After going through the Hunger Games, no victor ever comes back as the person that they once were before entering the arena—and that is only doubly true for the victors that are propositioned to sell themselves to the highest bidding Capitol citizens or those that have angered President Snow and the Gamemakers during their performance in the arena (or by turning down the offer to sell themselves).

Haymitch, for example, was ruined after President Snow murdered his girlfriend, mother, and younger brother after he had somehow made a rebellion of surviving in the means that he knew how. For years, the nightmares and trauma were his to deal with alone since none of his tributes ever survived, and he medicated himself with alcohol—not ideal, by any means, but it was all probably for the best since he could barely care for himself, let alone some traumatized teenager.

It takes the country by surprise when a scrawny kid from the Seam, from District Twelve, manages to survive and fight their way through the 69th Annual Hunger Games. Haymitch? Well, he was utterly dumbfounded that this certain death had won by some miracle.

Everyone congratulated Haymitch as if he had done anything more than stay plastered throughout the entire event, and he certainly didn't feel good about it. He knew, firsthand, what winning meant—food for the district, a supposedly cushy life for the victor, and years of trauma and nightmares that were impossible to overcome. Worse yet, there was only one house in Victors' Village in District Twelve since he had been the only winner in forever, so this poor, traumatized kid would have to take the spare bedroom in his filthy home until another home could be built.

Somewhere along the line, though, Haymitch got attached—maybe it was the night terrors, maybe it was that he wasn't alone. But here he is, again, sitting on the edge of their bed, soothing another night terror.

"Kid," says Haymitch in a whisper, a comforting hand on their arm. "You're not there anymore. What was it this time?"