Right Beside Each Other
4: A First Time and a Last Time
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games! All characters belong to Suzanne Collins.
A/N: Hi guys! So I know that I updated a few days ago, but since I took forever to post Chapter 3, I decided to post Chapter 4 for you guys as well. I still feel really bad that it took me forever to update, so I hope this makes you guys happy :) I think you guys will really like this chapter!
So read on and enjoy. Please review; it makes my day!
I wrap my knitted scarf a little tighter around my neck as a chilly breeze begins to blow through town. I see the few people who are out on the street hurry their steps to escape the cold, and I quicken my pace as well. For the past few days, the weather has been spontaneous and quite extreme, not only here in District Twelve, but also all over Panem. When I talked to my mother on the phone last night, she told me that District Four had been pummeled with fierce rain multiple times in the last few weeks. I hope that the weather won't interfere with our trip to District Four in December. Mom was so ecstatic when we discussed it over the phone; I know she'll be even happier when Peeta and I tell her that she's going to be a grandmother.
My body shivers involuntarily as the cold wind picks up. I jog the rest of the way to the bakery. When I walk through the door, I'm relieved as warm, sweet air envelops me. I loosen my scarf and look up to find Ian sliding a tray of freshly baked cookies into one of the display cases. As he shuts the glass door of the case, he greets me with one of his usual friendly smiles.
"Hey there, Katniss," he says to me as he wipes his hands on his apron.
I smile back at him. "Hey, Ian. How are you?"
"I'm good," he answers. "You?"
My grin grows wider. "I'm great," I tell him truthfully.
Ian nods. "I can tell. I've never seen you smile so much in the short time that I've known you," he chuckles.
Ian's right. Ever since Peeta and I found out that we're pregnant, I've been happier than I've ever been before. I'm pretty sure that I can say the same for Peeta as well. I've always known that having a baby would make Peeta incredibly happy, but I never imagined that it would bring me such contentment. Our anniversary yesterday was amazing, too, and that also explains why I'm in such a good mood. Everything seems to be going so well for me and Peeta. I just hope it stays that way.
"So where are you and Peeta going today?" Ian asks me as he wipes down the counter behind the register, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I glance around the bakery to make sure that no one is around before I answer. "I have an appointment with Dr. Keene today. Since Peeta couldn't go to the first one, he really wants to go with me this time," I say quietly.
"All of this must be so exciting for you two," Ian answers with a soft smile. "I can't wait to have a family of my own someday."
"So you like kids?" I ask.
"Yeah, definitely," he says, nodding. "Sometimes, when Peeta gives me a day off, I help my friend Marjorie with her music class down at the elementary school." He pauses before adding, "Has she talked to you about…?"
"Yes, she has," I interrupt. "I decided that I do want to help her out. I was actually thinking of going down to the school today after the appointment to talk to her."
"That's great," Ian says brightly. "Marjorie's a lot of fun; you'll have a blast with her and the kids."
"Yeah, she seems like an amazing girl," I say.
"She really is," he answers. His cheeks instantly turn red at his words.
I giggle. "Peeta told me that you like her, Ian. I think you two would be lovely together."
"Really?" he says, his eyes twinkling.
"Yeah, really," I tell him assuredly.
At that moment, Peeta emerges from the kitchen with flour on his face and in his hair. "Hey, Katniss," he says before giving me a quick kiss. "Have you been here long?"
"No, only for a few minutes," I answer, wiping away the flour from his cheeks. "Are you ready to go?"
He quickly takes off his dirty apron and hangs it up on a hook on the wall. "Yes," he says to me before turning to Ian. "There's a batch of snickerdoodles in the oven. I need you to take them out as soon as the timer goes off. I'll be back by two."
"Will do," Ian replies. "Now you two better get going or else you'll be late to the appointment."
"Thank you, Ian," Peeta says as he wraps one arm around my waist.
"See you later," I tell Ian as Peeta and I make our way out the door and towards the hospital, which looms above every other building in District Twelve except for the medicine factory.
Peeta removes his hand from my waist to intertwine his fingers with mine. His palm feels abnormally clammy despite how cold it is outside. I glance at him and see that his deep blue eyes are wider and brighter than usual.
"Are you okay?" I ask Peeta.
He looks at me and grins. "Of course I am. I'm thrilled! We're gonna get to see our baby for the first time!"
I smile at his enthusiasm and start to feel just as excited as Peeta does. At today's appointment, Dr. Keene is going to do an ultrasound, and Peeta and I will be able to catch a glimpse of our child for the first time. Dr. Keene even said that he'll print out some pictures of our baby for us to keep. When I told Peeta about the ultrasound a few days ago, he was elated and promised not to miss it. Now, here we are, on our way to the most amazing, breathtaking doctor's appointment we will ever go to.
We reach the hospital in about five minutes. The appointment is scheduled for twelve-thirty, so Peeta and I take a seat in the waiting room after I sign in. Peeta can barely sit still in his chair as I watch the clock and how slowly it seems to tick. It feels like an eternity has passed before my name is called and a nurse leads me and Peeta to a room. After checking my vital signs, she leaves, and we're left waiting again. I guess waiting for this appointment to get started isn't so bad when I think about how much longer we'll have to wait until our baby is born.
