The darkness had settled in several
hours ago, which at this time of year meant it was just cool enough
outside that Dani felt snug in her light jacket. She had managed to
pull it on before quickly following her father outside to where a
very drunk Haymitch was squatting among a gaggle of geese.
"Haymitch," her father called
to get the man's attention. "What are you doing out here? It's
almost eleven o'clock at night."
Haymitch looked up at the moon that was
gaining height in the sky before replying sarcastically, "Is it
really?" He turned his attention back to the goose he'd been
inspecting. Dani really had no idea what he was doing. Haymitch
didn't usually bother the geese when he was drunk, and he never
bothered to actually touch them drunk or sober. "How did you
even know I was out here? Been spying on me?" Haymitch sent
her father a glare, and Dani wasn't sure whether it was meant to be a
joke or not.
She could just barely make out her
father's eye roll in the dark. "We were watching a movie in the
living room. Katniss spotted you through the window."
Haymitch muttered the word "movie"
in distaste. "With the kids?" He motioned at Dani who had
kept herself a few paces behind her dad. "As you pointed out,
it's pretty late. Isn't it past their bedtime?"
Dani was surprised Haymitch thought she
needed to be in bed. He usually didn't pay much attention to those
sort of things.
"Nickel fell asleep on the couch,
and Dani was about to fall asleep when Katniss spotted you."
Peeta informed him. "Besides, it's the summer. Staying up late
won't hurt them."
Haymitch grunted and turned back to the
goose. "Haymitch," her dad caught the drunks' attention
again. "What are you doing?"
It took Haymitch a second to respond.
"I think this goose is sick. I'm giving him a check up."
This caused both Peeta and Dani to look
slightly amused. "Since when do you know how to care for geese
other than tossing them the occassional meal?" Peeta asked his
old mentor.
"It doesn't take a doctor to tell
when something's sick," Haymitch growled.
"Of course not," Peeta
replied in a slightly mocking voice. "But it does take a
certain type of person, namely a vet, to decide just what exactly is
wrong with the animal."
"I'm more than capable of taking
care of it," Haymitch snapped. "I've only raised this
thing since it hatched. I've had plenty of sick geese over the
years."
"And most of them were dead within
several days," Peeta muttered under his breath. Dani tried to
suppress a giggle. Haymitch let his geese breed freely, yet his
flock had remained more-or-less the same size since he'd bought the
first batch, all because so many ended up dying prematurely. It was
definitely a case of survival of the fittest. Whichever goose was
able to get the most of their meager nurishment got to survive the
longest.
Haymitch didn't seem to know what to do
with the goose now that it had been inspected. Regardless of his
assertions otherwise, Haymitch had no idea how to heal the animal.
"Right," Haymitch stood,
goose in hand. "I'll go take care of him in the house. See you
later." With that, Haymitch marched back inside with the goose,
sqwuaking loudly, under one arm.
Dani turned to her father and saw him
attempting to suppress a grin. He looked down at her, and they
shared a small laugh before heading back into their own home. Dani
was already planning to run over to Haymitch's house the next morning
to see just what his "diagnosis" of the goose had been.
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