her fingers in a gap she thought would suit him.
"Or shorter. Like a boy-cut? Something like Finnick's?"
Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Haymitch with short hair other than on television during his own Games. Since she met him in person, it had always been the same stingy lenth. Perhaps he'd look younger when he didn't cover his ears.
Haymitch, however, did not seem to agree, "No, not like-" he started, putting on a concerned face, "Keep it long. Only trim the edges."
"I am not a hair stylist." Effie stated, "I don't usually do hair. So if it goes wrong…"
She was met with silence. She rolled her eyes and started snipping. She pulling out locks and snipping their ends, trying her best to keep it at an even length. He started at a fixed shot on the floor.
"You know Greasy Sae." he said after a while.
"I met her the other day." Effie replied, "She mentioned she knew Katniss and Peeta, but she never mentioned you."
Haymitch hummed, "Yeah well. Greasy Sae knows everyone. Even you, apparently."
Effie smiled. "How did you meet her?"
He seemed amused, "You don't meet Greasy Sae… I've just always known her. Everyone in Twelve used to know her."
She snipped off a piece of grey-blonde hair and he watched it fall onto his lap.
"It sounds like you more than know her." Effie said, recalling Sae slapping Haymitch. You only slap people you know really well.
"I guess." he said vaguely.
"Well the way she spoke to you and- I just thought that perhaps." Effie prompted.
He looked away, his walls up like he did whenever things got personal. It fell silent again.
Effie noticed, shamefully, that she had made the one side of his bob exponentially shorter that the other. That was thing they taught in her modelling classes: keep things symmetrical. Whether it was posture or eyeliner, the human eye found level things pleasing. She sighed and started trying to fix it, returning the the other side of his head.
Haymitch had his eyes closed, breathing heavily. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. He looked defeated actually, she decided. Like he could not handle anything anymore. There lines of frustration permanently carved into his forehead. So Effie let him rest.
And rest he did. Haymitch was very nearly asleep when she started on his beard. He got a ticklish sensation when he felt her breathing on his ear.
"Oi! What are you doing."
Effie raised an eyebrow. "Well I'm not going to let you keep the beard. I have to do the job properly."
That would be the final step in getting him to look decent. If there was one way of getting him to look more alive, this would be it.
She gently ran her fingers across his scruff. He wanted to protest, but she caught his jaw. "You have to stay still." she warned, but in a professional tone - sticking to her cold, analytical approach to the situation.
He exiled forcefully, watching her through the mirror. He expected her to snip-snip off his facial hair like she had with the rest, get it as short as she could by cutting. Instead, she did something he'd never seen before. She opened the scissors completely so that they were in a flat 'x' shape. Then, all he could do is watch how she pressed the blade to his cheek and scraped it down toward his mouth.
The whole situation was a lot more daunting that he'd like to admit. There was no form of lubricant to make the process go smoother. Also, the end of the scissors she was using went frighteningly close to his eyeball. Though when she lifted the scissors up again, there was no hair left on his cheek.
"Dry shaving." she explained, "I learnt to do it on my leg hairs."
She picked the blade up again, removing another stripe of hair off his face. He was dead impressed that she wasn't cutting him.
"How do-"
"Keep still." She said, "I don't want to hurt you. You should see my legs. You can be glad I had some practise."
He obeyed, watching her work in the mirror. It was oddly satisfying to see how focused she was at the task. Almost like watching someone make shoes. He used to watch Delly Cartwright's father make leather boots in his shop. Effie had that same undivertable focus.
By the time she started on his neck, the feeling of the dry shave grew on him. And by the time it was over, he was disappointed. Just a bit.
"Chin up." Effie said, checking for any stray hairs she did not cut, and then looked at her work. It was just normal old Haymitch she knew during the Hunger Games, not the depressed Haymitch in Sae's kitchen. He gave her a small smile.
"Sae better be impressed. You looking dazzling." she said, brushing hairs off of his shoulders.
Haymitch scoffed. He had been called 'dazzling' before, by some Capitol folk during his Hunger Games. It was at one of those parties, with one of those hyper sexual Capitol men. He cringed at the memory.
