Chapter 21

Katniss

After my nightmare, I don't go out of my room much. According to Gale, we are landing soon anyway.

Sure enough, I feel the hovercraft begin to lower towards the ground. I don't have a window in my room so I have no idea how far up we are.

After about five minutes of turning and continuing to lower farther down to the ground, the hovercraft shakes, as if giving off the alert that we've landed.

There is a knock on my door, but I don't answer it. I really don't care if I get lectured. I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone right now.

"Katniss! We've landed," It's Gale. I still don't answer him. If he knows me well enough, he'll know that I'll come out when I want to. I guess he gets it because I hear his footsteps grow fainter and fainter until they are nothing more and I'm left in silence.

I changed into a sky blue t-shirt, and black pants. The shirt reminds me of Peeta's eyes.

I lace up my boots and walk out of the room. I hear people's voices, the excitement from landing but I don't bother to listen or even look at anyone. I'm here, but my mind isn't.

I have no idea where the exit is so I just follow the crowd. They lead me to a large, opened metal door. District 13 is just the same as I left it.

Except for the fact that there is a tall building, and another hovercraft sitting in front of it. I wonder how Fiona didn't even remember to make sure that nothing is here. Maybe she did, but didn't do anything about it. Somehow, I highly doubt that.

My eyes scan the crowd for a familiar face. Gale, Haymitch, my mother, or even Effie. I don't see any of them. 

Maybe my mom has to stay in the hovercraft because that's where the hospital is. But that would mean Peeta would have to stay too.

Apparently that isn't the case because a few people begin pushing patients on stretchers and wheelchairs outside.

I suspect  my mother to be on one, but she isn't. I guess she is well enough to walk because seconds later, she walks right up to me. The color in her face isn't back yet and the circles under her eyes are still there. I guess that's what losing a child does to you. My statement about never wanting to have kids still stands.

"Hello, dear," my mother says, resting her good hand on my shoulder. I smile a little, but it isn't real. I am too preoccupied right now for it to be real.

My eyes are fixed on the entrance to the hovercraft. I wait to see if someone is bringing Peeta outside.

My mother glances at me and follows my eyes. I think she realizes what I was looking at, or looking for because she sighs overdramatically. "Did you see him?" I ask. I had almost completely forgotten that my mother may have been one of his nurses. Or at least may have been in the same room as him.

"Katniss," she says quietly.

"Did you see him?" I repeat my words sternly. She nods, sadly. Why won't anyone tell me what's wrong with him?

"And?" I ask, my chin beginning to tremble.

"He's very. . ." she trails off, thinking of the right word. I raise my eyebrows. "Violent."

There was a little bit of relief in my heart. At least he wasn't very dead.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Remember, when they brought him back from the Capitol? The first time," she asks.

I remembered that so clearly. I walked into his hospital room, here in thirteen. I thought his arms were outstretched to hug me or touch my face, but instead he tried to choke me.

I nod to my mother. "He's been hijacked again?" I ask, my voice cracking halfway through my sentence. 

"Yes, except he's in horrible shape. And he thinks everyone is a threat. Not just you."

I only catch a few of her words. Horrible, threat, you. Just what I am. A horrible threat. It makes sense now. Why the guard was standing outside of Peeta's door, why I couldn't go in.

"What are they doing about it?" I ask.

"Whatever they can. Therapy. A lot of it too. He has to be tied down, Katniss," my mother says. Tied down? It's just like before. 

"Can I see him?" I ask.

"No way," she says. "This boy is dangerous now. Not until he can handle being around people that he knows he can trust."

"But he knows he can trust me.," I beg, but she shakes her head.

"No. Not after this hijacking. He sees you as a threat again. It'll be a while until he can trust other people, and even then, he'll still be danger to you," my mother says.

"Please, just let me see him. I can help him. I've done it before," I plead.

"What do you mean, you've done it before?" my mother asks. I know she would be angry if I told her about me being there when he's had his flashbacks.

"He's had a few flashbacks recently. But I helped him through it." I say. My mother closes her eyes and sighs. "I can help him. And you said he's being held down by restraints. He can't hurt me."

"Fine. But you'll have I convince his doctors first," she says. I nod and turn back to face the hovercraft.

I know I can help Peeta. If I really try, I can. I just need to find him first.

I don't think that chapter was my best, but I hope you liked it! Make sure you vote! :)