More reviews! Thanks so much guys, and thanks to all you who put this story on favourite, alert and whatnot, it means a lot to me to see people liking and taking an interest in this story! So, shout out to the guys who reviewed this: McMuffin, SilensFlos, Savysnape7, Gentlefurable and MissEffieTrinket. Finally, before we commence with this story, this chapter may contain a little Hayffie fluff, only a little bit, I needed to put a bit in before I got down to the gritty stuff.
"Come on then, I haven't got all day" Haymitch says, stepping into the elevator without a care in the world. I find myself wanting to say so many words, but as I open my mouth nothing comes out, which only makes him smirk in his usual annoying fashion. "I can't remember the last time you were this quiet, makes a nice change" He says with a cocky wink, occupied by a grin. It's when his lips twitch upwards to form this toothy, obnoxious smile that I come to my senses again. The cogs in my brain are in overdrive, forming the sentences needed to tell Haymitch what I have just seen, and what he needs to see.
"It's Effie" Is all that comes out though; the sentences I managed to form in my mind have gone. And so has Haymitch's cocky exterior. Instead his hand is running through his hair and a split second later he grabs my shoulders. Shaking me like a mad man, making me feel like an old rag doll. It was a move totally unexpected and yet I should have seen it coming. After all, simply going 'It's Effie' isn't a good way to go about things, especially when it is like this.
"What Katniss, what about her?" He's asking me, continuing to shake the answer out of me as I move backwards and forwards in a sickly fashion. I finally pull away from him and his arms limply fall to his sides. I don't miss his hands forming into fists though. "Katniss, tell me. What is the news about Effie?" He says, staring me down. He has no idea she is here. No idea that she has been tortured under our noses. These thoughts make a sickening feeling began to fill in my stomach. But whilst it is queasy and unwelcoming, it makes the words tumble from my mouth.
"Haymitch, she's here, in 13" I say, his eyes light up instantly and I desperately don't want to diminish his joy about telling him what she has been through.
"What? Where?" He asks, walking closer to me. In any other situation I would smile at his reaction. For someone who was persistent on moaning about her and forever coming up with some witty comment like a annoying six year old to contradict everything she came out with, he looks so happy at the prospect of seeing her again. I can see him trying hard not to smile, his eyes giving him away badly though. I don't want to tell him, so I start by pressing the button that goes to the floor of the hospital wing.
I see his features turn from something on the brink of joy to confusion. He stares at me and I feel his hands on my shoulders again but not shaking me this time. They are clamped onto me instead. I feel his fingers sinking into my skin and I try not to shudder, but I do. He is close to me now. I half expect to smell alcohol on his breath as he begins to breathe heavier. But of course, nothing of the sort happens; there are strict rules on that after all.
Then again, I thought torture was banned here too.
"Haymitch… she's in a bad way" I say. Before I can expand the elevator doors slide open. He looks at me; eyes open wide in shock, before darting out of the elevator. I don't even need to think about it, I follow him instantly at a run. "Haymitch! Wait!" I yell, managing to grab a hold of his arm, "You can't storm in like this, you need to calm down!" I say, struggling to keep my grip on him. He has started to thrash around like a madman, desperate to pull away from me.
"Let go of me Katniss!" He hisses menacingly. I can feel my fingers sliding from his arm; he is beginning to succeed in his mission to free himself from me. Before I can try something else to calm him down the doors open and Gale greets us. Arms folded, looking down on the both of us.
"Keep it down" He whispers, staring at Haymitch more than me, but still shoots a glare my way - probably because I abandoned him without telling him why.
"You don't tell me what to do" Haymitch says, barging past him and straight into the hospital wing. No clever comment on the end of it, he's obviously in a bad way. And yet I follow him, making sure to glare at Gale as I pass him. I can hear Gale muttering something, but I don't care, all I can see is Haymitch frozen in front of me. I step forwards tentatively so I am stood beside him, looking across to him, not knowing what to expect. What I see is his eyes beginning to water up. It's hard to believe that five minutes ago he was on the blink of exploding from excitement.
"I tried to tell you Haymitch" I say, watching as a doctor begins to work on a deep cut stretching all the way across her stomach. "She was worse before we got her here…" I add, deciding not to tell him anymore. I don't think telling him about the mangled mix of blood and tears would be a good idea; he looks close to collapsing as it is. His eyes land on it before mine do though; apparently there is no need to hide the amount of blood covering my former escort from him. It seems the sheets on her bed have been changed a couple of times, completely stained with the stuff.
"Is that…" He mumbles, looking at the sheets and then back to Effie, then to me. All I can do is nod; he shudders and takes a chocking deep breath, before walking straight over to the bedside, pulling a chair out and sitting down next to her, taking her hand in his and examining the bandage wrapped around her wrist. Before looking over to see the exact same on her other hand. My mother is walking over to him. I don't know what she saying, whether she was reassuring him or telling him the details of what had happened and the medication she was on. But I see him nodding at what she is saying, hanging on to every word.
I want to go over and comfort him. Tell him I'm sorry for not telling him sooner. But I don't want to intrude. I was all ready for heading over, but when I see a tear sliding down his face, I reconsider, and walk over to my mum. Who was smart enough to leave Haymitch with Effie, and is now stood examining another patient.
"What's going to happen to her?" I ask, I don't need to expand on 'her', my mother knows exactly who I'm on about and shakes her head, making me prepare myself for the worse.
"I don't know exactly. I can't promise she will fully recover, we can only hope that she recovers mentally as well as she will physically" My mother says, before placing a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it in a comforting manner before walking off to tend to someone else. Gale has his arm around my shoulders now; I don't know how he got beside me so quickly. But he managed it, just like he did during hunting hours.
"She'll get better Katniss" He whispers to me, pulling me into a hug. I'm only too happy to wrap my arms around him.
"What if she doesn't though Gale? We all know how she is, we mocked her enough, she'll never be the same again after this" I say, pulling away slightly so my head isn't in Gale's chest, but looking up at his face. He can't answer me. Instead he leads me to a set of chairs and we sit down. I try not to, but I can't help but look over to Haymitch and Effie and I feel my heart pound harder and tears threaten to fall when I catch his fingers delicately stroking a loose strand of hair from her face and placing it behind her ear. I think if she was conscious, Effie would have liked this gesture. But her eyes are shut. She can't tell he is doing this, and if it wasn't for her chest slowly moving up and down, I would have thought the worst.
My eyes have been trained on them for too long. Haymitch turns to face me, and instantly I look down to avoid his gaze. I see him place Effie's hand by her side out of the corner of my eye, and then he is standing up. I hope he isn't, but I think he is heading towards me and Gale. The fact I sense Gale sitting upwards tells me Haymitch is indeed heading this way. So I force myself to look up and face him, ready for harsh words.
"Who did this?" He asks, his voice shaking, eyes trained on mine, "Who Katniss! Who did this to her?" I can't remember ever seeing him like this and it is terrifying.
"Let's find out," is what I tell him, it is all I can say. The nod of confirmation is short, and we both stride out of the medical area, Gale hot on our heels.