Thank you again for reading my story, I'm still a bit shocked that people like it! Any feedback you have is always welcomed and I hope you like the chapter!
I do not own The Hunger Games nor its characters.
Chapter Sixty-One
Hospitals have always been a strange concept to me. We never had one in 12 but on the rare occasions I've had to go to one the clinical look and smell of the place has always puts me on edge. And there's always people around injured and dying. I've seen enough of that to last me a life time. I guess, in some way, I'm just worried that they'll cause a flashback.
Rufus has been awake for two days but according to Vieve he's been talking nonsense and doesn't know who anyone is, he barely recognised his own mother and sister when he woke up. But now he seems to be holding down a decent conversation with them, even if he is a bit forgetful.
"Who's this?" He says to Vieve, nodding in my direction.
"This is my friend Haymitch," says Vieve, even though she introduced me twenty minutes ago. "Do you remember me speaking about him?"
"No…yes." He's staring at me blankly but there are tears forming in his eyes. "I can't remember."
Vieve is stroking his arm lovingly and gives him a kiss on the side of his face. It feels both strange and natural to see her this way; being a mother. I had no doubt that she would be brilliant and yet knowing that we don't share these children somehow makes my heart feel like there's a clamp on it. They are the most important things in her life and I have no claim to them.
This is the first time I've seen her since we kissed and I still can't get my head around what she said. She's always loved me. She was protecting me. Like I should have been doing to her. I've been trying to avoid her, my main focus has to be Katniss, but Vieve was adamant that I visit Rufus today. She told me that he needs to see familiar faces but I think she's just trying to slowly introduce me in to her children's lives and I'm still not sure if that's what I want.
"It's okay, kid," I say, "I'm quite forgettable."
All three of them chuckle and I'm suddenly feeling a small amount of triumph. Rufus smiled because of me.
"So what's going on with you two?" Asks Melia, causing Vieve's eyebrows to shoot sky high.
"Whoa! You've certainly got your mother's directness," I say.
"Yeah, so what is going on?" Melia presses.
I look over to Vieve who is looking back at me with a pleading in her eyes that makes me feel so uncomfortable. Why do I have to be the one to answer this?
"Haymitch," says someone in the doorway and when I look over I can see Plutarch with a distant looking Finnick. "We're heading down now."
I nod and say goodbye to the others, grateful for Plutarch's excellent timing as I leave the room.
"Mum," Melia whispers behind me, "That's Finnick Odair!"
I can't help but grin. Even in the midst of war some things never change.
"So that's your ex-wife?" Asks Finnick, although his eyes are fixed on the back of Plutarch's head.
"Yes," I reply. "But please don't tell Katniss. She already hates me."
"I won't. I wouldn't want to rub her face in it like that," he says and I know the only thing that consumes his mind is Annie.
We eventually reach our destination and Plutarch leads me to a control room that looks down on a set complete with cameras and fake debris that I'm sure Coin hated spending money on. The idea of today is create the first of what Plutarch has labelled 'propos', which are propaganda films we hope to transmit to the whole of Panem.
"Do you think she's going to be ready to see you?" Asks Plutarch.
"I have no idea. But it's been long enough." I say and settle down in a chair.
Moments later Katniss and her prep team, who I've heard were captured on the final night of the Quarter Quell and been brutally treated ever since, descend upon the set followed by the film crew.
Katniss is wearing a state of the art body suit that Cinna designed just weeks before he died, probably knowing that it would be one of the last things he ever did. However, she looks about ten years older with the amount of makeup she's wearing and nothing like the rebellious seventeen-year old that the whole country has grown to love.
She's placed on top of a rock and smoke begins to billow around her. The cameras start rolling and she holds up her new bow, trying to look as angry as she can.
"People of Panem," she shouts. "We fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!"
No one speaks and all I can hear is my laugh. Did they really think that was going to work? They have no idea how to handle this girl!
I press the button for the intercom and lean over the microphone. "And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies."
After I've ranted and raved about how ridiculous the whole thing is I call for anyone who has ever had any contact with Katniss for a meeting in Command. The time of me moping around and leaving everyone to their own devices is over, if they want to get the best of out of Katniss then they're going to need me in this blasted war.
I play the awful footage to everyone in the room and I can see by their faces that they're starting to realise that this approach is never going to work.
"All right," I say. "Would anyone like to argue that this is of use to us in winning the war?" Of course, no one answers. "That saves time. So, let's all be quiet for a minute. I want everyone to think of one incident where Katniss Everdeen genuinely moved you. Not where you were jealous of her hairstyle, or her dress went up in flames or she made a halfway decent shot with an arrow. Not where Peeta was making you like her. I want to hear one moment where she made you feel something real."
