Flames to Embers

41- The Hanging Tree

Thanks to @Blakey1014 and @unicornpeachgamer345 for their comments!!

"Right now?" I whispered as I rocked my baby, trying to get the little thing to calm down.

Prim grinned widely. "Right now. Today. He's healthy and we think he's going to be just fine."

I rocked back and forth... back and forth... back... forth... back... "You're coming home with me, baby," I swayed slower and slower until I stopped completely. August stopped crying and stared at me with wide green eyes. I melted a little at those big green eyes of his. "You look like your daddy," I told him for the thousandth time.

"I had some officers who said they would set your room up with the things you need. We'll have to move you into your own room so that you have room for a baby. Our apartment is too small," Prim told me.

I smiled gently. "That's okay... We'll need the room for when Finn—"

Prim smiled at me encouragingly, but I didn't finish. We both knew what I wanted to say though. For when Finnick comes back.

"Katniss," Caspian poked his head into the room. "Cressida wants to shoot another propo. They screened some footage of Gloss today and Coin wants to fire back with something fresh."

I handed August to Prim. "Is Cashmere okay?" I asked.

Caspian furrowed his brow. "I haven't seen her. This shouldn't take long, I'll help you find her when we're done."

I followed him out of the hospital and stopped by my room briefly to get dressed. I was getting moved that afternoon apparently, moved into a bit of a larger apartment. The style that was built for a small family of three.

...

We found ourselves in the ruins of District 12 again. I wasn't sure what Coin thought the benefit of shooting there would be, but I didn't ask questions for once as I followed Gale through the crumbling remains of my home.

"Katniss, what are you looking at?" Cressida asked. She gestured to Castor's camera. I glanced up at them briefly before turning back to the disaster in front of me.

I wanted to rip the camera away from them and smash it into the dirt. I couldn't speak here... not in the burnt remains of my neighbors. Once again, I found myself staring at the ruins of the bakery. August would never walk these streets like I once did. He would never smell the scents that had built my childhood or feel these cobblestones under his feet.

I was jealous of my husband and the things he would be able to offer August that I never would be able to. Even if District 12 was ever rebuilt, it would never be the same again.

Gale saw my eyes focused on the house where my mother spent her last days. I took one step towards it before Gale's voice stopped me. "We were just inside the treeline when I figured out what was happening," He put an arm on my shoulder, pulling me back around, away from the house that I wished would just disappear. I didn't need to be reminded of what had happened to the family that lived there. "You know how it is, Katniss. The birds stop singing, the animals go into hiding and then the air seems to stand still around you as the hovercraft flies overhead. I ran as soon as I saw it... Prim stayed behind of course. I knew you would have my head on a spike if I let anything happen to her." I finally looked at him as he crouched down to touch the crisp roof shingle that lay on the ground. "I got as many out as I could. The Cartwrights went with me. Sae and my brothers, too. But only twelve hundred or so left with me. Twelve hundred out of eight thousand."

"You did all you could." Cressida told him, then corrected herself: "You did more than anyone else could."

"Thank you Gale," I said softly, crouched in the dust. Last time I was here, I had pushed through quickly, not allowing myself to dwell on the destruction too much. This time... maybe it was a good thing I was surrounded by people I wouldn't allow myself to look weak in front of. Otherwise, I would probably be curled up somewhere, drinking myself into oblivion.