Katniss wakes up in District 13’s hospital. She recalls that she was shot, not by the wounded man, but by someone else in the crowd. The armor under her Mockingjay uniform deflected the shot, but the bullet bruised her ribs and ruptured her spleen. Katniss is sharing a room with Johanna Mason, a fellow Quarter Quell tribute from District 7 who was rescued from the Capitol along with Peeta. Johanna and Katniss have had an adversarial relationship in the past, but they begin a tentative friendship in the hospital.

Gale visits Katniss. The two argue about the morality of blowing up the Nut, with Gale again framing it as a justified act of revenge. By Gale’s metrics, his plan worked—the rebels have taken District 2.

As part of her recovery, Katniss goes on frequent walks. One day she’s joined by Plutarch, who tells her that the Capitol, now cut off from its main supplier, can’t survive on its own. He tells her about the ancient Roman idea of Panem et Circenses, or bread and circuses, which refers to how a government can control its citizens by keeping them distracted. The Capitol uses elaborate entertainment ceremonies like The Hunger Games to keep its citizens complacent.