Chapter 1: Turn-about
Author's note: hey guys, and gals! I bring to you the sequel of The Medicine! Hopefully it'll get accepted as much as the prequel! Anyways, the events that occur here happen directly after Katniss's group emerges from the forest.
Hope you guys enjoy, read and hopefully review! XP
Onwards!
Katniss's P.O.V
The light momentarily blinded me as we trudged out of the forest. I squinted my eyes and saw the warehouse Finnick mentioned.
Behind me, the group trudged out noisily out of the forest.
I sighed.
It's a surprise we managed to escape silently the first time.
Well… not exactly, but-
"Hey, someone's waiting up front." Peeta said.
I looked up and there was a silhouette by the large doors.
I squinted my eyes to discern the silhouette's identity when Peeta let out a gasp beside me.
I turned to him. "What?"
He looked about ready to cry.
"It's… it's…"
By this time, we were already near the doors.
"Well it's good to see you too bread boy."
That-
I whirled around and smacked into a chest.
Not just any chest…
Haymitch's chest.
"Haymitch!" I couldn't help it.
I threw my arms around his neck and clutched on.
I realized, I was trembling.
He kept cooing at me, whispering soothing words as he rubbed my back.
"It's all right now… shh.. don't cry…"
I raised a hand to my cheek, surprised to feel the wetness of tears continuously streaming down my cheeks.
"H-Haymitch… I'm scared…"
He kept silent but the tightening of his arms around me confirmed that he had heard me.
For the first time in three years…
After being enslaved for three years…
I cried for the first time.
And for the first time I admitted,
I'm scared
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"Stop fidgeting so much."
Peeta drew me away from my frantic pacing with his lazy drawl.
"He's gonna come back. He's stubborn."
I sighed. "Yeah… you're right… I should trust him more…"
Arms wrapped around my waist, enclosing me in a strong hug against a hard chest.
"Not more than you trust me I hope." Hot breath against my ear caused me to shiver.
I leaned back against Peeta. "Nah…" I placed my lips directly over his ear.
"I'm too scared that you'll kill him…"
His arms tightened even more around me.
"Damn right I would…" he growled huskily.
He trailed his hands over my front.
I froze.
The baby.
I shimmied out of his hold.
"Katniss?"
I fidgeted, twiddling my hands as I looked everywhere but him.
How am I gonna say this to him?
How do I tell him that I'm pregnant.
Moreover, how do I tell him that I'm pregnant with the man who made our life hell and turned me into his sex slave?
"Katniss?" he reached out to hold me.
I flinched away and had to wince at the pained look he wore on his face.
I shook my head.
"I-I'm sorry… I… I'm gonna ta-talk to Haymitch…" I walked around him, careful to put some distance between us.
Once I was out of his grasping range, I turned around and walked towards the inside of the warehouse, almost running in my haste.
Behind me I could hear Peeta kick the metal dumpster right beside the entrance.
With tears in my eyes I walked away, not once turning back. With my head held high and my heart thumping wildly in my chest, I walked over to where Haymitch was, leading over the esccapees.
After everything, it was him that made all the calls… he was the one leading all of this… not me…
Sadness overcame me but the need to survive quenched that feeling down. Coming up to him, I placed my hand over his shoulder.
He turned to me with a small smile on his otherwise haggard face.
"Katniss."
"I… I need to tell you something." I told him, seriousness in my voice.
He seemed to sense the situation as he suddenly straightened before leading me towards the area of the warehouse they converted into the sleeping quarters.
He sat down on one of the beds before motioning for me to follow. With a sigh, I flopped down on the bed and wrapped my arms around myself.
He stayed silent, never uttering a word, only waiting patiently for me to make my first move.
"I…" I let out a deep sigh. "You know what I am- was back at thirteenth… don't you?"
His jaw tightened but he kept silent.
"I… I've been… taking precautions… pills, prevention teas, calendars… but… something happened…"
At this, he looked at me, eyes wide.
I looked down.
There's no use hiding it from him.
"I'm pregnant…" I looked up at him.
"With Gale's child."
By then I saw his fear-ridden eyes.
Eyes full of shock
Anger
Disgust
Fear
But moreover
Pity
I turned away from him. "Don't… don't pity me… please…"
"Katniss… I… do you plan to…"
An unspoken question hang in the air.
Do you plan to get rid of it?
I shivered despite the warm rays of the sun.
I had planned to get rid of it.
Whenever everything went downhill, whenever my plan of escape was compromised… I had thought of killing the life within me.
Whenever Gale calls me to him and puts the baby in harm, unknowingly, I had planned to get rid of it.
What will become of it?
Being born into an age where wars and rebellions explode at every drop of a pin…
I don't want my child to be born in the middle of this fight.
I don't want my child to be forced to grow up fast because of a constant threat breathing down its neck.
I want my child to grow up surrounded by peace.
I don't want my child to jump at every bushes that rustle, fearing for his or her life.
Wondering when someone will have enough and snap.
I don't want my child to grow up in the world where I grew up in.
I don't want my child to be me.
No
But-
No matter what, I can't kill it.
Even though I may seem ruthless and selfish for wanting to carry and bring this child into this world, vulnerable and defenseless amongst warring districts…
I want it to live.
Even though its conception was not of the norm and not the way I wanted it to be, I wanted to keep it.
To show the world that even if it was created by evil, it would grow up different.
It would grow up…
Loved
With conviction burning through me, I looked up at Haymitch's inquisitive gaze and shook my head.
"I want to keep it. I want to keep my baby."
I was surprised at how steady my voice was despite the storm raging within me.
He nodded at me and despite the solemn way he was acting; I saw pride in his eyes.
Pride that I was still humane enough to keep the child growing inside of me.
"You do know that this means you have to stay away from the fight don't you?"
That's right.
Amidst all the confusion and the fear of escaping out of thirteenth, the war slipped right out of my mind.
I started to shake my head but Haymitch's hand landed on my shoulder.
"You need to stay safe. If not for you… do it for the baby."
I opened my mouth to argue when a loud clang from behind us made me whirl around in shock.
My eyes widened at the person standing at the door.
And from the way Haymitch's body froze behind me, I knew that something wrong was about to happen.
"P-Peeta,I-"
"What baby?"
"I-"
"Are you pregnant?" he asked, voice low and leaving no space for arguments.
I nodded slowly, fear bursting from my chest.
"Tell me… answer me truthfully Katniss…" he looked at me, pain and hope plastered to his face.
Pain at the truth he knew of
Hope, hope that the truth he thinks of is just a figment of his imagination.
"Is it Gale's?" he asked, his voice soft and laced with desperation.
All of a sudden, my mouth seemed too dry and it refused to open. I gulped down the urge to run.
I had the sudden urge to flee and hope that the pain would give up and leave me alone, when I reached wherever place I landed on.
But I choked it down.
With a tiny nod, I felt everything I worked for completely shatter, right before my eyes.
And with the rage and betrayal fanning across his face, I knew…
I knew he would never forgive me.