"Pass the jam Sweetheart?" Haymitch said gesturing towards the jar with his butter knife.

I grabbed the jar and passed it to his open hand. I looked across the table at Effie who had seemingly not touched her food at all.

"Why are you not eating?"

"It is not polite to eat when not everyone is here." She said a bit too tartly.

I placed my fork down hesitantly out of respect to her etiquette rules when Peeta finally walked to the table.

I picked up my fork once more and cut into the yellow yoke of my eggs. I glanced over at Peeta who had poured himself a glass of water and was taking small tentative sips. He hadn't even bothered touching his favorite food: cinnamon rolls, and his face seemed so much paler than usual. In fact, his eyes almost seemed bloodshot.

I swallowed my bit of egg. "You look horrible."

"Katniss!" Effie huffed indignantly. "You can't say that to someone."

"S'okay. I feel horrible." He croaked.

Haymitch looked at him fixedly before setting down his fork and placing his hand against Peeta's forehead.

He looked over at Effie. "Fever." He said returning to his breakfast. I smirked at his odd mannerism. "Never spotted you for the motherly type Haymitch." He gave me a slow attempted eye roll and grabbed for his glass of orange juice.

"Peeta, go back to bed. You can go to training later if you feel up to it." Effie said.

He shook his head. "No I need the training. The games are in two weeks."

"We've already made it through them once." I said sarcastically, which did not earn a smile from Effie.

Peeta looked up at Effie. "Im fine for training. Just a bad upset stomach."

She looked at him, unsure as how to handle this.

Haymitch slid a piece of bacon onto Peeta's plate. "Eat that and you can go to training."

Peeta looked down at the piece of meat and seemed to grow even paler. However, he grasped it in his hand and crunched on it, smiling slyly at Haymitch.

Effie looked questionably at Haymitch who just held up his hand, signaling her to wait.

Peeta polished off the piece of bacon and leaned back into his chair, wrapping his arms around his stomach. I sliced into my egg again just as Peeta ran from the room. The table went quiet and loud retching could be heard throughout the penthouse.

Haymitch smiled smugly, "And that would be the bacon."

I tossed my napkin on the table and ran to find Peeta leaning over the toilet in the hallway bathroom. I kneeled beside him and tentatively placed my hand at the small of his back. He lurched forward even more,

completely hiding his face and ears in the basin. I ran my fingers across his shoulders and let them fall when he sat up onto the back of his thighs.

I eyed him cautiously "Better?"

He shook his head slowly and pressed his hands into his stomach.

His cheeks turned a sharp shade of green and his face was once more hidden by white porcelain.