Hey guys! Here's the chapter that you've all been asking for!
Enjoy!
Gale:
I quickly noticed two peacekeepers standing on either side of Catnip and rage coursed through my body. Beside me I could see Sam gaping at the scene in front of us. I was the first person to move and I leapt at the peacekeeper who was holding a large black baton, the tip of it coated in a thin layer of blood. My attack surprised everybody in the room and in my peripheral vision I saw Sam following my lead.
We tumbled to the floor and I threw some well placed punches, receiving a few myself. I managed to steal the baton and throw it away from us. I heard it clatter on the floor somewhere and felt a slither of happiness that the peacekeeper had no more weapons or unfair advantages. I managed to overthrow the peacekeeper and I knocked him out with the butt of my gun. I saw Sam copy me and we tied them up back to back for good measure.
Sam made a move towards Catnip but I beat him to it and I gathered her up, carefully in my arms. I couldn't help the tear that fell down my cheek when I saw her beautiful face up close. There were faded bruises covering her face and neck but new ones were already starting to blossom over them. She was unbelievably thin, even worse than the short period before she started hunting.
Cuts and gashes were also prominent against her pale skin and her breathing was so shallow that I was struggling to her it. I felt for her pulse and my heart sank even lower when I discovered how faint it was. The worst injury that I could see right now was the long gash that started from the middle of her forehead and disappeared into her hairline, it was still bleeding and fast. I ripped a long strip off of my Thirteen uniform and carefully wrapped around the wound.
It was when a hand waved in front of my face that I realise that Sam had been trying to talk to me. "Sorry, what were you saying Sam?" I asked rather breathlessly.
"I said that we should hurry up and get out before the remaining peacekeepers call for backup." Sam said, trying and failing to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Yeah, I agree, have you got Annie?" he nodded, "okay then lets go and grab Orion, Joe and whoever else they have." Sam agreed and we hurried off back down the corridor. As I ran, with Catnip in my arms I saw that all of the cells had been opened, except a few.
When we reached the top of the corridor we saw Orion and Joe waiting for us with a group of around seven people. "Thank goodness you're here, we were getting worried!" Joe exclaimed.
"Sorry, we ran into a bit of trouble, did any more peacekeepers arrive?" I asked, curiosity overcoming me. Orion nodded and moved to the side. When he moved I saw a heap of peacekeepers, including the four that we first came across.
"Okay well I think that is our signal to get out of here as fast as we can." I stated, trying to lighten the mood, but my attempt was brushed to the side. I ran over to the elevator and pressed the button and we waited, all a bit nervous of what we would find when we got back up to the top floor.
The elevator arrived and the familiar ping of the doors went off again. Joe, Orion, Sam and I ushered the others in first, seeing as we would have to get off before them. I cautiously moved Catnip over onto my left shoulder so that I could free up one of my hands to get my gun. We all waited in silence as the elevator made the journey up to the top floor. As we came to a halt I felt adrenaline pumping through my veins, I prepared myself for the worst as the doors opened at a painstakingly slow pace.
Finally the doors opened and the scene in front of me unfolded. There were a large number of injured peacekeepers but only a few of the rescue team were injured. Some of the fighting was still taking place but as we filtered out of the elevator the remainders of the team, who were still fighting, started to merge together and gradually overthrow the peacekeepers.
As the last peacekeeper fell we all ran for the doors, some helping the injured, as we stepped outside I couldn't help but let the smile break out over my face. I once again readjusted Catnip so that I was now carrying her bridal style. We quickly left the prison and walked briskly to the hovercraft, we weren't out of trouble until we were all onboard and had started back on our journey to Thirteen.
After about seven minutes of walking the woods came into view, and shortly after we were welcomed with the pleasant sight of the hovercraft. Sergeant Marshal hurriedly ushered the injured and ex-prisoners on first then the rest of us climbed aboard. As soon as I stepped onto the hovercraft medics swarmed down on me and took Catnip from my clutches. I tried to protest but I knew that she needed urgent medical attention, when I started to follow them to the hospital section I was pulled back by Sam. I sighed but let him take me to where the rest of the team – except the injured – were.
