I found a bit of story energy from this cracky manip.
“What’s it look like I’m doing?” Haymitch answers back.
Katniss rolls her eyes. “It looks like you’re in my woods hugging a tree.”
Maybe she should find something amusing about the sight of the drunk sitting on the forest floor. Each arm and leg wrapped around the trunk of an old oak tree. Wearing a ridiculous wide rimmed hat and grungy flannel.
Maybe she would have laughed even, if she weren’t in such a foul mood.
“You don’t own the woods, Sweetheart.” Haymitch pats the tree truck.
He sounds too sober for such erratic behavior. Still, she should probably let Peeta know where he is before she spends the rest of the day hiding in the forest.
Haymitch opens his eyes and finally looks at her. “Dr. Aurelius wants me to get outside more often. Sunshine on my face. Wind in my hair.” He adds a hair flip for good measure. “Connect with nature. Get some exercise.”
Katniss looks around. They’re within meters of Victor Village’s edge. And he sitting completely in the shade.
He fishes a crumbled paper from his shirt pocket and hands it to Katniss. She recognizes the doctor’s loopy handwriting.
Katniss sits down on one of the roots looking over the list. Haymitch has no business getting a pet. If he follows recommendation number three, the poor creature better be completely self sufficient. Or it will be one more thing for Peeta to take care of. “Since when do you listen to, Dr. Aurelius?”
He shrugs, arms still in the position she found him. “Since he brought the kid back.”
“That was all Peeta!” Katniss tosses the paper at him. “You’re giving that quack way too much credit. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
Haymitch lifts an eyebrow, leaning around the wide tree trunk to get a better look at her. “What’d he ask you to do?”
Katniss picks at the dry leaves on the ground. Breaking one apart before she answers. “He wants me to clean out Prim’s room.”
There’s a pause. She takes in a shaky breath before she can continue.
“Said I should save only a few of her things and repurpose the space.”
Haymitch nods. The rim of his floppy hat bumping against the tree. “Well, it’ll sure be nice not to have the kid fumbling across the yard in his skivvies just to paint.”
She hates how he already knows the most natural purpose for the room. The room right across from the bedroom Peeta’s shared with her for months. The room with an abundance of sunlight. The same reasons Prim gave for picking the small, cozy room in the first place.
Katniss crushes a handful of leaves. Letting each broken bit fall slowly between her fingers. “You look ridiculous.”
Haymitch hugs the tree tighter. “I’m not hiding in my house though, am I?”
Katniss stands. She looks into her woods. How easy it is to get lost in the quiet she can find in them. But they’re not offering what she needs today.
She starts marching towards home. Blinking rapidly as her breathing gets more uneven with each step.
Haymitch calls out to her. “I’ll be there with some boxes in a minute. And Katniss?”
Katniss turns back. Haymitch once again has his eyes closed. The side of his face squished up against the tree trunk he’s hugging like a child hugs their parent’s leg.
A tiny laugh escapes her which doesn’t help the tears she was attempting to hold in.
“The tree says he’s proud of you, Sweetheart.”
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