Thirty-Three

                                    

                                          
"Your fingers are bleeding." 
That's the first thing Marissa says when she wakes. Finnick is sitting in a chair beside her hospital bed, tirelessly knotting a short piece of rope. The rope is shorter than the usual lengths he ties when he's upset. This rope is short enough that Finnick would be unable to tie a noose with it. The thought of Finnick even considering using a noose makes Marissa feel uneasy so, she hopes that it's just an unnecessary precaution District Thirteen has taken. 
He jumps at the sound of her voice, dropping the rope to the floor and gazing up at her in surprise. He stares at her for a moment before shaking his head and chuckling softly. 
"What?"
"Marissa, you've been stuck in the Capitol and they've done god knows what to you, and you're worried about my fingers bleeding?" 
"I don't want you to be in pain," Marissa whispers. She reaches out for him, wincing when the iv pulls at her hand painfully. Finnick notices her discomfort and instantly moves his chair closer, taking her hand in his and squeezing it ever so slightly. 
"It doesn't hurt, Mari. I'm fine," Finnick assures her, flashing her a small smile. Marissa nods, staring down at the broken skin on his hands for a moment before her eyes search around the room. "What is it?"
"You said Mags would be here," she says. Finnick sighs, lowering his head to kiss her hand. "Where is she?"
"She's just outside, love," Finnick promises her. "But... I need to talk to you first."
"About what?" Marissa demands. His words make her anxious and her heart rate increases dramatically. Finnick runs a hand through her hair gently, soothing her ever so slightly. 
"Calm down, sweetheart," he says softly. "It's okay. I just need to ask you about Peeta."
"What's wrong with Peeta? Did something happen? Is he hurt?"
"Marissa, Peeta isn't hurt," Finnick says. "But, we need to know what happened to him in the Capitol. Last night when katniss went to see him... he attacked her."
"What? He attacked her? No, Peeta wouldn't -"
"Marissa-"
"Peeta loves Katniss," Marissa argues. "He wouldn't hurt her."
"He did, Mari. We think that the Capitol must have done something to him," Finnick says calmly. "Do you know anything?"
"No. I... I don't know what they've done to him," Marissa shakes her head. "Is he okay? Can I see him?"
"Sweetheart, you can't go anywhere until you're better," Finnick tells her. 
"I am better," Marissa argues. "I want to see him."
"I know you do and you can soon. You have to see Mags first anyway," Finnick reminds her. "Do you want me to go and get her?"
"Yes. And after I see Mags, I'm going to see Peeta."
Finnick sighs, standing and letting go of Marissa's hand but, her grip remains tight. Her eyes widen with fear and she clutches onto him. 
"Marissa-"
"Don't go."
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just getting Mags."
Marissa reluctantly releases Finnick's hand from her grasp and watches as he pokes his head out of the door and calls Mags inside her hospital room. The older woman wears a solemn smile when she enters the room, sending Marissa a look of sympathy and sitting on the edge of the redhead's bed. Her frail hands reach out and cup Marissa's face delicately, squeezing her cheek ever so slightly. Marissa's eyes well up with tears as Mags tucks some of her fiery hair behind her ears but Mags wipes away any that slip down her cheeks. 
"I missed you," Marissa chokes out. Mags nods in agreement, silently telling Marissa she had missed her. "They did the most awful things to me, Mags."
Mags frowns, pulling Marissa into her arms and cradling her head. Marissa does not know why she suddenly feels the urge to tell Mags about what she endured in the Capitol but it all comes pouring out. She tells the older woman everything as Finnick listens from afar. Mags doesn't react to anything. She just plaits Marissa's hair so it's out of her face. 
Finnick's fists are clenched the whole time, his knuckles white and his arms shaking with rage. He already knew that the Capitol was selling her body again but hearing the words come out of her own mouth only made it worse. But, that didn't upset him anywhere near as much as hearing that President Snow had tricked her into thinking that he was being tortured.
Eventually, Marissa falls silent. She lies in Mags' arms, her hand searching for Finnick's who swiftly interlaces their fingers. None of them speak. Finnick doesn't show Marissa how angry he is with the Capitol. Instead, he holds onto her hand and runs his thumb across her bony knuckles. The District Thirteen doctors check up on Marissa and give her a new round of painkillers but, she doesn't fall asleep. She stays wide awake, staring down at the small cuts and friction burns on Finnick's fingers. 
"Are you okay?" Finnick asks Marissa after Mags leaves them alone. "You keep staring at my hands."
"They have cuts on them," Marissa states. Finnick's eyebrows knit together in concern. "Do they hurt?"
"Marissa, my love, they're fine. They're just from where I've been tying rope," Finnick reassures her. "I can't even feel them."
"You tie knots when you're upset."
"I was worried about you, sweetheart," Finnick says. "I missed you."
"I was worried that you'd hate me," Marissa croaks out, a fresh round of tears welling in her eyes. "They were torturing you because of me."
"Mari, that wasn't real," Finnick whispers. "The Capitol didn't torture me. I'm safe. We're all safe now. And, I could never hate you. I love you, Marissa Johnson."
Marissa doesn't say anything for a while. She stares at Finnick as he presses his lips to Marissa's hand then, her eyes drift to the short length of rope sticking out of his jumpsuit pocket. 
"Finnick."
"Yes?"
"Could you show me how to tie the bowline knot again, please?"
❛ ━━━━━━･❪⚓️ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
A/n: sorry this chapter took forever again and it's not even that good (turns out having a boyfriend is very time-consuming 🥴)