stay_alive (stay_alive) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2012-05-06 12:26:00 |
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Current mood: | indescribable |
Entry tags: | !complete, haymitch abernathy |
Run for the roses
Who: Haymitch and presumably team GirlonFire
Where: Churchill Downs!
When: Yesterday
What: Kentucky Derby
Honestly, Haymitch was barely functioning by the time the other races had been run and they were down to the day's main event, the whole reason they'd gathered everybody here. He waited for the last possible moment to go grab his seat, staying right with GirlonFire and her jockey until they'd been loaded in their chute, then, with a little pat for both of them, had rushed back to the stands to join Effie and try not to destroy the program somebody had handed him so he'd have something for his hands to do.
Two and a half minutes. Two and a half minutes and one way or other this was going to be over for a couple weeks. The first thing Haymitch decided he was going to do was sleep. Unless he had to drown himself in the trough first.
There was just so much riding on this now. He didn't think he'd be able to stand it if they lost, but knew that in an instant things could change and they wouldn't win. He tensed, his fingers clenching the program, and jumped up on his feet the minute they were off.
It was heart wrenching, heart pounding, and he thought that he was going to die here any second as they ran past, with Girl in the lead, and then I'll Have Another and so on and so forth, down into the final stretch, where things started to really fade down to the two horses vying for it, running their hearts out, looking like it would end up a photo finish, until, until...
GirlOnFire pulled ahead by half a length and then another...A full LENGTH ahead of her competition the only filly, and the biggest horse in the race plowed ahead, a powerhouse, and even though she looked winded, she crossed that finish line, her head held high.
They'd done it. They had DONE it. Haymitch was vaguely aware of grabbing Effie's hand and it wasn't clear exactly who dragged who down to the winner's circle but there they were, and he was alternating sobbing, jumping up and down like a maniac and nowhere near being calm enough to really handle this. He did manage, though all of this, when a camera finally flashed off in his face to offer up one bit of thanks for someone watching at home.
"Peeta Mellark kept me sober long enough to be here." he said seriously, and then went back into the madness, laughing, sobbing, flinging his arms around the sweating horse who looked confused and a little dazed now, but still happy to take all the attention.
So this was what victory was like again.