"Katniss!" I hear someone calling my name. I try to blink and focus the bleary world around me, my head is throbbing.
"P-Peeta?" I croak.
"Katniss! What happened to you?" He cries. That's when the memories come rushing back. I bolt straight up causing my head to throb even more. I hastily grab my bow and arrow and point it at the man again.
Gale is still aiming his bow towards man while Peeta was trying to wake me. My camera crew has come up further after they called back to the hovercraft that carries Haymitch and Plutarch. My shaking knees straighten as I stand up.
The man has not put down his small knife even though he is obviously out-numbered. I walk closer and stare into his eyes. My breath is catches in my throat and I go completely numb.
"What kind of sick joke is this?" I whisper, my voice trembling. I start to get angry, the Capitol did this!
"What kind of joke is this!?" I yell, my voice echoing off the trees. Tears are streaming down my face.
"Katniss?" Gale asks, confused. He looks to the man who seems to have trouble standing up straight.
"Do you know him from somewhere?" Peeta asks, knowing the look on my face. My tears are flowing even faster now.
"My father," I whisper angrily.
"What?" Both Gale and Peeta state at the same time, dumbfounded and looking at me as if I had mutated.
"This man, is disguised as my FATHER!" I shout. "Who sent you? Snow?!" I make this last remark to the strange man.
At that moment Haymitch and Plutarch come crashing into the woods with a group of soldiers.
"Put the knife down and your hands up!" One of the soldiers commands. The man simply looks at him and stuffs his knife in his pocket.
"So you're not from the Capitol after all." The man says quietly.
"What's going on?" Haymitch barks.
"Who are you?!" I screech at the man once more. He is covered in blood, dirt, and grime. Gale has now stepped back and is standing by Peeta, who is trying to calm me down.
"Katni-" Peeta starts.
"Answer me!" I cry.
"Easton Everdeen," The man replies, though he is dangerously swaying back and forth. I feel a wound in my heart re-open with a sudden blow.
"Liar!" I choke, my voice catching at the end. Everyone around me is frozen in shock. My bow is still trained on it's target and hasn't left.
"Katniss calm down," Peeta says firmly, resting a hand on my shoulder. I jerk it off harshly.
"No! He's lying! He is not my father! My father is DEAD!" I scream the last word at the man, trying desperately to hold back the sobs building up within me. Around me collective gasps are heard as the situation finally starts to dawn on people. Peeta's hands firmly grip my shoulders while Gale roughly lowers my bow.
"Catnip, Calm. Down." Gale says, enunciating each word. My eyes still trained on the man, and angry tears are clouding my vision.
"Let's take him back to thirteen," Plutarch announces. "Maybe we can… get some answers there…"
Not taking my eyes off the man, Peeta's strong grip guides me back to the hovercraft. The man is restrained and everyone piles into the craft.
We sit in silence as I tremble, more distraught than words can describe. Peeta pulls me to him in comfort and I bury my face in the crook of his neck, not wanting to look at the man disguised as my father.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
I sit, huddled with Prim and Peeta, waiting for news. Unlike the last time when my mother was unresponsive, she's hysterical. She's screaming at the doctors to let her see him.
A few hours later the doctors come out.
"We need blood samples from Katniss and Primrose Everdeen." A doctor says. We glance up.
"Why?" Peeta asks. The doctor sighs impatiently.
"We're running a DNA test to confirm the patient's identity." He answers. I glare at him.
"No. There's no point. That man is NOT our father," I snarl.
"Katniss," Prim looks up at me. "We have to… please. Even if it isn't him-"
"It ISN'T" I interrupt.
"Maybe, but you don't know for sure. NO ONE knows for sure. But that's the point. If I don't know for sure I will never be able to stop thinking about this. Please Katniss? For me?" Prim looks at me pleadingly. As usual, I cave."
"Fine." I say and thrust my arm out.
