The Heiress {Finnick Odair}

Hospital Visits

"Dear Mags, Amara wrote to us to update us on what happened. I know you'll be home soon, but we want you to know that we're going to help you through this as much as we possibly can. You have been our biggest supporter in the last ten years, and now it is our turn to support you. Get some rest and we'll see you soon. With love, Adrien and Annie."

Amara closed the letter, and Mags smiled faintly. Although the doctor told her that the odds of getting her voice back was low, it was clear that Mags was holding out on the possibility the doctor was wrong.

In the days following the games, Mags had been growing restless. As nice as this hospital was, she wanted to be able to meander around. She wanted to get up and walk around. She wanted to see people. She was ready to read a book or play a game.

It seemed that in everyone's attempt to make sure she was comfortable, they'd forgotten to actually entertain her.

With the victors on a scramble to prepare themselves for the closing ceremonies, Amara was the one that spent most of her time with Mags. By the last day, Amara realized how quickly she was growing tired of hearing her own voice. She'd rambled on about her day, read books and poems, and even gone through potential song lyrics with Mags.

Celeste would be very proud of how much work she'd done that week.

But, Amara was growing tired of only ever hearing her voice. So, when Finnick showed up three days after the games were over to take her place, Amara was more than ready to leave for the day.

"How is she?" he asked. Amara shrugged. She'd been the same every day this week: not very responsive, bored out of her mind, and desperate to communicate with someone. Finnick nodded in understanding, and settled in next to Mags.

Amara placed a light kiss on Mags' head, one that the old woman savored for a moment, before walking out of the room. Despite everything, Amara had been trying, and Mags could appreciate her for that.

The hospital was closed down to only a select number of people since the games had ended. Most people had been transferred elsewhere because the doctors were giving all their attention to the victors. Mags was allowed to stay due to status.

Katniss and Peeta, however, were down the hall. This late at night, she knew the doctors just finished the rounds. Knowing the girl on fire, she was probably bored out of her mind. That, or desperate for a moment of peace from the swarming of doctors.

**

Katniss was exhausted. After days of being poked and prodded by a swarming team of healers-- doctors. They were doctors here. In the districts, they had no formal education, so they were considered healers, but here, everyone wanted to shove sharp tools into her.

She hated it.

After days of that treatment, all she wanted was to go home. They had won their games. She wanted to see Prim again, she wanted to see Gale, and her mother, and even that horrible cat her sister adored so much.

Instead, the only thing she had to enjoy was the few hours of peace she was awarded at night. She found herself staring out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone familiar. She hadn't been allowed visitors, which meant she hadn't seen Cinna, Haymitch, or even Effie in nearly three weeks.

"It'll get easier," a voice behind her made her jump. Katniss whirled around, and instinctively moved her arm over her shoulder to grab an arrow. But she wasn't in the games. She didn't have any weapons. She was safe. Alive.

Amara White stood behind her, and even though she had only met the woman once, she had conflicted feelings of relief and concern flood through her.

Amara was Capitol elite, but she was also the first familiar person to walk through those doors.

Amara chuckled and walked over to the window, standing next to Katniss.

"At least, I'm told it gets easier."

"What do you know about it?" Katniss asked, and immediately winced. Her tone was much harsher than she meant it to be. Amara didn't seem to care, however.

"I never quite clicked with the people here," Amara said. "I found my community among the victors. The Careers never really liked me, but they tolerate me enough to raid my pantry during the games."

"Haymitch said you hosted the victors during the games," Katniss said, and Amara nodded. She was still staring out the window, looking around at the city below them.

"I found that it makes it easier when they have people who understand what they're going through," Amara said. She paused for just a moment before turning to Katniss. "I won't pretend to understand the horrors of the games, but there are people here that do."

"Do they ever truly forget about it?" Katniss asked. Maybe there could be a future here that wasn't like the one Haymitch had chosen for himself. Amara shook her head sadly.

"You can take a victor from the games, but you can never take the games from a victor."

"How do they get through it?" Katniss asked.

"You'll want to push people away. You'll want to let yourself fall apart and grieve the last few weeks. Don't. You'll need the people around you to remind you what it is to be human. Don't forget that it takes ten times as long to put yourself together as it does to fall apart."

Katniss nodded slowly. Amara looked back out the window.

"I used to stay up late every night staring out at the city," she said. "I always wondered what it would be like to see the stars."

"I used to look out at the stars and wonder what the life of a Capitol elite was like," Katniss said. Amara chuckled.

"It's not as glamorous as they make it out to be," Amara confessed. "We all have a show to put on." Amara glanced over at the door before pinning Katniss with a hard stare. "And we never stop playing the game."

She reached over and squeezed Katniss' hand. The young victor felt a wave of nerves flow through her. What did that mean? It was obvious she was trying to send her a message, but what? Was Amara telling her that they still needed to perform for the camera?

Was it obvious to everyone in the Capitol that the romance had been completely fake?

Did all the victors know it was all a sham for the Capitol? If Haymitch was with them, then surely he talked about it.

Katniss had a million questions running through her head, but she didn't get the chance to ask them. Amara let go of her hand and nodded toward the bed.

"You should get some sleep," she said before giving Katniss a reassuring smile and walking out the door.

Katniss had always wondered what it would be like to live a life of luxury in the Capitol, but Amara White wasn't anything like what Katniss expected her to be. She seemed to be in touch of the horrors of the Capitol. Unlike Effie, who hated every second of standing in District Twelve, Katniss wondered if Amara was more in tune with what was happening in the districts than she was letting on.

As Katniss curled up in bed that evening, she didn't even think about what game someone like Amara White might have to play.

After all, it wasn't like she would have to play it.

As she began to drift to sleep, her mind replayed the events of the games. Luckily for Amara, she didn't make the connection between her warning and the Heiress' note to her during the games.

Yet.