For the first time in a long time, Rhea is in bed until noon. It's Sunday, and her practice is closed as usual. At least the one in the city center. Her second temporary practice, which she has set up for her other patients, has no set hours. Normally she would have been there this morning, especially since she just hadn't found the time in the last two days. Without question, she had a lot of catching up to do, but at lunchtime her presence there would be useless anyway. Most of the people who came to see her in her second office spent most of the day working themselves. Therefore, most people came either early in the morning or in the evening, never over noon, because at that time they had to earn their money.
So when Rhea rolls out of bed at just after 12 o'clock, she decides to use the day to get her thoughts in order and regain her usual rhythm. The last 48 hours had really drained her.
Normally, she used the time at noon on Sunday for all the things she didn't find time for during the week because of her double life. Errands, cleaning, household chores, everything that comes up in a household. Mirella scolds her every time, telling her that at her age she should rather go out on a Sunday. She assured her more than once that it was not necessary for her to take care of such trivialities on the only day off in her week, the chores that Mirella took care of during the week.
One could say that Mirella Castillo is like Rhea's woman for everything. While Rhea struggles with her work, Mirella takes care of her apartment, runs errands for her, makes sure the refrigerator is always full, and most importantly, helps her organize things in her second practice. More often than Rhea would like, Mirella even cooks for her and leaves her homemade meals in the kitchen for her before she leaves. Rhea tells her every time not to go to such trouble, but secretly it always warms her heart when she comes home to find a plate covered in foil with a lovingly written note. And Mirella is a fabulous cook.
Rhea has been able to admire her cooking since she was a child. Back when she herself had lived on the outskirts of the Capitol in her small one-room apartment, Mirella and her family had lived in the apartment right next door. When she moved in there at 14, after her mother died, Mirella had taken her under her wing as soon as she met her. At first, Rhea was uncomfortable with the attention, and she always tried to keep her distance from the overly-approachable woman, who was pregnant with her third child at the time. The problem was that the two were very similar in one respect, their stubbornness. But that had also been the reason why they ended up being so close today. Rhea had to use the years of Mirella's self-sacrificing care for her as leverage to get Mirella to agree to her proposal to pay her for the favors. After much back and forth, Rhea convinced her to quit her old jobs and officially work for her instead. If it had been just about her, Mirella probably would have refused. She has her pride and doesn't want to be given anything. But since she had three children to take care of, and Rhea paid her enough so she didn't have to struggle through 3 jobs, she finally agreed. Even though Rhea felt that their deal was extremely fair and not excessive, so she didn't owe her anything, Mirella took every little thing out of her hand ever since.
The stubbornness had remained, however, and so Rhea insisted that on at least this one day a week she do the things herself that Mirella usually took care of for her. The reason for this was something her mother had told her when she was little, which had been burned into her memory forever. 'When you don't know which way to go, sometimes it helps to remember the path you've already taken.' Previously she hadn't understood what that meant. Today it was clear to her that it meant everything and nothing at all, something different for everyone. But maybe that's what it's all about, finding your own answer. For Rhea, it meant never forgetting where she came from, not letting herself be blinded by the supposedly carefree life she could lead with the money she was now earning. And in order not to forget, she chose one day of the week to be the old Rhea again, because she never wanted to be like the privileged rich snobs who grew up with a golden spoon in their mouths.
Today, however, Rhea would skip for once. She was so knackered that she didn't need a chore to remind her what it meant to toil away. She needed something else today.
As if in a trance, she goes about her morning routine, but takes considerably more time doing it. After showering and dressing, she grabs her keys and the old worn denim jacket from the coat hook in the hallway and headed out.
____________________
As Rhea stands in front of the white front door, her stomach suddenly turns. She's not sure if it's the memories of yesterday morning, triggered by the blinding white color, or if her stomach just wants to remind her that she hasn't eaten properly in over 24 hours. It's probably both. She could have gotten something to eat on her way, but hadn't thought about it at all until now, as her thoughts revolved solely around what happened yesterday.
After a short while, she hears the sound of familiar footsteps behind the door, before it opens a short time later. On the other side, a man in his sixties greets her. The stature a bit bulkier but in a way often seen in aging people, he is just a little taller than Rhea, the face round, a pair of rimless glasses on the nose behind which light brown eyes look at her full of kindness and wisdom. His somewhat disheveled hair, as well as the well-groomed Henriquatre beard are already grayed for the most part, only in some places remnants of the former maroon hue are still visible.