Dr. Keene enters the room a little while later. "Hello, Katniss," he says with a smile as he shakes my hand. "And you must be Peeta."
"Yes," he answers, grinning. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Dr. Keene says. "Katniss has told me so much about you. Oh, and I must admit that your blueberry pies are delicious!"
Peeta chuckles. "Thank you. If I would've known that you liked them so much, I would've brought you one!"
Dr. Keene laughs as he motions for me to lie back. "There's always the next appointment."
Peeta nods. "Of course."
"Well then, enough about blueberry pies," Dr. Keene states. "Let's get started with the ultrasound."
I glance over at Peeta, who's sitting beside me, and take his hand in mine. He gives me a reassuring squeeze, and at that moment, all the fear and doubts I've ever had about having a baby completely disappear. In my heart, I know that deciding to start a family with Peeta was the right decision.
"Alright, Katniss, this gel that I'm going to put on your stomach will help me to get the best possible pictures of the baby," Dr. Keene explains as he opens a tube of conducting gel. "It will feel a bit cold."
I inhale sharply as the cool, clear gel comes in contact with my skin. Dr. Keene turns his attention to the sonogram screen and begins to slide a probe over my stomach. Peeta and I stare intently at the screen, hoping to instantly see something that looks like a baby, but we see nothing.
Dr. Keene continues to watch the screen and move the probe around. My grip on Peeta's hand is so tight that my fingers start to ache. The longer the screen remains blank, the more I start to feel like something's not right. Why can't Dr. Keene find the baby? Could something be wrong?
After a few more seconds, a tiny blob suddenly appears. I feel Peeta sit up in his chair. I grab his hand tighter, which I didn't think was possible. Our gazes move back and forth between the screen and Dr. Keene.
The older man's lips curve upward into a broad smile. "That," he says, pointing at the screen, "is your baby."
Peeta laughs in astonishment. "That…blob is our baby?" he asks incredulously.
Dr. Keene nods. "Yes. By the looks of it, I'd say you're about six weeks along, Katniss."
"Wow," I whisper softly. "I never imagined that it would look like that."
"Well, when we do another ultrasound in a few weeks, it'll definitely look more like a baby and less like a blob, as Peeta called it," Dr. Keene chuckles.
I tear my gaze away from the screen to look at Peeta. His smile is bigger than I've ever seen it before, and his eyes are glossy with tears. I recognize the look in his eyes. It's the look he gives me every morning when I wake up. It's the look of unconditional love. Knowing that Peeta already loves our unborn child the same way he loves me is enough to cause tears to start rolling down my cheeks.
Dr. Keene hands us both some tissues. "It's amazing, isn't it?"
Peeta and I are too busy staring at our baby to answer, so we just nod.
"Now," Dr. Keene says as he pushes some buttons with one hand while still holding the probe with the other, "let's check out the baby's heartbeat."
All of a sudden, a loud swishing sound fills the room. Peeta's eyes widen in awe, and I begin to cry. Tears fill my eyes as I continue to listen to our baby's heart palpitate with strength and continuity. I feel a sense of relief and bliss knowing that our baby is healthy, alive, and…
"Real or not real?" Peeta says to me quietly with wonder in his voice.
I smile as more tears fall from my eyes. "Real. Our baby is definitely real."
"I'm so happy for you guys," Ian says, staring down at the sonogram in his hands. "This is amazing."
Peeta and I exchange a glance and smile at each other. After the appointment ended, Peeta and I were so excited that we couldn't help but show Ian the sonograms. We're still not ready to break the news to everyone else, but we just had to share the pictures with somebody.
"Thanks, Ian," Peeta says to him before turning to me. "I gotta get back to work. There are some cakes that I have to finish up."
"Okay," I reply before kissing him lovingly on the lips. "I'm going to stop by the elementary school on my way home to talk to Marjorie."
"You're going to help her?" Peeta says with a grin.
"Yes. You were right; it'll be good for me," I tell him. I kiss him once more. "See you later."
"Alright. I love you," Peeta murmurs, his lips still hovering close to mine.
"Love you too." I smile as I close the space between us, giving him one last kiss before I head for the door. Before I step out of the bakery, I turn around as Peeta is heading into the kitchen. "Oh, and Peeta?"
He pokes his head out the side of the door. "Yes?"
"Nothing better happen to those sonograms," I say amusingly. "Don't forget them when you leave to go home tonight."
Peeta grins. "Trust me, I'll take good care of them," he chuckles before disappearing back into the kitchen.
I say goodbye to Ian before I walk out onto the sidewalk and toward District Twelve's elementary school. Thankfully it's not too far from the bakery or the Victor's Village. My morning sickness has improved dramatically in the past few days, but I can't say the same about my fatigue. I can barely walk for ten minutes without beginning to feel exhausted. If I get extremely tired so easily now, I don't even want to imagine how I'll feel when I'm well into the second and third trimesters of my pregnancy.
