Childish Fears

Chapter 7

Annie took her last bite of her croissant from the cafeteria, and sighed, "To be completely honest, Dan, I literally came to this hospital for you guys. Just to see if you both got out of there."

"Well," Dan said and sipped his coffee. "We did. And we haven't been out since... I can't even remember."

She chuckled and sat up straight in her chair and said, "You know, that was some powerful stuff you did back in the arena. Literally, my heart stopped when Phil died."

Phil grinned, "Funnily enough, so did mine."

Annie's eyes widened, "Oh my God, that's not what I meant. I meant I was really worried and I thought that the promises you made were really cute and—"

Phil grinned, "Don't worry about it. I'm over it, seriously."

Annie smiled and slumped down again, "I just can't believe you pulled it off. I mean, when I found out you were the one to make it out, I just had to come here."

Dan smiled, and took one last sip of his coffee, "Well, for what it's worth, Annie, I'm glad you're here."

Annie smiled back.

Something clicked in Phil's brain, "Hang on a second, you weren't shocked I was alive?"

Annie nodded, "Of course I wasn't. I knew you were both out alive, and not because of what I saw on TV."

"How?" Dan's brows furrowed.

She smiled lightly, "Because I know you, Dan. If you make a promise to someone, you'll keep it until the day your eyes close at last. I knew you would fight for Phil, and Phil would fight for you. You're like the newest duo. Like Batman and Robin, or Elton and Bernie!" she finished brightly.

Dan and Phil smiled at each other, and then back at Annie.

Annie smiled back, and paused before saying, "So, do you guys have any clue how you're getting out of this mess?"

Dan and Phil looked at each other, and Phil sighed, "Nope. Not a damn clue. We can only hope we can get an old victor house. I'll just stick there all my life."

Annie furrowed her brows, "Like... a prisoner?"

Phil frowned, "Unfortunately, yes. Exactly like a prisoner."

She looked back and forth at them, before her eyes landed on Dan, "Well, what are you going to do about it? Just sit there?"

Dan sighed, "There's nothing I can do, Annie. I've tried everything. Even trying to negotiate with Haymitch."

Annie scoffed, "What? That daft, old drunk? I'm sure you can do better than that, right?"

Dan looked at his hands, resting on the cafeteria table, "Unfortunately, we got landed with him. Nothing much we can do."

Annie tutted and shook her head, "Honestly, guys. I thought the capitol knew better than to put old nutter's like him in charge of two guys like you."

"'Old nutter' you say?" Said a man, stumbling around the corner.

He wasn't entirely drunk, but sure as Hell wasn't sober.

Dan sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You know," Haymitch pulled a chair from a different table, spun it around and saddled it, putting his arms on the back of the chair. "You should be practising your speech, Dan. And Phil should be practising his funeral face."

Haymitch lolled his tongue out of the side of his mouth; and flopped his head to the side with his eyes closed.

Dan rolled his eyes, "And shouldn't you be in the bathroom, puking up the last 3 bottles of whiskey you just downed?"

Phil sniggered, and put his hand over his mouth.

And honestly, Haymitch couldn't have given less of a damn.

"We found Phil a house by the way," Haymitch said, and grabbed a pastry off Annie's plate.

Dan and Phil both sat up straight as if their chairs had been electrocuted.

Annie's eyes widened, and she looked over at Dan and Phil.

"Wait, in the Victor Village?" Dan asked, shaking with excitement. "Not in the District 4 area? In the village? Next to my house?"

Haymitch nodded with a mouth full of croissant, and mumbled, "8 houses from Dan, next to the forest that leads to 5."

"What about the other victor's?" Phil's heart sunk. "They'll see me."

Dan felt his body grow heavy, as disappointment sunk through him like an anchor.

Haymitch shook his head and swallowed his food, "That's the plan. Patrick has gone down to 4 to talk to the victor's. They're gonna be the only ones to know about you."

Dan felt his heart lift, but he didn't feel completely convinced.

"What if they tell Snow?" Annie pointed out. "Sure, you can try and trust them, but maybe not all of them will be on board. After all, I think that the victor's – out of all the citizens of Panem – will be salty about Snow letting two out of the arena alive. Surely, they'll want justice?"

Haymitch seemed at a loss for words.

Dan and Phil looked at each other, and Dan felt pain pulsing through his heart when he saw Phil's eyes shiny with tears.

"Well," Phil smiled weakly. "We tried."

"Wait," Dan looked deeply at Phil. "I'm not giving up yet. There's still a possibility that the victor's will be on our side."

Dan turned to Annie, "As much as you're right, Annie, I also think that the victors of all people will want to rebel against Snow. And me and Phil saw that arena," Dan thought back to the conversation with Snow, and silently shivered. "And it sure as Hell isn't friendly."