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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act three.

(chapter seventy-six, but really, does one ever win in war?)

command / hospital ward, 75 ADD.

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JUNIPER HALE TAPPED HER fingers against the cool metal of the armrest that belonged to the chair she was sitting in. Her leg bounced up and down, the thudding of her boots echoing slightly throughout Command. Blood was rushing through her ears, soaring like waves. Her eyes latched onto the middle-aged woman at the end of the table, narrowed as she waited for Coin to finish reading the notes the doctors' had given her. 

Beside the Victor, Dr. Aurelius sat as he fiddled with his fingers. He was fidgety as he played with the clip on his ID card, which he had removed from his breast pocket. Juniper could see that his nails were bitten down to stubs, that his face was no longer clean shaven. Stubble caressed his wrinkles and his eyes were lulling downwards with every passing moment. 

Sighing, the Hale woman turned her attention to Lucy Stevens and Haymitch Abernathy. They both sat to the right of Juniper, on the other side of the table. The former was eyeing the one of the electronic maps that showed troop movement whilst the latter had his eyes squinted at President Coin, who seemed to be stuck on one single paragraph that the doctors' had given her. 

Next to her, who was also shuffling in his seat uncomfortably, was Plutarch. The man kept trying to look at the notes in-front of the President, but his swollen eyelids couldn't seem to make out a single word from that distance and so, he ended up staring at the floor, his own boots jumping up and down with anticipation. 

And then next to him, sitting quite calmly in his seat with his hands tucked underneath his chin, was Orion Hale. He wasn't fidgeting or staring at something to pass the time. His eyes were closed as if he were asleep and was merely waiting for Coin to make an assumption. Juniper could feel her heart racing as she stared at her father, undeniable rage coursing through her heart, but with one look at Dr. Aurelius, she tried to quell it. 

"So..." President Coin drawled, causing everyone to snap to her attention, all eyes on her. "These notes are very vague..." 

"What do you mean vague?" Juniper scoffed. "I've been talking to that kid nearly every hour for the past three days." 

After the Hale woman's first session with Peeta Mellark, Coin decided it would have been a good idea to make it so that she saw him every morning, afternoon, and evening. Juniper barely got any time to herself and there wasn't even enough room for her to even attempt to see Johanna, who was still stuck in the hospital ward. Juniper's days consisted of waking up alone in her compartment, eating breakfast, seeing Peeta, eating lunch, seeing Peeta, eating dinner, seeing Peeta, sleeping, repeating. And yet, the notes that the doctors' had given Coin about Mellark's progress were vague. 

"But that doesn't mean any progress has been made," the grey-haired woman spoke. "He seems to be obsessed with some... District Ten prayer? How is that relevant?" 

Orion Hale now fidgeted in his seat as his daughter snapped, "It's obviously important to him." 

"And the doctors' say he has memory loss?" Coin read from the notes. "How major is it? What has he forgotten?" 

"We don't exactly know..." Dr. Aurelius muttered. "But he's forgotten things such as the district from where a tribute was from. And most importantly, what he wants to say to Miss Hale and what he's understood about her, per se." 

Coin clenched her jaw as she flipped through the notes again before saying, "He needs to get better, to at least not have flashbacks. What have you conducted about that, Dr. Aurelius? Would he get—?" 

"I am not Mr. Mellark's doctor, Madame Pr—" 

"But I am asking you—" 

"He is not my patient—" 

"I do not care, is he able—?" 

"Ask the doctors' who are caring for him, Madam President," Dr. Aurelius was quick to say. Juniper looked over at him with furrowed brows. She noticed that the head doctor's hands were shaking ever so slightly. "My main patient is Miss Hale, as you assigned me to her. I do not know what is good for Mr. Mellark. I am not his doctor." 

"Then why are you here, Dr. Aurelius?" Coin was seemingly getting frustrated and the sudden tension caused everyone to shift uncomfortably. Eyes were darting all around the room. "I am asking you, as a professional, is he able to overcome flashbacks?" 

