Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 16

I'm too stunned to say anything, I just can't believe it's Haymitch, my friend, mentor, and father figure. Peeta looks at me open mouthed and I can see the tears welling in his eyes.

"Katniss are you there?"

Haymitch's question brings me back on track.
"Yeah Haymitch I'm here, it's so good to hear your voice" I say in utter joy.
"You too sweetheart, you too. I've missed you guys. How's Peeta and your mother are they alright?"

"Everyone's fine Haymitch, Peeta's here with me now and don't forget we have our baby girl, Rue"

I hear him sigh over the phone
"I'm so pleased for you guys, I just wish I was there with you, I really do"

I look at Peeta and see him almost pleading with me to let him talk to Haymitch himself. Gale comes over to listen in and I hand the phone to Peeta. Both Gale and I listen and I figure that they're talking about Wolfe, the war and where Haymitch is. But after only a few minutes Haymitch has to leave and hangs up the phone abruptly. Peeta closes his eyes, puts the phone down on the table and sighs heavily and I can see the look of relief on his face. To know that Haymitch is okay and isn't being tortured as Ellie's parents were has put our minds at rest. As I wrap my arms around Peeta I now understand that deep down both of us have been so worried about him. So many unanswered questions that were in both our minds. Where is he, is he okay, is he being harmed? All these questions have now been answered and we both feel as if a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. I must get to medical and tell Mom, I know she'll be just as relieved as Peeta and I. We leave Rue with Gale and Megan and make our way down to see my mother and to get Peeta checked over after his attack last night.

As we walk down the corridor I spot my mother standing at the nurses station looking over some patient records, I rush up to her to tell her the good news. I tell her everything about the phone call, I tell her how healthy Haymitch sounded and how he asked how she was. She leans her elbows against the counter and burries her face in her hands.

"Thank god he's okay" she says

"I know how you feel, we're the same" I say to her smiling.
We talk for a while and Peeta adds that he's staying in the tribute centre in the Capitol and that Wolfe has something planned for him. What it is he doesn't know but he can only contact us when he's moved to the mansion when he can secretly phone from Wolfe's study.

Mom takes Peeta into a monitoring room where his vital signs will be checked and I head off down the hall to see Blaine. I walk in his room to see Johanna sat in a chair alongside the bed while Blaine sits up propped up on some pillows. My heart sinks when I see him tucking into some Distrist 13 mush.

"Hey" I say as I walk in.

Blaine looks up from his plate and throws a casual wave while Johanna just nods.

We make small talk about the mission and Blaine thanks me for going back for him when he got shot on the river bank. I sit on the end of his bed and tell them my plans for our extra training from Steph and Alek when all of a sudden there's a commotion out in the corridor. Johanna and I walk to the door to see everyone rushing down to the nurses station. We follow, both of us intrigued as to what all the fuss is about. When we reach the waiting area we see a crowd of patients and visitors standing round a large TV, that's set up high against the wall. It's the new Propo from our mission that everyone's getting excited about. Plutarch's people must of rushed it through during the night. I have to say they've made us look like warriors of some sort, with us running through the forest chasing mutts, blowing up trains and shooting arrows. People gasp at Steph's skill at taking down the man mutt while they all stare captivated at the shoot out on the river bank. Throughout, the voice of Caesar Flickerman adds a dramatic angle to the action. The propo ends with the Mockingjay logo, wreathed in flame with the words, "join the fight, join the Mockingjay" written in large bold letters across the screen.
I look around the room. Everyone is still staring at the blank screen, lost in the images they've just seen. Some have an expression of grim determination on their faces, others seem lost in thought, still taking it all in.
When I think of what happened on the mission and the way Plutarch has portrayed it, I can understand why people would seem to be motivated by what they've seen. Johanna grips my arm and gently guides me back to Blaine's room.

"What was it Johanna, what was all the fuss about?" asks Blaine.
"It's the new propo, looking at the reaction from the people here, I'd say it's everything Plutarch hoped for" says Johanna glancing at me. I nod, knowing that if this propo really does electrify the new army and districts what's Wolfe going to do about it? I can't imagine that he'll sit back and let us gain the upper hand in the war.
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For the next week Alek, Steph and Lyndon put the squad through some rigorous fitness training. This is all to do with the career training I asked Alek about and working on our fitness is the first step. At the moment we're still missing a squad member as Blaine is still recovering from his leg wound but Joel has joined in even though he's not officially in my squad. I must talk with him about his plans as I was under the impression that he couldn't fight because of his old war wounds. At the end of the week we'll all get given the weekend off and Peeta and I are planning on returning to 12 for a few days of rest and to spend some quality time with Rue. His medical tests all came back clear although Mom says he's showing some signs of exhaustion. Life in 13 is pretty crazy right now what with the new found fame from the Propo making us all overnight celebrities. I'm used to it but Steph is struggling with the attention what with being Caesar's daughter and her relationship with Alek.

I stagger along the muddy path headed back toward the training ground. We've been running like this for hours without rest or water and I'm starting to get that dreaded feeling of bile rising in my throat as exhaustion starts to take me.

"Come on Katniss, run!" I hear Steph yell from far behind me.

I turn and see her trotting on, keeping her distance about 50 metres behind me.
"I can't Steph, I'm finished" I blurt out breathlessly.

"Really?" She yells back.

I glance back and see her sprinting after me. I increase my pace but it's futile and she catches me easily. Before I know it, she's slid in under my legs, knocking me off my feet and onto my back. The wind has been knocked from me and before I know what's happening she's rolled on top of me, pinning me to the ground with a knife pressed against my neck. I look up into those blue eyes and for a second I see Clove looking down at me, ready to cut. An image saved somewhere in my memory for eternity from my first games. I grown at the realisation that I'm still so weak compared to what the careers can do. Steph rolls off me and gets to her feet, then pulls me up and I can feel the mud oozing through my hair from lying on the muddy track.
I don't say a word and start to trot again, determined not to be beaten when Steph jogs up alongside me.

"So Katniss, are you still sure you wanna keep doing this?"

"Yeah why? This is easy" I say trying to force a smile.

"Well, you got that right, I just hope your prepared for what's still to come" she says as she runs off leaving me staggering along alone in the woods.