When I sat down Sergeant Marshal appeared and gave us all a slap on the back, it was obvious that he was pleased with how the mission went, "Well done, the mission went as planned and with only a few injured too. You should be proud of yourselves; we have saved many lives today."
I accepted the praise along with the others but I didn't say much as the others started up conversations, my mind was filled with thoughts of Catnip and how she was doing. I stared out the window as the scenery quickly flew by and after a while the familiar ruins of Thirteen came into view and we got ready to land.
The first people off the hovercraft were the medics who were rushing Catnip off to the hospital on a stretcher. I could tell by their rushed voices that Catnip wasn't out of the woods yet. The rest of us got off of the hovercraft and I offered to take Annie to the hospital to see Finnick, she literally jumped at this and I let out a small chuckle. Annie ran into the hospital and spotted Finnick immediately, my heart broke at the way the two of them rushed towards each other and embraced in a tight hug.
One of the doctors approached me and I thought I was about to get some news on Catnip but I was surprised when he pointed to my right arm and said "That needs to be looked at, follow me."
I looked to where he had pointed and was shocked to see a large wound, which looked as if it were from a knife, it started at my shoulder and went half way down my bicep. There was dried blood as well as new blood dribbling from it. I followed the doctor in and he started to clean my wound. I only did as he said because the sooner that this was over, the sooner I could see Catnip.
Peeta:
I heard a mixture of noises and I knew that the rescue team must have arrived back. My suspicions were confirmed when Haymitch burst into the room, a grin on his face.
"They've arrived back; they rescued Katniss, Annie and others. Katniss has lost quite a bit of blood from a wound to her head, she has lots of bruises from beatings and two fractured ribs. She is also suffering from malnutrition but right now she is stable and we are allowed to go visit her." Haymitch informed me as I jumped off of the bed and we ran to Katniss' room, Haymitch leading the way.
As we ran I felt butterflies in my stomach, I couldn't believe that in a matter of minutes Katniss would be back in my arms. We arrived at her room and I had to stop myself from knocking down the door, I knew that she would have not only physical but emotional damage as well and I didn't want to alarm her. Haymitch and I walked in to the room and I got my first look at Katniss. My heart twisted as I took in her injuries and I felt the need to find Snow right now and get revenge, instead I calmed myself and approached her bedside. Her beauty still overwhelmed me and those gorgeous grey eyes followed me as I walked towards her. All of a sudden I couldn't take it any more and I ran to her and gathered her up in my arms, inhaling her scent.
"Oh, Katniss you don't know how much I have worried about you! I missed you every day that you weren't with me, I love you so much; please don't ever leave me again!" The words poured out from my mouth, describing how my heart felt. However, my happiness was short lived as Katniss roughly pushed me off of her.
She stared me right in the eyes and it was then that I realised something was truly wrong. "W…..Who are you?" she stuttered. I had to do a double take, had she really just said what I thought she had?
"Katniss… what on earth do you mean? How can you not know me?" I asked in disbelief, I glanced at Haymitch, then Prim and Mrs Everdeen. Each of them were staring at Katniss as if they couldn't believe what she had just said.
"I mean that I don't know who you are, I have absolutely no clue who you are and you just said you loved me. What is going on? Mum? Prim? Please I need to know!" She exclaimed, she was getting worked up and one of the machines that she was hooked up to started to beep faster. Haymitch took this as his cue to drag me from the room.
Devastation hit my body as I realised exactly what had just happened. Those three words just replayed in my head "W…Who are you?" And that look that she had given me, the confusion clear in her eyes, showed that she really didn't know. I had lost the one thing that I had left. Katniss. My Katniss was gone and I didn't know if I would ever get her back. It was with these thoughts that I ran off and hid in a cupboard somewhere. I ran away from what had just happened and I ran away from the only girl that I had ever loved. The girl who no longer knew me, the girl who had forgotten about me completely.
My heart had shattered into pieces as I let the tears overtake me and I sat, in the same cupboard that I ran off to after I found our about my family, I sat in there and wondered if I could ever get over this and accept what Katniss had said. The answer was no, I couldn't do it. I would get her back; I had to get her back, even if it meant making her fall in love with me all over again.