"Yeah, I'm going to check on Katniss." He said, getting up suddenly.
Effie blinked, setting down the scissors. Her floor was scattered with grey-blonde fur.
"Haymitch." she called back, expectant.
"What?" he slurred.
"Manners." she hissed.
For a second it felt like old times. Her, dealing out instructions. Him, not batting an eye. Like she was his pedantic little escort and he was her lazy mentor.
Except this time, there was no witty comment coming her way, "Oh, ur. Thank you, Effie." he mumbled, not sure what else she wanted from him.
A few beats later she was still leaning against the doorway, gingerly asking him about how Peeta was doing. And instead of his walls going up, she was surprised hear him talk.
"He isn't Peeta." he said plainly, the frustration playing on his face again. She softened.
"He will come round." she promised.
She could tell he didn't agree, but he kept his mouth shut, shuffling awkwardly in the corridor. He did not quiet feel like himself. His face felt all exposed and cold without his blanket of scruff. He really needed more of those surgical spirits.
Effie dug out a final snippet of his hair from in between his grey collar and neck. His skin was warm there. When she met his gaze again, it felt different from inside her room. He looked uncomfortable, like she was intruding.
It was only when he was long gone when Effie realised her last touch was neither cold nor analytical.
A/N: Review… Don't review… I'm not telling you what to do with your life.
Thank you for reading up to this point, though. You are a better human for doing it. Chapter Four
It was early in the morning. Although he hadn't seen the sun in weeks, Haymitch could tell it was too early. Coin had called a meeting with the entire Mockingjay One team. They sat scattered in the board room, all sleep deprived and agitated.
"She can't make any more propos." Plutarch announced, loud and theatrical as always, "She can hardly speak anymore."
"Nevermind speech." Fulvia proclaimed, "The girl is traumatised."
"We'll have to do something." Plutarch said, "This poor Mockingjay isn't going to be flying anytime soon."
Haymitch guessed it was true. Katniss had woken up two days after his haircut, as emotional and frustrated as he expected to find her, only it was worse.
The first thing she wanted to do was see Peeta. By god, did Haymitch want to stop her, but nothing seemed to separate Katniss from him. She pressed her face against the concealed windows of the mental health ward.
He thought she was going to cry, or start shouting. Really, he would have preferred anything except her slight frown and return to her hospital bed. He asked after her, but she shut him out.
"You did this." she said simply.
And Katniss ignored him and ignored anything to do with being the Mockingjay. She sat in her hospital bed all day long, only talking to Prim or Johanna Mason.
She was probably still sitting sleepless in there, numbed by morphine and still blaming him for what happened to Peeta. Because ultimately, it was his fault. Katniss did not have to confront him on the matter for him to know it was true. He was the one who had the chance to rescue his male victor during the Quarter Quell, but took the Mockingjay instead. He had broken their promise of protecting Peeta and putting him first.
Now Peeta had became Snow's propaganda, Snow's weapon, Snow's mutt. And it was his fault.
"How about those victor videos focusing on each individual District?" Cressida reminded the group, "I believe they could be a great success in terms of winning over Two."
"Even so, that is nothing against a Katniss propo." Gale pointed out, receiving nods from the group.
"But Miss Everdeen does not want to the the face of the revolution. She wants to be an ordinary soldier." said one of the District Thirteen officials, receiving giggles from a few other District Thirteen soldiers. Everyone knew that Katniss had not been to any training sessions, and that she was still so mentally unstable about the Peeta situation.
"A soldier." Someone repeated, sniggering. Haymitch's eyes narrowed at the arrogance of the man. He still had that loyalty left in him. Those idiots with buzzcuts were insulting his victor. They had clearly never seen the girl shoot.
Then Plutarch was once again stressing the importance of Katniss, and how she was to be taken care of and fixed as soon as possible. "She is the revolution." he cried, making the officers scoff.
The mechanical voice of Coin cut through his complaints. She was speaking for the first time that morning.
"I got the boy back, but she still does not for fill our requests." Coin said from the head of the table. "We have won over all the Districts, except the Capitol and Two. The Mockingjay's objective was to unite the rebellion, and she just as well succeeded in uniting twelve of them. Therefore, Miss Everdeen is no longer needed."
