Chapter 19

Katniss

"Hey Catnip," I hear a voice behind me. I know that voice. It belongs to my best friend. The one I believed to be dead. Until now. I turn around. Gale.

My jaw drops. "Your dead. . ." I whisper. Gale smiles vaguley but it doesn't last long.

"Come with me," he says.

I hesitate, but take a step forward anyway. Gale sighs quietly and leads me down a hallway. I make sure to be a few steps behind him.

I guess I'm not furious about the possibility of my sister being killed by his bomb. He just made it. He didn't mean to kill her. But he still made the bombs to kill. He also tried hurting Peeta. For that, I can not forgive him.

We come to a big wooden door. Gale takes out a shining, silver key and turns it in the lock. It unlatches and opens.

Inside there are three computers lined up on the wall, and a livingroom area in the middle. "Sit," Gale orders, motioning to the red leather couch in the center of the room. 

He walks to the computers and clicks a few times. I am surprised how well he knows how to work it. Computers in the districts are a huge luxury. But I'm sure he's worked with them for his job in District 2.

The screen turns to a dark green color and a loading icon flahses in big, bold letters.

What looks like a black and white video shows up on the screen. Gale presses a button and the computer shuts off before I can see what it was.

He sits across from me. "You've talked to your mother?" he asks. A hot tear begins to form in my eye. I let it fall. I'm too weak to keep it in right now. 

"She's dead. But, yes, I did," I whisper so quietly I would be surprised if he even heard me.

"She's not dead," Gale says. I look up, thinking that he is playing a horrible, sick joke on me. His grey eyes are serious.

"She's dead," I repeat. "I heard the gunshots outside of her shop."

He shakes his head. "She got shot in the shoulder. But she escaped. She's here, in the hovercraft's hospital wing," he says. My jaw drops slightly and relief floods over me. Maybe they have Peeta here too.

"And. . .Peeta?" I ask quietly. Gale's jaw clenches at his name.

"What about him?" he asks, bitterly. He isn't here.

"You didn't find him?" I ask, deflated.

"No. I didn't even know he was missing," he says. My eyes begin to sting, signaling tears. I blink away the blurriness in my eyes. We sit awkwardly across from eachother for a little while, with only the hum of the hovercraft breaking the silence.

"Why are you here?" I finally ask. "I thought you got killed, back in twelve."

"The bombs went off in the main part if town first. I had time to escape. I got onto a train and went back to thirteen to see if anyone was there. That's how I found this hovercraft." he explains. A name goes through my mind.

"Is Haymitch alive?" I ask, anxiously.

"Yes. We were together when the explosions started. He's here." he says. Happiness explodes in my heart. Haymitch may be drunk all the time, but I know he cares about me. He helped me through the games and the war. 

"So what is this? Another rebel group?" I ask.

"Kind of," he says. "I'll answer more questions later. You can stay in one of our guest rooms."

I look at him. He really did look sorry for what he did back in 12. I know he is. 

***

I'm in my new room. It's really small and simple. A twin bed sits in the corner, a white blanket covering it. I change into a plain grey t-shirt and tight stretchy pants. I re-braid my hair and brave myself to take a quick glance at the tiny mirror.

My skin is pale and I have circles under my grey eyes. I sigh and lace up my black boots.

I decide to find Haymitch and my mother. I walk down a hallway, my boots making soft clicking noises on the floor.

There is a sign on the wall that reads "Hospital Wing.". I guess I am going to see my mother first.

I find it right away. There is a wooden door, and glass windows around it. I look through one and saw my mom.

She is lying on one of the hospital beds. Her shoulder is covered in white bandages. Her skin is pale and she looked old and frail.

I open the door quietly. My mother glances to me, but looks away as if she didn't recognize me, but then looks back. Her face softens, and a small smile creeps up on her face. "They told me you were here," she whispers. Her voice is scratchy.

I sit in a wooden chair beside her. I take her hand, but it feels awkward and abnormal.

"I'm glad you're alright," she whispers.

"Peeta's gone," I say. I didn't even mean to say that, I just did. "I think Fiona took him."

My mom puts her small hand on my cheek and sighs. An unwanted tear slips from my eye. I don't brush it away.

"Hey sweetheart."

I stand and spin around. Haymitch stands in the doorway, a smirk on his face. "Haymitch. . ." I whimper. 

I stand and walk slowly over to him. My arms immediately wrap around him, and his do the same. I sob quietly, oblivious to anyone else around us. 

"Fiona took Peeta!" I cry. 

"Shhh. I know she did," he whispers. I sob in his arms for a little while longer, and we pull apart. "Why don't you go lie down?" 

I nod and leave the hospital. When I get to my room, I sit on the small bed. I've stopped crying. Now I just stare straight ahead at the dull, brown wall.

There's a knock on my door. I don't answer it. "Katniss!" a woman's voice chirps. I'd know that voice anywhere. It belongs to Effie Trinket.

She opens the door. What I see surprises me. She has minimal makeup and is absent of her usual bright colored wig. Her hair is straight and blonde. She really is beautiful. I'm not sure why she always hid it underneath that fake Capitol attire. 

"Effie..." I sighed.

"It's not very good manners to refuse to open a door for someone," she says, shaking her head. Her appearance changed, but her personality sure hasn't. She brushes off something from her jacket sleeves. "There is dinner in the main hall." 

I look up at her. Her eyes look tired and sympathetic. I don't need sympathy. I don't want it. I look back down at the floor. She sighs and leaves.

***

My stomach starts to grumble when I wake up from my dreamless slumber. I haven't eaten in so long. Without Peeta, I don't want to eat. I don't want to do anything. But I know I need to. I need to be strong and brave. It's what Peeta would want for me. 

I get up and change into something similar to what I wore the previous day.

I walk out of my room and turn down the hallway. I don't really know where anything is.

Without warning, I see Haymitch running down the hallway, towards me. "Haymitch?" 

"It's Peeta," he says. My heart beat begins to go faster and faster. "He's here."

It feels as though my heart has stopped. Haymitch's facial expression is not  in the least bit reassuring. "Come on, sweetheart," he says. I can tell he was trying to add humor to the situation.

Haymitch grabs my arm and pulls me down the hall. I can barely walk. Is he hurt? Hijacked again? Possibly even dead? Maybe Haymitch is just bringing me to see his lifeless body? I begin shaking. 

"Haymitch?" I croak. My voice is shaky and unsure. I feel my chin trembling.

We get to the hospital wing. I look through the window. A large amount of doctors surround a bed in the corner. I assume it's Peeta's. I whisper his name and press my hand to the glass. "Haymitch, what happened?" I ask, hot tears stinging my eyes, threatening to spill over.

He looks through the window, and sits me down in one of the chairs. 

"They found him this morning, in an empty field. He was dying, almost dead. Fiona or one of her soldiers must have dropped him off there after they were finished with him," he says. 

"Is he ok?" I ask. Haymitch takes a deep breath.

"No, not really. We're just lucky they found him in time," he says. My heart sinks, my vision grows cloudy, and my hands are shaking violently. "Just calm down. . ." Haymitch says.

I stand, and run down the hall. I have no idea where I'm going, just somewhere. I have to get out. I almost fall to the ground several times. My legs feel weak. I feel weak. 

I keep going though. I don't stop. Haymitch doesn't follow me.

_____

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