s~ Chapter Two ~long day ~

"Prim, you can go on your break now," a fellow nurse - Kathryn - says. Its about 3pm and I feel like I've been working forever. My back aches and all I want is to get home to Rory, have that lovely meal and a nice hot bath.

"But Kathryn, I've just had my break an hour ago and we have all these patients," I say, gesturing to the waiting room that's full of patients, most of them throwing up into paper bowls, others clutching some limb or other in pain.

"Prim, you are exhausted, don't lie-I can see it. Go and give yourself at least ten minutes to rest and then come back and you'll feel better."

I don't want to go but I can see Kathryn won't take no for an answer, she's really stubborn that way. I go to the ladies bathroom, undo my bun, take off my cap and put my head into the sink that I've just filled with cold water. I come up for air and then do the same again and again until I feel more refreshed and awake. Then I unplug the sink, put my hair back into it's bun, put on my nurse's cap and just stare in the mirror. I desperately want to get back to my patients but Kathryn won't let me treat the patients if I'm not away for at least ten minutes.

Finally - after watching the clock for five minutes - I slip out of the ladies, Kathryn is standing in the waiting room holding a clip-board and smiling.

"I knew you wouldn't be away for more than ten minutes," she laughs. I just shake my head at her, take the clipboard and head into the cubicle where my patient and his mother are waiting. I estimate the boy to be about four and a quick look at his medical records tells me I'm right, his mop of curly brown hair, blue eyes and his cheeky grin, remind me of someone, but I have no idea who it is.

"Hey honey, I'm Nurse Hawthorne but you can call me Prim if you like, what should I call you?"

He pauses, as if considering for a moment then says, "Well I'm Mr Cutton but you can call me Thomas." I laugh, young people are always funny.

"Okay then Thomas, so why have you come to see us today?" I usually don't have to ask but since I can see no obvious injury I do.

In answer he lifts up his T-shirt and I can see a very long, thin burn on his stomach, I shudder, burns used to have no effect on me at all but things have changed. It's not deep but it's already began to blister so I'll need to hurry up before infection sets in.

"Right Thomas, all I'm going to put some lovely soothing jell on your burn then I'll wrap it up in a bandage. Then, you'll be able to go home and I'll send some of the jell and bandages home with you. How does that sound ?" he nods his head so I take that as a yes. I go over to the little tray that's been put into the cubicle and take out some latex gloves, bandages and a small tube of blue jelly.

I put on the gloves then go over to Thomas once more. I then squeeze a small amount of the jelly on my index finger and rub it gently into his burn, he starts laughing then once I'm done he's sighing in relief. I wrap a bandage around it and then he's free to go home .

"The jell also acts as an anaesthetic so he shouldn't feel any pain but if he does just bring him back in," I say to his mother, she nods and then comes closer to me, like she's about to tell me something private.

"Is your maiden name 'Primrose Everdeen?" she asks, then she flushes red as if she's embarrassed.

"Yes, why ?"

"Well, Erm," she stutters, "Can you give this to your sister," and she thrusts a package into my hands, I raise my head to say thank-you but she's already pushed Thomas out the door and left.

"Thanks," I whisper.

The next few hours pass in a rush and Finally it's half past five. I go to the locker room to collect my things and carefully conceal the package in my bag that has my medical textbooks in it, my coat draped across the top.

"Hey Prim, I just wanted to ask, are you free tomorrow night?" says Martin- a fellow trainee nurse- from his place where he has suddenly appeared behind me. I jump and catch my head on the locker door, it breaks the skin and starts to bleed.

"Ow!" I exclaim.

"Oh my god sorry Prim I just-"

"What do you want Martin?" I say cutting him off, I can't be bothered with apologies now, not when the longer it takes him to get on with it, the longer amount of time it takes until I can go home.

"Well you see, a bunch of us are going celebrating tomorrow night at the district's one and only decent eating place and I was wondering if you'd like to come?" he says quickly, breathing hard like he's just finished a race.

"Celebrating what?"

"Celebrating Alfie and Jacqueline getting together of course. You know how long it took for them both to admit that they fancied each other."

"Okay Martin, I'll phone you later about it,"

"Okay Prim, bye." he says and then he's gone.

Finally I think to myself but then feel immediately guilty for doing so. I am so happy for Jacqueline and Alfie, it took them two years to admit it to each other that they loved each other. Everyone knew how they both felt, it was a much talked about issue in the staff room. I had loved the feeling when me and Rory had first gotten together and I wanted everyone to feel like that- but some people I know don't want to feel like that.

The journey home feels longer than it did this morning and the sight of my house in Victor's village makes my heart jump. Katniss gave me her house since she went to live in Peeta's, I didn't want her too but she insisted when we got married, saying that we couldn't live with mother in our tiny seam house. She was right of course but I didn't want to admit it, I didn't want to leave our childhood home.

I step through the front door and smell something delicious. It's slightly spicy and I go into the kitchen and laugh when I find Rory in my Pink apron stirring about three different sauces on the hob. The whole scene is so absurd that I laugh out loud. Rory turns around with the wooden spoon is one hand and says "Is there anything wrong?" a little too innocently

"No, nothing, just that I didn't expect you to be quite so engrossed in it," I whisper into his ear.

"This is just the warm-up" he says and I realise what he means, earlier I'd promised we'd do whatever we wanted after dinner, and I have no doubt I know what it will be.

"Okay then- just know that dinner gives me more energy," I whisper silkily in his ear and then we both laugh because we are both no good at acting sexy. This is the type of relationship I want, and am glad I've got- one like Katniss and Peeta had when they were younger except I hope we never grow out of it.

I lie in the hot, silky water of the bathtub, letting my thoughts unravel. Today was challenging, nearly every day is because after all I work at a hospital and there is always tragedy, you learn to cope. I enjoy it though, I try to focus on those I can help, rather than those I can't, but often I find my mind drifting towards those people, like the terminally ill. Maybe it's because my whole childhood was corrupted by terminal illness - not that I'm complaining, I had one of the best childhoods anyone could've had in those times. Fresh food, family that loved me, friends, plenty of people could not say the same.

I get out of the bath reluctantly, and slip on my white bathrobe. I come out of our en-suite and there's Rory sitting on the bed with a rose in his mouth, trying (but epically failing) to look seductive.

"Hey there," I say softly, almost making him jump out of his skin- he obviously didn't expect me to be there.

He stands up and starts kissing me, softly. His hands slide up my bathrobe sleeves and in doing so he pulls them up a little. I can se the scars now, scars from burns that ran too deep. These are remnants of the rebellion, the one that destroyed my family. These burns bring back everything, the moment when I got them. Katniss screaming my name, the parachutes, the horrible smell of burning flesh and then nothing, just black. Coming round later with bandages all over me, doctors telling Katniss I only had 40% chance of survival, Katniss attacking the doctors, Katniss being removed from the room and finally - Doctor Aurelius telling me to 'hang on in there'.

I start to cry, I just can't take the memories anymore. There's too many for me to cope with at once. I feel my knees slide and then I'm on the floor kneeling. Rory comes down beside me, putting his hand on the small of my back and kisses the top of my head. I just cry myself out, letting it all wash over me, it's better out than in.

Something's wrong- me and Rory have been talking and there's been the usual street noise but now it's suddenly stopped. And after the silence has lasted for about 5 minutes, there's a scream that cuts right through me. I know who that voice belongs to.

I know the ending of this really sucks but I need to work on them- I decided not to do the 10 reviews thing-although it would be nice- because I'll post regardless of how many people review it, But please still review it, PLEASE ! Thanks to my first reviewer Crosel2001 - it means a lot.