Guys, thank you for giving my inbox lots of love. It was lovely to come back to. I had a good holiday, read all three books again and wrote the complete outline of this story out. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out; I hope over the next chapters you will be pleased too! So, amongst the story, author and favourite alerts, there were some lovely people who once again took the time to review. I say this all the time but thank you for that and I love you all.
Gentlefurable, I have so many Finnick feels too. I didn't expect Gale to like her, but after the whipping I thought it was something they could build upon (seeing as it has both happened to them) in future chapters. SilensFlos, I hope this is soon enough! It's been a week, I know. But we came home of holiday a day early because it was freezing, so you are getting this early! Savysnape7, I'm glad you like this. It's good to know people are because it makes you want to write more for them. So on that note, here is more.
District11tribute, She's a long way from been better, but I'm enjoying writing her recovery. So there will be more of that in future chapters. Here's the next part! Scyfy girl, I love Finnick in everything. Gale as never been a favourite of mine, but I did like him. I guess in this I could explore his 'softer' side. But he won't always be like this! As for the Peeta question, I am doing it so it sticks to the events of Mockingjay, with Effie thrown into the mix. So yes, keep an eye out for Peeta in the future! Nikki, I am? You're making me blush, thank you. I love writing Finnick's sense of humour onto the page, some people seem to forget he is funny due to all the tragic-ness surrounding him, but it's good to write for him because of all this. DoCtOrWhOlUvEr11, the way this is going, they will be friends yes. So there will be more Finnick in this, which I hope is no bad thing for you readers!
, Thank you! I wish I could write happier stuff, but I seem to only be half good at angst filled stuff. I don't know why… but I go to write happy stuff and it turns depressing, I don't know… I hope you like this! Baahbisaggio, Why must I always make people cry? Thank you so much for thinking this is amazing, I try my best! I hope this chapter doesn't mess your emotions up again!
Wow. Long A/N, sorry about that. Lets commence with the chapter.
Despite questioning whether it was edible or not, Finnick wastes no time in picking up a spoon and shovelling down the soup. I haven't even started on my roll of bread and his bowl is half empty. Surely he can't have been fed properly in the hospital.
"Eat up then Effie" He says after another mouthful, "You have to eat it quick otherwise the taste gets stuck in your mouth"
This statement does nothing to help Effie, who is sitting there staring at the lump of bread and bowl of soup like it is going to jump out at her. I can see Gale nod, probably in agreement. It can't be that bad can it? I pick up my spoon and take my first mouthful. Then I take a huge bite from my bread to stop myself from spitting the green soup out.
"It's a lot better if you rip your bread up and dip it in" Hazelle says to Effie, demonstrating the act herself. To Hazelle's credit, she manages not to gag.
"No it isn't!" Posy yells up. Everyone except Effie laughs at this. I think maybe Effie would've laughed, but she had just tried Hazelle's dunking the bread tip out. From the expression on her face I think she wants to throw up.
"Me and Gale can go hunting now. Soon it will be meat soup… not whatever this is" I tell Effie. She's nibbling on the bread now, and after about a second of doing this it drops from her hand and onto the plate. I don't think she'll be going near the soup again.
"We can if you keep to schedule" Gale says. It's a good point. I never have done before, but I promised I would so I could go hunting. I think Greasy Sae will be as happy as me and Gale once we get to the woods. She's starting to run out on soup ingredients to mash together in combinations the cooks in thirteen despise.
"I can keep to schedule perfectly well" I tell Gale. Haymitch makes a noise that I assume shows he is disagreeing with this statement. "Okay, maybe I haven't been following it at all. But I will if it means hunting time. Promise" I say to Gale, who nods and rips a chunk of bread from his roll.
Hazelle, Posy, Vick and Rory leave soon after this exchange. This leaves me, Gale, Finnick, Prim and Haymitch sat at a table waiting for Effie who has barely touched her food to finish. I'm starting to get a little worried about Effie now. In the weeks it has been since we found her she hasn't touched a thing. My mother and her team have been giving her what she needs through tubes in the hospital, and she can't rely on those forever. Haymitch seems to be thinking along the same lines as me once again, because he is trying to convince her that the food isn't actually that bad.
"I'm not hungry" She mumbles, looking down at her hands. Before I can convince her that she should eat the soup, Haymitch has taken her hands between his and is trying to look her in the eye. Effie though, is staring at the floor and occasionally makes a sniffling noise. She never once looks up at Haymitch.
"You need to eat though sweetheart" Haymitch tells her. He lets go of her hands momentarily, and they drop into her lap limply. He picks the bread up and tears a chunk off, "You don't need to eat the soup, but at least have the bread" He says, waving the lump under her nose.
Moments pass before she snivels and caves in. Her hand reaches up and takes the lump from Haymitch and she pops it in her mouth. I could breathe a sigh of relief, but I'll leave that to Haymitch who does this with a small smile.
"That's better" He says to her reassuringly, running his hand up and down her arm whilst she still stares at the floor.
"I don't want any of the soup though" She mumbles as Haymitch hands her another piece.
"I don't blame you" Finnick says before Haymitch can reply.
"You've cleaned your bowl. I'm surprised you didn't lick the last few drops out" I tell him.
"Yes. But I'm regretting it" Finnick says, rubbing his belly for good measure. I roll my eyes at him and take another mouthful, followed swiftly by a bite of bread.
"Whatever" I mumble with the bread still in my mouth.
