Ocean Eyes - Finnick Odair

Twenty-Three

Finnick stares down at the chain in his hands, examining where it has snapped in half with narrowed eyes. If Beetee was awake, Finnick would ask him to help fix the pearl bracelet because Marissa will want it when she's broken out of the Capitol but, Beetee is still unconscious after being electrocuted by the forcefield so, he has to make do on his own. Thankfully, the golden chain is fairly malleable, and he can bend the metal without tools.

He warms the chain links with his hands first and then uses his strength to fix the broken two back together. He fiddles around with it for a moment, making sure they won't fall apart before struggling to fix it around his wrist. It barely fits him, Mira and Marissa's wrists are a lot thinner than his but, on the loosest setting, it just about fits.

Katniss is still sedated, unable to speak and Plutarch and Haymitch are nowhere to be seen but, Sterling enters the room. She's still sporting her blue wig and outfit and, she sits on the bed beside Finnick. Her gloved hand touches his shoulder and rubs it gently, trying to soothe him.

"Finnick," she speaks softly, clearly upset, "she's going to be okay."

"No, she's not. They could be doing anything to her," Finnick sniffles, shaking his head. "They're going to hurt her and it's my fault."

"Finnick, it isn't your fault. She wouldn't want you blaming yourself," Sterling says and Finnick rolls his eyes.

"Well, it doesn't really matter because she's not here," he snaps, shrugging her off of him. "How could you just leave her?"

"She still had her tracker in her arm. The Capitol got to her before we could," Sterling tells him. "If there's anything that we could have done, we would have."

"I should've... I should've never left her with Peeta," Finnick runs his hands over his face, frustrated. "I should've stayed with her and I... I could have cut out her tracker and she'd be safe."

"You couldn't have known, Finnick," Sterling says but, it doesn't soothe Finnick.

"I should have," Finnick slumps down, defeated. He finally sinks into Sterling's arms, crying in her hold until he falls asleep, the electrical shock finally affecting him. Sterling doesn't wake him until the hovercraft lands in Thirteen. He jolts awake, startled. His eyes dart anxiously around the room as if he's forgotten where he is but, he eventually calms himself down.

"We're at Thirteen now," Sterling informs him. "Mira and Mags are here."

"Are they okay?" Finnick straightens at the mention of Mira and Mags. "Where are they?"

"Why don't we go and find them?"

Finnick jumps up instantly but, he's unstable on his feet and staggers forward. Sterling struggles but she manages to keep him upright until he finds his balance and then, they descend down the ramp of the hovercraft into a District Thirteen bunker. Next to the dull grey jumpsuits of the Thirteen residents, Sterling looks ridiculous in her bright blue wig and colourful clothes. Finnick spots Mira instantly, her bright fiery hair standing out in the crowds, and he runs at her, wrapping her in a hug. Her feet leave the floor as he clings onto her, weeping into her shoulder. Sterling greets Mags with a sad smile, embracing her for a moment before they part.

"Finnick," Mira exclaims when he places her back on the floor, pulling back from the embrace, "where's Marissa?" Finnick doesn't answer, staring grimly at the floor. "Finnick, where is she?"

"Marissa still had her tracker in when the arena was blown up," Sterling explains to Marissa's little sister. "So did Johanna, Peeta and Enobaria. They're all in the Capitol."

Mira's knees go weak when she processes what Sterling has told her and, she tumbles to the floor. Finnick catches her, lowering himself to his knees with her and cradling her against his chest. She clings onto his shirt, breaking out into sobs and, he cannot do or say anything to comfort her so, he just holds her.

She doesn't speak for a long time. She doesn't move other than the shudders that pass through her body but, eventually, she looks up at Finnick, her eyes bloodshot and her nose runny.

"I'm going to be alone. She's left me just like our parents," she chokes out. Finnick shakes his head, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Mira, you're not going to be alone. You have me and Mags and Sterling," Finnick assures her. His own tears sting in his eyes but, he keeps himself together for Mira. "And... and Plutarch has put in special requests for them to be rescued."

"She'll probably be dead by the time they get to her," Mira scoffs venomously.

"No. As long as I'm alive, they'll keep her alive as bait. That's what Haymitch and Plutarch say, anyway."

"They're going to torture them for information though, her and Johanna," Mira states but, it sounds like she wants someone to disagree with her. Nobody does. Finnick and Mira stay cuddled together until a medic approaches them with a small smile.

"Mr Odair, I'm Doctor Page," the blond medic says. "Do you think you could come with me for a medical examination? Miss Johnson can come with you if you like."

Finnick reluctantly agrees and he struggles to his feet, following Doctor Page through District Thirteen with Mira at his side.

The doctors change him into a medical gown and check over all of his injuries, stitching up any gashes that need to be closed and cleaning and covering the rest of them. They set him up with an IV, pumping nutrients into his system and, they try for a while to get him to remove Marissa's bracelet, claiming that it is getting in the way but, he refuses to comply with any of the doctors until they give in and let him keep it on. Mira stays at his side the whole time, hovering anxiously as they fix up his wounds and, when the doctors finally leave them alone, she settles into the seat beside his bed and chews on her lip. Eventually, the two of them fall asleep, the mixture of drugs and exhaustion knocking Finnick out and Mira falling asleep to escape reality.

❛ ━━━━━━･❪⚓️ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

A/n: this chapter is really short, too I'm sorry 😬