Plutarch sat up in his chair, ready to counterattack, but remained silent. Coin's authoritative voice dominated even a Gamemaker's.
"Miss Everdeen should stay in the hospital ward as long as she is needed." Coin declared, "We will not use her in propos until the time is right at the end of the war. For now, I want you to make the victor videos, starting with District Two and working up. Enobaria, one of the rescued Quarter Quell tributes will do. I expect daily propos as of tomorrow."
There was a stiff moment where Coin's words sank in, and then disagreement chanted across the room. Despite Coin's clear orders, each non-District Thirteen citizen had their own idea of what should happen. Beetee and Gale immediately started conspiring in their corner; then there was Plutarch waving to get Coin's attention; but the most audible objections came from Katiss's prep team. Flavius shouted across the table, and Octavia actually stood up, glaring at Coin through her purple fringe as if she was mad.
"With all due respect, President. I believe that Katniss is still a vital part of the revolution." came a confident Capitol voice from a corner of the room. The banter stopped completely, and many heads turned not having seen the person speak before.
"Katniss is the face of your revolution, Madam President. She might have been the Capitol's pride a year ago, but now she is the everyone else's. If you kept the Districts in the dark about her whereabouts, your soldiers will be lost. I understand if you do not want her to be the focus of the propos; but you will have to update the rebellion on her current condition. Katniss is a figure of hope. She is something, with respect, that is larger than what we realise in this room."
Haymitch would have chuckled if the atmosphere wasn't so tense. Effie looked flushed from all the serious eyes on her.
"Thank you!" Plutarch preached, "That is what I wanted to say!"
"No one gave you permission to speak freely, Commander Heavensbee!" Coin snapped, sending an icy wave across the room. It was the first time she showed any real emotion, in Haymitch's opinion. The collective disrespect going her way must have been too much.
Coin drummed her fingers impatiently, and then sat up, gazing across the room straight at Effie. Effie nervously adjusted her head scarf.
"Madam President, I have news from District Two." It was Boggs, standing tall in the doorway.
"Go on."
"Katniss Everdeen is in the hovercraft bay in District Two." Boggs informed. The table mumbled in confusion, "It is assumed that she took an unauthorised hovercraft without anyone's knowledge late last night."
A bird's eye view of Katniss on a runway appeared on a nearby screen.
"She is at the front line, Madam President, where our troops are suffering the most. She is with Soldier Gale Hawthorn."
The room watched how the little dot Boggs had pointed out met a crowd of people. Almost as if Cressida had directed their actions, the soldiers kissed their palms and flashed three fingers at Katniss. Plutarch grinned from ear to ear.
"That's my girl." Haymitch whispered, watching her move out of the camera frame. Fast, wide strides - definite and with purpose. She really had a nack for timing, that girl, Haymitch thought to himself.
"Commander Heavensbee, if you would please step outside for a moment."
Coin did not look angry - the woman was too good at hiding her feelings - but of course she'd be angry. The woman had no control whatsoever over Katniss. She wasn't just an emotionally unstable teenager who was trying her luck, she was the face of a revolution, and she finally understood it. Katniss had influence above and beyond Coin, even beyond Snow, and she was finally understanding that power. Katniss was rebelling against the rebellion itself.
He tugged onto the earpiece in his pocket, pressing the button to speak to Katniss. To his surprise, the light turned green. He waited a while, seeing it flash a couple of times.
"Sweetheart?"
"What do you want, Haymitch. I'm busy." came a voice. He was so impressed that she actually took the earpiece with her, that he was momentarily silenced.
"Hellooo?"
"I just wanted to say nice job, sweetheart. Very nice job."
"Okay. Can you only call when there's useful stuff to tell me."
"Come on, Katniss. Aren't we supposed to be friends?" he whined.
"Have you been drinking again?" She drilled, not really waiting for an answer, "Don't tell me Coin put you up to this. Is she pissed?"
"Ha! Well, you can say that. She's having a chat with Plutarch. I think they're discussing your funeral. Tell me, do you want to be buried or cremated?"