Before she can say anything, she sees joy come over his face and he doesn't hesitate a second to step out of the door and enclose her in a warm embrace.
"Rhea! How nice to see you face to face again," he greets her, though most of it is swallowed by her hair into which he mumbles.
She replies softly, "Yes, you too," and lets herself sink into the embrace. In that moment, she realizes how badly she needs this right now. She feels like a little child again, fragile, helpless, and suddenly she has to fight the tears. She thought she would be all right after a good night's sleep, but it seems she was far from being fine.
He seems to notice her feelings and holds her until she regains her composure. It's not surprising, he had always been unusually empathetic. When she finally breaks free of his embrace, he lets his hands rest on her shoulders as he carefully surveys her.
"You look exhausted, even more so than usual. I'm guessing the reason you're here has something to do with what we talked about on the phone yesterday. It's best you come inside first," he announces in a slightly worried tone.
"Fine," she croaks, her voice a little hoarse from her emotional near-outburst, and follows him into the manor she knows so well. He leads her into the kitchen, and from the horrible mess she finds there, she immediately recognizes that he must have just been cooking.
The sight brings back many fond memories of the last two years and she has to laugh. She is about to make a teasing remark when her stomach starts to make itself heard and now it is he who is laughing.
Her face blushes violently but he just pushes her lovingly to one of the stools at the counter. "Seems like you've come at just the right time. It's still best to talk about problems while you're cooking," he explains, clearly amused, as he rummages around in his mess and finally spreads out a cutting board, a knife and various vegetables in front of her.
Linus Coppergrove, is probably the nicest person she has ever met. There is no one else she respects more than him. She liked him right from the start, back when their relationship was purely professional. Linus had taken over a course for a colleague as a substitute during her second year as a medical student. Rhea was convinced after the first session that it would be better if he replaced the other lecturer permanently. He has a talent for dealing with people and is a far better teacher than most of the other professors she has dealt with. Unfortunately, he has too much to do with his actual job to teach permanently at TCMP. You see, Linus Coppergrove is the chief medical officer and director of the Capitol Central Hospital. Not only a very prestigious job but also one that comes with a lot of responsibility.
He didn't get his position out of luck. Linus is one of the best in his profession, in the whole Capitol you won't find anyone as trustworthy as him. Not least because of this, Rhea is always grateful to enjoy his company. He has been remarkably friendly with all his students,that's just his way. But for Rhea he has become more than a friend, she wouldn't say it out loud, but if she ever had anything like a father, it was Linus Coppergrove.
Because just like today, it would be his arms that would catch her when she fell, just like it was two years ago. After Griffin broke her, left her lying on the ground alone, Linus took care of her. Not just as a new sponsor of her studies, but as a mentor. He was the only one who saw what she had hidden so well behind her facade, because above all else, he is an excellent judge of character. He understands people's feelings like no one else, and seems to be one of the few in the world capable of recognizing the wounds on the soul. It is as if he is the only one among the blind with the gift to see, to really see.
Rhea was so fascinated by it that she asked him to teach her after Linus had mended her soul. When she began her studies, all her attention was only on the physical aspect of her work, but after this experience, that changed dramatically. Linus has shown her that she, too, is a sighted person, even if her sight is still untrained. He taught her everything he knows about the practices of psychotherapy and gave her the tools to heal the souls of others as well.
By now she can see significantly more, though not as clearly as Linus. All the things that people in the Capitol try to hide under layers of paint and fabric, the depths that lie behind them. After two years, it's almost shocking how easy it is to see through most people. But as with everything, there are exceptions, people who are so good at hiding their true intentions that even for Rhea they can only be seen as blurry shadows in the darkness. She rarely encounters this kind of people, but what they all have in common is that they are dangerous. Yesterday she met two of these people in just one day, and she doesn't like it at all.
As Linus puts the casserole dish in the oven, Rhea has just reached the end of her conversation with Snow in her account of events.