"Whatever" Finnick says mocking me. Shooting me a quick grin too, probably to show he is only joking around.
"Keep it down you two" Haymitch says, glaring at the both of us. "Do you want a drink or something Effie?" He asks her, his tone a lot calmer than the once he used to talk to me and Finnick in. She shakes her head, making her blonde locks cover her face. She doesn't move them away though; something tells me she hasn't got enough energy to. After all, miniscule lumps of bread can only do so much for you.
"Are you sure? I can get you another glass of water if you like" Prim says, leaning in a little as she talks over the table to Effie.
"No thank you" Effie says weakly. Haymitch nods at Prim though, telling her to go and fetch a glass. My little sister nods and jumps up to deliver. Haymitch turns back to Effie after this and begins to stroke the hair out of her face and places it behind her ear.
"With a face like yours, you don't want all that hair covering it" Haymitch tells her when he has finished and Effie no longer has half her hair strewn across her face. She could do with it though seeing as her face starts to go a shade of pink. But before me, Gale or Finnick can come out with a clever comment (Even though I don't think none of us would); Prim scuttles back in with a cup and places it in front of Effie.
"I tried to find something other than water, but there wasn't anything" Prim tells her. Pushing the cup forwards when Effie makes no attempt to grab it.
"Thank you" Effie says. Pleased with her work, Prim sits down. Effie finally reaches out and takes the glass after what feels like an age. I'm surprised half the glass doesn't slosh down her hand as she lifts it to her mouth. Her hands can't seem to stop shaking. She takes a sip, and Haymitch takes the glass from her and puts it down before the water can fall out over the sides and splash over us.
"Feel any better?" Haymitch asks Effie.
"No… I just feel tired" Effie says without any life in her voice.
"I'll bring the wheelchair back in then" Gale says, standing up and going to fetch the chair.
"Take another sip of water before we go" I say to Effie. I think the only reason she does as I tell her to is because she is too tired to argue against it.
"Here we go" Gale says, rolling the chair over to our table. "Do you need a hand getting in or…"
"I've got her" Haymitch says, jumping up. Effie tries to stand on her own, but falls down immediately. Before she can hit the floor though Haymitch catches her and she lets out a small gasp of shock. His arms wrap themselves around her tiny waist. He is practically carrying her over to the chair seeing as she can't manage the trip herself. "The next time we bring you down, the food will be a lot better, promise" Haymitch says, leaning down and lowering Effie into the chair.
"Yeah, I'll make sure Greasy Sae is well stocked" I add, standing up too and taking both mine and Effie's tray.
Prim jumps up too and places her tray in the clearing area after me. She runs up to walk alongside Effie, taking her hand in hers. "And if Katniss and Gale don't catch any good food, you can have my bread instead" Prim tells her.
"Of course we will catch good food!" Gale says, rubbing his hand on Prim's head and ruffling her hair up. "But carry on like that and you shan't be having any of it"
"Even if they do catch good food, you can still have my roll of bread if you want it" Prim says. My sister is always the carer. I place my hand on her shoulder and squeeze it ever so slightly. I'm grateful for how she is being around Effie. I know before, and after, the reaping I never really said a good word about my escort. Actually Gale and I would often mock her and her silly Capitol accent. Thankfully though Prim has either forgotten about this or turned a blind eye to it. Whatever it is she is taking care of her. This is why my sister is the one everyone back in District 12 liked, and didn't just put up with like me.
"I'll be fine thanks" Effie says, I think she squeezes Prim's hand a little too. Whatever she does, it makes Prim smile.
"You need that bread to be big and strong!" Finnick says, picking Prim up and spinning her around. He almost drops her because both his arms and legs aren't as strong as they used to be. But Prim still giggles about it.
The rest of the trip to the hospital is in silence. Which is only broken on occasions when Finnick makes Prim giggle once again by tickling her or the squeak of the wheels along the floor. As we get closer I take Prim's hand in mine, resulting in Effie's dropping down from the air and to her side. Gale holds the door open so Haymitch can wheel Effie through. Finnick gets back into bed, pulls the covers up and begins to knot his rope again. You wouldn't have thought he'd just been down to eat lunch.
Haymitch picks Effie up, who seems to notice none of this and is looking down at her lap instead. He doesn't need to use much strength holding her; Effie is like one of the starving, helpless children you saw in the Seam – there's barely anything left of her. So when he pulls her bed covers back, he manages to hold Effie up with one arm.
Lowering her down onto the mattress (Which doesn't even sink when she is placed upon it), Haymitch pulls the covers over her. Tucking her in like my dad used to do to me and Prim. He would tell me stories too, mostly about hunting in the woods. Haymitch doesn't tell her a story though, but he does do something else my dad would do with us. He places a kiss on her forehead; it's so delicate I'd be surprised if Effie felt it. She's still looking of in the distance so doesn't react to it, so I guess I'll never know if she took notice of this affectionate gesture.
"Come on Prim" I say quietly, pulling my sister away from the scene. Feeling the need to give Haymitch and Effie more space. Gale, who hasn't moved from the doorway, nods over at us and leads the way out. But I can't help myself, and as we walk down the corridor towards the elevator, I cast a glance over my shoulder at Haymitch and Effie. And find myself watching him caress her cheek. The one cut by what I assume was a whip. But his touch looks so soft I don't think it will do anything to anger the cut. I can't help but be glad Effie as someone who cares about her in thirteen; because as the war goes on I don't think things will get any better for her.
In fact, I'm scared they will get worse.