Juniper eyed the middle-aged man for a moment, watching his brows furrow and relax before taking a breath, saying, "I do not know, Madame President... From what I have seen, perhaps. But you'll need to ask the boy's own doctor." 

Coin stared at Aurelius before flipping her pen around, scribbling something down on the notes before nodding, announcing, "Well, that's that. You can all go. Miss Hale, stay here. I need to speak to you." 

Lucy, Haymitch, and Aurelius all got up from their seats and scuffled out of Command, grumbling underneath their breaths as Juniper remained sitting. Coin seemed to be eying her down and only spoke once it was her, Juniper, Plutarch, and Orion in the room. 

"I want progress, Miss Hale," the woman said, clutching her pen. "You need to be getting somewhere. We are running out of time." 

"Running out of time?" Juniper questioned. "How are you running out of time?" 

"We... Miss Hale, time is of the essence for multiple reasons," Coin assured her. "I want you to forget about that prayer Mellark keeps muttering. I want you to forget about whatever he's trying to tell you. Next session, tonight, I will be overseeing it. I need to see what he is like—" 

"Why?" Juniper pressed. "Why do you care? He is of no value to you." 

"But he is." Coin nodded. "I want you and Dr. Aurelius in line. No tip-toeing. No distractions. We need Peeta Mellark to be stable, to be ready. Can you do that?" 

"Be ready for what—?" 

"Can you do that?" Coin repeated. 

Juniper could feel her heart beating as she tried to wrangle a response out of her mouth. But all she could think of was what did Coin want Peeta ready for? Why did she want to know what his conditions were like in the Capitol? And why was Aurelius quick to snap at her? To talk back? 

The Hale woman may not have known the head doctor well, but due to their forced meetings and encounters, she knew that he would never openly speak out to Coin. What had happened? What had happened in the past two days for him to question Coin to her face? He questioned her antics to Juniper, but never verbally told the President. The Hale woman clenched her jaw and sighed as she closed her eyes. 

"Fine," she said. "But I don't know exactly what I'm doing—" 

"Don't worry about that," Coin told her. "I'll be coming to watch your session this evening. I know what I am looking for. Just talk to him. I will make my assumption based on that." 

When Coin looked back down at her notes with Plutarch looking at her uneasily, Orion avoiding her eye, Juniper took it as a sign to leave and so, chair scraping across the floor, she made her exit. The guards flanking the door didn't stop her and so, with her heart racing and mind slightly confused, Juniper entered the hallway to find Dr. Aurelius with his hands in his head.

"Aurelius?" Juniper asked as she neared him. "The hell was that all about?" 

The man looked and sounded exhausted, even as replied, "I don't know." 

"Why did you fight with Coin?" 

"I would barely call it a fight—" 

"Then whatever it was." Juniper waved her hand in the air like she was wafting away a cloud of smoke. "Why did it happen? What's happening?" 

Aurelius took a breath before saying, "President Coin keeps thinking I am Peeta Mellark's doctor. But I am not. I am yours. I wasn't there to help him, he has his own head doctor. I am here to help you." 

Juniper blinked. 

"The war is taking a toll, Miss Hale," Aurelius said softly. "People are getting stressed. Coin is getting tense." 

"She told me about how time is of the essence," Juniper informed him. "How Peeta needs to get ready for something. You have any theories on that?" 

"President Coin seemingly doesn't care about restoring Peeta's memory and therefore doesn't care for his wellbeing," Dr. Aurelius spoke. "You are right in that she was lying. She obviously is. A blind man could see it, a deaf man could hear it... and there are rumours. Squad Four-Five-One, the squad Mr. Odair and Miss Everdeen are part of, aren't doing the job. The propos they are doing are bland, not enough to inspire others." 

"So?" Juniper questioned. "What does that have to do with Peeta? He's not in the Capitol." 

Aurelius paused for a moment before asking, "What did Coin say to you, just then?" 

