Fighting To Come Home Chapter 12
Pain that's all that went through Katniss Everdeen's head as she started waking up, when she first opened her eyes she immediately closed them it was way too bright.
"Katniss… Katniss can you hear me" someone said, but she didn't know who, all she could think about was how much pain she was.
"Mmmm….. p….pain" she managed to get out.
"I'll go get a doctor" the person who sounded female said, she could hear the footsteps move from beside her bed and a door open and then close. Katniss tried opening her eyes again but more slowly this time. It took a few times but she was finally able to get them open, she was in a white room, looking around without moving her neck she could tell she was in a hospital room, but it didn't look like one of the make shift one's at base. She went to move her arms but when she went to lift her right arm white horrible pain shot up her arm. Breathing heavily she thought about what happened. She remembered arresting Snow and watching him press a button on a detonator that resulted in the mansion blowing up with people still inside it. She remembered Finnick tackling her to ground because she was on fire. Before she could think anymore Johanna dressed in civilian clothes came back into the room, an African American man dressed in green scrubs and a white lab coat came in behind her.
Johanna smiled at her sitting down in the chair "It's good to see you awake brainless".
Katniss smiled before she looked back at the doctor who was injecting a needle into her IV. "This is some pain medicine to help" the doctor said.
Instantly Katniss felt the pain lessen, it was still there but more of a dull ache. "I'm Doctor Green, how are you feeling Soldier Everdeen?" the doctor asked.
"Better now, exactly what happened, and where am I?" Katniss asked hoarsely.
"That's good. You are in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. You were treated as best as possible at your base in Afghanistan before you were flown here were you have had three surgeries. As to what happened well Snow blew up his mansion when you were only a couple of feet from it. The explosion knocked you forward ten feet, some shrapnel embedded into the back of your legs and arms, but your back was saved because of your Kevlar. Since you landed on your front, you have a couple of cracked ribs; your chest area is bruised pretty badly. But a piece of burning fire wood landed on your back resulting in you catching on fire as well. Your hair was burned pretty badly, it is shoulder length now but it should grow back just fine. Your uniform and Kevlar protected your back from getting serious burns, but you still have some second degree burns on your lower back and hips. The worst was on your arms and legs, especially your left arm. Your left arm is from the shoulder to the elbow covered in third degree burns, we had to use skin grafts to help. Both of your legs from your butt to the middle of your calf are covered in third degree burns as well, we also used skin grafts to help. We successfully removed all of the major shrapnel out of your arms and legs, and so far the skin grafts are proving to be successful. But you're going to need some more surgeries to apply more skin grafts, were sending you to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. in two weeks where you will finish your surgeries. Do you have any questions?"
Johanna set her hand on top of Katniss' trying to be gentle since it was wrapped in bandages "When will she be able to go home?" Johanna asked.
"It's hard to tell right now, her burns are pretty serious and we have to make sure that the skin grafts are helping and that she won't develop any kinds of infections. I would say that you'll be in the hospital for at least two months before you can go home" Doctor Green said.
"How long was I asleep?" Katniss asked.
"We had you in a medical induced coma for a week so that we could remove the shrapnel and treat the burns without causing you unbearable pain" Doctor Green said.
Katniss nodded her head "Thank you Doctor, can I have some time alone with Soldier Mason now?"
Doctor Green smiled "Of course, one of the nurses will be back in forty minutes to check on you" he said before leaving the room.
Johanna laid her head on Katniss' bed sighing heavily she stayed like that for a little bit before she lifted her head, Katniss noticed there were tears in her eyes "You scared the hell out of me brainless. When the explosion went off you thrown forward and all this burning crap landed on you and you weren't moving. Finn and I tried getting to you but there were so many people and then all of a sudden you stood up looking like you were getting ready to run so Finn tackled you trying to put the fire out. We refused to leave you on the way to the base your heart stopped they had to give you CPR and use shock pads to revive you, I don't think I've ever been so scarred" by the time she was done talking Johanna had tears running down her face.
Katniss could feel the tears running down her face as well with slight pain she moved her arm setting her hand on Johanna's face making her look at her "I'm so sorry Jo".
Johanna tearfully smiled gently taking Katniss' hand in hers "You have nothing to be sorry about Katniss, it's all the bastard Snow's fault. He's in custody and from what Haymitch told me he's being prosecuted as we speak, Haymitch doesn't think he'll get anything except the chair".
"That's good, where's Finn?" Katniss asked.
"He's getting his hands and chest re-wrapped. When he tackled you he wasn't wearing his jacket or his Kevlar just his under shirt, he got second degree burns on his hands and chest from trying to put you out" Johanna said.
Katniss closed her eyes trying to stop the tears, she opened her eyes when she felt Johanna's hand on her head "Hey don't cry Katniss, Finn did what you would have done for him, he's perfectly fine he just has to have his bandage's changed every couple of hours and some kind of nasty cream put on. We all know you would have done the same thing for him, hell if Finnick didn't get to you first I was fully prepared to tackle you myself. There's nothing to feel bad about Katniss".
Katniss closed her eyes "I know, I just feel bad he was hurt. Has anyone talked to my family?" she asked slightly nervous to know.
