DECEPTION - A Multi Chapter, Hayffie fic - Prompt...POISON
Thanks @ellanainthetardis for the prompt.
Today was Thursday and Thursday's were quickly becoming Effies favourite day of the whole week in district 13.
Thursday's were when Coin held their weekly update meetings about Katniss and the war.
And Thurdays was also a day when they were allowed coffee!.
Astriss arrived a little later than usual with a full tray of steaming hot mugs and Effie couldn't stop the beam spreading across her face.
Whatever Coin was babbling on about did not matter to Effie for the next 10 minutes, because she would be holding a steaming mug of coffee between her hands and smelling the bitter sweet aroma of the black liquid and nothing was going to stop her from enjoying it.
"Thank you Astriss, you may serve" Coin six passively, waving at the girl with the tray.
Astriss was also quickly becoming Effies new favourite person.
Haymitch reached for a mug but Astriss batted his hand away...
"Not that one, that's for miss Trinket" The girl looked at Effie and winked "Double shot, just how you like it"
Coin cringed at the delightful squeal that came out of Effies throat.
"Oh Astriss, you are a pet!"
Haymitch grumbled something irrelevant and just took another mug.
"How come she gets two shots" he tutted and Effie jutted her bottom lip out towards him sarcastically
"Because Miss Trinket asked. And besides...she gives good makeup tips...tit for tat" she winked again
"Enough, Astriss" Coin begged "That will be all"
The girl left with a grin and a wave from Effie.
"Oh she's delightful" Effie trilled
Haymitch sipped his coffee and it tasted weak."Yeah, sure. Delightful indeed"
That evening in the cafeteria, Effie invited Astriss to join her and Katniss at their table for dinner.
"I don't think the woman dishing out this slop likes me very much" Effie grumbled over her tray of soggy vegetables and questionable meat. Katniss and Astriss peered over towards the serving station.
Effie had a point. If looks could kill. The woman behind the counter was throwing daggers at Effie almost too obviously.
"Has anything happened between you?" Katniss asked, knowing full well that Effie possibly brought it on herself, complaining about the food or something, but Effie shook her head.
"I know what you're thinking Katniss, but I've done nothing to offend that woman, just merely exist it seems"
Astriss lay her hand over Effies
"Hey, some of the people down here just haven't been able to accept the Captiol refugees yet" she sympathised "But if they want to live bitterly, then let them. You're a kind and generous person, Effie. They'll come to know it soon enough"
Effie smiled bright but her smile soon faded when she noticed the difference on her plate as to what was on Katniss's and Astriss's
"Look at that" Effie huffed, picking up a rather unusual looking slice of the rabbit meat that was on her plate. "Pure fat! And those vegetables look like they were drowned twice over..."
"Maybe she's just having a bad day and wants someone to take it out on?" Katniss suggested, but Effie wasn't bought.
"No, Katniss." Effie disagreed tiresomely "She's been treating me this way since I arrived here. Always taking my plate out of my hands and wandering off, only to return with what can only be described as leftovers fit for a mutt. I put up with it because I'm hungry, but heaven knows where shes getting my food from or what shes doing to it"
Astriss grabbed Effies plate suddenly and slid it towards herself "You're right Effie, this is disgusting and this is uncalled for, leave it with me"
Before Effie or Katniss could protest, Astriss was up and marching over to the counter to confront the woman.
The ladies couldn't hear what was said, but Astriss looked stern and the woman looked sheepish.
In less than a few more seconds Astriss had returned with a brand new plate full of healthy looking meat and fresh vegetables
"She won't be bothering you again Effie" Astriss beamed brightly "Not whilst I'm around"
Fair to say, Effie had just found her new best friend.
At dinner the next evening, the woman behind the counter barely made eye contact with Effie but Effies plate was returned to her bursting with fresh vegetables and dumplings.
On returning to her table, Effie couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"Saved you ladies some nice hot coffee!" Astriss smiled, sliding Effie and Katniss a cup each.
"Thanks Astriss" Katniss grinned but Effie was distracted by her thoughts
"She's smirking at me" Effie said, peering over her shoulder at the woman still serving the food.
"Effie, she's just smiling" Katniss assured "Maybe she's trying to make amends"
"What exactly did you say to her Astriss" Effie asked curiously
"I told her that if it wasn't for you slipping those golden tokens into the arena, then there never would have been an alliance with Finnick Odair, and Katniss and Peeta may not have trusted him and possibly not survived." Astriss stated proudly "I told her that the real hero here was you, no offence Katniss, and that she better start showing you some respect or I'd notify Coin of her behaviour"
Katniss and Effie shared a look but then Effie was beaming...