No one speaks for a while until one of Katniss's school friends finally speaks up. "When she volunteered to take Prim's place at the reaping. Because I'm sure she thought she was going to die."
"Good. Excellent example," I reply and jot it down on a large notepad. "Volunteered for sister at reaping. Somebody else."
"When she sang the song. While the little girl died." Says Boggs.
"Who didn't get choked up at that, right?" I say and continue to write. I'm trying to keep the whole thing as light as possible because I know these thoughts must be killing Katniss.
"I cried when she drugged Peeta so she could go get him medicine and when she kissed him good-bye!" Says Octavia, although she looks terrified that she dared to speak.
"Oh, yeah. Drugs Peeta to save his life. Very nice."
Once everyone has got going I can't stop the on pour of 'classic Katniss' moments. The berries. Helping Mags. Defying the Capitol.
"So," I finally say, holding up the notepad. "The question is, what do all of these have in common?"
"They were Katniss's," says Gale. "No one told her what to do or say."
"Unscripted, yes!" says Beetee. He turns to Katniss. "So we should just leave you alone, right?
We all laugh at this. That's probably worse than telling her what to do.
"Well, that's all very nice but not very helpful," says Fulvia. "Unfortunately, her opportunities for being wonderful are rather limited here in Thirteen. So unless you're suggesting we toss her into the middle of combat—"
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting," I interrupt. "Put her out in the field and just keep the cameras rolling."
"But people think she's pregnant," says Gale.
"We'll spread the word that she lost the baby from the electrical shock in the arena," Plutarch replies. "Very sad. Very unfortunate."
"Every time we coach her or give her lines, the best we can hope for is okay. It has to come from her. That's what people are responding to." I reinforce after I can see the uncertainty in some people's faces.
"Even if we're careful, we can't guarantee her safety," says Boggs. "She'll be a target for every—"
"I want to go," Demands Katniss and my lips curl in to a smile. "I'm no help to the rebels here."
"And if you're killed?" asks Coin.
"Make sure you get some footage. You can use that, anyway," she says.
"Fine," says Coin. "But let's take it one step at a time. Find the least dangerous situation that can evoke some spontaneity in you." She walks around the room, taking in the many maps she has displayed on the wall. "Take her into Eight this afternoon. There was heavy bombing this morning, but the raid seems to have run its course. I want her armed with a squad of bodyguards. Camera crew on the ground. Haymitch, you'll be airborne and in contact with her. Let's see what happens there. Does anyone have any other comments?"
"Wash her face," says Dalton, a man from 10. "She's still a girl and you made her look thirty-five. Feels wrong. Like something the Capitol would do." Exactly!
The meeting ends and I ask if I can speak to Katniss alone but Gale hangs around, glaring at me. "What are you worried about?I'm the one who needs the bodyguard."
"It's okay," says Katniss and Gale reluctantly leaves.
I sit down opposite her. "We're going to have to work together again. So, go ahead. Just say it."
"I can't believe you didn't rescue Peeta."
"I know," I say.
"Now you say it," she says.
"I can't believe you let him out of your sight that night."
"I play it over and over in my head. What I could have done to keep him by my side without breaking the alliance. But nothing comes to me."
"You didn't have a choice. And even if I could've made Plutarch stay and rescue him that night, the whole hovercraft would've gone down. We barely got out as it was. He's not dead yet, Katniss."
"We're still in the game."
"Still in. And I'm still your mentor." I say, hoping she agrees. "When you're on the ground, remember I'm airborne. I'll have the better view, so do what I tell you."
"We'll see," she says.
Within an hour we're all sitting on a hovercraft, waiting to go to Eight while Plutarch explains what's going on in the war to Katniss. All the districts are fighting the Capitol, apart from 2, unsurprisingly. They've always been the Capitol's lap dogs and even supply some of their Peacekeepers, even though we're all meant to be believe they come directly from the Capitol.
"But all the other districts are on our side?" Asks Katniss.
"Yes. Our goal is to take over the districts one by one, ending with District Two, thus cutting off the Capitol's supply chain. Then, once it's weakened, we invade the Capitol itself," says Plutarch. "That will be a whole other type of challenge. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"If we win, who would be in charge of the government?" Gale asks.
"Everyone," Plutarch says. "We're going to form a republic where the people of each district and the Capitol can elect their own representatives to be their voice in a centralized government. Don't look so suspicious; it's worked before."
"In books," I say, not feeling a lot of respect for governments that came before if they allowed The Hunger Games to happen.
"In history books," says Plutarch. "And if our ancestors could do it, then we can, too."
"And if we lose?" Asks Katniss.