"That Peeta needs to get ready for something, that time is of the essence," Juniper told him, rolling her eyes. "That I need to forget about the prayer and about everything else. She also said she's going to oversee the next session tonight and that you and me need to be in line, no tip-toeing." 

The man let the information sink into his brain before sighing, leaning against the wall, "I don't know, but what I do know is that you need to be careful for the next session. I don't know what President Coin has planned, but I don't think anyone will like it." 

Juniper nodded briefly before leaning against the wall next to the doctor, smiling slightly as she took in the man's state as she said, "I think you need a head doctor, Aurelius. You look exhausted." 

"That is war, Miss Hale," he said as he ran a hand down his face. "It takes its toll and it doesn't stop—" 

"Until one wins."

"Until one wins..." Aurelius nodded. "But really, does one ever win in war?" 

Juniper clenched her jaw as she began to pick at the skin surrounding her thumbs before pushing herself off of the wall, muttering, "I need to speak to Johanna," before swiftly leaving Aurelius behind. 

And as she began to walk away, heading towards the hospital ward, Juniper tried to wrap her head around what had happened. What did Coin want Peeta ready for? How come time was of the essence? And how come she thought Finnick and Katniss's squad was not doing a good job in the Capitol? Juniper hadn't seen any of the propos and so, they must not have been airing. The Hale woman sighed as she tried to pinch the bridge of her nose on the walk to the ward. 

She needed to talk to Johanna. She barely got the time to. She needed her opinion. Johanna Mason was the type of person to speak what was on her mind, to an extent. And Juniper didn't need the dishevelled, sorrowful, slight of a woman that had revealed herself days prior. She needed the harsh, cruel, and impatient woman who would speak what was on her mind without any filter. Juniper needed that. She needed to hear what Johanna Mason had to say about it all. 

But as Juniper entered the circular reception of the hospital ward, intent on going to her old room where the Victor from Seven was staying, a figure immediately blocked her way. It was a girl with a small stature, fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes. A face as fresh as a raindrop. 

Primrose Everdeen. 

"Juniper?" Prim questioned. She was wearing her medical attire. "What are you doing back in the ward? You aren't to see Peeta in a few hours." 

"I... I'm here to see Johanna..." Juniper replied slowly. Her eyes roved over Prim's face. She wasn't even fourteen yet there seemed to be an old soul hidden deep in the depths of her being as well as some innocence that— 

"Right." Prim nodded. "Well, Peeta is doing slightly better. He keeps repeating that District Ten prayer—" 

"About that," Juniper interrupted her. "Coin doesn't want to focus on that anymore. Or what he has to tell me. Or what he's understood... about me." 

"Why not?" Prim let out a slight laugh that was associated with surprise and confusion. "That's his road to recovery. If he's to become anywhere near to normal, if there is one, he needs to focus on such things he's familiar and comfortable with." 

"I know, I know," Juniper assured her. "But that's what Coin has said... she's also coming to the session this evening. To oversee..."

Prim looked deep into Juniper's brown eyes and the gears in her head seemed to be turning as she stayed silent for a while before saying, "You don't trust her." 

"You can tell?" 

"I can." Prim nodded. "I don't blame you. Even Haymitch and Lucy are questioning her... they think Coin isn't thinking of Peeta's wellbeing, that there is something else going on... you think that, too." 

"I do," Juniper told her. "But it's nothing a thirteen-year-old should be concerned with." 

"And yet they sent a seventeen-year-old into battle," Prim told her cooly. But it wasn't a sharp jab or a poke. It was more of a tug. Juniper Hale figured Primrose Everdeen to be one who didn't outright snap, figured she was a person who tugged. "I don't think age really matters in a place like this." 

Juniper blinked before slowly nodding, muttering, "Right. Sorry... you miss Katniss, then?" 

"She's my sister, of course I do," Prim told her, her tone resuming to its previous softness. "But I know she's doing good out there—" 

"She's doing crappy propos—" 

"Which may help inspire people." Prim smiled lightly. "You don't trust anyone, do you, Juniper?" 

