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I do not own the Hunger Games nor its characters.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Those who aren't on the rescue mission to the Capitol are above ground, watching Katniss tell Cressida about her relationship with Peeta. The plan is to air the footage while the others are rescuing Peeta, Johanna and Annie in the hope that it works as some sort of distraction. However, Katniss' story may be sweet but not's exactly riveting. The whole of Panem have seen her and Peeta's relationship develop right in front of them.
Plutarch beckons for Finnick and I to join him with a grave expression on his face. Whatever he's about to suggest he knows that we won't like it.
"Finnick, the only thing that's going to provide a proper distraction is the information you've gained from the women in the Capitol," says Plutarch.
Finnick doesn't say anything for a moment, his mind suddenly deep in thought. The rope he's holding also begins to quickly form in to various, intricate knots.
"No!" I snap, "He's already been through hell! Asking him to do this is exploiting him just like Snow did!"
"With respect, Haymitch, I'm sure Finnick always knew the day would come when-"
"I'll do it," Finnick interrupts before turning to me. "I appreciate what you're saying but Plutarch's right."
"You don't have to do this," I say as he crosses over to the camera.
"Yes, I do," he says, "If it will help her." He sits down and lets go of the rope. "I'm ready."
I have to close my eyes for a moment as he begins to speak, telling the whole nation how President Snow sold his body to the highest bidder.
"If you refuse, he kills someone you love," he says and my eyes shoot open. "So you do it."
He's looking straight down the camera, completely plain faced as he speaks and reveals the truth about what has been happening to handsome victors for decades. "I wasn't the only one, but I was the most popular. And perhaps the most defenceless, because the people I loved were so defenceless. To make themselves feel better, my patrons would make presents of money or jewellery, but I found a much more valuable form of payment. Secrets. And this is where you're going to want to stay tuned, President Snow, because so very many of them were about you. But let's begin with some of the others."
Once he begins, the sordid tales pour out of his mouth at a rate that is impossible to keep up with. Of course, he's told me most of these awful things over the years but it doesn't make it easier to hear, especially when you consider what he would be expected to do in order to gain these secrets.
Every Capitol 'rebel' that stands among us is gripped by Finnick's story. They know most of the names he mentions and seem shocked that the people of the Capitol aren't as wholesome as Snow would have them believe.
"And now, on to our good President Coriolanus Snow," says Finnick. "Such a young man when he rose to power. Such a clever one to keep it. How, you must ask yourself, did he do it? One word. That's all you really need to know. Poison."
I have to admit that I know very little about Snow's rise to power, I've never been interested, but none of Finnick's story surprises me. Snow poisoned anyone who he saw as a threat, blaming their deaths on bad food or a virus. When people became suspicious he even drank from the same cup after he had taken an antidote but no antidote is ever perfect and he has bleeding ulcers in his mouth as a result. No wonder he smells of death.
"Cut," says Finnick and soon everyone descends on him apart from me and Katniss. We know better.
"Is that what happened to you?" Katniss asks.
"No," I say and those three faces flash in to my mind, again. "My mother and younger brother. My girl. They were all dead two weeks after I was crowned victor. Because of that stunt I pulled with the force field. Snow had no one to use against me."
"I'm surprised he didn't just kill you," she says, flatly, which makes me smirk.
"Oh, no. I was the example. The person to hold up to the young Finnicks and Johannas and Cashmeres. Of what could happen to a victor who caused problems. But he knew he had no leverage against me."
"Until Peeta and I came along," she says, quietly and I know that if I agree I'm likely to have a meltdown in front of the whole crew. So I don't.
As Finnick heads back towards the lifts that go down in to 13 I catch up to him and notice that he's already tying knots, again.
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"Yeah," he says. "It feels strange to finally say it all out loud. All of Panem will know tonight that the great Finnick Odair isn't the sex symbol they think he is."
"And you're upset about that?" I say with a smile.
"No, not at all," he says. "I know you're going to ask me why I didn't tell you about the poison. I wasn't trying to keep things from you, I just thought if I ever needed one big secret to use against him…"
"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I get it." When you live a life where nothing is really yours you have to be extra careful what you keep to yourself and what you don't. Have I not been treating Katniss the same way?
Later that afternoon I'm in Command with everyone other than Katniss and Finnick, who are with Beetee in Special Defence as he hacks in to the Capitol's broadcast feed.
Coin is getting regular updates on the mission but refuses to share them with the rest of us so we just watch a boring news report until Katniss' interview flashes up on screen. Beetee doesn't play it for very long before switching to Finnick and his story, which the Capitol side let play for longer than they ever have before switching feeds. They're probably all right up next to their television screens, desperate to hear more.
We have dinner sent up to Command and eat in silence but one of 13's guards tells me that Vieve has been asking after me, we haven't seen each other for almost two days and I'm only just realising how little sleep I've had. No matter, when we've won the war I can sleep forever if I choose.