"If we lose?" Says Plutarch. "Then I would expect next year's Hunger Games to be quite unforgettable. That reminds me." He takes a tube from his vest and hands out small, purple pills. "We named them nightlock in your honour, Katniss. The rebels can't afford for any of us to be captured now. But I promise, it will be completely painless."
I have to stop myself from laughing, I doubt he even knows what pain is.
I hand Katniss her earpiece and place mine in to position just before we land in Eight and make it quite clear that she isn't to remove it. Once she and the camera crew have disembarked I sit in front of a screen to monitor her actions. The hovercraft has cameras and microphones all over it so it's easy to see where she is and what she's doing.
A second hovercraft lands on the round and six medics stroll out of it and walk in to the hospital where the team want to film Katniss but she's worried. I can tell all of the injured and dying people from this morning's bombing are already affecting her.
A woman in her thirties, who introduces herself as Commander Paylor, is quite cold with them but nevertheless walks them in to the hospital.
She's immediately greeted by joy, even the worst of the dying are desperate to talk to her and to touch her. Just seeing her face seems to momentarily please them. They even tell her that they know Peeta was under duress in his interview with Caesar, something I'm sure will make her feel slightly better.
As they leave the whole team starts to congratulate her but I'm distracted by a sudden flurry of people around one of the screens in the control room.
"Boggs!" Shouts Plutarch, "Get to the airstrip! There's more bombers on their way!"
I immediately run over to the screen and can see that a group of Capitol hovercrafts are heading in to 8.
"What's going on?" I demand.
"It looks like this is a planned second bombing of 8," says a worker from 13, rapidly typing something in to a computer.
"Then why the hell were we sent here?!" I snarl.
The hovercrafts come in close and begin to bomb the warehouse behind Katniss. I can see her wince in pain as Boggs pushes her down to the ground.
"We can't land!" Shouts another worker and my heart rate suddenly picks up.
"Katniss!" I shout in to the small microphone on my collar.
"What? Yes, what? I'm here!" She shouts.
"Listen to me. We can't land during the bombing, but it's imperative you're not spotted."
"So they don't know I'm here?"
"Intelligence thinks no. That this raid was already scheduled."
Plutarch interrupts and begins to instruct Katniss and the others what to do. "There's a light blue warehouse three down from you. It has a bunker in the far north corner. Can you get there?"
"We'll do our best," says Boggs.
"You've got maybe forty-five seconds to the next wave," says Plutarch.
They run as fast as they can but barely make it to a small alley before the bombs are raining down on them and Gale throws his body across Katniss to protect her.
I look in the direction of the bombs as the two talk and see the hospital explode as bomb after bomb is dropped on to it. Those poor, innocent people gone in a second.
"They're targeting the hospital!" Shouts Gale.
"Not your problem," says Plutarch coldly "Get to the bunker."
"But there's nothing there but the wounded!" Shouts Katniss and I can see her face change. I know what she's thinking and I know what she's about to do.
"Katniss.," I warn, "Don't you even think about leaving-" but I can already see that she's taken the ear piece out and I'm left shouting and swearing at no one.
Gale and Katniss slip away from Boggs and join Paylor on top of one of the warehouses just as more bombers are sent in. Katniss lets her arrows fly while Gale shoots his gun and they manage to take a few down but I'm still seething at her.
"Cressida!" Says Plutarch, "You need to get somewhere safe before we can get you!"
"I don't care, Plutarch! Just give me five more minutes!" She shouts back as she gestures for the others to walk past her and examine the remains of the hospital.
"Sir, I think you should see this," says a worker and Plutarch heads over to his station. There's a screen showing what everyone in the Capitol is seeing, which happens to be the bombing. The screen fades and President Snow appears, looking as snake like as ever. He tells the audience that this is his way of sending a message to the rebels before the screen returns to some inane chat show.
"Cressida! Cressida! Snow just aired the bombings live and said it's a message to the rebels," says Plutarch. "Get a reaction from Katniss and then go!"
"Gale," I say in to Plutarch's microphone. "She needs to move, we're coming to get you now."
Cressida relays Plutarch's words to Katniss and, remarkably, she straightens herself up and looks straight down the camera.
"I want to tell the rebels that I am alive. That I'm right here in District Eight, where the Capitol has just bombed a hospital full of unarmed men, women, and children. There will be no survivors. I want to tell people that if you think for one second the Capitol will treat us fairly if there's a cease-fire, you're deluding yourself. Because you know who they are and what they do." She raises her arms. "This is what they do! And we must fight back! President Snow says he's sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that?" She points to a burning plane with the Capitol seal just visible through the flames. "Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"
That's it sweetheart. That's it.