"I beg your pardon?" 

"You seem to question everything," she said. "It's instinct, isn't it? I don't blame you. This is war, after all. It's all right to throw accusations in the air." 

"I'm not throwing any accusations in the air," Juniper said breathily. "I'm just cautious... caution isn't a bad thing." 

"Of course not," Prim assured her. "But I think trust is an even better thing—" 

"But also a dangerous one." 

Prim smiled lightly as she let out a chuckle, nodding as she replied, "Yes. I suppose. Everything is dangerous in a way." 

Juniper seemed to find her lips curled into a smirk as she stared at the fresh, young yet old soul of Primrose Everdeen. And, there, she conducted that she liked her much better than Katniss. Katniss was strong, stubborn, and determined. She was the type of person to react first and ask questions later. She was bitingly cynical and blunt when she wanted to be. But Prim was gentle, soft, and an old soul. She had eyes that looked to have seen a million things, a million stories built inside her head, but yet her face was fresh. Just one look at the girl and Juniper could sense that she had an ability to look into the confusing mess of life and see things for what they were. 

And so, Juniper Hale concluded that she liked Prim much more than Katniss. 

That evening, the Victor from Ten never ended up visiting Johanna Mason. After her conversation with Prim, she retreated back to her compartment and sat on her bed until Dr. Aurelius retrieved her for the evening session with Peeta. Neither one of them spoke as they began to make their way to the hospital ward. 

("Until one wins..." Aurelius nodded. "But really, does one ever win in war?")

When they entered the reception area, there were little nurses and doctors around. The lights had been turned down to a faint glow and the only sound that echoed around was Plutarch, who greeted the Victor and head doctor loudly. They both looked at each other with their brows furrowed. 

"Come, come," Plutarch told them as they began to walk down the corridor. "Everyone is waiting... we just need you two there." 

Juniper clenched her jaw as Aurelius bit his tongue. They both followed the man down the hallway, taking every twist and turn as the Hale woman tried hard to get Plutarch's nonsense rambling out of her ear. She didn't want to hear what the man had to say. And so, the walk to the hospital room was filled with Juniper's grunting, Plutarch's muttering, and Aurelius's silence.

But there was something different in the air. It was thick with tension, especially once they reached the door and Prim was outside, waiting for them. There was a look on her face that Juniper couldn't figure out, but once they all walked inside the observatory room, which seemed to be neater with no notes littered around and the coffee cups missing, every eye turned to them.

Doctors and nurses were missing, gone, and Haymitch and Lucy were standing by the one-way glass, arms folded as they turned to face the four newcomers. Two burly soldiers were beside President Coin, whose eyes were narrowed as they stared at the figure of Peeta Mellark. Orion Hale was in the corner, silent and alone. 

"Miss Hale..." Coin greeted. Juniper could feel rage fill her up at the sight of the woman. "Glad you could join us... Dr. Aurelius." 

"Madame President." Aurelius nodded his head as he and Plutarch stepped forward to the glass with Juniper. 

And whilst the Hale woman expected to see Peeta strapped down to the bed still, laying with his eyes gazing around the room with more weight in his face, bruises and wounds nearly gone, she did not see such a thing. There was more weight in his being, yes, and there seemed to be no sign of bruising or injuries, but he was not strapped down. He was not handcuffed. Peeta Mellark was walking around the room, legs jittery, but still walking. He was not restrained. 

"Why is he not restrained?" Dr. Aurelius pondered as he studied the boy. Juniper could feel her eyebrows rise. She suddenly knew why Prim had a cautious look on her face. 

"I asked them to untie him," Coin said. The burly soldiers gripped their guns tighter. "He's not in a cell. He shouldn't be handcuffed." 

"He could hurt Juniper if she goes in there," Lucy retorted. "Juniper is not going in there." 