"I've met President Snow a time or two at hospital administration festivities, but it doesn't qualify as a real conversation. However, I agree with you that you should be careful with him," he warns as he begins to clean up the mess. The kitchen looks like a battlefield by now. "I don't have the slightest clue how to judge the man, to be honest."
"Yeah I feel the same way. But he's not like the others who have been inscrutable to me so far, he's different. It's hard to describe, but.... otherwise it's like I'm trying to read a book in the half-light in way too small print. I see blurry lines, but can't make out the letters. But with him, it's like the pages are blank," she whispers thoughtfully as she admires the view from Linus' living room.
As she stands in front of the ceiling-high window wall, she sees the sight of fresh greenery, unfamiliar from her own apartment. Linus lives on the very northern edge of the Capitol. This is special in that most of the outskirts tend to be home to the poorer population. The wealthy spend their lives in high-rise complexes in the busy downtown area, but the northern part is different. Those among the better-off Capitolites who find the hustle and bustle too much from time to time are mostly drawn here. As far as the eye can see, there are large estates surrounded by perfectly manicured parks.
One of the villas there belongs to Linus, an inheritance from his father. He designed the mansion himself, because during his lifetime he was a sought-after architect in the Capitol, the professional of choice if you were interested in authentically recreated buildings in the old style. That's why this manor is so different from the others around it. It's not a hulk that's all white walls and heaps of glass. Linus' home looks like a fairy-tale castle, built of light sandstone, almost cream-colored, with high semicircular windows and bastions framed by ornate metal railings, up to which the ivy rises and covers parts of the house walls.
It feels like being in another world, much too quiet and peaceful for the Capitol. The trees in the sprawling garden already bear colorful leaves and, in combination with the still green lawn and the blue of the artificial lake already shimmering in the background, create a colorful sight that would be worthy of an art gallery if someone were to capture it in a painting. In the distance, the peaks of the mountains that surround the entire Capitol tower over trees and houses. It's autumn it its most beautiful form.
Rhea realizes how out of it she was when Linus calls her name. She looks at him questioningly, silently asking him to repeat what he just said.
"I said if that's your impression of him, and he's entangled with Ashway of all people, you should stay very alert. If I had known who you were messing with, I would have tried to talk you out of it, these people.... are capable of terrible things, you know that," he says, making a worried face.
Rhea just laughs softly. "You think you could have stopped me? I appreciate you caring about me, honestly I do. But I have to do this. You understand that, don't you?" she asks him.
Linus just sighs dejectedly before giving her a tired smile, "Yeah I know, but it would have been worth a shot." The smile doesn't reach his eyes, and it's obvious he's not pleased that she's willingly putting herself in danger. "Be that as it may, what is it that Snow wants from you? Since you're still standing here and haven't already disappeared into a basement cell in the Capitol, at least he doesn't seem to be taking offensive action against you."
Rhea gives up her spot by the window to drop onto the soft green sofa instead. She leans her head back until it rests on the backrest and stares at the ceiling as she replies, "Which brings us to my second problem... Finnick Odair." She says his name very slowly, as if testing out the sound of it in her mouth.
Linus has taken a seat next to her in his big wing chair, the color exactly the same as the sofa. His tone sounds too amused for Rhea's taste as he inquires curiously, "The pretty one?"
Rhea grimaces. She drops her head forward again and gives Linus a disparaging look. "No. The annoying one!" she replies flippantly as Linus just grins at her.
"You almost sound like you already know each other." He's grinning straight at her by now.
"Regrettably," she replies, "Wipe that grin off your face, it's not funny. Snow sicced this guy on me, and I don't know why. We've only had one session and he's already driving me crazy. I swear that was the worst patient talk I've ever had and you know the kind of people I usually have to deal with. I'd love to really vent, but I'm afraid that wouldn't be very professional."
Linus chuckles quietly in his chair. As Rhea glares at him, he tries to cover it up with a cough. Not very well, he's a really lousy actor. He clears his throat a few times and replies, "I'm sorry, it's just, this is the first time since we've known each other that you've gotten so upset with a man, or anyone for that matter." As she continues to knit her brows, he adds, "I'm just saying, ... you know. Everyone raves about him like that all the time. Believe it or not, even a couple of my old lady friends are quite taken with him."
"Ahhh, not to offend anyone, but ... your friends are, well, just about your age," she replies with mild horror.
