In Our Favor

Ch.14

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I open my eyes to see a dimly lit ceiling, almost yellowish. I look around, and realize I'm in a hospital. But immediately after that, I realize that I'm in no pain. I hadn't noticed that the soreness from the constant running and the agony from my patched gash was a lingering issue in the arena. But now that I'm here, it all feels better. Almost gone.

But I don't let this distract me, I pull the taped on IV out of my arm and pull the covers off of me. My bare feet hit the freezing floor of the facility, sending chills throughout my body. Now that I know I'm not in the arena, only a few things were on my mind. But one person was taking all of my attention now, one person who could be dead. Zero.

I fling my door open and search through the halls with no direction. I run into a nurse dressed in all white as I turn the corner, the first new person I've met in a while. But we have no time for niceties.

"Zero. Zero Margery, do you know where she is? Is she here?" I bombard her with questions, breathing heavily.

"Um- I can't answer that. You should my lying down." She tries to push me back to my room.

I aggressively shove her back, already annoyed. "Zero Francis Margery. Where is she? Do you know her?"

I see a tall male nurse walk out of the closet beside me and he grabs my arm. I go to push him off of me, but he's way too strong.

"Ma'am, please calm down. You're in emotional distress." He says timidly.

"Get off of me! Get off of me! Where is Zero, do you know her? Where is she!?" I frantically repeat myself, wiggling to get his hand off of my arm.

I push him off of me with all of my might, and turn to run to someone else. But down the hall, I see a multitude of other nurses marching toward me. They close me in and all grab my arms, continuously telling me to calm down.

"Get off!" I scream. "Finnick!" I desperately screech for my brother as I feel suffocated with all of these random people on me.

"Florence." I hear his familiar voice.

I stop fighting and look at him standing alone down the hall. He looks frail, tired. The guards notice my reaction, and let me go. I run into Finnick's arms, and he takes me into his hospital room. It was right beside mine, I didn't even notice.

He sits on his bedside while I stand across the room, resting my shoulder on his wall.

"Where's Zero?" I ask, afraid for the answer.

He looks down, causing me to panic.

"She's gone." He says.

"What?"

"She was taken. Reportedly tortured by the Capitol. They don't know where she is now." He mumbles.

My eyes slowly fill with water and my lip begins to quiver. I'd rather them kill her where she stands then make a monster out of her. It's disgusting.

"God." I put my head in my hands. "She doesn't deserve this. Any of this."

He stays silent.

"Nikolaí?" I ask.

"I don't know." He says.

I think for a while, but quickly distract myself when the thoughts of what they could be doing to my family creep in. Now, my thoughts are about the kid, Eight. All I can think about is her in this minute, had she even survived?

"The kid?"

"I don't know that either."

I leave his room without saying a word and sprint up to the first group of staff that I see.

"Where's the little girl from District 8?" I ask, trying to keep my composure this time.

They point to the door next to the closet, it has a small pink flower on it. I walk up to it and read the name tag.

'Josephine Moxie. Age 6'

My heart warms. I don't know why having a name for her means so much to me, it just humanizes her. I softly open the door and see her tiny body laying in the bed, her face so much cleaner that I'd ever seen it. I quietly walk over to her bed and sit on the side.

"Hi." I place a hand on her arm.

She slightly opens her eyes before a smile forms.

"Hi." she says.

I almost cry again. Her little voice, she's too pure for this world.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired." She yawns.

"Well." I pat her leg. "I'll let you rest."

I pull the covers a little higher on her before taking one last look, and walking out, softly closing the door behind me.

I walk to the next room, the door is open. Inside, I see Katniss. She's sitting straight up in the bed, staring down. I lean in her doorway before speaking.

"Hey." I knock on her doorframe.

She snaps out of her trance and looks at me, slightly relaxing when she sees who it is.

"Hi." She dully says back.

"How do you feel?"

She doesn't answer, just looks at me expressionless. I walk toward her and sit on her bedside.

"Did you know the plan?" She says out of nowhere.

"The plan?"

"To keep me alive."

"...I did." I admit.

Her face shows an expression that I can't explain. It's hurt, betrayal, and confusion all in one.

"Katniss, we did it for the best. As long as you live, so does the rebellion. It was a good plan." I try to explain.

"That plan killed Peeta."

I freeze, my blood running cold. I hadn't looked for Peeta yet, I assumed he was in a different room.

"What?"

Her eyes start slowly going bloodshot.

"They took him to the Capitol. There's no way he's alive."

I almost let out a sigh of relief. As long as we don't have confirmation, he's not 100% dead. But her pessimism scares me, because if she thinks he's dead at the Capitol, they can't be keeping Zero alive.

I don't know what to say to her. Her eyes fill with water as a tear falls, but she quickly wipes it away. I pull her into a hug and she completely breaks down, I want her to know that she can me vulnerable around me. She cries with me for minutes on end.