"I second with Lucy." Haymitch nodded. "The boy might be... better, in a way, but we still don't know how he will react—" 

"He hasn't said anything hostile to Juniper just yet," Plutarch interrupted. "He's only ever attacked Katniss. She's isn't here. This is Juniper—" 

"She's not going in there, Plutarch!" Lucy scoffed. "Juniper?" 

All eyes turned to the Hale woman, who was still standing off to the side with Prim. And as Juniper stared at Peeta, who was pacing around the white room like a madman, she felt her heart drop. Peeta wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't attack her. He had no reason to. But what if she said something wrong, misspoke, and he took it as a sign of aggression? But if Peeta Mellark tried to attack her, she could easily overpower him. Or she used to be able to. She barely managed to make it through training for the going to the Capitol and even then, she failed. 

"Miss Hale," Dr. Aurelius muttered, bringing her back to reality. "Do you want to go in there or not?" 

Juniper looked around to see everyone still staring at her, even Orion, and she sighed, clenching her jaw as she asked, "What if he does attack me?" 

"He has no reason to," Plutarch assured her. "He won't hurt you. I mean — look at the past sessions. He's never said anything tense or aggressive to you. He's been perfectly fine." 

"Your definition of perfectly fine is a bit out of whack, Plutarch," Lucy told him. 

Before the paunchy man could respond, Coin raised her hand to silence everyone and turned to Juniper, saying, "You are perfectly safe in there. I can assure you... and like I told you, time is of the essence. If we stand here arguing, we waste time. Miss Hale, you will be fine in there." 

Juniper blinked and swallowed the lump in her throat before saying, "Fine. Put me in there. But if he attacks me, it's your fault."

Lucy went to go argue, but Haymitch laid a hand on her shoulder, silencing the woman as Juniper began to cross over to the door. Peeta was still pacing. 

"Miss Hale," Aurelius called out before the Victor could place her hand on the handle. 

"What?" Juniper questioned, but by the slight nod of his head, the clenching of his jaw, she knew what he was saying. 

("I don't know, but what I do know is that you need to be careful for the next session. I don't know what President Coin has planned, but I don't think anyone will like it.")

Taking a deep breath, Juniper closed her eyes momentarily before opening the door, walking into the white room. The icy blue eyes of Peeta Mellark latched onto her being the minute she entered. He stopped pacing. 

"They've untied me." 

"I see that." Juniper rolled her eyes as she closed the door, hearing it lock automatically behind her. She seemed to notice that his hands were balled up in fists. "Don't attack me, please." 

Peeta scoffed as he began to pace, nearly tripping, as he said, "I don't have any reason to attack you." 

"Right," Juniper drawled as she glanced at the one-way glass.

There was a moment of silence. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

The Hale woman tried hard to not freeze as she told the boy, "You know... it would be best if you stopped saying that." 

"Why?" Peeta questioned. "It's one of the only things that's a certainty in my memory." 

"But it's a District Ten prayer," Juniper told him. "Not a District Twelve one."

("We... Miss Hale, time is of the essence for multiple reasons," Coin assured her. "I want you to forget about that prayer Mellark keeps muttering)

"And yet, you allowed me to say it with you." Peeta scoffed. "When the woman from Two—" 

"One." 

"Right. One." Peeta nodded. "When the woman from One died... her name was Cashmere, wasn't it? Or was it Enobaria?" 

(And so, Juniper Hale and Peeta Mellark murmured the prayer repeatedly as they sat together on the small island's ledge, feet dipped into the waves as they watched Cashmere Nicholo's body float from them until it was a good distance away)

"Cashmere Nicholo was from One," Juniper told him. "Enobaria is from Two." 

"Cashmere is dead. Enobaria is alive, yes?" 

"Yes." Juniper gritted her teeth. 

"But you also said it when someone else died..." Peeta murmured as he began pacing more harsher, more roughly. "In your own Games—" 

"I'm really not in the mood so I wouldn't go there if I was you—" 

"Why do you tell me not to say it anymore when you've said it for a person from One?" Peeta asked. "Is it just a pure District Ten thing? Can no outsiders say it? That seems rather selfish considering it's a beautiful prayer." 

