FORTY THREE

THE DEAL

Her eyes snapped open. The light was almost blinding. Her hands were tucked under a thin blanket, which she pushed away instantly. Where was she? A Capitol hospital? Was she stuck there like her parents?

The door to the room opens and Talia lets out a deep sigh of relief as Primrose Everdeen enters with her mother.

"Its good to see you awake," Mrs Everdeen smiles as she approaches, she looks from Talia to her daughter.

"Is Katniss okay? Did she see Peeta yet?" Talia asks quickly. The Everdeen women look at each other with sombre eyes and turn back to Talia.

"Peeta was experimented on in the Capitol, we're not completely aware of the details yet, but he attacked Katniss upon seeing her and crushed her windpipe, she's currently unconscious, but she's stable," Mrs Everdeen explains softly. Talia shakes her head, her hands ball into fists, gripping the sheets hard. Rage flooded her. She wanted nothing more than to sever President Snow's head off.

"And everyone else?"

"Johanna is very angry, they've been torturing her too, and Gwen, they're both still in the hospital wing. Annie is fine, she's the most stable of everyone, but we've kept her in our care for now. Anyway, enough about them-"

"My family?"

Mrs Everdeen smiles softly, "Mickey received treatment for his wounds, he's having the dressing changed daily to keep them clean. Penny is on the ward receiving nutritional help, she was severely deprived of food, so she's very weak. Samson is okay, but we're also watching him closely. Freddy is the most fine of them all, but he's obviously undergone a very traumatic experience- as have they all,"

"And Finnick?"

"Finnick is still receiving his daily sessions with Kalvin, he knows you're safe, he knows you're here, he's asked to see you numerous times, but he's not yet been allowed. Now, before you interrupt me again, we should talk about your health, Miss Riverthorn,"

Talia nods slowly, looking between them both. "Yes, I guess that would be a good idea,"

"We understand that you underwent a lot of stress in the Capitol,"

"Which visit are we referring to? My first games, the second, or the other day?" She says, its a dark joke. Neither of them find it funny.

"All of them," Prim says quickly, "But we're referring to the other day...You saw a friend die...You had to leave your parents behind...You fainted,"

"Yes, I guessed I did," She says, gesturing to the hospital room, "So, what have I got?"

"Talia, you're pregnant," Prim says softly.

The breath catches in Talia's throat. She blinks, looking down at her stomach. She'd almost lost her life while carrying hers and Finnick's child. It explained the random vomiting episodes she'd had the last few weeks. It had been around 3 months since she'd arrived in 13, meaning she was around 4 months pregnant. She finally looses a breath.

"Are you okay?" Mrs Everdeen asks.

"Are you sure?" Talia sighs.

"We're positive," Prim says, she reaches into her apron pocket and produces a photo. Its a scan, and it clearly shows the outline of a growing baby. Talia takes the image into her shaking hands, which she realises have been cleaned of Rossan's blood. There, on the card is a baby, growing inside of her.

"Who have you told?"

"No one," Prim says, "Not even President Coin,"

Talia nods, looking at both of them, "Thank you...I don't want anyone to know,"

"Thats your choice...But we do have to warn you...All this...War, its not good for you, or the baby, you could easily lose it just by being this stressed, from seeing the things you've seen," Mrs Everdeen warns.

"I've killed people with my bare hands...I've seen my family almost starve to death...I've had to live through the thought that the love of my life would never remember the fact I'm alive, that he would never pull himself back to the surface, that he would drown in his own mind," She says, "I am a survivor...Now, can we get me out of this bed and into some real clothes?"

"It won't be long till you start showing," Mrs Everdeen attempts to make Talia conform.

"Then lets get me out of this bed so I can end this war sooner, rather than later," She says, looking at the IV coming from her arm. She reaches for it, wanting to rip it out, but Prim takes her hand.

"Let me, please," Prim says, nodding. Talia lowers her hand, looking at the baby scan again. She may not want anyone to know, but should Finnick?

The room was completely silent when she entered. Prim had gotten her some fresh new grey overalls and some new boots. President Coin was sitting at the head of the table with Plutarch beside her. Boggs on her other side. Jim, Henry, Jada, Bobby, Alana and Jamie were all sat around the table too. Only one seat, the one opposite Coin, was free. Talia slides into the seat, staring down the table towards Coin.

"We wanted to start this off by saying we're incredibly sorry for your loss, we understand that Rossan was a dear friend," Plutarch speaks, clearly Coin wasn't interested in sympathies.

