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There was entirely too much crying going on for what Doc had the patience for. The Tribute was crying in his room, which wasn't unusual. Oli was crying too, alone in the bar car, he had held on long enough to get to the train, which was longer than Doc had expected he would last. Jev had warned him that he had recruited the kid and that he would know the year’s Tribute so it might be a bit of a bumpy road, but this was definitely outside the ordinary even for them. To have an execution happen almost on live TV was something he had never seen in the thirty years he had mentored the Games alas the man sighed, rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
“Hey, kid. You okay?“
Oli managed to look up between silent panicked sobs. Doc towered over him, as well as almost everybody around them.
“No? I just saw a man die in front of me. A man I knew, what do you want from me?“
The Capitol boy answered in a whiny voice.
“To keep it professional, that too much for you?“
What if his comforting techniques were a bit rough, he had no longer any patience for whiners and criers.
“Right now, very much so. I am sorry you are too much machine to have feelings anymore but I happen to be still human, and humans cry sometimes.“
What had just been annoyance immediately evolved into rage in Doc’s chest, what would this kid even know about feelings, about pain. He knew pain, he had lived all the pain one could imagine and now this Capitol boy, fresh with revolution and compassion dared mock him.
“Get up.“
Doc’s anger wasn’t explosive, it was quiet and deep. Rumbling through his chest like an earthquake, he sounded dangerous, scary. Oli looked up at his wide eyed, without moving a muscle.
“Now.“
He didn’t wait for an answer or movement from the younger man, Doc grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. Immediately he started dragging him towards the back of the train, ignoring any protests from Oli, he only stopped when they were stood in the loud connection between the last and second to last carriage. The young Capitol Escort was shaking with fear as well as sobs at this point.
“Listen here. I do not care what your feelings are right now. I do not care what you think is right. Whatever sort of heroics you though would be in store for you. Whatever that blue freak promised you. But this is your life now, people die and you will deal with it and just do your job. I do not want to hear your whining, you have no right to whine when you aren’t the one dying in the Arena, or losing your family because you survived. Get it together.“
“Yes, sir.“
Trembling like a leaf, wide eyed with tears streaming down his face, Oli looked even smaller and younger, almost still a kid himself. About the age Doc son’s would have been if he had got to grow up. They looked nothing alike, still the District 3 Victor could not help but seeing his own scared little boy for a moment and a moment was all he needed for something to crack. He put his hand on Oli’s shoulder gently and when he spoke his voice was gentle and calm.
“Alright. You’re okay, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just- showing you care, showing that you’re scared… It’s very dangerous. Especially now, that you’re with the People, you are Capitol so perhaps you are watched closer than most District people and the Capitol will not hesitate to punish you if they realise you are a threat, or even just an annoyance, to their regime. They will punish you for being a Rebel. Got it?“
In his stupor but at least no longer crying, Oli could barely muster an answer.
“I am not supposed to talk about the Rebellion with anyone, how did you… know?“
“Heh- you may not be allowed to speak of it, but I have been a Rebel since before that leader of yours was born. I get to do what I want…“
He paused, chuckling at how long it had been since the first time he had hope for a different world, and how long since he had lost faith in the rebellion, maybe it was time to start believing again. Doc was hurt, beaten and tortured, they had taken his body and his family and he was mad, in all senses of the world, but he had been a good father, so maybe it was time to open his heart again and share that love which had kept him fighting so many years.
“Actually, don’t tell him I said that.“