After a few minutes, the blue schoolhouse comes into view. As I approach the school, children begin to run happily out the front doors, signaling that the school day is over. Some run into the arms of their mothers who are waiting to walk them home. Others begin to make their way home with their friends. I smile as I picture my son or daughter on their first day of school. I can picture them painting in their art class like Peeta does or singing in their music class like I do.
I'm so caught up in my own thoughts that I jump when Marjorie taps on my shoulder.
"Hi, Katniss!" she says in her usual bubbly voice. "Sorry if I startled you."
"No, it's fine," I tell her. "You just surprised me, that's all."
"Well, would you like to come inside and have a look at the music room?" Marjorie asks.
"Sure, I'd love that," I smile.
I follow Marjorie into the schoolhouse and down a long hallway. We then turn right into a smaller hallway until we reach the music room.
"This is it," Marjorie states proudly as we enter the large classroom. The walls are a bright yellow, as vivid and lively as Marjorie herself. One side of the room is cluttered with musical instruments. There are so many different ones that I only recognize a few of them. On the other side of the classroom, there's a desk, a chalkboard, and two large filing cabinets that hold sheet music.
"Wow," I say as I look around. "This is great, Marjorie. I think I'm really gonna enjoy helping you."
Marjorie grins at me. "I'm so glad to hear you say that! The kids are excited about having another teacher. They'll love you, I guarantee it."
"So when do you want me to start?" I ask.
"How does Monday sound?" Marjorie asks hopefully.
I smile. "Monday is perfect. I'll be here."
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Marjorie exclaims before giving me a hug. "You don't know how much I appreciate you helping me."
"No problem," I say as I pull away. For a second, I consider telling Marjorie about the pregnancy, but I decide not to until I talk to Peeta and make sure that he's okay with her knowing about it.
"Well, I better get going," I tell her, making my way towards the door. "I'll see you on Monday, Marjorie."
"Thanks again, Katniss. See you then!" she replies.
The following day, around nine in the morning, I slip on my father's hunting jacket and my leather boots before grabbing my bow and arrows from the downstairs closet. Today will probably be the last time that I hunt for a while. Since I'm going to start helping Marjorie on Monday, I won't have much free time anymore, and I won't be able to hunt as my pregnancy progresses. I'm going to miss being in the woods a lot. Hunting is not only something that I love to do. It reminds me of my father and makes me feel close to him even though he's gone. I cherish every moment that I spend out in the woods, and today, I plan to appreciate as much time as I can spend in the forest as possible.
Before I head out, I stop by Haymitch's house to let him know that I'm going to be out for a few hours. He seems to be a little bit better than when I last saw him. I make a mental note to tell Peeta when I see him tonight.
After checking in with Haymitch, I head for the woods. I walk quickly and reach the edge of the forest in just a few minutes. I don't want to waste any time today.
I begin to move deep into the woods. Although I don't hunt as much as I used to when I was younger, I still remember everything my father and Gale taught me about the forest. Hunting does bring back memories—most of which I rather not remember—about Gale. Some days, I find myself missing him and our old friendship terribly. Even though I'm irrevocably in love with Peeta, Gale still has a special place in my heart. He's one of the few things from the past that I still hold on to permanently. Sometimes I wish that I could see him and how he's doing. I wish that we could talk about what happened between us as the best friends that we used to be. I always wonder if he is married and has children. Like me, Gale never wanted kids, but I wonder if he's changed his mind since Panem is now free of Snow and the Hunger Games forever. Most of all, I always wonder if he misses me. I wonder if he longs to have our friendship back just like I do. I wonder if he still thinks of me at all or if he's forgotten about me and his past just like a lot of people in Panem have. Most people find it easier to forget and move on, but I will never be able to let him go completely.
Two hours pass. Maybe three. It takes me a while to catch anything since I haven't been hunting in a long time, but eventually I kill a squirrel and a few quails. I think about stopping there and calling it a day, but I continue on and immerse myself deeper into the woods.
Another hour goes by. My legs start to feel heavy, so I decide to sit on a fallen tree trunk and rest my feet. Then I notice how dry and sticky my throat feels. I reach for the small water bottle that I brought along with me, but as I go to take a drink out of it, I realize that it's empty.
I sigh in exasperation. Sitting down has not helped. If anything, I feel worse than when I was walking. My throat is parched, and although it's not hot today, I'm sweating profusely. I'm dehydrating.
I stand up and resolve to look for water. My legs beg for rest, but I begin to walk speedily through the trees. I glance around at my surroundings, trying to remember where I am, but all I see is a blur of green. I'm lost. I've never gotten lost in these woods.
I frantically try to recall from which direction I came in, but everything surrounding me looks the same. As I stand in the middle of the woods—lost, confused, and a little scared—my throat begins to feel even more arid than it did before. When I swallow, it feels like sandpaper.
I continue to search desperately for a clue of where in the forest I am, but before I know it, my legs give away underneath me and I fall to the ground. Then, everything goes black.
A/N: I know...cliffhanger. You guys probably hate me even more now, but please review and I promise Chapter 5 will be up soon!