Shattered

Chapter #3

Thank you all for the positive response to this story. I hope you enjoy this latest installment of Peeta and Katniss angst. Feel free to visit my tumblr page for updates, I'm listed under chasechick!

Katniss Everdeen

I'm just finishing the last of my homework assignments before I head out to work the dinner shift in the kitchens when a soft knock on the door rouses me from algebraic equations.

"Yes?" I call out as I finish scribbling out the answer to the problem.

"Katniss?" The door opens and Mr. Abernathy enters the room. I drop my pencil and turn to face him. My heart immediately begins to stutter a little. In the three months that I've been here he has never visited me personally. Something must be terribly wrong.

"Y-Yes?" I stammer out.

"Why so nervous sweetheart? You've got nothing to worry about." Haymitch tries in a placating tone as he leans against the end of Rue's desk. I simply shrug my shoulders and move to pack up my now finished assignment. "I have a favor to ask of you." I raise my eyebrow to him.

"A favor?" I ask, he smirks and shrugs his shoulders.

"Okay more of a bequest" He replies. And I stare at him waiting for whatever it is that he wants me to do. "We have a new student, Peeta Mellark, I think you've seen him around the campus." My cheeks burn with embarrassment, I'm sure my face is a lovely shade of pink. He continues "As you could tell he can't get around so good and add that with him being new and he's going to need a bit of help for a few weeks." I try to follow his train of thought, what could he possibly want from me? "I want you to see to it that he gets his meals and to and from classes okay, I'm assigning you to assist him." I gulp; I'll be with the mysterious newcomer all day.

"Sir, I'm not sure I'm the best person for this, I'm not too good with people and I'm still a bit new here myself. Maybe he'd be better off with someone like Delly Cartright or…" I mumble to a stop as he holds up his hands.

"I think you'll do just fine. Besides you two look like you were pretty interested in each other earlier." He raises an eyebrow at me and chuckles while I bury my head into my hands; I'm going to die of embarrassment. He places a hand on my shoulder, "Listen, I don't think he needs anyone over the top to be honest, he's having a pretty rough time right now. " I raise my gaze to meet his and realize he's not giving me a choice.

"Okay, anything in particular I need to know or do other than get him class?"

He places a finger to his mouth in thought, "Let's see, well he has to get to the nurse every morning at 7:30 and then whenever for pain medication, he's also assigned there for PE class. You'll need to help him get his meals and help him to the library or to group. I think he can manage getting to his counseling sessions okay. Just answer any questions he might have, it's only for a few weeks until he can get around on his own." He stands to leave and I can tell this conversation is over. "His room is on the first floor, the one Clove used to be in. You know it?"

I nod my head yes. Of course I know it; everyone in the school knows it. Clove was the girl who infamously attempted to kill herself in that room not a few weeks ago. That's the room they give to those who aren't stable enough for a roommate, or as it seems, to people with a bum leg. "He's expecting you to take him to the cafeteria for dinner so go do your shift and then go and get him before you and Rue eat. I will inform all the staff of our arraignment so they are aware you might be running late a time or two." I simply nod as I follow him out of the door to go do my stint in the kitchens.

I slip on an apron and pull my long braid up in a hair net and cap, the most unflattering uniform ever. Rue is already waiting by the counters as are Johanna and Delly who are sharing our shift. Greasy Sae, the "chef" is instructing us on what we are doing for dinner tonight. Meaty sauce and noodles, mixed vegetables, rolls and pudding for desert. We set about lugging the large cans and containers from the pantry storage into the kitchens and then opening them one by one. When my arms are sore Rue takes over. We drain the water from the vegetables and dump them into a large pot on the stove and light it. Johanna and Delly are squabbling as they dump copious amounts of red pasta sauce into a similar pot. Delly squeals in disgust as Johanna splatters some of the sauce up her apron and in Delly's hair. Rue and I cover our mouths and try to hide a giggle.

Rue and I continue our food preparations in silence while we listen to the other girls squabble. Johanna is rebellious and loud, she doesn't care what anyone thinks, Delly is the quintessential good girl that does what she's told and most people generally like her, it's fun to watch them clash, almost serving as a form of entertainment. When everything is heated we grab one pot between us and heave them out to the buffets and fill all the treys. After several more trips I'm sweaty and tired but we are done with the food prep. Thankfully I won't have to wash dishes tonight too. Panam recently decided that dishwashing was evil enough to institute it as a form of punishment for trouble makers. It works out well; we usually have our share of trouble makers here so the dishes are always clean.

Students are starting to arrive in the cafeteria so we duck back into the kitchens before we can be seen in our hideous ensembles. We peel off our soiled aprons and throw them into the laundry and then toss our used hair nets and paper hats into the trash. I try my best to tame the flyways that have escaped my braid and make myself look a little more presentable.

Rue notices my odd behavior and tugs on my arm. "Katniss, what are you doing? C'mon I'm starving!" She continues to tug on my arm but I shrug her off and tug down my shirt.

