CHAPTER 48
A GIFT

IT felt like Bex was gliding on air. She swore her feet hardly touched the ground at the speed she was running. As soon as President Coin had deemed it safe, the doors to the bunker had opened, and Bex was the first one out. She couldn't wait for Finnick; she didn't have time to, not when her brother finally resided in these walls again.

The Capitol had given him back, but why? Was he no longer useful for whatever plan they were hatching?

Bex decided she couldn't worry about that right now. She was just thankful to have him here, safe and secure in the underground of Thirteen.

She was up the staircase in no time, sprinting down the long, white hallway that led to the back entrance of the hospital. Her breathing was ragged. Her heart was practically jumping out of her chest. Bex wasn't sure if she was shaking from anxiety or excitement, but as she got closer, she decided it was a little bit of both.

She shoved her way through the entrance, full speed ahead. The hospital was nearly empty, due to most of them still leaving the bunker, but a few had stayed back for emergencies. Bex had never been more thankful for those people who had risked their lives. She stopped short in front of the first room on her right, where three nurses and a doctor were huddled together, strapping someone to a cot. When the body stopped lashing around, Bex felt water gather in her eyes.

Keaton's face was bruised and battered. She could only see his profile, but even that was damaged beyond compare. He looked like he'd been starved. His cheeks had hollowed out and his arms were skinnier than ever. Even his hair had been grown out, long and stringy strands hung around his face. His skin had lost its warm, copper tone. Now, it was almost as pale as the white bedsheets.

One nurse injected him with anesthesia while another stuck him with an IV. Bex recognized her face. It was Maryam, her nurse when she had first awoken in Thirteen. The female doctor with them place two fingers on Keaton's wrist and monitored his pulse.

Bex did a sharp intake. She wasn't sure the last time she breathed, but it felt like a while. Her teeth began to gnaw on her bottom lip.

"I got him out and to the hospital."

Bex, surprisingly, wasn't startled at the surprise presence next to her. Gale Hawthorne tended to be very quiet. He could creep up on any situation and you'd hardly know he was there, despite his hulking stature. He didn't look at Bex when she turned to him, lifting her head up. His long, black hair was pulled back, so she could see the anguish and fear in his expression. This was new; Gale usually hid his face in his hair, only showing it when Katniss was around.

She didn't say anything. Bex didn't quite know what she could say. A simple, Thank you, didn't seem good enough. She blinked in his direction, eyes panicked.

Gale continued to watch the physicians surround Keaton. "Katniss ventured out of the bunker to film a propo. Coin wanted to let everyone know that Thirteen suffered no casualties. But then he was right there, shackled in a bed of white roses and rocks. He was barely alive when I brought him here, but ..." He exhaled. "I think he's going to be okay."

"Thank you," she breathed, though it still felt inadequate, "for saving him."

Gale glanced over for a moment and shrugged. That was the last time they spoke for the hour he stood with her, just monitoring the hospital room. He had to leave at one point to report to Coin, but he managed to give her shoulder a firm shake before departing. More medics slowly entered the hospital wing, getting back to their duties, but Bex hardly noticed a thing. She stood in that same spot for hours on end, watching an influx of physicians sew up her brother's lacerations and treat his swollen bruises.

Eventually, Finnick left the bunker and got word of her whereabouts. He found her in front of that same window around noon. His arms wound tightly around her as soon as he got close, and Bex was surprised at the breath of relief she released at his touch. Her heart seemed a lot less heavy whenever he was near. He stayed by her side for a few more hours, holding her against him, allowing her to cry into his shirt every so often. They watched the heart monitor fluctuate, but it never skewed enough to worry them.

Finally, a doctor walked up to Bex with her hands laced behind her back. Bex immediately turned, taking in the familiar face that had been inspecting Keaton. The woman's salt and pepper hair was tucked back into a secure bun, and the lines under her eyes suggested how many hours of sleep she was probably missing by taking care of Bex's brother. But her smile wasn't fake. Despite the lack of sleep, she seemed happy to do whatever she could. Bex couldn't be more appreciative of that.

"Miss Nassar?" She asked, thrusting out her hand. "My name is Doctor Kuboto. I've been monitoring your brother's health."

Bex unlatched herself from Finnick and shook the woman's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Considering the condition Keaton was found in, my news is good," she continued, gesturing to where Keaton laid peacefully in a cot. "He's stable, thankfully, but he lost a lot of blood. I can't be sure of the torture he suffered in the Capitol until he wakes, but he's fine. I believe he should recover." Her smile went tight. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. Please, find me if you need anything."

"Thank you," Bex breathed as the older woman turned away. She then spun to face Finnick, grabbing his hand and giving it a nice squeeze. "You should go to the kitchens. You're incredibly late for your shift."

He shook his head. "I'm not leaving you. You're still upset."

"I'm fine knowing that my brother will be okay," she paused, and then added, "hopefully."

Finnick's expression didn't change.

"Seriously, Finnick, go." She urged. "If I need you, I'll find you."

"No, you won't," he sighed. "You'll try to handle it on your own."

"And what's the problem with that?" Her brow shot up and she placed her hands on his shoulder. "Please, go to work. I swear, I'll be fine. I just need to watch him. I want to be here when he wakes."

Finnick placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her cheek before leaving. Bex immediately turned back to the window and bit down on the edge of her nail, not catching Finnick watching her from over his shoulder. He was worried, and there was nothing to do about that, but he knew she was stubborn and wanted to face this alone. He just needed the Nassar siblings to be okay. That was the only way Finnick would be able to recover from this war.