The next few hours involve needles, cursing under my breath, labs and waiting. My mother joined us, accepting defeat for now. We sit in silence until the doctor comes out once more.
"The results came back," He starts, more gentle than last time. We hold our breaths. "It's positive… The man in there is related to Katniss and Primrose Everdeen. That man is Easton Everdeen."
A shocked silence settles over the room. Prim gasps holding her hand over her mouth and my mother starts sobbing, uncontrollably. I sit there, completely numb. It's not possible. It ISN'T! I feel Peeta wrap his arms around me.
"Katniss?" He asks.
"It's not possible…" My voice barely above a whisper. "It-it-" I cover my mouth with my hand and start trembling. Peeta pulls me closer.
"Shh, Katniss it's okay," Peeta says in a soothing voice. "This is a good thing, right?" I pause. Is it a good thing? It is. It is a good thing. Something that's too good to be true. I can't fall into this trap.
"It's too good to be true," I say voicing my thoughts. "And in my experiences, 'too good to be true' turns out to actually be false." I state grimly, wiping my eyes. My mother and Prim are now listening in on the conversation.
"But it IS true Katniss!" Peeta protests. I shake my head in denial.
"No, it can't be. No matter what anyone says, my dad has been dead for 6 years. There's no changing that." My mouth sets in a thin line.
"Katniss-" Peeta starts.
"No!" I furiously interrupt. "It doesn't make sense! Think about it Peeta! My dad died in a mine explosion along with so many other people! Only a few survived, and that didn't include my dad. And even if he had somehow made it out alive why didn't he come back for us?! It. Doesn't. Add. up."
"I'm sure the doctors can find some explanation-" Peeta starts.
"How can they possibly explain someone, supposedly dead, popping up after six years?!" I'm starting to raise my voice a little. "It isn't logical."
"Fine Katniss, you want to reason with logic? Then YOU think about what you just said. People survived. That could've included your dad. No one found his body right? Then it could be possible." Peeta says.
"It was an explosion Peeta, bodies could have been obliterated." I cringe at the thought. Peeta throws his hands up in exasperation.
"The damn DNA test said he was your father Katniss! It's science, medicine, LOGIC!" Peeta cries. I hesitate, his words sinking in.
"There really is no other explanation for the DNA tests coming up positive other than him actually being our father." Prim decides to join in on the conversation. "I'm sure HE could tell us where he's been." I stare at her. Maybe…
"But-" I start, but cut myself off. I have no other explanation. "Could he really be my- my father?" Hope starts to dwell inside me and my spirits lift a little.
"Yes Katniss." Peeta says, calm now and sitting down. I start to show a hint of a smile. Then a different doctor comes out.
"The patient has gotten all his wounds clean, the severity of them vary- too many to list now, but I'm afraid his head trauma is the worst." The doctor says. I stiffen.
"As of right now, we've diagnosed him with amnesia," All at once the blow of my father's death breaks my heart again, the small bit of hope crashing.
"We'll try everything we can to reboot his memories, but until then we ask you not to see him to prevent confusion for him." The doctor finishes. My breath catches in my throat and tears cloud my vision.
"But isn't seeing his family the best way to jog his memory?" Peeta asks.
"I'm afraid not, we have to do a few more tests." With that the doctor exits. My gaze doesn't leave the door in front of me.
"See," I croak, tears spilling over my cheeks. "Too good to be true," I quickly stand up, blinking back the tears and walk towards the exit.
"Katniss!" I hear Prim and Peeta calling after me.
I run to the transport tubes that allow you to exit district thirteen. I tell the security guard I'm going hunting for game, and after securing the tracking anklet he lets me outside.
Soon, I'm running blindly into the woods carrying my bow and arrow. My feet bringing me further and further not stopping until what feels like hours. I collapse on the ground, my breathing heavy from running for so long. I rest my head between my knees and close my eyes, trying to rid myself of the bitter thoughts plaguing my head. I knew it was too good to be true.