"Could you just tell her that everything is okay and I'll see her when I can?" I ask the guard but he's clearly not happy about being a messenger.
Plutarch attempts to make small talk for the next few hours but no one is in the mood. All I can think about is whether they've got Peeta, Johanna and Annie out. That's if they're still alive. I don't know what I'll do if they're not, maybe I'll actually go through with the plan I had after the Quell announcement.
Coin's communicuff starts buzzing at around midnight and she starts yelling that they're back and in the hospital.
"Where's Katniss and Finnick?" I ask, leaping out of my chair.
"I think they're still in Special Defence," says Plutarch, "You'd better bring them to the hospital."
I nod and almost run through 13, the corridors and various lifts seeming more familiar to me these days. I push open the door to find Katniss and Finnick, clearly on edge.
"They're back. We're wanted in the hospital." I say, to which Katniss begins to ask me a million questions. "That's all I know."
When we reach the hospital wing the place is flooded with people, yelling and shouting various orders. I don't think I've ever seen it so busy or in such a panic. Every nurse and doctor that they have is running around with needles of this and bottles of that.
As we walk in a thin woman with a shaved head is wheeled past us and it takes me a moment to recognise her as Johanna. The mouthy, rebellious sides to her appear to have been beaten out until nothing is left other than pain.
I want to go after her, to see what the doctors are going to do to her but before I can move I hear someone shrieking Finnick's name. My head snaps around to find Annie, looking a lot better than Johanna, running towards Finnick and vice versa. They collide in to each other and don't let go. They're safe, for now.
Boggs hobbles towards Katniss and I, looking tired and wary but seemingly uninjured. "We got them all out. Except Enobaria. But since she's from Two, we doubt she's being held anyway. Peeta's at the end of the hall. The effects of the gas are just wearing off. You should be there when he wakes."
I smile at Katniss and say, "Come on, then."
We're almost running down the corridor towards him, I can see that he's already awake and sitting on the edge of the bed. He spots Katniss and walks towards her, his arms outstretched. But when he reaches her he doesn't wrap them around her like I expect him to. Instead, he locks his fingers around her throat and squeezes.
Boggs quickly descends upon the room and pushes Peeta hard on to the floor, instantly knocking him out. Katniss sways as Peeta's fingers let go of her neck and one of the doctors has to run to her side to support her. Before I can see if she's all right she's placed in to a wheelchair and taken to the nearest bed.
I go to follow but the doctors push me out of the room, the less people there, the better.
I don't know what to do with myself. I want to see Katniss. I want to see Peeta. I want to see Johanna, Annie and Finnick. Yet, I know that none of them require my presence. I'm left pacing an empty room of the hospital wing while most of the staff see to Katniss and the others.
Peeta has been carted off to a cell on Coin's orders and I'm strictly forbidden from seeing him until the doctors deem it safe. We saw what he did to Katniss, who knows what he will do to me.
Against my better judgement, I curl up on one of the beds, close my eyes and hope that the nightmares stay away for just a few hours.
"Haymitch," Plutarch yells as he nudges me awake. "Haymitch, we think we know what's happened to Peeta."
"What? What is it?" I ask, groggily. I sit up in the bed, he has my full attention, now.
"I'm not entirely sure of how it works, Beetee tried explaining it to me and you know what he's like. He thinks that the Capitol injected Peeta with tracker-jacker venom while at the same time playing him footage of Katniss. The venom brings all of your darkest fears to life and incites terror. Eventually, he began to think of Katniss as an enemy and not as the girl he loves."
"Can he be fixed?"
Plutarch sighs, "I'm afraid we really don't know at this point. There's very little research. Beetee and I are about to break the news to Katniss, do you want to come?"
I nod and follow him to the hospital wing where Katniss sits with Prim. Her neck is in a collar and she has all sorts of machines around her but she doesn't seem too ill. I wonder if her body will ever recover from the mess everyone has put her in.
Plutarch and Beetee do their best to explain the torture technique used on Peeta, which they call hijacking, and I can see all hope vanishing from Katniss' face. She's desperate to know if he can be fixed and everyone is trying to reassure her but when she asks me for my opinion, I can't lie.
"I think Peeta might get somewhat better. But…I don't think he'll ever be the same," I say and I hate myself for it.
Once we're done in the hospital wing I ask to see Peeta, although Plutarch is dead against it. It takes me a good fifteen minutes to convince him that all I want to do is see him, even if that's via a camera. I understand if I can't talk to him.
Luckily, they've placed Peeta in a cell with a two way mirror so it's easy enough to look at him. He sits at the centre of the room, covered in cuts and bruises and glaring at the mirror. I know he can't see me but it feels like he can. It feels like he's looking straight at me and reminding me that this all my fault. I used him for my own means and now he'll never be the same again. I'm as much to blame as the Capitol when it comes to Peeta Mellark's downward spiral. And I dread to think how it will end.