Linus gives her a sorry look and replies, "Yes I know, and believe me, it definitely makes me uncomfortable. Especially because I keep thinking about you being about the same age, I mean it's just ..." He doesn't finish the sentence but she knows what he's getting at. "Well yeah but I mean with you it would be perfectly understandable if you were keen on the boy. I mean you're young, single, ..."
He doesn't get any further when Rhea interrupts him exasperatedly, "Stop. No. No, I don't want to hear one more word. I'll say it just once.... I - am - NOT - crushing - on - Finnick - Odair! I am not and I never will be, because this guy is an annoying, self-important, irresponsible, stuck-up, conceited ... blockhead. Not to mention that he sleeps with everything under the sun. If, and that's a big 'if', I ever decide to find myself a lover, this guy is the very last on my list. Or no, forget that, he's not even on the list. Not to mention I don't have the slightest idea why Snow sent him of all people, there's something wrong. He's obviously playing with me and I hate it." By the end of her rant, she's a little winded.
Linus holds up his hands in surrender. "It's okay, I get it. We don't like Finnick Odair." Crossing his legs and leaning back further into the soft cushion, he asks, "So there was no reason for him to seek you out? A medical reason, I mean."
Rhea crosses her arms in front of her chest and explains thoughtfully, "Well, there was. Several reasons, actually. But he was not there because he wanted my help with it, rather just the opposite."
"What do you mean?"
"Well I mean that he wouldn't have told me a word about his injuries if I hadn't figured it out myself. I almost had to coerce him into letting me help him. I bet most of what he said in response to my question was lies, and instead of taking it seriously, he was just making stupid innuendos and trying to, flirt I guess, the whole time. It was horrible," she explains to him, frowning.
Meanwhile, Linus just looks confused. "So let me summarize. Snow calls you in, presumably because Ashway cried to him about you, tells you how much he appreciates your work, sends his most popular victor since the Games began to see you as a patient because he's supposedly concerned about his well-being, said victor is actually not in the best of shape but desperately tries to hide that?"
Rhea contorts her face into a sarcastic smile, "Yeah, you got it. What a great day, right?"
"It's all more than strange, actually. But I don't see how all these things could be related. Could it be just coincidence after all? Maybe this really is about Finnick after all and there is no denying that you're very capable as a doctor."
Rhea has thought of that, too. "I don't know. Could be, but to be honest I have a really bad feeling, I somehow don't think it's nothing," she answers quietly.
At that moment the shrill ringing of the egg timer Linus has set sounds from the kitchen. He slowly rises from his chair and makes his way to the stove. "Well, let's make sure you get something in your stomach first," he speaks to her affectionately.
She spends the rest of the afternoon with him before making her way to the other end of the city to catch up on work.
____________________
The next morning, Rhea has finally gotten over the shock and is back to her daily routine. During her lunch with her mentor, they've come to the conclusion that there's no use thinking too much about things you just can't find meaning in. The answers would surely reveal themselves in time, and until then, Rhea would simply do her job, as diligent as always, and be careful with her other endeavor. She would be a little more subtle, so as not to upset Griffin even more for now.
So when she enters her office that Monday morning, she hopes to finally have a somewhat calmer day. Her hopes are bitterly dashed when, not a second after she passes the front door, Elaine comes leaping out from behind the reception desk and practically attacks her.
"You! I don't believe it, how can you do this to me?" she shrieks excitedly as she grabs Rhea by the upper arms and shakes her.
Rhea struggles to free herself from the grip as she asks in confusion, "What exactly are you talking about?"
Elaine pauses and stares deeply into her eyes with a serious expression. She looks like it's a matter of life and death, and suddenly concern spreads through Rhea. "Finnick Odair! I'm talking about THE Finnick Odair. You know, victor, famous, charming, may I mention damn hot, and not to forget, walking through these holy halls just two days ago while I WAS NOT THERE!" Elaine's voice grows louder with each word until she's practically screaming.
'Ugh!" she should have guessed, but before she can retort anything Elaine already continues.
"Can you believe it? Two days and you didn't even think to mention that in a word? I mean seriously, how did this even happen? You go out for the first time in a year and the next day the hottest guy in Panem comes over, I mean, I said you needed a guy, but you don't have to overdo it...," Elaine rambles.
