The Life of A Victor || Finnick Odair

CHAPTER 55

So they want to use me, just like they're using Katniss. If I was disposable enough to be left behind at first, what makes me so important now? And this is supposed to be better than the Capitol? Welcome back to hell, Dove. How does it feel to be another person's puppet? Dove thought, repressing a bitter chuckle as she stared at the images.

"I'll do it, under the condition that I'll help Katniss kill Snow. I don't care if I have to learn archery. I want to be there, too. Katniss isn't the only one that wants to see him dead so badly," Dove proposed, waiting to see if her position was anywhere as high as Katniss' to be doing any demands.

"That would be fantastic!" Plutarch beamed happily. "Just imagine. The Mockingjay and the Rebel's Songbird ending an era of tyranny together after leading the rebels to victory."

"All right, I'll allow it," Coin said calmly, staring at Dove up and down as if she was trying to figure the victor out. "Any more demands?"

"No," Dove replied firmly. She was dismissed immediately. And, as he had promised, Boggs was right outside waiting for her to escort her until the hospital wing, where he left her to go back to Special Defend.

"How's Peeta?" Dove asked Haymitch as she waited for her name to be called by the head doctor. "Did Delly bring back any new childhood memories?"

"Some. But he's not doing much better. He just remembered Katniss' father singing the Hanging tree's song. Something we luckily didn't air, therefore the Capitol couldn't use against you two." Haymitch explained, putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh, yeah, he told me something once. That both Katniss and her father, every time they sang, the birds stopped to listen to them, right?" She questioned, glancing at her fellow victor just as her name was called. "I've to go. Fill me in with the details later."

After two long hours of the same discussion, the head doctor finally agreed to let Dove walk on her own around Thirteen. It was a temporary decision since if there was the tiniest evidence of her condition worsening, she would go back to have an escort.

Prim stopped Dove from getting out of the hospital wing, saying she had to check on the remaining scabs from the poison, which still lingered in her body even after weeks of treatment. "I'm glad you're starting to eat normally. You have no idea how worried I got after hearing about what your illness really was." The little girl said.

"It's still difficult. But I don't want to worry everyone again, so I just eat the food they put on my plate without thinking twice," Dove explained, raising her arms, which had the most scabs, for Prim to examine.

"It looks like they're taking a bit more to heal. Although, I doubt it'll take longer before they peel off. Maybe a week or two," Prim declared, pulling Dove's sleeves over her forearms again, covering the scabs with them.

"Thank you, Prim. Will we see you at dinner, or will you be eating it here?" Dove questioned, following the girl outside the room to the hospital's hallway.

"I'll eat it here. But, I'll go to eat supper with you. They say there might be a propo tonight from Two," Prim replied, clearly concerned about her sister's safety.

"You don't have to worry, Prim. Katniss will be fine." Dove promised, hugging her tightly before walking out of the hospital wing.

"Hey, how are you feeling? What did the head doctor say?" Finnick asked just as she stepped foot outside the hospital. He had probably been waiting for her to come out since the session started.

"I'm not sure how I'm feeling right now. And he agreed to let me walk around alone . . . Finnick, do you know of anywhere here in Thirteen where I could practise archery?" Dove questioned, watching as Finnick's face lit up at the mention of practising archery.