"Grab us a table I'll be back, I have to go assist the new kid in the lunch line" I pout.

"Excuse me what?" Rue doesn't even try to hide her amusement.

"Haymitch stopped by why you were in the library and assigned me to Peeta until his cast comes off." I spit out as we exit the kitchen.

"Peeta huh, interesting name." I give her a chagrined look. "Well I guess he kind of fits in with us oddballs, Rue… Katniss… Peeta… sort of has a ring to it."

"I'll be back in a few." I tell her as I head the circuitous route to Peeta's room. It's some relief that Rue will be a buffer on this first visit. She is such a sweet person that it's hard not to talk with her, I usually scare people away and end up sitting in stony silence. Thankfully she'll be around some of the time so I won't be leading Peeta around in awkward silences.

My heart is in my chest as I reach his door and I take a moment to compose myself. Stop being stupid, he's just a new kid. Then why the hell is I so damn nervous? I'm silently berating myself and working up the nerve to knock on the door. Just as I raise my hand the door is pulled open and I'm standing their feeling like an idiot.

"Uh, h-hi. I'm Katniss you must be Peeta." I hastily lower my hand that I was about to knock with to his in offer of handshake. He awkwardly lets go of his crutch and grasps my hand lightly.

"Hi." His voice is soft and low and I immediately want to hear more of it.

"Are you ready to go get something for dinner?" I ask him. He nods and crutches from the room, I pull his door shut behind him and the sound echoes down the silent hall. We slowly make our way back to the dining room; the silence builds and weighs in on me. I find myself longing for a stray student or two to offer a distraction, though I'm glad the dinner rush is over so we aren't fighting to get through crowds of kids that are difficult to navigate at the best of times let alone on one good leg. I note to myself that we should shoot to go a little late each day to avoid it. "So…. How do you like Panam so far?" I ask.

"It's alright, haven't really done anything yet so I guess I can't complain." I get a thrill listening to his voice; my heart seems to beat faster the more I hear it. I'm afraid if it beats any louder he'll be able to hear it too, especially with the hallway so quiet.

"Well don't get too excited about dinner, trust me I had to do kitchen duty tonight." I laugh a little.

"Are you saying you're a terrible cook?" He asks his face turned up to mine. I can't help but smile, his eyes are a dark blue and for the first time since I've seen him they seem to have a spark of life to them.

"I am a mediocre cook at best." I laugh, "But there really isn't much cooking done here per say, we just open cans of bulk food and heat them up." He makes a face of disgust and I can't seem to quit smiling. Maybe this won't be nearly as bad as I thought.

I push open the doors and hold them open for him to come through. A few eyes peer up at us with curiosity and there is a little lull in conversation but I pretend not to notice. I lead him over to the buffet and place two plates on our trays. "Want anything in particular?" I ask him as he looks down at the food.

"Whatever you get is fine" he says softly ducking his head. I can tell he is embarrassed being the center of attention and I'm not liking it much myself so I don't argue. I ladle some of each fare onto our plates; grab a few rolls, plop two bowls of pudding and two white milks on the trey. I manage to nab plastic ware and napkins in my fingers and balance the whole thing over to a table near the door where I catch Rue excitedly bouncing in her seat.

I pull out a seat for Peeta and he mutters a soft "thanks" before sitting heavily down. I pull out a seat next to Rue and start pulling my own food off the trey before sliding it over to him. He offers me a small smile for my efforts. "Peeta this is my roommate Rue. Rue, this is Peeta." I offer introductions as nonchalantly as I can. He gives Rue a small nod and she offers him an ear splitting grin in return. We dig into our bland food and I can't help but think of the food I used to get at home. It was always spicy and savory, always a variety. My depressing thoughts must read on my face because Peeta's voice gives me a start and I nearly jump.

"Really Katniss it's not that bad, I wouldn't go out and try to get a job as a chef or anything but…" He gives me a small smile and it does the trick of pulling out of the mood I was sliding into.

I offer him a playful shove "shut up." I laugh. I look at Rue who is looking from Peeta to me with a look of smug satisfaction. I give her the eye and she just quirks an eyebrow at me. We finish eating; all the while exchanging friendly banter and then I dispose of our treys and garbage. Peeta is waiting by the door with Rue and I take a calming breath before joining them.

We start to walk through the halls and I can see Peeta furrow his brow a little. When we get to the stair case Rue bids us a goodbye before bounding up quickly, her feet barley seem to touch a step as she climbs.

I reach out and touch his shoulder and he shrinks back a little from me. I pull back a little to give him room. "Are you okay?"

Peeta's face grows a little red with embarrassment and it only succeeds in making him that much more endearing. Wait, endearing, I need to stop the dangerous thoughts before they get me hurt. "It's okay you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I offer trying to get back on even footing with him.