Astriss kind of reminded Effie of Katniss in some ways. Fearless, honest, brave and loyal.
"You're a good person Astriss" Effie smiled
Katniss agreed "Yeah, good job you're here"
Later that evening, just before she settled down to bed, Effie felt a whirring in her stomach and the room felt particularly warm that night.
She downed a glass of water, took off all of her clothes and crawled into bed, hoping the feeling would shift by morning.
The next morning, she felt no better but Coin had called an early 2nd meeting to discuss an urgent propo for Katniss, but Effie wasnt happy about it because it was still too soon, the girl wasn't ready. So, Effie had to be sharp and focused today and stand her ground.
She arrived late after spending the first part of the morning with her head over the toilet, but her excuses fell flat. Coin didn't strike anyone as a sympathetic soul.
"If you're under the weather, Miss Trinket, I suggest you sit this meeting out?" Coin challenged, but Effie was having none of it.
"No, no. I'm quite alright...go ahead"
But as Coin proceeded, Haymitch leant a little closer in to Effie and gave her a nudge.
"You sure you're ok?, I can fill you in later, you look a little pale?"
"That damn food server in the canteen" she seethed quietly "She's fed me rotten meat again, I just know it"
"I think so" Effie nodded "But I got the worst out this morning"
Haymitch turned his nose up at the thought.
"Vomiting, Haymitch" She assured "Not the other way yet...although, not too far off" The face he pulled as she rubbed her stomach was totally worth it. She chuckled at his reaction and told him she was kidding... but she wasnt kidding. Her insides felt alien.
"Just...drink plenty of water, ok" he suggested and Effie smirked curiously. Haymitch had never been one to care before... Ever!
"Ok" she nodded, and poured herself a glass.
As the meeting went on, the temperature in the room seemed to sky rocket. Effie could feel beads of perspiration running down the back of her neck.
"Look, just a few more weeks" Effie tried to argue "let's get her comfortable with that damn camera first, if you throw her in now, it'll be a disaster"
Haymitch had agreed with her, thankfully, but between the two of them and Coin and Plutarch, it was still two agaisnt two.
Plutarch tried to reason...
"Well, let's film rehearsal? She doesn't need to know the cameras are rolling, we might capture something good?"
"And if she figures it out-" Haymtich began until Effie interrupted
"Which she will! She will lose more trust in you than ever..." The room suddenly started spinning but Effie couldn't bow out now. "Look, just give her time"
"WE DONT HAVE TIME, TRINKET" Coin bellowed suddenly it was like a hammer had been smashed into Effies skull.
"Ouch! Why are you yelling!?"
Conversation erupted around the table but the voices seemed to become raised causing Effie to cover her ears.
Everything sounded weird and everyone seemed to be yelling now.
She pleaded one more time "Please stop yelling"
Confused eyes crossed the table to where she sat
"Stop moving, why are you all moving..." effie continued, trying to focus. The room felt like it was spinning
Haymitch reached out towards her, grabbing her wrist
"Effie, we're all sat down...no ones moving, no ones yelling...What's going on with you?"
Effie put her head in her hands for a moment, but as she tried to focus again, Haymitch noticed the blood
Effie looked into her hands and saw a pool of sticky red liquid, she pressed her fingers above her upper lip and felt the blood running from her nose.
"Get her a tissue!" Coin ordered. Plutarch grabbed a box on the side and ran around the table to join Haymitch.
Hands were holding her arms for comfort but she didn't know who's they were as the room began to spin even more.
"I need to stand" she whimpered but Haymtich strongly protested
"I need to get out, it's too hot in here..." she begged
Her speech was slurred, Haymitch ordered one of the guards to fetch a doctor.
"Ok, let's get you up" He soothed "I'll walk out with you" But as Haymitch lifted her to her feet, Effies knees buckled immediately and she fell into his arms.
"Miss Trinket? What's happening?" Coin asked, looking to Haymitch for answers but he was just as clueless.
She was becoming a dead weight so Haymitch lay Effie down gently on the floor instead and whipped his sweater off to create a pillow for her head. That's when she started coughing.
"Turn her on her side!" Coin suggested
But as he did, her throat gargled painfully and she began to cough up blood. Not just a little...a lot...a whole lot. It started pouring out of her mouth.
"Effie!? Effie?!" Haymitch panicked now. He saw her eyes starting to roll into the back of her head "Stay with me, Ef. Come on, Breathe in! Breathe!"
Haymitch didn't know what to do or what to say, all he knew was that this doctor better hurry because this was no food poisoning or stomach bug, this was something else. Somthing far more sinister.
*what's going on with Effie!?? Will she be ok??? Find out soon... xx
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