I walk into the observation area for patient Peeta Mellark. I know Alma Coin did not anticipate retrieving him in this state. Tortured, injured, perhaps some mental health issues yes. Hijacking is something I don't think any of us in 13 anticipated. The boy went after the one person he claimed to love the most and would sacrifice his life to protect. Needless to say it was a shock when I saw the recording Plutarch shared of the reunion of Katniss and Peeta. I focus not on the act of strangling itself, but on the micro expressions visible on my patients face. There is anger, yes, but there is also fear evident in his expression. His actions seem almost robotic. He does not hesitate in attacking Ms. Everdeen and is single minded in his actions. No fear of the repercussions or harm to himself, as evidenced by the staff in the room having to restrain him and knock him unconscious to stop him. President Snow has a mind I would not dare to examine. He has hit both of these young people where it hurts the most.

I look at the real life Peeta lying motionless in the stretcher in the stark and bare room. He has been sedated for the time being so that medical staff can obtain blood samples do further scans on his battered body. From the results we know there is still venom present in his bloodstream, and I anticipate he will experience something akin to withdrawal as it slowly leaves his system in his stay here. The body scans have shown multiple fractures in various states of healing. His brain scans show healing concussions and minor bleeds. His vital signs have been out of normal range, but that is to be expected as he is severely malnourished, dehydrated, and has been pumped full of a venom that induces tachycardia and incredible levels of adrenaline to be produced. His mental state is not unexpected given what has been done to him physically.

2 Days Later

They have decided to slowly take my patient off the sedatives and begin assessments and treatment for his psychological state upon arrival here in District 13. I stand once again behind the one way mirror and watch medical staff move about around his frail body as a unit completing tasks smoothly and efficiently. How very 13 of them. They are not who I should be observing though and my attention is once again on Peeta Mellark. He remains in soft restraints bound to the bed as I decide I should be in the room as he awakens. I nod to the other doctors on the team as I pass by and exit the observation room and walk down the hall and enter through the door into my patients room. I seat myself in his chair and begin to wait patiently for him to wake up.

Minutes pass by and I watch as Peeta's breathing changes from the slow, even, peace of sleep to the kind of awareness. I watch his limbs twitch and hear a ragged groan as he shakes his back and forth as if shaking of the forced sleep of the sedatives. Blue eyes open now but squint and I watch his arm move to rub the sleep from his eyes. Of course he is unable to complete the action and I prepare myself for a reaction of panic or fear at being in an unfamiliar place and unable to move. I wait, but see no obvious signs of this. I see his body tense, but Peeta doesn't even bother shouting or fighting the restraints. I decide to initiate the conversation and obtain a baseline for how alert and oriented he is at this time.

"Peeta?" I say softly, in as warm a tone as I can manage.

I wait for him to say something or search for my voice. Still nothing. I decide to get up and approach the bed. I am right beside him now.

"Peeta I am a Doctor. I am not here to hurt you. You are safe now. Can you answer some questions for me?" His eyes water and he struggles to maintain a neutral expression. His breathing becomes faster and more shallow. I don't want to frighten him more but we need to know if he is aware of where he is and what his thought process and content are at this time. We have to determine if he is experiencing psychosis or hallucinations from the venom still. As he has expressed in the past giving his own life for Katniss Everdeen I am also suspecting that he is also likely to be or become suicidal in our care.

A tiny nod. For someone who I have seen as very verbal in the past, the lack of speech is unnerving to me.

"Okay. Peeta, do you know where you are right now?"

Another affirmative nod.

"I need you to use your words Peeta. Please."

In a broken and raspy whisper he responds, "13. They took me."

"That's right. They rescued you from the Capitol. From President Snow. Do you feel safe here Peeta?"

The boy is good at controlling his expressions, but I am better at reading expressions and body language. I can tell he is terrified, confused, and overwhelmed.

"I don't know."

My goal is for my patient to at the very least feel safe while he is here.

"I have told you Peeta, you are safe here." Before I can continue it is like a switch is flipped. The mask of control shatters like a sheet of glass.

"No! Nowhere is safe! Not in the Capitol. And not here. With HER!"

And before I can even begin to respond he upright as high as the restraints will allow. He uses all four limbs to pull and thrash and he bucks his body in a surge of activity that shocks me into moving back and away from him. He is screaming incoherently now. Broken sentences that have no sense and no context.

The door opens and several people walk in briskly, all dressed in the medical uniform of white. Two of the larger men approach the bed, and seeing this, Peeta begins to fight even harder. His screams making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. In the back corner a nurse is instructed to fill a syringe with a dose of sedative. As she approaches the bed I watch her steel herself before exposing my patient's shoulder to administer it. Seeing the approaching needle Peeta becomes surprisingly wilder. Who knew this fragile body could struggle as much as he his. Fear is an amazing motivator. Another two people physically restrain him to stop him from thrashing from side to side. As the dose is injected Peeta is reduced to infant like wails. My heart pulls at the sound. At moments like this it is difficult to remain professional with my patients. Even though I know it is for the best that Peeta rest as much as possible in the early days of recovery to keep his levels of adrenaline down there is a part of me that does not want to sedate him. The more we sedate him the more often he will have to awaken in a confused state bound to a stretcher. It seems I have a lot to think about and plan for the treatment of Peeta Mellark. Over time he should be able to realize we will not harm him and that Katniss Everdeen is not dangerous or lethal, but he is also the first hijacking case the District has ever seen. They have only heard of cases like this. The history of cases like this is not pleasant and I have no archived methods of treatment. I prepare myself for the long hours of conversation that will occur when I leave this room. I will be getting to know Peeta Mellark very well, it seems.