"Well, " He leans heavily on his crutches to free up a hand, he begins kneading his neck. "I actually need to go see the nurse to get some pain medication. I can go on my own though, no need to put you out, I know the way" he finishes hurriedly.

"No that's okay, I don't mind, I've finished up all my assignments so I don't have anywhere I have to be." He nods and begins to crutch back down the hall we just came through and turn to the nurse's station. I hold the door open to let him in. Nurse Paylor sees him immediately and holds a finger up for him to wait a moment while she finishes her phone call.

I peer nervously around the nurse's wing. I've never been in here except for my monthly check ups we all get. I don't like hospitals or doctors or the sick really. I'd prefer to be as far from it as possible, I shift uneasily from foot to foot as I stand beside Peeta. He offers me a glance and a shrug in apology and I simply shrug back.

Nurse Paylor hangs up her phone and offers us a warm smile. "Peeta, Katniss how lovely to see you both! Haymitch told me you volunteered to help out Peeta, that's very nice of you dear." I swallow nervously and my face must heat up, volunteer, well that dirty old Haymitch. Nurse Paylor continues on oblivious to my nerves, "Do you need another pain pill Peeta?" He nods but says nothing. "Is it your leg or…" She gives me a look judging how much to say in front of me.

"If you'll excuse me I've got to use the rest room," I say and I duck into the little bathroom beside the nurse's desk and shut the door to give them a little privacy. I try not to eavesdrop but their voices carry through the little closet of a room. I can hear her as she leads Peeta over to the first curtained area with a cot as I wash my hands and splash cool water on my face.

"So…" Nurse Paylor prompts Peeta for an answer, "Is it your leg, your ribs or are you having a headache?" She asks not unkindly. I exit from the bathroom to see that Nurse Paylor has drawn a curtain around the exam room so I take a seat in a chair next to her desk and absently pick up an old magazine to skim through but my thoughts are on the boy in there on the cot. I didn't dare ask him how he hurt his leg; hell I didn't know he even had busted ribs my curiosity has my brain firing thoughts at a rapid pace. Why Peeta is here at all, surly he couldn't be trouble, could he?

I try to focus on reading an article but I can hear every sound in the sick bay. The crinkle of paper as Peeta shifts his wait on the cot; Nurse Paylor' s mumbled instructions and Peeta's occasional answer. The Nurse requests him to remove his shirt so she could check on his ribs and I can't help but start chewing on my lower lip. The thought of him in there, shirtless… what the hell has gotten into me! I admonish myself as I try to think of something, anything else. I fail miserably but my thoughts turn to those of concern as I hear Peeta suck in a breath when the nurse touches him. "This is enflamed Peeta, no doubt brought on by all your walking around today. I'll definitely be giving you a pain pill and some anti-inflammatory pills and maybe an icepack to rest with." I hear her a little more shuffling and the crinkle of paper as Peeta and Nurse Paylor reemerge from the bay. I smile up at him but he looks away quickly. He sits down in the chair next to me to take the pills the nurse hands him. "I'll be right back with an icepack." Peeta gives a small nod and drops his gaze back to the floor.

"You feel okay Peeta?" I ask. He looks up at me with sad eyes and gives me a small nod. I don't think he wants to talk about it so I just offer him a small smile and wait quietly. The nurse returns with a ziplock bag of ice wrapped in a towel. She hands it to me with a smile to carry.

"I'll see you in the morning Peeta." She gives me an encouraging pat on his shoulder as he shakily stands to his feet. I hold the door open and we retreat back down the hall. He doesn't comment and nor do I. I can't help but hope that someone hasn't hurt Peeta this way. He seems so quiet and nice that it physically makes me ill that someone might have done this. I push down my curiosity and leave him to his own thoughts. He'll tell me if wants to, I don't want to pry. I know I can't stand it when people ask why I'm here, it brings up nothing but horrible memories and bitter thoughts. At long last we reach his room and I open it and flip on the light.

He offers me small "thanks" as he crutches into the room. I'm at a loss of what to do now. Do I leave, offer to help him, make small talk.

So instead I offer, "Can I help you with anything, get you anything…?" I leave the question open ended.

"No, I think I'll be okay now. Thank you for your help Katniss, I really appreciate it."

I lay the icepack on the bed and give him a small nod, "It was nothing, if you need anything just let me know, okay?" I try pushing concern in my voice because I genuinely would want to help him. He swallows thickly as he looks away and I can see that he's fighting back tears. "I'll see you in the morning." I step out into the hall and pull the door closed behind me. I rest against the wall for a moment lost in thought

Thoughts keep cropping up about Peeta even though I don't want them to, I'm not one for letting my guard down or relying on anyone. I take a few calming breaths and stare longingly at the door, why then do I want to do nothing more than go back in there and put my arms around that boy and offer him some small measure of comfort? Why do I want to curl around him in the bed and ease his aches in pains? I realize with a pang of worry that I'm falling for Peeta Mellark. Great.