In the cab they drove in, Katniss and Peeta gaped at the towering structures glistening in Capitol sunlight. They have both seen it before during the Chariot parades and during the war, when it was in flames. But being kids and Panem at peace, they looked at it in a new perspective of wonder. The two were supposed to be seated between Effie and Haymitch but they wanted to look out the window of the cab. So, they ended up being in the lap of one or the other. Katniss sat on Haymitch's lap while Peeta on Effie's. Haymitch clutched on tightly on Katniss' hips. Effie could sense his panic.
"It's nice to see you look so fatherly. It's… adorable," Effie spoke, maybe chuckled a bit.
"Well, yeah, it's nice to see you not look like the circus," Haymitch retorted and Effie's smile faltered a bit.
"Still sarcastic as always,"
"Always,"
And with a shrug, they both turned to this awkward silence. To make it less unbearable, the two decided to pay attention to the child in their lap. Haymitch spent his time holding on to Katniss while Effie decided to tell Peeta what some of the buildings were. They spent their 30-minute ride like that until they reached the hospital. It was a blinding white structure and it made Katniss and Peeta slightly uneasy.
"It's okay, kids. The doctor won't hurt you," Effie assured them.
"I don't like this place, Ms. Effie," Peeta wheezed.
"Here, I'll hold your hand so you won't be so scared,"
Peeta held on to Effie's hand and he relaxed a bit. Then, he held out his hand to Katniss who scrunched up her face but still took his hand.
"Uncle Hobo, hold my hand, too," Katniss demanded.
Haymitch rolled his eyes and held her hand.
"Now, now, Katniss." It was suppose to sound like a reprimand but she was trying to suppress a laugh. "It's very rude to call him that." She bit her lip.
"Now, now, Effie, it's rude to reprimand a child while secretly making of others," Haymitch trilled, attempting to copy her tone.
Effie simply smirked in return and ushered them inside.
As they entered the hospital doors, they received some stares from the few patients in the waiting area. Katniss noticed and asked why but the patients immediately averted their gaze. Then, Haymitch told the three to stay there before approaching the information desk.
"Oh, Mr. Abernathy, they're waiting. Please follow our nurse here,"
The nurse assigned began to move forward. Haymitch walked back to his company and held Katniss' hand before they all followed them. As they were lead through the white hallways, Effie stared at Haymitch. It was so unusual to see him so overprotective. It was strange and really cute. When they reached the elevator, Haymitch caught her staring.
"What?"
She blushed. "It's nothing,"
And then silence consumed their ears for a while until the elevators dinged open. They passed through a few more halls and turned twice or thrice until they were let inside a room in the near end of a hall. There, two men clad in white uniforms stood near a young boy, six, like the young Katniss and Peeta. Effie was going to politely greet them but Katniss squealed.
"GALE," Katniss piped.
"KATNISS," the kid replied back. They ran toward each other and hugged.
"Where have you been Gale? I was looking for you, but- but," Katniss' eyes began to well up. "YOU WEREN'T THERE,"
"I was in District 2. With my new family," he explained.
"How could you leave me?" she whined while lightly punching Gale on the chest.
"Well, you had a new playmate and you left me for him, Katniss," Gale said glaring at Peeta who was making his way toward the two.
"But I didn't steal her away from you, Gale. I just wanted to play with her, too," Peeta puffed his cheeks.
Peeta and Gale glared at each other and tried to look angry, but their angry just looked cute.
"Peeta, Gale, stop it. Why can't you two understand that we're friends, and—and—," Katniss began to sob harder and the other two cried with her.
Noticing, Effie ran to the three crying children and hugged all three of them.
"Haymitch," she called while struggling to carry Katniss. "Help me out here,"
Haymitch, who was talking to Gale's buddies, excused himself and went over to them. "What am I supposed to do, woman?" Haymitch growled.
"Carry and comfort Peeta and Gale will you while I take care of Katniss," Effie ordered before bouncing Katniss on her arms and making reassuring noise.