"You have been drinking, haven't you." she said, first hint of wit he'd heard in a while. Perhaps she had forgiven him. "I really hope Coin doesn't make me do something stupid."
"Wanna read your own eulogy?" He was on a roll. "That sounds like a good propo, doesn't it?"
"Oh, ha ha ha, that was a good one." Katniss said sarcastically, "But seriously, I hope she doesn't take it out on you." There was a pause, "I'm really starting to sound like Effie, aren't I?"
Haymitch chuckled then, recalling: 'your actions reflect badly on all of us!'. Just then, Effie had joined Haymitch on his side at the board room table, glancing at him with her big blue eyes
"Who are you talking to?" Effie asked gently.
"Katniss." he answered to Effie.
"What?" the voice snapped through the earpiece. "I'm turing this thing off, Haymitch." Katniss warned.
Effie's fingers fumbled the device out of Haymitch's hands.
"Hello, darling. It's Effie." she said sweetly.
"Oh- ur. Hello Effie." Katniss fretted, not sure if Effie had heard the part where she mentioned Effie's name.
"How are you? Neck okay? Your voice is back."
"Yes. Almost."
"Katniss," and that was where Effie's sweetness ended. "Why did you just leave in the dead of night without saying anything? Did you even know were that Hovercraft was going? We could have lost you! What would I have to tell your sister?"
Haymitch thought it was a bit exaggerated, but Katniss needed to hear it. He was proud of her for getting up and doing something, but nevertheless disappointed that he was not in on the plan.
"I told Johanna." Katniss argued, "And Johanna would have told Prim as soon as she was on duty."
"Now you tell me, young lady, what if that Hovercraft went straight to the Capitol?"
The line was silent, and Effie shared a look with Haymitch.
"You have been very irresponsible." She stressed, "Even with everything that's been going on, you ought to have informed at least myself or Haymitch of your whereabouts."
Haymitch expected her to disconnect. She was in her screw-the-world-and-all-its-contents mood, but Katniss didn't
"You are not my escort." blurred the earpiece.
"I know that. Today I am your manager, or better yet, your friend."
He cringed. Effie was many things, but she was not their friend.
"If you want to be an adult, Katniss. Take responsibility. Or let my Haymitch and I baby you. It is a simple request."
And then she did disconnect. Haymitch was not surprised.
"Someone had to tell her, Haymitch." Effie said, justifying her actions. For once, Haymitch did not feel the need to retaliate.
"I hope she doesn't throw the thing away, that's all I'm saying. That was the first time she's spoken to me in weeks."
Effie frowned slightly, putting the device back on the table.
"Nice job to you too, by the way."
"What do you mean?" she enquired.
"Confronting Coin in front of everyone."
"Oh." she looked at her feet, "Yes. I shouldn't have done that."
"And why not?" Haymitch was amused, "It was funny. Did you see her face?"
"Did you see mine?" she retaliated, referring to her blushing while everyone stared at her. Then, without warning, she felt her face heating up again. It was a good thing he didn't smile at her that often.
"You okay there, princess?" he was enjoying seeing her squirm.
She shook her head in defeat, "I am fine. Thank you for asking."
"Yeah." he sang, only to be silenced by Coin. She grey-haired woman entered the room again, raising a hand to quiet the amused board room.
"Firstly, I have to congratulate Miss Everdeen on her… spontaneity."
Effie could hear Haymitch give a breathy laugh beside her.
"I agree." butted in Plutarch, "We will work in Katniss into the propos about the war in District Two."
"Meanwhile," Coin continued, "The focus back in District Thirteen will also be on District Two. The focus is military in nature. I want as many soldiers in the district to win over the primary military centre. It is based inside a fortified mountain, and houses all the Capitol nuclear weapons. It will be a difficult task, but once we capture it, out next step is the Capitol. We cannot win this war whilst President Snow is in a superior military position. We need everyone working to get the mountain in our hands."
"It is going to be a tough nut to crack." Plutarch said with a smile, "Operation 'The Nut', if you will."
