Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.
A/N: Wow! Thanks so much for all the reads/reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story =) Here's the next chapter … a little more interaction for you to enjoy!
My first instinct is to turn around and run right back out the door but the fact that it's Gale and not some nameless miner on our kitchen table keeps my feet planted to the floor. I remind myself that Rory is standing right there and he is reading my face and I try to clear my face of emotion.
Right away I realize this was the right thing to do. Rory is watching me closely because he too knows that something is wrong.
"I'll go see if I can help."
Rory doesn't say anything but watches me cross the floor to the closed door. I dare to turn around and I see his eyes are still trained on me. I smile shakily at him before I turn back to the door. I take a deep breath and turn the knob.
Hazelle turns around when she hears the door creak. She's sitting on the edge of Gale's bed, a basin of water on her lap and a cloth in her hand. I'm not sure what worries me more – the look on her face, the compress, or the fact that Gale is not protesting.
My eyes meet Hazelle's and I can see the worry in her eyes from where I am. I walk towards her and when Gale doesn't respond to my footsteps, I become even more worried.
"What happened?" I whisper as Hazelle begins sponging Gale's face again.
"His fever spiked." Hazelle keeps her eyes trained on her eldest son's face. I look at Gale and I'm scared at what I see. His skin has taken a whitish hue; his eyes are closed but I can see pain emanating from around the corners and his lips are parched and dry.
"When?" I wonder how long he's been like this.
"A little while after you left he was sick to his stomach. He's been throwing up periodically all day so I didn't think much of it and I left him to sleep. I came back a few minutes later to check on him and I found him like this."
"Hazelle, it's been over two hours since I left!" I exclaim loudly and Gale flinches at the raised voice but he doesn't open his eyes or say anything.
"I'm going to get my mother." I tell Hazelle and without waiting for her response I run out of the room. I let the front door slam behind me as I run into the advancing night. I streak through the streets and alleyways until I'm at my own front door.
"Mum! Prim!" I call as I throw open the front door. "Mum!"
"Katniss, what's wrong?" my mother comes into my view.
"You need to come. Hurry!" I know I'm panicking but I can't help it. The image of Gale lying motionless is haunting me with every passing second.
"What do you need? Go where?" My mother has heard the urgency in my voice but she is speaking calmly. I take a deep breath.
"Gale. He's sick, Mum, very sick."
My mother knows that I must be telling the truth because she also knows how stubborn Gale can be. It only takes a few minutes before I'm leading my mother and Prim, each carrying a small bag with them, back to Hawthorne's house. I open the door without knocking and lead them to the closed door. My mother opens it and enters, followed by Prim. I move to follow them but my mother blocks my way.
"Wait out here, Katniss."
I start to protest but she firmly shakes her head.
"Think of Gale. Do you think he wants you seeing him like this?"
I stop and think and realize she's right. I take a step back.
"I'll come and tell you something as soon as I know."
My mother closes the door in my face and I'm left wondering what to do. It dawns on me that Rory, Vick, and Posy have probably not eaten dinner yet so I round them into the kitchen. I fix a simple meal of greens and serve it on three plates, making sure to set aside some for Hazelle.
The boys finish their meal and head off to do their homework but Posy stays in the kitchen as I clean up.
"Katniss?" she eventually says my name.
"Yes?" I smile at her. Posy reminds me of Prim in many ways, although I will never love her as much as Prim. Gale has often told me about Posy and I know he loves his little sister in a different way than he loves his brothers. There's a special soft spot for the young girl and Hazelle has told me that Gale often pulls Posy up on his lap before bed. Sometimes she falls asleep in his strong arms.
"Is Gale going to die?"
"What?" I ask, not because she was speaking too softly but because I wanted to make sure that she said what I had heard.
"Is Gale going to die?"
Posy looked up at me with her big eyes, the exact same shade as Gale's. Although we all have the customary grey eyes, Posy and Gale's have something to them that make them different. Maybe it's the shape or the little flecks that dance in the light, I'm not really sure. But I can see the fear in hers so I sit down next to her and pull her onto my lap.
"What makes you ask that?"
"Because your mum is here. Suzy's brother was brought to your mum and he died."
I wasn't sure who Suzy or her brother were but I could understand Posy's rationalization. Many of the people brought to my mother didn't make it simply because they were gone before they even arrived. Most of them were victims of mining accidents.
"No, Posy, Gale isn't going to die. My mum is going to help him feel better, that's all."
"Promise?"
"I promise." I give her a squeeze and she crawls off my lap. I stand up and realize how late it is.
"Come on, why don't we get ready for bed and I'll tell you a story."
I'm not big on telling stories but something inside of me is feeling like I need to look out for Posy. It'll keep her mind off of Gale and maybe, just maybe, it'll keep my mind off of him too. At any rate, she seems to like the idea and she takes my hand and leads me to her bedroom.
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