Chapter 67

Peeta

Why is she pushing me away? I'm trying to help her. She said we needed each other. Now I see that she just said that because she wanted to help me. I know she had no intention of letting me try and protect her, but she needs the protecting.

"Katniss, why are you doing this?" I ask while we were walking down the hall.

"Doing what?" she asks, as if she really doesn't know.

"Pushing me away. I thought I'd be the one person that you let in," I say, maybe a little too loudly.

"I'm not trying to do it!" she says.  I begin feeling guilty for making her feel cornered. I deserve to be pushed out of her life. She deserves someone so much better than me, but if I say so, she'll just get more angry. It won't help the situation now. Katniss takes a deep breath. "That's what I do, okay? You know that."

"But I'm here. I can-"

"I know. I know you're here, but I hate feeling surrounded. I have to go into my own world. I love you, I just have to be alone sometimes. Alright?" she asks. I nod and wrap my arms around her waist and kiss the top of her head. She winces.

"Sorry," I say, pulling away from her. She shrugs and gives me a tiny hint of smile. I know it isn't real, though.

"I've felt worse pain," she says softly. I nod again. I don't want to think of the injuries, in and out, we've both sustained. "Lets go see Annie," Katniss says, changing the subject.

We enter the room Gale said Annie is in. I look at Katniss who gives me a reassuring smile. I open the door to complete chaos. Annie is sobbing violently on a bed covered in thin paper. Johanna holds her hand and is whispering something I can't hear. Gale stands in the corner, back against the wall. Katniss lets go of my hand and walked over to him. I can't help but feel a slight pang of jealously but I know that he's still her best friend. Hunting partner. No more. I know she loves me. There's no reason to be jealous now. It won't do any good.

I stand awkwardly by the door. A doctor walks up to me. "Peeta Mellark? Are you a friend of Annie's?" he asls. It's odd at first. That he knows my name, but I remember that practically everyone here does.

"Yes. I guess so. I was friends with Finnick, but you could call us friends," I say, with a small smile. Thinking of Finnick is hard. He was such a great person. I remember in the Quarter Quell when Finnick and Katniss scared me when I woke up. I would have to say he was the best ally I've had, besides Katniss, but we were forced to be allies. He definitely beats Cato and the career pack. I wouldn't count them as 'allies' though.

"We still don't know where Annie was. She hasn't spoken since Gale Hawthorne found her in District 13. She was wandering the woods."

"And her son? Finn?" I ask.

"He was with her but he's very close to not making it," the doctor says with a frown, that if I didn't know he's a Capitol person, I would believe he actually feels sympathy for Annie. But if Finn died, Finnick would be gone completely. No trace of him. No relatives left. Besides parents maybe but I doubt that they are alive. And I know Annie would go completely insane, to the point of killing herself. I know that's what would happen to me if I lost Katniss. I know Annie didn't think about it because she had Finn after Finnick died. But now if he dies she won't have anyone left.

"Is there any way he'll live?" I ask. The doctor shrugs, giving me a sign that says 'possibly' and walks away.

I walk over to Katniss and Gale. He gives me a quick glance and pretends to be interested in something else. Katniss turns to me, studying my face to see if I show any anger or resentment. I don't. I don't care about Gale anymore. "Did Gale tell you? About Finn?" I asl in a hushed voice. Her lips part and she shakes her head slowly. "He's going to die. There's a big chance, anyway."

A tear rolls down Katniss's cheek. I wipe it away with my thumb and wrap my arms around her. "They have to save him," she said.

"I don't think they can," I mumble. Katniss clenches her teeth and closes her eyes. She buries her face in my chest and I hold her in my arms, both of us with hot tears on our cheeks.