Inseparable (A Hayffie story)

Chapter 19

A while after the bombing of thirteen, Gale and some others went to the Capitol to rescue Peeta, Johanna and Annie. It was an anxious time, as everyone felt the rebellion was drawing to its closure, that it was finally time to take Panem and make it a free country, not under the rule of President Snow.

Effie woke up one morning next to Haymitch, when she suddenly felt extremely nauseous and had to run to the bathroom. Haymitch heard her retching and got up to check if she was okay. "I'm fine Haymitch, I feel okay." Effie said looking pale.

The nausea and vomiting continued for over a week until Haymitch insisted that she should talk to Katniss' mother. Effie reluctantly agreed and made her way to where Katniss lived. Upon knocking, Katniss opened the door.
"Oh hey Effie, how are you, Haymitch told me that you weren't well."
"I'm fine, but Haymitch made me come to talk to your mother about it." Effie replied.
" Come in them, I'm just about to go and see Peeta, because he's not doing well after the Capitol captured him." Katniss said.
Effie tentatively stepped inside their room, Katniss' mother and Prim sat at the table in their room talking about medical things, because Prim wanted to be a doctor. Buttercup, who sat on Prim's lap, hissed when he saw Effie at the door.
"Hello Effie." Katniss' mother said, "Do you need some help, Katniss said you were ill recently."
" Yes, Haymitch wants me to talk to you, he's worried about me apparently."
Mrs Everdeen turned to her youngest daughter and asked her to leave, so she could talk to Effie in private. Prim got up with the cat in her arms and left the room, giving Effie a small smile. Mrs Everdeen beckoned for Effie to sit in the now empty seat opposite her.
" Are you okay Effie, what are the symptoms you've been getting recently, and for how long?"
"I've been feeling nauseous for a while now, but last week I started throwing up and it's been happening everyday, but I feel okay generally."
Mrs Everdeen looked puzzled for a second, until a look of realisation fell upon her face. However she continued to talk to Effie, even though she clearly knew what she was suffering from. Before Effie had to leave, Mrs Everdeen turned to her, her sad grey eyes not recognising the smile she was wearing, and said, " I think that you are pregnant."
Effie turned pale with shock, it all made sense, the late period and the nausea. How could I have been so stupid, she thought to herself. She'd been pregnant once before with Anna and the symptoms had all been the same, but she supposed that with all the stuff with the rebellion and having to look after Anna, it had just slipped her mind completely.

Effie honestly couldn't comprehend it. Bringing up one child in the middle of a war was hard enough, but two? She felt guilty that she was happy in a time when so many people were suffering, as she was given the gift of not only her first child being returned to her safely, but being blessed with a second. She had to tell Haymitch as soon as he got home from his meeting with Katniss, Coin and Plutarch. At least she thought that he would be less concerned, until she thought back to her previous pregnancy, when he had fussed and fretted over every little thing she did, in case she hurt herself or the baby.

Walking back to her room, she couldn't help but keep a smile on her face. Haymitch had taken Anna to her parents room, and he was going to collect her on his way back to their living quarters. Meanwhile Effie sat agitated on her and Haymitch's bed, flexing her fingers and hands anxiously, unsure of how to break the news. She knew that at least this time they would be together for the whole time, without the worry of Snow discovering them and taking their child away
like they did with Anna.

Suddenly Effie was startled out of her many thoughts that we're currently racing through her head. "Effie?" Haymitch said, bouncing a smiley, giggly Anna in his arms.
"I've got something to tell you." She said.
"Eff, what is it?"
"I'm pregnant." She said looking down at her stomach, which would start to expand in a number of weeks.
Haymitch took her hand in his, grinning.
"That's brilliant. We're having another baby!"
"I'm scared Haymitch, we're having this baby in the middle of the rebellion."
"Effie, this time we're together and by the time this new baby is born the rebellion could be all over and we could be back home, living in twelve as a family with this little one and Anna. It will give Anna some company as well."
" I suppose." She said sadly. Haymitch kissed her tear stained cheeks and then pressed his lips to hers gently, in a short but sweet kiss. Effie picked up Anna, who was on the floor next the them, and told her how she was going to have a little brother or sister, and Effie finally realised that things weren't going to be so bad after all.