Authors Note: I have returned! I always forget to update this. Anyways, I want to thank everyone that has reviewed or read any of my stories. Yes, there are many flaws and mistakes in my writing, but I'm so glad you are here for me as I am experiment with stories. Thank you so much! By the way, the section in italics is Peeta's dream. Without further ado, here is chapter 6.
Chapter 6
179 hours left
The silence in the sterile white hospital corridor was suffocating. Not a sound could be heard other than the occasional beep or tapping of a shoe against the floor. Peeta had only ever been inside of children's hospitals with painted walls and Winnie the Pooh sketches. This place was different to say the least.
Not only was the whole environment unsettling, but the fact that Katniss was across the hall made nerves race through him like an open flame. He'd ask the nurses every few minutes about her, but he received the same words every time.
"Only family can come in right now."
"You need permission from the Everdeens to visit."
"You ought to go home young man. There is nothing you can do."
Peeta clasped his hands together and imagined the hand he was holding belonged to Katniss. A trembling finger traced his palm as he pictured her rain soaked hair rushing wildly in the wind, her threating scowl that has never scared him away, and her small porcelain face that never needed makeup to be absolutely stunning.
A strangled sob slipped through his lips, forcing him to move his hand up to the bridge of his nose to will himself not to let another tear fall. His mother always told him that men don't cry, and like any other obedient child would, he believed her. All through his life, he had been trained to hide his emotions behind a joyful mask, but all at once, his resolve was crumbling.
His thoughts were jolted at the sound of an all too familiar scream.
"Katniss!" he called, fully aware of the attention he was drawing to himself. A few nurses tried to hold him back, but they were no match for his strong arms that were shockingly muscular due to years of athletic training. Through his tear filled eyes, he could faintly see doctors pouring into the room Katniss was in. His fists pounded on the door desperately in a feeble attempt to break it down. He hollered until each noise he uttered made his throat feel like it was being scratched by scalding knives.
Finally, a chilled yet rough hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away from the action.
"No!" he screamed whilst struggling against the man who was holding him, "She's all I have left!"
A gush of wind struck his bare arms, informing him that he was now outside.
She can't die yet. This can't be it, he thought.
The dam that was building up behind his eyelids was suddenly diminished, sending a cascade of hot tears down his cheeks. He slid down against the wall in despair, wishing that the concrete could swallow him whole.
Katniss danced around the green grass of the meadow, with a wide smile etched across her cheeks. In her loving arms was a small child with soft brown hair and blue eyes. The pink blanket provided quite a contrast from her yellow dress and her hair was free of her typical braid. Peeta stood at a distance, admiring the stunning woman. Suddenly, the girl's frail hand reached towards her throat and her pupils widened dramatically. The child fell from her lap with a sharp cry. Peeta tried to take a step forward to save her but an unforeseen force seemed to be preventing him from doing so. Both of his palms pressed firmly against the force in an attempt to break through, but they did not prevail.
"Help me!" she screamed at him, her teeth clenching from either anger or pain. He wanted to yell 'I'm trying' but even his lips felt numb. Like a piece of magic, the girl disappeared from the chair, leaving nothing but the writhing child in her place. A hand rested on his shoulder and he leaned into the touch, but an old cackle broke him from his feeling of relief. He found himself face to face with the last person he desired to see, his mother.
"See," she barked, "I told you that you didn't deserve to be happy."
Peeta's eyes snapped open to the sound of a sweet and reassuring voice.
A blonde figure stood above him knowingly.
"It's okay," she cooed, "It was just a nightmare." He surprised himself with a sudden outburst.
"No!" he hollered, "It's not okay! Katniss isn't okay, nothing is okay right now." The woman's lips pursed together with a light sigh escaping them.
"Peeta, Katniss is okay. She's experiencing some episodes of heart failure, which is normal for someone in her condition. I understand what you are going through Peeta. I am her mother after all…" she trailed off.
A wave of relief and guilt rushed through him as he ran his hands through his hair.
"I'm sorry Ms. Everdeen," he apologized halfheartedly. For someone who usually spoke so fluently, he was suddenly at a loss for words with no motivation to speak any further. His shaking legs led him towards the door, and he didn't bother looking back.
Every day, he went to the hospital to visit the girl he loved. He noted how much she was deteriorating. She was practically a stick now with sunken cheeks and a broken spirit.
Peeta sat at her bedside, holding her frail, nearly lifeless hand.
She pulled together all the strength she had to turn her head towards him and whisper, "There's 102 hours left, Peeta."
He remained silent, selfishly wishing that she would stop talking like that. She didn't.
"Prom has already passed, Peeta, and I'll never be able to go now. I still have something left on my list and only a bit more than four days to do it," she wept into his palms, fully aware that she was blabbering at this point. The sun was beginning to set, heightening her fears.
"Katniss," Peeta began, fighting his own tears, "We can do it. We can get through these days and finish the list."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumbled and stained piece of notebook paper.
"The last thing to do is for you to try on wedding dresses," he read aloud with sadness and the threat of tears weighing down his voice. "We'll go first thing tomorrow."
So, with the help from the doctors and nurses, it was arranged.
Authors note: So… that was a short chapter (sorry), but I will be posting the FINAL chapter very soon. PLEASE REVIEW so I can give the finale of this story its justice.
If you review with some advice for me to improve, a prompt for a new fanfiction, or some thoughtful feedback, I will give your account a shout-out in my next chapter.
Thank you SO MUCH for reading my story so far and I hope you enjoy the next/final chapter.
-turtle