Coin and Plutarch went on to assign different rolls to different parts of the team. Beetee and the rest of the brains are to fly to District Two first thing when the meeting is over. After that, other military commanders and soldiers including Gale are to join them, and Operation The Nut is to be planned in conjunction with command back in Thirteen.
Until that point, Cressida's propo team must start working on the victor videos in the studios. These videos could be aired at any time during the war with two, or the later war against the Capitol, so they had to be strong and thorough. Cressida and her cameramen will be sent to District Two when the time is right for Operation The Nut to commence.
Effie was quiet confused, as neither Coin or Plutarch mentioned her name when describing the plan. In fact, Effie noted how each person was given a task, except her. They skipped her when reading off the list. She wasn't concerned though. She would do what she normally did and give Katniss advice when she allowed her to. And if she did not, her task was to communicate Plutarch's needs to the prep team.
When the people in the board room left, they each such their arms inside the wall to allow a machine to print their daily schedules onto their arm.
Haymitch complained when he saw the ink on his arm. He had to spend the whole day in command trying to get Katniss to talk. When Effie pulled her arm outside the machine she was quiet confused. Her schedule said all sorts of duties, all things she'd never seen before. Effie was used to seeing 'Mockingljay One' occupy most of the schedule, instead there stood '7h00 - Micro Farming Level 35A', '12h00 - Laundry Level 24', '14h30 Structure Level 25C2' and so on.
When she showed Haymitch he laughed, "They got that wrong, for sure." he said. Neither of them could imagine her doing those strange duties.
"Try print it again on your other arm." Beetee suggested. "The system must have mismatched your DNA."
But when she pulled out her opposite arm the schedule was the same.
Her brow furrowed, seeing the monitor read: 'Identified Trinket, Effie; Citizen 00432278; Residence Level 31;'
"It must be command's mistake." Beetee said with some interest, inspecting the monitor closely.
"I'm going to speak to Plutarch." she stated, walking back to into board room. There he stood, talking in a low voice to Coin and one of her cronies. They turned at her accusingly, as if she was eavesdropping.
"Sorry to interrupt. Plutarch, you seem to have given me the wrong duties." she said with some amusement, gesturing to the sticky ink on her skin.
"Me, farming. Can you imagine?" Effie joked, trying to ignore the way the Coin looking at her.
"Right." Plutarch ushered her to sit down. Effie grew suspicious.
"Um, there is no easy way to put it. I am sorry to say that you have been discharged from the team, Effie."
It did not hit her at first. She looked around, expecting Fulvia jump out saying was all a joke or something.
"We thought that since Katniss is in District Two there would be no need for you to manage her." Plutarch explained.
"Yes, but when she returns I'll be there for her." Effie reassured herself.
Plutarch looked uncomfortable, "You would still be discharged."
Effie spun around, looking at the faces of the people staring at her. "You can't be serious? But… Wha- Why?"
Plutarch remained silent, so Fulvia filled in, "Effie-"
"No, this is- it is absurd. Katniss needs me. I have always been part of this."
"Your job was to guide Katniss into making the right decisions." said Plutarch.
"I-" she gasped, "You can't seriously believe that I was involved with her getting on that hovercraft last night?"
"But you could have prevented it." Fulvia proposed.
She was at a loss for words. Was she getting fired? Could she even be fired?
"But Haymitch is also mentoring Katniss."
"Soldier Trinket." came Coin, "With half the citizens leaving to go to war in District Two I am in need of others taking their place. This is a difficult decision that Commander Heavensbee and I had to make, but we are getting rid of all non-essential people on the team."
"Non-essential? Am I the only non-essential member of Mockingjay One?" Effie looked hurt. "But Haymitch does the exact same job as me."
"Soldier Abernathy is involved with Mister Mellark's recovery program as well as Miss Everdeen's well-being."
"And he gets to stay? I have known Katniss for two years. I understand her."
"Haymitch does knows Katniss much better." Fulvia said. "And he's been part of the rebellion since the 53rd Games, which is more than you'd imagine to have contributed."
"You cannot-" Effie trailed off, "At least get me involved with the propos. Or the prep team! I am a trained stylist. I can still help."
Coin and Plutarch looked despondent.
"But I am trained for this. I am trained to take care of her. You can't seriously think I am going to benefit your district by farming?"
