Before we get to the story, I'd like to apologize if I wrote any medical or funeral procedures incorrectly. That is my mistake. Also if anyone is uncomfortable reading about death you might want to skip this chapter.
Prologue
Black Water
Swallowed by a vicious vengeful sea.
Darker days are raining over me.
In the deepest depth I lost myself.
See myself through someone else.
-Black Water by Of Monsters and Men
(Gale's POV)
Have you ever realized how quickly life can change? Have you ever realized you're taking everything for granted? Have you ever realized that in one hour your life could be dramatically changed forever? I have. I know all too well what it's like to suddenly lose someone. I lost someone that meant a lot to me when I was just a young boy. My dad. He was my best friend in the whole world. My life was completely changed on July 28th, when my dad fell to his death during a construction job. I realized that the people you love could be gone in an instant without any forewarning. That's why I get worried at times like this.
My wife has been gone all day. She enjoys hunting in the woods outside our house. That's why we chose this house. It's right next to the woods. I usually go with her but today she wanted to be alone. My only problem is she left early in the morning and it's dark now. She never stays out there that late. Something's happened, I just know it. I've tried calling her at least a hundred times but she hasn't answered. So I grab my gun and tread into the woods. I look at the sky and find dark clouds above me. Looks like a rainstorm is coming my way. Which will only make finding my wife more difficult. I need to find her. And soon. "Winter?" I call her name out. "Winter, where are you?"
"Gale!" She screams and I run in the direction of her voice. I can tell something's very wrong. I've never heard her so desperate – or in so much pain. My mind starts to consider every possible scenario that may have happened and it makes me sick to my stomach. And then I finally find me wife. Only it's not a relief to find her in the conditions she's in. Laying in the dirt and covered in blood. "Gale?" She asks softly. "Is... is that you?"
"Yes," I rush to her side. "Yes, it's me." I start to examine her wounds. "What... what happened?"
"I..." She inhales sharply. "I was attacked," She shivers violently.
"By what?" He injuries are bad. Fatal. But I've got to try to save her. I'm a doctor. Maybe I can save her. "What attacked you?" I ask again when she doesn't answer me.
She smiles and takes my hand. "You were a good husband."
I lift her hand to my lips and kiss it. "You're not going to die."
"That's a lie and you know it." She closes her pretty eyes, and I pray to God this isn't the last time I'll see them. "Just promise me one thing,"
"What?" I pop my head up. "I'll do anything."
"Promise me... that you'll try to move on." Those are the last words she says to me before her heart stops.
"No." I pull her up, cradling her to my chest. "Winter, please," I beg. "Please don't leave me!" Then I'm crying. A raindrop falls on my hand and I stop crying. No. I'm not going to accept this. This can't be the last time I speak to her. This won't be. I'm a doctor. I spent years training for this. I will see my wife's eyes again. I'm going to bring her back to life. I don't care how long it takes me. This is not the end.
I lift Winter up and carry her back to our house. When I get inside the rain starts pouring. I can't let anyone find out about what I'm doing. They might try to stop me. So I fake her funeral. I pretended like I had Winter cremated so nobody would find out what I'm hiding. I can't let them find out. They won't understand what I'm trying to do... Talking to Winter's father that day was honestly the part I was dreading the most. But he found me and tried to strike up a conversation. Trying to figure out how I was doing. I guess.
"Hey, kid."
"Haymitch." I look up from my hands. "You made it."
"Of course I did." He frowns. "You think I'd miss my own daughter's funeral?"
"No... Just that you were out of town, on vacation... And everything happened so quick..."
"Well... If you need to talk to me about anything... You'll always have me."
"Thank you..." I sniff. "I just can't believe she's gone... Just like that."
"Just like that." Haymitch shakes his head. "It happens sometimes... Just sucks it had to be our Winter."
"I wish this was all just one messed up nightmare I could wake up from already."
"Me too, kid." He locks eyes with me. "Listen kid, I want you to know that just because Winter's gone... I still consider you as a son."
I blink back tears. "You... you do?"
"Of course I do." He chuckles sadly. "I want to thank you for being such a good husband to my daughter." Everything he said to me meant so much to me. I had always thought he hated me or something. So I was glad I could have this chat with him. He considers me his son. That means a lot coming from Haymitch. He thought I was a good husband.
Later that day,I preserve her body but find parts I'm going to have to replace. Most of it is skin, but unfortunately, I'm going to have to replace her brain. Which means I'm going to need a donor. But it's a difficult thing to ask for. This would have to come from someone who's going to die. And someone who has a healthy brain. I can't take someone's life just to save my wife. Over three years pass before I found the perfect donor.
PrimRose was diagnosed with a deadly disease. I was assigned as one of her doctors. When I walked into her hospital room and saw her sweet smile for the first time I knew I had to cure her. She was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen with blonde hair and pretty blue eyes that lit up when I came in the room.
