A/N: I believe this touches on a request from Belle453. I hope you all enjoy this sad scene.
My working in the laundry leaves me too much time with my thoughts. I can't help but wonder, Is this what it feels like to have a child in the games? I haven't been at ease since Gale and Katniss left district 13 for the Capitol. If not for Gale's constant missions taking him away from district 13, our family would be safer than it has ever been despite the war. Safety for the entire family - it was unthinkable even before that disaster in the mines that stole my love from me. The threat of the hunger games was unavoidable. too much to ask. And ever since, the struggle to keep the family fed and clothed has seemed as much as I could handle.
I haven't liked any of Gale's missions - I've hated them, but this is different. This time he's really a soldier in the war.
I hate not knowing what's going on.
Last night at dinner, Peeta was missing. The blonde from town that he usually eats with was sitting alone with her little brother. Peeta had been in training before Gale and the others left for the Capitol; I wonder if he has relapsed. I haven't seen much of the other victors, Johanna and Annie, either.
When a pair of unfamiliar soldiers walk into the large laundry facility, I can feel the anxiousness in the room. We all know it must be more bad news. For who?, I wonder. I keep my eyes on my work as supervisor Phlannle meets them near the door.
When Phlannle points the soldiers in the direction of our line of workstations, a knot of fear twists inside me. Standing in front of our group of workers, the shorter of the soldiers asks, "Hazelle Hawthorne?"
No, I think. Please, no. I want to object, or run away. Go find my children - ALL my children - and take them home and I think about anything but soldiers coming to find me at my work.
"That's me," I answer shakily.
"Ma'am, we need you to come with us."
Sally gives me a sympathetic look and catches my hand briefly in hers as I walk past her. I'm too overcome by the freshly sharpened fear for Gale to respond, and my hand slips limply from her grasp as I follow the soldiers from the room.
They lead me to an elevator and through a labyrinth of corridors to a small nondescript room where a few groups of two to three people are gathered, their faces reading somewhere along the line between stoic and fearful. As I scan the room of people, most of whom were clearly from district 13, I quickly spot the blonde across the room. Carolyn Everdeen is sitting alone on the far side of the room, twisting her hands anxiously and staring into space. I hurry over to join her. As I approach, she looks up at me in confusion and fear. "Why -?"
I shake my head, grasping for any reason beyond the most terrifyingly obvious. "I don't know," I tell her.
An older man is brought into the room next; he walks directly to join two people near the center of the room. Then two distraught young women come in together, the victor Annie Cresta and the blonde girl from town, Delly. Delly seems to be the only thing keeping a tearful Annie upright and moving forward. I press my mouth into a thin, taut line of concern as the girl's eyes meet mine.
We don't have to wait much longer until three soldiers walk in and stand at attention in the front of the room. Behind them, a delegation including President Coin herself, as well as Plutarch Heavensbee and Haymitch, enters the room. I watch Haymitch for some sign of what has happened. I'd never thought that much of him in District 12 - a little disgust for his alcoholism, a little sympathy for what he's been through, and not much else. Now ... well, I know there's a lot more than most of us imagined going on behind all that drinking. Watching him, I don't even realize that I've gripped Carolyn's hand in mine, or that her eyes have followed my gaze to the man who helped her daughter survive the games.
When he finally raises his eyes toward the gathered groups he doesn't meet my gaze. All I can read on his face is anger and regret. The dread that has been sitting like a rock in her chest suddenly seems to take over entirely. Next to me, Carolyn lets out a quiet wail as she clutches my hand fiercely. Suddenly I do not want to know what's going on. I don't want to know what our families are facing in the Capitol.
President Coin clears her throat.
"You have all been gathered because of your connection to Squad 451. As one of our top sharpshooting squads, Squad 451 has been a critical part of our attack on the Capitol..."
President Coin keeps talking. I hear the sound of her voice but can't seem to make sense of the words. Only one thing is clear. It's been clear since those soldiers said my name. Gale is what brought me to this room, and that can only be bad news. We were brought here for our soldiers. We were brought here for our children. Tears well in my eyes and I don't try to stop them.
"The squad was detected by Capitol forces during a mission earlier today. They were trapped in a building within the Capitol. The Capitol forces destroyed the entire city block setting it on fire. We have no hope for their survival. The Capitol has broadcast their destruction of the buildings. The entire block is burning and Capitol forces will no doubt dig out the bodies of your kin when the fires have been extinguished."
It can't be true, I think. It can't be. It can't be this easy for my son to be taken away from me. If it were true, none of us would still be sitting here, in this stupid room. We wouldn't be so calm.
But we're not calm, not really. Keening wails and sobs seem to echo around me. I feel frozen in place, robbed of breath because some of those wails are mine. They echo out of me into the room, into the cloud of disbelief and grief that surrounds us. Over the din, a male voice drones on with more words we cannot hear.
"You should all be gratified to know that the squad has fought valiantly against the Capitol. Many troops have been lost to the Capitol defenses. At this time we are preparing a fresh assault, a surge in troops to attempt to gain ground along three routes into the heart of the Capitol."