lover/fighter - Finnick Odair

Chapter 26 - Lighthouse

"Do you always invite your patients into your home?" asks Finnick in a doubtful tone as he sits in Linus' living room with a little unease.

Following Rhea's instructions, he has made up his mind to come here today, to the most affluent neighborhood of the Capitol. He is no stranger to this area. In fact, he has already been in and out of some of the magnificent estates here, but for other purposes than today.

Although the reason for his presence here today is quite different, he can't seem to shake off the usual sensation of impending doom. The man who opened the door for him may seem nice and inconspicuous, but Finnick has experienced often enough what abysses can hide behind such a trusting face. Snow is the best example of this.

Linus laughs in his wing chair, a cup of tea in his hand. "In fact, I used to do that all the time when I was still practicing privately. Of course, it's not a particularly neutral space, but let's face it, which doctor's office ever is? In that regard, I prefer a slightly more private environment." He sips his cup briefly and then adds in a carefully chosen tone, "Besides, in many places here in the Capitol the walls tend to have ears, even if people are prone to forget or simply ignore that over time. I believe some things should be reserved solely for those for whom they are intended, so nothing we discuss here will leave this house."

Despite his instinctive distrust, the older gentleman seems sincere to him. In the way he seems to read Finnick's concerns from his eyes, he reminds him somewhat of Rhea, which at the same time is at least a little reassuring. What bothers him, though, is not knowing how much this stranger already knows about him, so he merely replies, "So, shall we get started then?"

Linus doesn't seem to mind. He gets himself into a comfortable position and calmly explains, "We're already on it."

"We're sitting here and drinking tea. I don't think that's what she had in mind when she wanted me to come here."

Linus laughs and replies, "Believe me, boy, Rhea knows how I work and that's exactly why she sent you here. People are not machines and being a doctor is different from being a mechanic. You can't just look into someone's head, see what's missing, replace a few wires and that's it. Often, we look for cures for invisible problems for which we know neither the cause nor the circumstances. This requires a little bit of talent, a lot of sensitivity, but most of all a lot of time. And we have that, so if it's necessary, we'll be here drinking tea all day long."

Finnick looks at the man across from him, somewhat perplexed. He's not sure what to make of him, but considers him less of a threat with each passing minute. He has been looking for the slyness in his eyes from the moment he opened the door and introduced himself to him, something that the Capitolites he usually associates with have in common. Instead of the cold uncaring expression, however, Linus Coppegrove's light brown eyes appear almost like those of a child, bright and curious about the world. They are like a window to his soul, which long ago escaped his aging body and has since lingered in memories of days long past.

"All right, let's just start with you then," Linus announces. "To be passed on like that to a stranger all of a sudden must be odd. I'm sure you have a bunch of questions of your own. I know from Rhea that a balance of information is important to you, so I'll be happy to answer anything."

Finnick doesn't take a second to ask, "What did she tell you about me?"

"Not much. She gave me a few pointers on things to keep in mind while doing this," Linus replies thoughtfully. "She mentioned that she was having trouble working with you, but that was really more about her and less about you. Whatever you discussed in private, she never said a word about it, she never would." Linus is familiar enough with Rhea's own secrets to know that she respects a person's privacy more than most people.