Haymitch grunted and took one kid on each arm. "There's always room for both of you in Katniss' heart or whatever." With that, Gale and Peeta calmed down a bit, but the tension is still great between the two. Then, Gale tugged on Haymitch's ear.
"Whaaa- Oh, okay, okay, what is it?" Haymitch asked.
"I don't like that lady," Gale whispers. "She scares me."
Haymitch snorted.
"Oh really, Gale? You're scared of her, now? You should've seen her when she had non-edible frosting attached to her face. Peeta decorates his cakes way better,"
The boys just stared at him like he just spoke a foreign language and Effie smiled in triumph.
"What's wrong? You're sense of humor lost its power?" Effie taunted.
"At least I have one," Haymitch retorted which made Effie's triumph falter.
At that point, the doctor, Dr. Aurelius, came in just in time before Effie and Haymitch could try anything. They all exchanged pleasantries and sat down in a couch that suddenly appeared where only a tiled floor used to be.
"Okay, so, who's first?" Dr. Aurelius tried to sound soothing but Peeta, Gale and Katniss withdrew deep into the couch.
"It's okay, dear, he won't harm you," Effie reassured Katniss who was beside her. "Just one prick and it will all be over." But Katniss didn't seem to trust her words. Haymitch rolled his eyes and loudly said, "Come on, Katniss, don't be such a baby,"
"Hey, I'm not a baby," Katniss protested and she stood up and stomped to Dr. Aurelius.
"Very brave little Mockingjay. Still volunteering for others I see," Katniss scrunched her face at this but Dr. Aurelius was oblivious to this. "Now hold out you finger," he instructed and Katniss held out her finger while her head turned to the opposite direction. She felt the doctor rubbing wet cotton on her pointer. Afterwards, a plastic thing rested on it and something dug in her skin, but it left as soon as it came. The blood, which oozed out of her finger, was wiped into a glass slide. Finally, the doctor placed cotton over the pricked finger and gave her a lollipop with a mockingjay pin design which made little Katniss have a sour face.
"Don't you have another design?" she grumbled.
Dr. Aurelius fished out a plainly designed lollipop in his pocket and exchanged it with the one Katniss had.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
Gale volunteered next and everything went smoothly. He also refused the mockingjay designed lollipop like Katniss. When it was Peeta's turn, all procedures where the same, but he was the one who took the mockingjay lollipop.
"Really, Peeta? Aren't you getting tired of seeing that thing?" Katniss asked.
"No, I still think they're pretty. I remember you and when I first heard you sing," Peeta replied.
"I think it just puts a 'name' on her and Katniss hates it, don't you know that?" Gale cut in.
"I never meant it like that. It's just that mockingjays make me think of Katniss' nice voice," Peeta explained.
"Sure," Gale mumbled as Peeta went behind Effie. With all their commotion, they didn't notice Dr. Aurelius leave the room with Haymitch. After 10 minutes, though, they returned with the results.
"Sorry for the wait," Dr. Aurelius said.
"Yeah, it is indeed Katniss, Peeta and Gale," Haymitch nonchalantly announced. "But it's no surprise, really,"
The others nodded their heads in agreement. With the Capitol, anything was possible, even reversing aging, but it's still a new technology, which the people of District 3 will still try and figure out.
"So, what now?" Effie asked.
"We informed Plutarch of the results. He told me that we should go to District 3," Haymitch replied.
"Oh, so, I guess I will just stay with you until a hovercraft picks you four up,"
"Actually- Plutarch heard how good you were with kids and he said that you should help in… uhh... babysitting them,"
"What? I DID NOT sign up for a babysitting job,"
"Do you even have a JOB right now?"
Effie sighed. "Where will we be picked up?"
AN: Yay! I got the next chapter out! But it's not my best chapter… -_-' I think maybe that the conversations may be hanging.. or I think it's just the dialogues in general. I need help in writing dialogues. HELP! Feedback is much appreciated. :D Review please! I kinda have about a month and few weeks of summer so yeah. PLEASE REVIEW!
~pinkish-red hearts