Querencia | Finnick Odair

Nine

They do. And slowly, in T-shirt, pain and Gloss' arm, I leave the hovercraft, exiting into a hangar where we are swarmed with medical personnel. They put me on a hospital bed and wheel me into an elevator, which moves down and sideways until we reach the hospital wing.

They check my vitals, but I refuse a drip. They want to take blood samples as well, but as soon as a needle moves close to me I scream at them to stay away, remembering just how much pain the last needles brought me, brought Penelope.

They argue that I can't have pain medicine that way and try to hold me down. I trash and reopen my leg wound doing so until I hear yells from Gloss to leave me alone. Johanna is carried into a different room. She is unconscious still.

And then I hear a voice. A voice that I have missed so much. That I clung to. That I thought I might never hear again. I hear him calling my name.

I jump up, push through the doctors and yell his name, again and again until our bodies collide and we crash into the next wall.

"Finnick", I whisper this time as he holds me close. I cradle his face, touch him, to make sure he is real. Tears stream down my cheeks freely now, mixing with his as I kiss him, kiss him, kiss him.

"You're alive", I utter, again and again.

"Yes, darling. And you are here. You are safe. We are safe", he says, carefully wiping my tears away.

These words remind me of something, remind me of Peeta.

"Peeta. He...he. He is not him. Katniss..."

I push away from him and run towards the room into which I just see Haymitch disappear. Finnick follows close behind. And I was right, so right about my dark assumption. Because I see Peeta. Strangling Katniss.

I grab a tray that was set down, seemingly in a hurry, because the drink on it was spilled, and smash it across Peetas head, rendering him unconscious.

Haymitch's eyes are wide and we are ushered out of the room, where I cling to Finnick as I feel the pain again. Because the adrenaline is gone, and the medicine as well.

I see Haymitch saying something, but I can't hear it and once more, feel darkness sweep me away.

~~*~~

I have multiple guests when I wake up. Finnick is there holding my hand. Haymitch is there too and Effie, always cheerful Effie, in a grey jumpsuit and a frown on her face.

They added a drip and I frown as well.

"Hey Talisa", Haymitch smiles.

"Hey idiot"

"Good to know you are still the same."

"How is Peeta?", I ask.

"Okay if you mean the physical state. Psychological, not so much, but you seem to know that already."

"He got worse day by day. But after the broadcast...they kept him three days and after that, Peeta was gone. He doesn't know who he is, who Katniss is to him."

Finnick strokes my sticky hair.

"What did they do to you?"

I tense slightly. "A lot."

Effie sighs. "I am so sorry."

"Nothing you could have done Effie."

"Well, nonetheless."

"How is Katniss?"

Haymitch sighs. "In a...MRI scan. Let's hope she doesn't have any permanent damage. But you were fairly quick, so she should heal up."

"What about nine?"

"We don't have a big connection yet, but we are working on it."

"I want to go."

"Darling, you are recovering. Your back..."
"My back is shit, so are my legs, my ribs, my head. Finnick, I need to go. I need to find Theresa and Daniel. I need to see if they really killed Mike."

Effie excuses herself because she is needed elsewhere, Finnick and Haymitch remain.

"What do you mean, 'make sure'?"

I shiver. "Snow made me watch videos. He showed me how they killed my grandparents, Lucinda, Mariann...he...he showed me Annie and the victors of Four. He showed me Cinna, Mike. He showed me you. He made me watch you die. You were, I thought. I wouldn't, couldn't believe it but... "

Their faces pale slightly.

"But you are alive, you are here, so maybe he is alive too. And the children have to be there. So I will go there. I will fight for my people."
"Then I will go too", Finnick says and I squeeze his hand.

"How did you get out?", I ask Haymitch.

"A good friend once gifted me a gun."

I smile.

"Why didn't you tell me? I didn't lie on TV. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you made clear that Finnick is your priority."

"But you told him."

"You are far deadlier than him."
"Which would have made me a greater asset."

"I know my choices might have not been the best, but please understand."

"One free pass Haymitch. One", I grumble and he leaves after that, visiting Katniss.

"Are you sure about this?", Finnick asks.

"I once fought off a wolfpack while injured. I can handle this."

"Okay. Let me help you get dressed. You are going to meet Coin."

"Coin?"

"Yup. The president here. 'Leader' of the revolution."

I raise my eyebrows but stay silent. I carefully remove the IV and press a small pad to it, taping it into place. While moving hurts, it is more bearable.

"They have some balms here that resemble the Capitols. Your back is healing up."

"How bad is it?"

"I...It's...Well..."

"Is it ugly?"

"No, darling. Of course not. There are older ones that are scars already, the fresher ones, about six are mostly big welts and five are scabbing over."

He closes the bra and then pulls up the jumpsuit slowly, buttoning up the row across my chest, where he stops and carefully touches the small scar that came from a particularly strong shock.

"If you ever want to talk..."

"You'll be the first I turn to."

His thumb brushes over my cheek, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

He leans in, slowly, eyes questioning me. I pull him close and our lips meet, a kiss full of longing and love shared.