"Thank you," Talia says. She could see that Jim was itching to say something, but a warning glance from her made him lean back in his seat. "Why else might we be here?"

"We understand that you all know about the state of Peeta Mellark. We also understand that you know that Katniss is in intensive care after he attacked her. Snow laid us bait, and we jumped at it." Coin speaks now, standing up. "We need to consider our next move very carefully,"

"And what do you suggest we do? Sit around in this bunker waiting for him to air raid us again? Or are we going to fight for what is right?" Talia asks, standing too, resting her hands on the table. Her team hide their smirks beneath this hands.

"You will be going to District 4. You will shoot a propo while Katniss is recovering. You are the Pearl of Panem, and we still need to get District 2 to surrender to us...We need them to win this war. District 2 are the most powerful of the Districts beside us, and so far, they are not giving in," Coin says, still glaring down the table towards Talia.

"Forget propo's in District 4. We need to move to District 2, hit them with all your power and force them to join us. We need them, so lets go get them," Talia argues, shaking her head, "Propo's aren't going to work anymore, we need to actually fight. Wars are not won with media shows and flashy visuals. They're won with soldiers. They're won with rebels. They're won by people like us," She gestures to her group of friends at the table, "If Rossan were here he would agree with me. He would lead us all into a battle, if he knew it was the way to win,"

Before Coin can answer, Plutarch stands up, "Shoot the propo in District 4, and then we will send you on the first hovercraft to District 2. We'll put a gun in your hand and a rebel badge on your arm. Katniss will be ready by then, and she can lead the propo's,"

Coin sends a warning glance to Plutarch before sinking back into her seat. He follows suit. Talia remains standing.

"Think it over, you have 24 hours," Coin says, dismissing them all with a wave of her hand.

"You have to do it, if fighting in a war is what you want," Jim says. Talia and him were sat on their own in the cafeteria, both of of them had finished their meals already. Talia frowns. She'd been thinking it over for the past 22 hours. She had 2 hours to report back to Coin and Plutarch. It was now or never.

"I don't know if I can face District 4," Talia admits, looking up at Jim. His singular eye meets her gaze, his other covered by a black patch. He shrugs.

"Its your choice. I think it'd be good for the District, give them a bit of hope. After all, you've not shot any propo's, you've not been seen outside of this bunker. No one knows you're alive outside of here, except Snow. He already knows you lived, so you can't be afraid of him finding out," Jim says, "So what is it?"

"I don't want my District to think me a coward. For coming here to 13 and not going home. I've left them to die. Left them to the Peacekeepers. Left them to start their own rebellion. Who knows how many of them are dead," She shakes her head.

Before Jim can speak Alana Winters approaches the table. She slides into the seat beside Jim and looks at Talia's frowning face.

"Have you decided yet?" She asks.

"We were just discussing it," Jim replies, watching Alana shovel the stew into her mouth.

"I think we should go, at least then Coin has promised to get us onto the battlefield," Alana shrugs.

"Because she wants us to die. She's never cared about us living, she knows I see through her bullshit," Talia mutters. She looks at Alana and see's the scar that stretched from her eyebrow down to her chin. "You still haven't told me the story,"

Alana's left side of her mouth quirks up in a strange smirk, "I'm from District 8. My parents used to make clothes for Capitol citizens. My mother taught me to sew, and she was my whole world. Then one day, a Peacekeeper shot her for stealing two apples and a loaf of bread in the market. Shot her point blank in the heart. It took me awhile, but I eventually found out which Peacekeeper killed her. He was one of the highest ranking in the District. He had his own home right next door to the Mayor. I went to his house on the one year anniversary of my mother's murder, and I broke in. The whole house was silent, everyone asleep. The Peacekeeper, Marcus Richter, was drunk, passed out on the sofa. I put a rope round his throat and pulled as hard as I could. But he managed to escape, managed to kick me, punch me, strangle me. He overpowered me and used a knife to shape the scar you see on my face. But I shoved him hard, and he cracked his skull open on the fireplace. Bled across the carpet. I ran, as fast as I could. A few days later I was arrested. Imprisoned. Then things started to kick off in 8, this wasn't long after Katniss and Peeta had gotten home from their Games. And Henry and Jada freed me, told me to grab a gun and follow them. They'd heard my story, all the way from District 13 and saved me in the midst of a massive rebel takeover,"

Talia stares at her scar in awe. She didn't know what to say. She glances to Jim and back to Alana. "We'll go to District 4,"

______________

Filler chapter, sort of

What do y'all think of the news

when Finnick finds out its gonna be a
👁👄👁 situation....

~cupidlies❤️