Johanna sighed "Yeah I've talked to them every day, your mom and Prim haven't gone to work they said it was because they were so worried that they knew it would be dangerous if they treated anyone. Peeta stays at the house with them along with Rory, he doesn't say it but I know he's scared shitless, he wants to get on a plane and fly here but I convinced him not to, that he could meet us in D.C., their all worried about you but they know that you're going to be fine".
"What do you mean meet us in D.C.?" Katniss asked.
Johanna smiled "Haymitch pulled some strings; he got it so that Finn and I could fly to Washington D.C. with you, we can only stay a week but it's better than nothing right?"
Katniss smiled "Yeah it's diffidently better than nothing. Thank you Jo for everything".
Johanna smiled "Were family brainless, I just did what you would do for me".
There was a knock on the door before Finnick poked his smiling face in "I heard Soldier Everdeen was finally awake".
Katniss smiled "You heard right Soldier Odair".
Finnick smiled coming into the room, he traded spots with Johanna in the chair and gently took Katniss' hand in his, "You have no idea how happy I am that you're awake. You gave us a real scar".
Katniss smiled sadly "Yeah I know, Jo told me what you did and how you got burnt for it. Thank you Finn, there is nothing I can ever do to repay you".
Finnick smiled "There is no reason to repay me, remember when you took a bullet for me saving my life. Just think of it as payback okay? I'm just glad you're alright Kantiss I don't know what Jo and I would have done if something happened to you". Finnick stood up and kissed her forehead "Alright no more emotional crap it's time we celebrate that all of us are still alive".
Johanna and Katniss laughed, the three sat in the hospital room talking and laughing. The nurse came in injecting more pain killers into her IV and gave Katniss some water and pudding. Since she just woke up from being in a coma she could only eat small amounts of food and liquids. After she was done eating she felt incredibly tired, so Johanna and Finnick left the room letting her sleep, saying that she could call her family tomorrow.
The next day Katniss was able to egg scrambled eggs with orange juice for breakfast and she was able to sit up in bed without much pain, but she had to have help since she couldn't use her left arm very well, and moving her legs caused her to almost black out with pain. After she was finished eating the nurse brought in a phone she could use to call her family, Johanna and Finnick left the room giving her some privacy. Taking a deep breath she dialed her mom's phone number.
'Hello' her mom answered.
"Mom, it's me" Katniss said relieved to hear her mom's voice.
'Katniss, oh my god…' her mom said before breaking into tears.
Katniss was in tears as well "Mom please don't cry your making me cry".
'Oh sweetie I've been so scared, I haven't been this scared in my life. Are you alright?' her mom asked.
"Yeah, I'm in pretty serious pain and everyone has to help me do things which is getting annoying already and I've only been awake for barely twenty four hours" Katniss said with a small laugh.
Her mom chuckled a little bit 'You were always independent even as a small child. I'm so happy you're okay Katniss, let me get Peeta the poor boy has been a nervous wreck' her mother set the phone down and Katniss listened to the sound of nothing on the phone.
Soon the phone was lifted up and Peeta spoke into the phone 'Hello'.
Hearing his voice made every emotion inside Katniss break, tears flew down her cheeks and she gasped out "Peeta".
'Katniss, Katniss is that you" Peeta asked, Katniss could tell he was crying by the way his voice choked up.
"Yes it's me Peeta" Katniss said.
'Katniss, I…. I can't believe it's you, I was so scared. I wanted to come to Germany but Johanna told me not to, I… I need to see you Katniss, I need to see that you're okay' Peeta said.
"I want to see you to Peeta you have no idea how much but there really is no point of you coming. I'm being moved to Washington D.C. in two weeks, besides getting civilians who aren't family onto a military base is nearly impossible. Just stay home with my mother and prim, we can talk every day and even Skype the nurse said there's computer's I can use to Skype with you" Kantiss said.
Peeta sighed heavily "Okay, I won't come to Germany. I just… I need to see you Katniss I need to be able to touch you".
"I know Peeta. But right now I can't really have people touching me, I can barely hold up the phone right now" Katniss said.
"You know that doesn't make me feel any better" Peeta said, but Katniss could tell he was smiling.
"I know. I love you Peeta so much" Katniss said softly.
"I love you to Katniss. I should probably let you go so you can get some more rest, but we can Skype later tonight okay, have Johanna call and we'll set it up" Peeta said.
"Yeah that sounds good, these next two weeks are going to go by really fast I promise. I love you Peeta" Katniss said.
"I love you to Katniss, I'll talk to you in a couple of hours, get some rest, love you" Peeta said before hanging up the phone.
Katniss hung up the phone setting it on the table that went across her lap; she called the nurse in so that she could help her lye back down in the bed and get some rest. Once she was comfortable she stared at the ceiling thinking about everything that happened and what her future was going to look like. Even though no one was saying it right now she knew that she would be getting a purple heart for her service and asked to retire from active duty because of her injuries. Even though she would be perfectly fine there would be no way she could return to active duty, it would take at least a year for her to fully recover. They wouldn't make her leave the army permanently they would try to talk her into recruiting or some kind of boring desk job, and she didn't want that she wanted to go back to active duty with her family. Shaking her head she pushed the thoughts aside and relaxed into her pillows falling asleep.