"You must be my doctor." She smiled.
"That would be me." I smiled down at her. "I'm doctor Hawthorne."
"I'm PrimRose Everdeen."
We worked for almost a year trying to cure her but her sickness wouldn't go away. Nothing we tried would work. There's nothing else we can do to cure her. I hate this, and would never consider doing this if I wasn't desperate. But I need to find someone to give me their brain. Prim trusts me and I really do think she'd consider helping me bring my wife back. It sucks. I didn't want it to come to this. Taking this young girl's brain. I was rooting for her to beat this. But these kinds of things happen.
"Prim," I walk into her hospital room bringing flowers.
"Doctor Hawthorne," She smiles when she sees the flowers. "Are those for me?"
"Yeah," I set them next to her hospital bed. "I, um... wanted to ask you about something."
"What?"
"Your brain."
"My brain?"
I nod my head. "I'm trying to um... bring my wife back to life. But I um... need a brain." I explain. "You don't have to do it, just... you're the first person I've met who might consider it... So I thought I'd ask.
"I'm dying." She says. "I wanted to be a donor, but a lot of my organs are ruined... my brain is okay though, so I'd love to help you bring your wife back."
"Thank you." I pull out some papers. "You need to sign these though so I can do this legally."
"Okay." Prim yawns. "I'll sign them after lunch."
The relief of finally finding a willing donor sinks in. But I feel terrible about it. What if this girl can survive this? I would be taking her life. But I know here odds aren't good. We've tried everything to cure her. She's going to die, and she wants to help me. I need to focus on my mission. Bringing my wife back.
Prim signs the papers at lunch and I arrange for her to be released from the hospital later today. I'm going to bring her to my house and perform the procedure. This is going to happen today. May seventh. And very soon, I'll have my wife back.
When I bring Prim to my house I make her comfortable for a few hours. We talk things through and I try to make this as easy as possible. I figure it's the least I can do considering everything she's doing for me.
"Your house is really nice." She looks around.
"Thank you."
Prim sighs. "I can't believe I'm going to die..."
I wince. "Prim, I want you to know you can back out of this at anytime. I don't want you to feel like you have to do this... I can find someone else."
"No." Prim shakes her head. "I trust you. I want to help you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep... If you think about it, it's kind of cool. My body is dying and now I get to live on through your wife."
"I never thought of it like that..."
"There was so much I wanted to do..." Prim shakes her head. "I was going to become a doctor, like you,and get married and have children..."
"You would've have been a great mother."
Prim laughs. "I even decided what I would name my daughter... I never could decide on a boy name..."
"What were you going to name her?"
"Katniss."
"Katniss..." I smile. "It's beautiful."
"I think so too."
When it's time, I bring her to my basement. She goes to Winter's side immediately. "Is this her?" She asks.
"Yep." It's all I can say in such a bittersweet moment.
"She's beautiful." She bites her lip. "What's her name?"
"Winter," I give her a serious look. "You can back out of this if you're not sure. I can find someone else if you really don't want to."
"I want to do it."
"Okay." I motion for her to get on the table. "Whenever you're ready." She gets on the table and Once she's unconscious I grab my equipment and prepare to make the first incision.
(One Day Later)
Today is May 8th. Today I'm finally going to wake my wife up. After years of waiting. I put Prim's brain in Winter's head and everything seems to be in order. I just need to get her heart beating. That's going to take some high voltage power. Luckily I have the equipment. I borrowed it from the hospital I work at. I don't think there will be a problem with what I'm doing. If I succeed, death won't be a problem anymore. I'm doing a good thing.
I had PrimRose cremated so no one would find out I used her brain. They wouldn't understand. They'd probably call me a murderer, but like Prim said, her body was dying, and now she can live on through Winter. Prim would've wanted this. She believed in me.
I take the day off from work to get everything ready. This is going to happen today. When everything is complete, it's dark outside. It's crazy how quickly time can slip past you. I go upstairs for a quick meal and discover that it's raining. I hate the rain. It reminds me of the night Winter was killed, but I suppose it's fitting for tonight, the night I bring her back.
When I'm done with my meal, I waste no time and flip the switch. The sound of electricity fills the air for almost a minute and then it's gone and the lights go out. Crap! A power shortage! I run to Winter's body and pull out my stethoscope and search for a heartbeat. I'm worried for a moment that i screwed up everything I've been working for, but my worries disappear when I find the steady heartbeat. She's alive.
Thank you guys for reading this first section of my story. I used quotes from my favorite songs by Of Monsters and Men, I had the idea for this story before I decided to link each chapter to a song but when I was brainstorming for this story Black Water came on and I just had to use they're lyrics. This particular story only has 5 chapters if you include this prologue, and I'll be posting a chapter ever Wednesday. I'd like to apologize if I offend anyone in the part about Prim, I don't think it was right for Gale to use her brain. Sometimes characters do things the author doesn't necessary agree with.