"I am sorry, Soldier Trinket, but nothing will change my decision."
Coin's robotic voice was the last thing she heard before leaving the room. Effie wandered down the corridor, thinking she'd find Haymitch and Beetee waiting for her, but they were no where in sight. She felt strangely light headed - the kind of feeling you'd get after a sugar high. Effie didn't feel particularly angry about Plutarch and Coin decision. The only thing really bothering her was how empty her chest was feeling and the fact that she wasn't exactly sure were she was going.
"Are you off duty, soldier?" an officer stopped her.
She was about to pull out the Mockingjay One card when she remembered. He pulled up her sleeve and read her schedule, pointing her in the direction of the stairs.
"You have duties on Level 35, soldier, and you are twenty minutes late." came the man's stern voice.
Effie wanted to see Daisy in the kitchen. Maybe she could explain some of this all to her. Perhaps getting Greasy Sae to rant on about the extent of Coin's so called dictatorship might help her. Effie felt she even needed Haymitch's opinion on the matter, but her schedule showed no time dedicated to breakfast. In fact, there were no breaks until later that night. Effie walked the corridors purposelessly, feeling very far from herself.
She could not believe what had just happened. 'Anyone can be replaced.' she recalled Plutarch telling her. She did not believe him. In fact, she still didn't.
Effie thought about her place in the team. Was she really as unnecessary as Fulvia had painted her to be? Did she really matter that little that her old friend Plutarch has not willing to fight for her place on the rebellion team? Did Coin really dislike her that much that she got kick off her own team. Perhaps she should start using proper tenses, as Greasy Sae kept reminding her. Mockingjay One had been her team.
And then she found herself on Level 35, being yelled at by some soldier about punctuality. Another soldier who seemed to be in charge gave her a third lecture. When she tired to explain her situation, and that she was not trained, the woman rolled her eyes. They made her sit in the corner and start labelling packets.
During laundry duty, Effie simply sat around getting her unfriendly stares (some downright cruel) from women busy folding grey jumpsuits. But the worst part of the day was when Effie remembered being in a hall for hours. The 'Structure' duty turned out to be receiving lectures from a woman teaching all sorts of things about duties, and about how and why certain people get certain duties, how to do all sorts of duties… but Effie really wasn't paying attention.
It was long past nine at night when her duties came to an end. The cafeteria was deserted. Both Daisy and Sae were off duty. Effie decided to follow her schedule one last time that day, and showered. Once both ink tables were washed off her arms, she felt purposeless once again. Tiered, but not in the right mind to sleep.
She went looking for Haymitch by Peeta's hospital room. She knew that he sat there some nights, but obviously not that night. She once again had no one to talk to.
Then she watched the boy through the windows of the mental ward for a while. He was awake, watching something invisible in the air. Peeta's usual bright eyes were angry and distracted. Whatever invisible object he kept twitching at in the harsh light of his room was moving. Up and down left and right his eyes flashed. It was like watching a lizard with bug eyes preparing to catch a fly. The more she watched him, the less she thought of the intelligent, charismatic boy who she reaped two years ago. This thing, with Peeta's face and Peeta's voice, was not Peeta.
Effie sunk down into a chair. She had the sudden longing to be home.
She wanted to lie under her blanket during the cold Capitol winter. She wanted Katoo to be there in her apartment, cracking dry jokes and sharing stories of the people at her workplace. She wanted someone to hold her, to assure her that she was not alone in the hardships of life.
So Effie wandered some more through the grey district that was not at all the tinted glass skyscrapers of the Capitol. She found herself on Level 39, looking for any door that resembled a residential compartment door. She wanted to find someone to talk to, even if that had to be the conversation of Haymitch Abernathy.
Before she could knock on a promising-looking door, an official chased her away. He said that it was time for citizens of her ranking to rest. So she did. Up on her level, alone in her compartment. staring at the only things she knew to be beautiful in District Thirteen: Her rosewood shirt she arrived in; her straw-yellow wig; a string of forgotten pearls; and most importantly, a small portrait of the four Trinket sisters. All mementos of a life she knew would never be her's again.