At this point, Rhea's other coworkers are already poking their heads out of various rooms. Elaine has a real talent for making a scene. It's lucky she's early and there are no patients in the waiting room yet, or this nonsense would be the talk of the town by afternoon.
She grabs Elaine's wrists to stop her from continuing to wave her arms around wildly and puts on her most serious look. "Elaine, stop," she begins, "please stop the shrieking okay? I would have talked to you about it first thing right now, I swear. Apart from that you are drawing totally wrong conclusions right now."
Elaine doesn't seem satisfied as she replies still excited, "Today? You should have told me the same day, yesterday at the latest."
"I slept half the day yesterday, and the other half I spent with Linus," she sighs, "Listen, I'm really sorry, but I was just exhausted."
Elaine gives her a critical look. "Don't tell me you told the old man the news before you tell me?" she reproaches her.
Rhea frowns and replies dully, "Is that your only problem? You know what, yes I did talk to Linus about it. I was at my wits end and I needed advice. Some useful advice! I'm sorry I couldn't come to you first. You know you're my best friend, but we both know that if I had told you about it, you would have just freaked out, and that would have done absolutely nothing for me. Now if you can just calm down, let's talk about what happened on Saturday. And before you get any ideas, no, when I sent you home early that day I didn't know he was coming over that day. The appointment was scheduled at the last minute. I was just trying to do you a favor because I made you stay late on Friday."
Elaine seems at least halfway satisfied with this announcement, but she warns, "All right. In your office, and don't you leave out a word."
In Rhea's office, they make themselves comfortable on the windowsill behind her desk, the ledge of white-painted wood low enough to climb on without much trouble, and wide enough to sit on. When they had time for a little break during the day and there were no patients in the office, they often sat there facing each other and talked about anything. And that's how they sit today, as Rhea again recaps the events of the past two days.
"You seriously met the president in person?" asks Elaine for what feels like the hundredth time.
"Yes."
"And he sent Finnick to see you?"
"Exactly."
"As in you're his doctor now?"
"What else would I be?"
Elaine looks like smoke is going to come out of her ears at any moment. Still, she manages a grin as she cheekily retorts, "So you didn't hook up with a super cute guy on Friday after all who is now so crazy about you that he's visiting you at work just a day later? Too bad, I was so hopeful."
"Oh my god Elaine. I can't believe I have to repeat that again. I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON FINNICK ODAIR. Have you actually been listening to me at all? If so, you must have noticed that the only thing I feel for this guy is dislike, which I ignore in his presence because I take my job and professionalism very seriously, and that's it" she counters. "And honestly, I don't see how anyone could find him charming. If you ask me, the whole town is suffering from a mass hallucination."
"I don't know I wasn't there, unfortunately, so I can't judge," Elaine counters, still slightly reproachful, "but I know one thing for sure. He's really damn good looking. Anyone who says otherwise is the one hallucinating."
"I really can't hear it anymore. He may not be completely unattractive, but who cares with such a horrible personality?" Rhea complains, turning her gaze to the side to watch the people on the street below. The day is gray and rainy, and umbrellas of all different colors and shapes bounce past each other like colorful dots.
Rhea hears Elaine laugh softly before she replies, "So if you're not interested, you don't mind if I try my luck, right? Tell me I'm on shift the next time he comes by and I'll forgive you."
She gives her a look that clearly says, 'Seriously?' but Elaine just keeps grinning stupidly. She's dead serious, of course she is. It's Elaine, which makes her remember ...
"Where did that ugly cat come from?" she asks curtly.
Elaine's grin widens even more, if that's possible. "Business secret. Why, do you like it?"
____________________
Aside from Elaine's attack, the day is quiet so far. A bunch of colorfully dressed Capitolites, for the most part lapalies, headaches, nausea, dizziness, mostly explained by the overconsumption of various alcoholic beverages and other mysterious substances. A sprained ankle, two battered teenagers who have nothing better to do than fight at school, a badly inflamed tattoo and an implant removal, because who could have guessed beforehand, that the insertion of spines in the back like a reptile would prevent you from sleeping on it and make it uncomfortable to wear normal clothes? But of course she doesn't ask him that.
But all of this is part of her normal everyday life, until the phone rings.