UNDERDOG | FINNICK ODAIR

Chapter 13

We start heading towards the land and away from the cornucopia. We reach the dense jungle that seems like a death trap but we all go in with Peeta in the lead. He cuts at vines and the foliage.

After hiking for a few miles we agree that a rest would be good in this heat so we stop. I wander from our area to look around for anything that could be used as food. As expected I come up short. There is nothing but trees and vines.

I come back to see katniss climbing down from her tree where she had been scouting for water and news on who yet lived.

She threw a sharp glance at me before turning to the real threat. Finnick was staring at her with trident ready, in a defensive stance. I slowly and gradually unsheathed my dagger that was attached to my waist.

"What's going on down there, Katniss? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons in the sea in defiance of the capital?" Finnick inquires.

"No." Katniss admits.

"No, because whatever happened in the past is in the past. And nobody in this arena was a victor by chance." He looked at the bakers boy and changed his mind. "Except maybe Peeta."

They glare at each other for seconds that stretched into a minute.

"So how many are dead?" Peeta ask, stepping in between the two time bombs.

"Hard to say." Katniss grits her teeth in annoyance. "At least six, I think. And they're still fighting."

"I couldn't find evidence of food or water. No plant or animal life besides these trees and vines. There are a few nuts that grow here and there but we can't determine if they're edible or not." I inform them hoping to break some tension.

"Well lets keep moving. We need to find water." Peeta says.

"Best if we find some soon, we need to be undercover when the others come hunting for us tonight." Finnick says.

As we continue to hike up the hill, his words seems to sink in. They will be hunting for us. It makes sense. We agreed to ally with the two biggest targets in panem.

Finnick and Katniss were behind me and Peeta in front. After another mile of the trek we could see the hill cresting and hope seemed to appear.

"Maybe we'll have better luck on the other side. Find a spring or something." Katniss said from behind Finnick.

I look back to see Finnick and Katniss to be panting and struggling just as much as Peeta and I. I see a flash of fear on Katniss's face before she's crying out for Peeta.

My head whips back to the front where Peeta is swinging his knife to slash at some vines. A angry zapping sound fills the air as Peeta flys back, knocking me into Finnick. Katniss is rushing to Peeta's side.

Peeta is laying on the jungle floor, totally unconscious, possibly dead.

"Peeta? Peeta!" Katniss asks looking terrified. She shakes him. When that doesn't work she feels his lips for breath. She shakes her head quickly before bending down to rest her head on his chest.

She sits up after a moment. Finnick gently pushes me off of him. He crawls over to the two lovers when he sees Katniss crying and slapping his cheeks.

"Let me." Finnick tells katniss and starting CPR. The procedure to do if someone has drowned or their heart stops. All district four kids had been taught it in our elementary classes.

I rush over to Katniss so that I'm already holding her back as she starts screaming at Finnick. "Whoa there, girl on fire. He's trying to help you." I say trying to calm her down. I watch as Finnick pinches Peeta's nose closed. Katniss freaks out, thrashing and head butting me square in the nose.

I groan in pain but I'm able to hold on to her. I feel my nose start to swell and a trickle of blood fall down to my lips.

Katniss gives up briefly, she is able to jerk away as soon as I let my guard down. She crawls over to a tree where she regains her composure. She rises with her bow loaded and aimed at Finnick. I'm about to step between them when her eyes widen and she lowers her bow. I turn to see Finnicks mouth to Peeta's, attempting to put air back in his lungs.

I turn back to the crazed teen, "Katniss, you need to listen, Finn is just trying to preform CPR on Peeta. It looks strange but I promise it will help him." I say as Finnick starts to do compressions on his chest.

Recognition dawns on Katniss as she lowers her bow all the way and leans into see what he's doing. I take a breath of relief. I sit under the same tree katniss had been under seconds before. I hold my nose in the hopes it would stop swelling. I notice the thick moss that hangs beside me so I grab some to sop up some of the blood on my face.

Minutes tick by and still no Peeta. I really hope Finnick can pull through, no Peeta means no Katniss and no Katniss means no rebellion. My nose is really stinging now but it has stopped bleeding.

I jerk back to attention when Finnick leans back and Peeta coughs. I rush over and see Katniss embracing her once dead lover. I lay my hand on Finnicks shoulder, "Good job, Finn." He nods up at me.

Katniss dissolves into a blubbering, laughing mess when Peeta says, "Careful. There's a force field up ahead. It must be a lot stronger than the one on the training center roof." He says, "I'm all right though. Just a little shaken."

"You were dead! Your heart stopped!" Katniss yelled.

I fought the urge to shush her, but it seems she is already aware as she clapped a hand over her mouth. Peeta starts to reassure Katniss when Finnick notices my bleeding and now quite large nose.

"What happened?" He said standing up and placing his hands on either side of my face to get a better look. "It's nothing, just a injury from the tussle I had with miss priss over there." I said with a sigh.

"It looks bad, possibly a break." Finnick said, reaching to gently nudge my nose with his thumb. I wince in pain. He jerks his hand away, looking concerned. "Sorry Delia. It will have to heal on its own. I don't know of anything to help put it back in place."

"What?!?" I burst out, "it's out of place?" I reach up to gently feel my nose before remembering that that hurt and put my hand down.

Finnicks eyes widened in panic, "No! Not really! Well just a little. You still look beautiful." He offered.

The redness on my nose spread to my cheeks as I blushed profusely. "I wasn't concerned with that but uh... thank you."

We tune back into Katniss and Peeta's conversation as a way to avoid the awkward moment we just shared. Katniss is emitting loud sobs while Peeta attempts to console her. "Katniss?" Peeta asks looking concerned.

"It's okay, it's just her hormones." I offer. They both look at me like I'm crazy. "From the baby."

"No, it's not-" Katniss barely gets put before she starts sobbing and wailing again.