Bex wasn't sure how, but over the next hour, she managed to fall in and out of sleep while standing upright. It only lasted for five-minute intervals before her anxiety would wake her up, and then she'd feel terrible for resting her eyes in the first place. But after the sixth time of opening her eyes and promising herself she was never going to do it again, Bex was graced with an incredible surprise. One that had her hands pressing against the glass in awe.

Keaton was awake. He was breathing. He was okay.

Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. Bex stepped towards the door, lingering in the frame, but her feet weren't moving quickly enough. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing. She swallowed hard to quench her dry throat, but nothing was enough. Her eyes were wide with a mixture of horror and amazement. She didn't know what to do, think, or even say.

Her mouth wobbled until she finally whispered, "Keaton?"

Keaton's eyes were darting around the room – inspecting every crevice, every piece – before they landed on her. His voice was just loud enough for her to hear as he said, "Bex?" He looked down, finally noticing the straps anchoring his wrists to the bed. "Where am I?" He demanded, almost breathless.

And here comes the most grueling conversation, Bex thought to herself while walking towards his cot. She sat just on the edge and after a moment of hesitation, placed a gentle hand on his arm. "You're in District Thirteen. You're safe now."

Keaton looked at her as if she were crazy. "District Thirteen doesn't exist anymore."

"Believe me, I get how hard it is to wrap your head around."

His stare flitted to the ceiling and then the walls. He found his reflection in the small mirror right in front of his bed. Keaton tried not to gasp at his appearance. It had been so long since he'd seen himself, and now that he finally could ... he never wanted to look again.

Bex's grip went tight on his arm. "You're underground. The citizens of Thirteen have survived down here for years."

He shook his head. "The Capitol will find all of you –"

"No, they won't. Calm down, Keaton." Her tone was steady, attempting to relax and persuade him. "I realize how difficult this is, but getting worked up is not going to help."

"Do you have any idea what I went through while you were living peacefully here?" He asked, one eye narrowed. "I have a right to be so terrified."

Bex swallowed hard. Her voice cracked the tiniest bit, "I begged them to rescue you as soon as I found out. I haven't been able to sleep since –"

He looked off, lost in his thoughts. His eyes were focused on the wall, but so distant. Bex could feel his hands begin to shake as he whispered, "I heard that they plucked out this girl's razor-sharp teeth. And they injected a guy with tracker jacker venom to make him go crazy. It was so terrifying, Bex. And I couldn't do anything about it." His wide, grey stare flickered to her. "I remember when I used to get so mad at you for leaving me to go on those Capitol trips. I realize now what you had to sacrifice just to keep me safe. Everyone there ... the air ... it reeks of death and corruption. I thought I was going to die."

Everything in her died once her brother had stopped talking. The fear in his eyes told her so much. They had plucked out Enobaria's teeth; they injected Peeta with tracker jacker venom. She didn't even want to think about what they could've done to him. Her heart sunk in her chest.

"You're here now, though," she muttered, trying to keep her voice even, despite the sob clawing its way up her throat. "With me. I'm going to make sure no one gets you. You're my big brother and you've taken care of me so much. Let me take care of you."

"No, you're still not getting it." His jaw clenched. "I'm alive, but I've seen too much death."

Bex's mouth felt dry. She arched a brow at his response. "What do you mean? Whose death have you seen?"

Keaton's lips pursed as he worked up the courage to speak. But instead of words, he could only cry. He closed his eyes and let the tears finally flow, rubbing them away as soon as they trickled down his bruised cheek.

"Keat," she said his childhood nickname so softly, brushing her thumb across his wrist, "seriously, what have you –"

"I saw our parents, Bex."

She was immediately on her feet, retreating backward. Her eyes went full with horror. She wanted to say, You're lying, but she knew Keaton didn't have it in him to exaggerate right now.

After a beat of silence, he continued, "They've been held prisoner in the Capitol for eight years as leverage against us. They were under Peacekeeper watch all the time, and they were to be killed the second you betrayed the President's trust."

Bex's mouth began to wobble as she realized she had done just that. Her parents had been alive this whole time and she couldn't even say goodbye. They had been ripped from her yet again, but now permanently.

For a fleeting second, Bex wondered what they looked like, if her mom still had the same crooked smile or if her dad's hands still shook out of habit. For the past eight years, they must've endured so much pain and torture. They couldn't have looked anything like how they used to.

"D – Did you –" Her words were scrambled. She could hardly speak. "Did you see –"

"When they captured me," Keaton breathed, rubbing at his eyes again, "the first thing they did was ... make me watch a Peacekeeper shoot them in the head."

Bex wanted to walk out. She needed to, just for her own sanity. She wanted to walk away and go to her room. She wanted to sink against the door, cry her eyes out, and think about the people she thought were dead for eight years. She could reminiscence and think about the good memories. She needed some time alone to make herself at peace.

But she didn't do any of that.

She couldn't. Not when her brother has just lived through such atrocities she couldn't even begin to think about. Not when she'd just gotten him back.

Bex brought Keaton into her arms and said nothing. Together, they cried on each other's shoulders until every tear had dried.

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A/N: so keaton is back and alive, can I get a WHOOT WHOOT!!!! basically the capitol gave him back to toy with the rebels, just how they'd done when they bombed their base. they never targeted the fleet, so they played with what they had, and then also gave keaton back as ⚠️ warning ⚠️ for what was to come. what may that be 🤔 you shall soon find out!!