Finnick and Annie

Homeward Bound

"So it was my trident that saved me?" I ask. I also make a mental note to buy Beetee an edible arrangement or something.

"That's my best guess," says Hugo, shrugging his shoulders. "What else could it have been?"

"How long have I been here? What happened with Snow? What about Katniss and them?"

"Snow and Coin are both dead. Katniss is safe, and so is Peeta and a few other victors. Most of them returned to their Districts," he says.

"How long?" I ask again.

"Six months," he tells me, anticipating my reaction. "You were in a coma for a while... we didn't know if you'd wake up. But then yesterday you started talking in your sleep, and we knew you'd be okay."

He looks at me bewildered.

"You have defied all of the odds. Surviving the mutts and the sewers and then waking from your coma after so many months... I don't understand."

I flash him my signature smile. "I've always been pretty extraordinary."

Hugo seems unamused. Annie would have rolled her eyes at me. She would have understood my sense of humor.

"Do people know I'm not... dead?" I ask. Hugo looks away uncomfortably.

"We didn't know if you'd wake up," he sighs. "I didn't want to give anybody hope. We thought we might have to let you go for good, Finnick."

"When can I go back home?"

"Your body is still recovering. We've made a lot of progress on the scar tissue. You should have seen yourself when you arrived here."

"We have a hospital in District 4. I can see a doctor there every day if I have to, but I have to go home. My wife thinks I'm dead, Hugo," I choke.

"Give me a week, okay? I'll make plans and get everything ready for you. You'll have to go through physical therapy because your muscles have atrophied. You won't be able to walk for a while."

"Okay, a week." I sigh.

"You could call home... let Annie know you're okay," he suggests, but I shake my head. It feels almost cruel to leave Annie in the dark for another week, but I don't want to do this over the phone. I don't want to shake her world if I can't even be there with her.

"Thank you," I add. "For everything."

I start physical therapy while Hugo makes arrangements for my return. He was right. I can't stand on my feet. I've lost a lot of weight, and I'm as pale as the hospital walls. My body is covered in scars, but Hugo assures me they will fade over time; Capitol medicine is amazing.

Nobody looking at me now would call me the Golden Boy. I definitely don't feel like one either, but the thought of seeing Annie keeps me going.

By the time the week is over, I've been moved to a wheel chair. Hugo doesn't trust me to follow his instructions, so he has decided to move to District 4 with me until I'm better. Malcolm is coming along as well.

"He's really excited to be near the ocean after being trapped in the sewers for so long," he says.

The train ride is only a few hours, but it feels endless.

I know I shouldn't be, but I'm nervous to see Annie. I left her. We were on our honeymoon, and I left to go to the Capitol again. I'm scared of what I'll find when I get home. I would have lost my mind if I lost her, so I can't imagine what she's been through.

I'm also not excited to be seeing her like this: weak and scarred. I know she'll worry. I'm also a little self-conscious... I know it's dumb, but even when I really hated myself, I could look in the mirror without feeling repulsed by the bright marks on my neck.

I push my worries away and focus on the scenery. It's Annie. Your wife. Everything will be okay.