One Last Tear
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.
(A/N: Ok, so Katniss' kids are a bit violent, and curse. But They just got it from Katniss, so plz don't be mad! WARNING: This story contains character death. You may cry. Also, just a suggestion, but if you want, listen to the song Krwlng by Linkin Park.)
"Stay with me." I plead. Tears blur my already wanning vision and I grasp his hand in a desperately. He weakly clutches it back, but his hold is slipping quickly.
"Al-always." He chokes out. A flash of hope skitters across my pained expression for one hopeful moment, and the joy strenghtens when he squeezes my hand reassuringly.
All of it is short lived.
It plays in slow motion. His hand falls limply out of mine, his eyes closing in a grimace. Red screens around me flash in panic, their dull shriek clutching my heart and wrenching the hope out of it like a wet cloth. Yet I can barely hear them over the pounding of my own heart.
Yet one stands out.
A dull, long beep. Its flat tune signalling the end of a life.
Peeta's life.
The flashing stops, and the world goes mute.
A whimperish cry escapes my throat without permission, along with a single crystaline tear.
The tear lands on his sheet white cheek, the strong jawbone of the man I loved.
"Please wake up."
I shake him.
"Wake up Peeta, please!"
I try again.
"Wake up!" I shake my head and pull my knees to my chest. I bury my head and sob. The only things flashing through my crushed mind is our memories.
The day we won the Games, our 'games' of 'Real or Not Real', killing Coin and my plead to him to let me go.
Returning to Twelve.
Then something goes through my mind and I feel myself laying my head on his still chest as I run it through.
My name is Katniss Mellark. I live in District Twelve. I have two children named Skylar and Devon. My husband is Peeta Mellark. We survived the Hunger Games twice. My husband is dead.
A doctor comes in and tells me to step away from his body.
The way he says it is cruel, like Snow.
My mouth begins to yell things at him as I find myself standing and facing him with a hard glare blurred with more tears.
"This is your fault!"
"You could have saved him!"
"You say you try your best to help people, when you only heighten their pain!" I collapse into a heap on the floor. My scarred hands find my face as my mind remebers the day he said no matter how many scars, imperfections or anything else, that I would always be the most beautiful woman in the world to him.
"Mrs. Mellark, we tried everything we could-" He is cut off.
"No you didn't." The voice sounds different, yet it is mine. It's cold and curt. Stotic and emotionless.
I pull myself back on my feet, my face devid of any tears. My hands ball into fists, my back straightens in mock politeness.
"You Capital doctors know the cure to everything, so why didn't you give him the medicine?" I ask.
"W-we found out to late. If we administered any of it, he may have risked his life!" He tries to explain, slowly moving back towards the wall.
"We were willing to take that risk. And now, because of your 'risk', my 15 year old daughter will never be able to walk down the asile with her precious daddy at her side, ready to give her off. My seven year old son will never have any anwsers to the things that will happen when he falls in love, goes through puberty, and needs advice on just about anything! And I will be forced to work my ass off to feed them, stay in the house we live in, and still have time for mourning. And all because of some stupid 'risk', that was really just to save your job." I rant. Yet my posture has not changed, nor has my tone.
"M-mrs. Mellark. P-please, let's try to be logical about this..." He stutters nervously.
"Bring Skylar and Devon in here. Then we'll see if your job was worth it." I demand. He nods instantly, troting out the door frantically. My wavering glaze drifts back to Peeta.
I refuse to be like my mother.
Hearing the door creak open once more, the faces of my children appear. Skylar bursts into tears and runs towards Peeta, her precious daddy.
She had always been his little princess.
She bends down and lays her head on his still chest like I did, and more tears stream down her face. Devon gaps in shock. One tear falls from his grey eyes. He runs towards his father and clutches his hand.
"See what you've done?" I ask the doctor, who looks like he's about to cry. Murderous glares shift to him from me and my children. Skylar pulls herself up and walks calmly over to him. her face is erased from emotion as she stares at him. His mouth opens to speak, when her tan arm raises and slaps him across the face. He gaps for a moment, and before he can recover, she knees him in the gut. The blue eyes she got from her daddy sparkle with tears and rage as she continues her assult.
I make no move to stop her.
Throughout the attack, tears stream down her tan cheeks.
"Do you like how this feels?! Do you!? If not, too bad! Because of you, I have to feel this everyday for the rest of my life!" She screams at him in grief. She finally stops, in which Devon runs to her and glares at the beaten man.
"You killed my dad and made my sister and mommy cry. I hope you're happy." That's all he says. He casts a lingering gaze over to his dad, then in the same calmness as the rest of my family, he walks over to the man. He trembles in terror at my son, and I have half the heart to smile.
"Have a good life when you go to Hell." He speaks. He then raises his knee and slams it into the mans crotch, smirking when he falls.
"You are no worse then that Snow guy. When you meet him, tell him I said 'Hello'." He growls.
"Sky, Devon, we're leaving." I speak for the first time since they've entered the room.
"Yes Mother." It's all they say.
"But say your final goodbye's." My voice cracks painfully, and they do as they are told. Skylar places a kiss on his pale temple, and whispers she loves him one last time before the funeral. Devon Hugs him and tells him he loves him as well. They then wait for me.
"I'll be right out. Just go wait with Grandma." I instruct. They nod and leave, their somber gazes focousing on their fallen father.
I glower at the man whom is finally recovering from his beating, amd is now stalking towards the phone tht rings towards the hospital police. I beat him to the punch.
"You listen and you listen good. The entire world will know that you killed the boy with the bread if you even think of telling anyone. I will personally make sure you find your way into jail. Paylor is a friend of mine, so if you even think about it," I make a motion of a knife splicing his neck with my finger," we, let's just say I hope you enjoy your stay in Hell." With that, I motion for him to leave. He nods and leaves the room. With him out of the way, I trek back to Peeta.
He looks like he's having a nightmare. There was no time for chemo, so his ash blone hair is still atop his head. His once sparkling blue eyes are now squeezed shut forever. His usually pale skin is now snow white.
This is not the man I fell in love with.
I skim my trembling hand through his hair one last time and place a kiss on his lips.
Their deathly cold.
"I love you Peeta." I whisper.
One last tear runs down my face.