The Other Slip

Chapter 23

I see Finnick running towards me and answer his question before he has a chance to ask it.

-"I have absolutely no clue. All I know is Haymitch is safe." He just sighs and continues running down a hallway.

-"Finnick, wait!" I call out after him. He runs through the hallways at such a fast pace that I fail to keep up with him. I pause, panting, and look around me. The most logical place for him to have gone is the hospital. I half walk half jog there, where I find him talking to Plutarch. His face shifts into the most broken he has ever looked. More broken than when Mags died. More broken than when he found out Annie was captured. I know what happened to Annie. I walk up to him and embrace him, but he isn't capable of fully returning it.

-"She'll be okay Finnick," I whisper, my voice shaky "We're going to get her out." He doesn't respond.

-"Katniss Everdeen?" A nurse calls out. I break away from Finnick and walk towards her. "A patient would like to speak to you. Haymitch Abernathy."

-"Yes. Yes, where is his room?"

She guides me to a room where I see Haymitch, multiple tubes attached to him, but safe. The nurses surrounding him step away, and I politely nod at them as they leave the room.

-"Thanks Sweetheart," Haymitch says, his voice hoarse. He pauses to clear his throat, but continues before I can respond. "I was told you're the one who saved me."

-"Yeah," I smile a little, "It was my turn to save you."

-"Nice job staying alive." He chuckles.

-"You too." We both laugh. This feels so natural. A few weeks ago, I was upset at Haymitch. Now I'm just glad to have him back. Our friendship had become so tarnished in the few weeks before the Quarter Quell, but now things just feel normal. Well, as normal as things can be when you're in a full blown revolution.

-"Have you spoken to Peeta yet?" I ask, but I cannot hide my true intentions behind the question.

-"Not yet. I'm assuming there's something wrong though, by the way you asked that?" Haymitch reads right through me.

-"We aren't on the best terms. Let's just say he and Gale have become...overprotective."

-"Knowing the boy, he only wants what's best for you Katniss."

-"Well he tried to stop me from coming to save you, so you should be thankful I didn't listen to him."

We both sit quietly for a while.

-"Do you know who else made it back here?" I ask, but I'm not sure how he would know.

-"Johanna and the Morphling," he gruffs, "Does Finnick know?"

-"Yeah," I look down, "He found out a few minutes ago. He isn't coping too well."

-"Can't blame him."

Peeta comes rushing through the door and I immediately stand up.

-"Haymitch, I-" he pauses when he notices me, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll come back later..."

-"No, it's fine," I start walking towards the door, "We were wrapping it up."

As I walk through the hallways, I see Gale rushing to me. I prepare myself for an apology of sorts, unsure if I will accept it or not, but it never comes. He is acting as if nothing happened.

-"What??" I say, utterly confused by him.

-"What?" He looks just as puzzled.

-"So nothing happened the other day? Not only do you restrain me and not believe in me, but you don't own up to your actions either. I'm done Gale."