They all believed it. All thirteen districts and the capitol believed the story that the war had caused so much disruption in the lives of the 'star-crossed lovers' of District 12 that their relationship ended. Even Katniss and Peeta believed it. Everyone believed it, everyone except Haymitch.
Katniss seemed to be getting better as the weeks passed. Eating and supposedly sleeping, but no-one could deny the fact her cheeks were hollow and the dark shadows beneath her eyes were growing. No-one could understand what was happening to her, Greasy Sae made her eat, yet she seemed to be shrinking, Dr Aurelius had been watching her through the secret cameras Snow had embedded into the houses villages to make sure that she was sleeping.
As Katniss refused to participate in the compulsory weekly phone calls with Dr Aurelius, he had taken to watching her behaviours through these secret cameras. Despite feeling slightly apprehensive at first, watching Katniss meant that Dr Aurelius could witness one thing that he would not get from phone calls. Her nightmares. She called for Prim, Finnick, her father and Peeta. The images behind her eyes only known to herself caused the blankets to tangle around her unconscious body as she writhed around in the chair that she only left for the necessities. To anybody else, the cries were inaudible, but to Dr Aurelius the cries he heard through the speakers were cries for help.
After one of his late night sessions with Dr Aurelius in one of the high-tech Capitol mental rehabilitation centres, Peeta heard his name being called out. He stopped; there was no one else in the corridor. As he walked further down the corridor the voice was louder and more recognisable, it was Katniss. As she cried his name he ran to the room where it was coming from. As he peered through the crack in the door, he saw nothing apart from a dark shadow sat in front of a computer screen. Yet again he heard the cries; he opened the door and stepped in.
"I thought you'd find me here." Dr Aurelius said. As he turned around Peeta recognised him, as the careful doctor who could help Peeta out of his darkest moments. "Where is she?" Peeta stammered, unable to comprehend what was going on. As another whimper came from the speakers the confusion and fear in Peeta's face was clearly recognisable.
"She's not being hurt, don't worry. She's just dreaming." Dr Aurelius said in his gentle voice. As he sat down in one comfy looking chair he motioned for Peeta to do the same.
"She's been like this since she returned to District 12." Dr Aurelius continued. "She refused to pick up the phone so I had to resort to this," he said as he pointed towards the screen. As Peeta looked he saw the house that brought back so many memories, there was the vacant bedroom, the eerie kitchen and the quiet lounge, Katniss' house.
Looking closer, Peeta could see the petite frame of the girl he used to know. Used to love. Her eyes were closed, her dark eyelashes tickling her cheeks, her wild hair splayed out around the cushions. Peeta watched her as her chest moved up and down, reminding him that she was alive, and she was there. For some unknown reason Peeta didn't feel the common sense of anger and fear that usually surged through his body as he watched Katniss' fragile form. How could she ever harm him? How could she ever harm anyone?
"Wh-what happened to her?" Peeta finally said after what felt like hours.
"She broke after her sister died, your announcement that the 'star-crossed lovers' were no longer together broke her even more, she's still broken now, but there's no-one to pick up the pieces." Dr Aurelius explained as he looked at Katniss sleeping on the screen.
"Why do you do this?" Peeta questioned "Why do you stay up and watch her?" "Well, since Haymitch has been looking after her he expressed some worries that she may be suicidal, that the trauma could push her over the edge. So I have to make sure that she's still with us, even if she only speaks in her dreams."
After a long pause Dr Aurelius continued, "She calls for you, you know, in her dreams, or should I say nightmares... I don't know what is happening but she calls for you, sometimes screams so much that she wakes up." He looked up at Peeta, who was suddenly very interested in the back of his hand. "She still loves you, you know." And with that the doctor stood up and left, knowing that Peeta would probably stay all night he pivoted on his heel as he came to the door. "If you see her do anything that could harm her, press that green button, it alerts Haymitch and a few others in District 12 immediately."