"I don't see why you're getting so riled up—" 

"I like the prayer! Why can't I say the prayer?" Peeta snapped. He took a step forward. "I may not be from District Ten, but I can still say it, right? Or are you people just taking that away from me, too?" 

"What?" 

Juniper furrowed her brows as she watched Peeta Mellark begin to seethe. She could barely hear Plutarch in her ear, barely hear her own thoughts as her eyes focused on Peeta. Why was he getting so upset? She had only told him to stop saying the prayer because that's what Coin wanted. And Juniper needed to tread carefully for this session considering she was watching. Why was she watching? 

"Peeta, just... calm down, hey?" Juniper tried to say. "You can say that stupid prayer if you want to."

"Oh, no." Peeta shook his head. "I can't since it's a District Ten thing... and we wouldn't want to restore my memories, would we?" 

"Peeta..." Juniper said slowly. "Just... forget it. You can say that prayer if you want to." 

There was another moment of silence. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

Juniper rolled her eyes as she began to fiddle with the skin around her thumbs, picking at it as Peeta began to clench his jaw. There was still a battle in his head, still a war raging. The darkness was still dragging him down. 

"Katniss is gone, isn't she?" 

The Hale woman had to blink once, twice, and then three times before replying, "Yes. She went to the Capitol." 

"With Finnick." 

"Yes." Juniper nodded. She could hear Aurelius's voice in her head and figured this was a sensitive field of conversation. This was where she had to be careful. 

"And he just left Annie behind?" 

"I wouldn't question Finnick's antics," Juniper was quick to say. "He's a good man. He wouldn't have left her willingly." 

"But he did," Peeta said like it was obvious. "I don't know why you're defending him."

"And I don't know why you're not," Juniper responded darkly. "He saved your life. You wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him." 

"Because he restarted my heart?" Peeta scoffed. "He only did it for her. If your stupid plan wasn't around, he wouldn't have." 

"Then you don't know who Finnick Odair is, then." 

"I have a very good idea who he is," Peeta said. "You only came into the cells four weeks in. You didn't hear Annie crying. You don't know what happened before that when it was just us three. If Finnick really loved her, he wouldn't have let her rot like that—" 

"It wasn't his fault—" 

"Then whose fault is it?" Peeta questioned, brows raising. "Is it the same people who want to take that prayer away from me...? You know what I find funny, Juniper?" 

"What?" 

"You hold the prayer in such high regards, only say it to the people who you truly care about," he started to say. Juniper begged for Plutarch to bring her back into the observatory room. "You said it for your brother. For Cashmere... but you didn't say it when your escort and stylist got their brains blown out... why is that?" 

And suddenly, it was like the world stopped. 

It was like nothing Coin had said to her mattered. It was like Aurelius's warnings were not ringing in her ear anymore. 

It all went quiet. 

("Let them go, Clampitt," Juniper said, narrowing her eyes at the woman. "They have done nothing. They aren't involved with the rebels. Let them go.")

("Yara." Juniper sighed. Tears ran down her face freely. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... you shouldn't be here—")

("Juniper, shut up!" Yara snapped. "Just be quiet... let them do it. Juniper, just let them—")

(But then, as she stared at the two corpses, trying to process what happened, it hit her. Nadine Groves and Yara Give were dead)

("It was who?" Johanna demanded. "Who, Hale? Who was it?")

(She was holding Juniper's hand gingerly, the look on her face twisted with uncertainty as if it was the wrong thing to do)

Juniper swallowed a lump in her throat before slowly turning around, ignoring Peeta's rambling as she heard the door unlock, allowing her to open it and walk out of the white room. 

All eyes were on her and yet, Juniper couldn't seem to look at Lucy Stevens. 

("Until one wins..." Aurelius nodded. "But really, does one ever win in war?")